Do not use the term Dayak, says Joseph Entulu.

Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister, Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun, is again reviving the call for the government to consider dropping the term "Dayak". Entulu told reporters after witnessing the installation of the new committee members for the Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) Rajang branch on Saturday night, 9-May-2009.

He said the term should be dropped because it conveyed negative connotations like being uncivilised, uncouth and “low class“. He believes it would be more tactful and exact if specific terminologies like Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit and so forth, be used.

Source: The Star Online

Growing Pains for Greater Gains

PR’s chain of trouble from weak link
Source: The Star Online
By BARADAN KUPPUSAMY

After one year, Pakatan Rakyat’s dilemma is that ‘little brother’ PKR is using by-elections as a way of winnowing unwanted representatives, something that does not sit too well with DAP and PAS.

THE resignation of besieged former Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin as Penanti assemblyman has forced yet another by-election.

As it is, voters are already suffering from election fatigue after five straight by-elections since the March 8, 2008 general election.

Like the April 7 Bukit Selambau by-election, the upcoming Penanti by-election was brought about by the resignation of the assemblyman, in this case Fairus at the behest of the party’s top leadership.

PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is being forced to use by-elections as a way of getting rid of unwanted assemblymen who in one way or another have been an embarrassment to the PKR and the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

When two PKR assemblymen in Perak were charged with corruption, the party defended and continued to keep them as exco members, a lapse that led to their defection and Pakatan’s subsequent loss of Perak.

PKR learnt quickly from that disaster.

When V. Arumugam, the former Bukit Selambau assemblyman, was caught in an embarrassing “bigamy” scandal, he was ordered to resign to force a by-election which PKR’s S. Manikumar won.

The PKR is taking the same route with Fairus, who resigned as deputy Chief Minister on April 8 following corruption investigation, to ensure that he vacates the seat for a more credible candidate.

In the case of the Bukit Lanjan state seat in Selangor, PKR has decided to keep Elizabeth Wong after she had resigned on Feb 17 over controversial pictures of her that surfaced on the Internet.

While Wong, who is well qualified for her job, is seen as a victim of blackmail, Arumugam and Fairus are looked upon as weak and ineffective and having compromised themselves and the party.

Nevertheless, using by-elections as a way to “clean up” the PKR can only work so far.

The danger is that an election fatigued public, worried that the politicking would drag the country down at a time of mounting economic woes, could hand PKR a defeat.

The fear of loss and election fatigue are reasons why the DAP and PAS were reluctant to engineer another by-election to save face for the PKR.

But the die is cast now and they have to toe the line taken by Pakatan supremo Anwar and prepare for yet another by-election.

The Pakatan dilemma is that PKR is the weak link in the year-old coalition.

While PAS and the DAP are able to hold on to their elected representatives and ensure compliance, the PKR is often hit by one scandal after another.

The reason is that the PKR, being the new kid on the block, is still finding its feet and shedding unwanted baggage accumulated during the reformasi era.

Engineered by-elections is also a tactic the PKR likes because it keeps their supporters bound together and in a fighting mood – a siege mentality going back to the reformasi era when the party was under constant attack.

In the case of the older and wiser DAP and PAS, their priorities are to better administer the states under their charge, deliver on the election promises and prepare for the long haul.

For PKR, the priority is immediate and bound with the future of Anwar and his dream to be Prime Minister.

In Penang, Anwar’s dilemma is that after Fairus, the two remaining Malay PKR assemblymen – executive councillor and Batu Maung assemblyman Abdul Malik Abdul Kassim and Sungai Bakap assemblyman Maktar Shapee – are seen as unacceptable for the Deputy Chief Minister 1 post.

Abdul Malik is said to be the main force behind Fairus’ resignation and giving him the post would be seen as rewarding political backstabbing, says a national PKR leader.

“Besides he is not on good terms with Penang PKR chief Datuk Zahrin Mohd Hashim,” said the leader.

The issue is further complicated as Zahrin, who is Bayan Baru MP, wants Fairus’ job.

The other candidate Maktar is “simply not cut out for the job,” say top PKR leaders.

As in Arumugam’s case, Anwar has decided to resolve the issue by forcing a by-election. He hopes to field a more credible Malay candidate, win and move on.

This method is tricky not just because of election fatigue but also because PKR, being a multi-racial party, has other options.

It can make a temporary sacrifice and pick a non-Malay PKR assemblyman as deputy Chief Minister 1 until a more credible candidate is fielded in the next general election.

Deputy Chief Minister 2 Dr P. Ramasamy has repeatedly said that “he represents all voters, not just Indians”.

This kind of thinking is real multi-racialism in which the PKR could show the way.

