New NCR Land Initiative Is Another Taib's Promise Of The Moon Tactic To Fish For Ibans' Votes

Kuching
Saturday, 24th July 2010

Iban/Natives of Sarawak must not get Cheated by Taib and His Barisan Nasional Regime For another 50 Years Just because of the New NCR Land Initiative. They Should Instead Vote For PKR Which Has Better NCR Land Initiative If Given the Mandate to Rule Sarawak.....Sarawak For Pakatan Rakyat!

Promise Of The Moon is Not a New Tactic Employed By BN to Fish For Vote in Sarawak. I wrote about it HERE

Taib Mahmud, the longest serving "Dictator" Minister in the word announced yesterday that the Federal and the State government is going to embark on the new NCR land initiative by the end of this year.

According to Taib, the initiative will be carried out in two steps.  The first step is the Perimeter survey,  where the Land Survey will identify the genuine NCR lands before deploying its personnel  to the ground to conduct the perimeter survey, and subsequently the NCR lands will be gazetted under Section 6 of the Sarawal Land Code (SLC). The second step involve the individual land title. The land owners and community leaders will identify the owner of the land individually before the survey is done. Eventually the owner of the NCR land will be issued with the land title pursuant to section 18 of Sarawak Land Code .

Taib added that the initiative will be carried out