But now that a by-election is inevitable, voters, whether they like it or not, will be subjected to another bout of politicking at a time when the national focus should be on the mounting economic woes.

After 50 years, Sarawak is still beggar state

Sadly, Sarawak remains a beggar state, even after half a century of independence and after over 25 years under control of the Taib Mahmud dynasty. So much timber and other natural resources have been extracted from the land for as long as Taib has been in power. Yet, Sarawak is in the same financial state as African countries depending on handouts from other governments.

How many indigenious Sarawak companies export Made-in-Sarawak technologies and high value services? What is the contribution of the value of export of indigenious technologies and services to the State's GDP (excluding natural resources and related products)? For how long can we let Taib Mahmud plunder the land? When can we start focusing on developing indigenious high value-added products and services, and stop plundering the land to conserve for future generation?

Who Cares About The Penans?

As reported in The Star Online.

KUALA LUMPUR: Thirty-five non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the Bar Council want Bukit Aman instead of the Sarawak police to investigate the alleged sexual abuse of Penan women and girls by loggers.

They cited non-action over the alleged rape of a 12-year-old Penan girl back in 1994 and other abuses.

The NGOs said in a statement the affected communities had “expressed a serious lack of confidence in the Sarawak police due to their long-standing dealings with them” and the perpetuation of abuse with impugnity.

Referring to the reports of rape, sexual abuse and exploitation of Penan girls and women in The Star on Oct 6, they said that despite the serious nature of the allegations, Sarawak police had been dismissive, insisting a report be lodged before an investigation commences.

They questioned police commitment since the Marudu police had stated yesterday that they had found no evidence of abuse but “temporary” marriages between Penan women and loggers.

On Tuesday, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen announced the setting up of a task force to look into the plight of Penan women and girls. The Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) and Women’s Centre for Change, Penang, will be members of the task force.

At a press conference at the council, its chairman Datuk Ambiga said Malaysia was a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

“One of the strengths of good governance is not how well the Government looks after the majority but its minority and vulnerable groups,” she said.

WAO executive director Ivy Josiah, who said the task force had yet to meet, said WAO would like indigenous women to be represented. in the task force.

“WAO would like the task force to not just devise programmes but go on a fact-finding mission to see for ourselves the situation.”

Centre for Orang Asli Concerns coordinator Colin Nicholas called for investigations to “be conducted by Bukit Aman because the Sarawak police has shown itself by its inquiries in 1994 to be either biased or incompetent.”

Baram MP Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan said he is “shocked” by the claims that Penan schoolgirls and young women had been raped and sexually abused by timber workers in his constituency.

Sagan, who said he had not been informed by anyone of these alleged crimes, said: “This is a serious matter and I support the call by Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam for the truth to be exposed.”

The Malaysian Economic Agenda

To view, please click on the image.

The Malaysian Economic Agenda II

To view, please click on the image.

The 20 Point Agreement

To view, please click on the image.

Some of Taib Mahmud's Doings

To view, please click on the image.

Barisan Bersatu Sarawak Declaration

To view, please click on the image.

PKR Manifesto Pages 20 - 23

To view, please click on the image.

PKR Manifesto Pages 17 - 19

To view, please click on the image.

PKR Manifesto Pages 13 - 16

PKR Manifesto pages 13 - 16. To view, please click on the image.

George Chan Confuses

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam, who is also State Agriculture Modernisation Minister and State Industrial Development Minister, said he knows of the Sarawak farmers’ woes.

“They have been hit hard, especially the small- and medium-scale farmers. The cost of animal-feed, fertiliser and transportation has increased tremendously.

“Operational costs have gone up by more than 50%. Many find it hard to sustain operations.

“Transportation costs accounts for a large part of their operating expenditure.

“Since the fuel-price rise, farmers have been spending more to sell their products,” he stressed.

Later, he said, “We ask them to be commercially viable. (But) they said tak perlu, cukup makan (no need, enough to eat).”

Earlier he said, “We (the state) want to discuss with the Federal Government on what urgent measures can be taken to help those in the agriculture sector.

“The immediate measure needed is increasing fertiliser subsidies.

“We will try to increase the use of machinery to reduce labour costs.”

Later he said, ". . . farmers should opt for organic fertilisers to beat soaring prices of ordinary fertilisers.

“There are a lot of such wastes we can use for smaller farms. It is less expensive to use organic fertiliser which is good for the soil.”

Mr. Minister, when you don't have the facts, better to say nothing, else you look real stupid.

Did you do a proper research to understand why farmers are not commercially viable? Where did you get the idea that organic fertilizer is less expensive? You must have been sleeping on the job all these years!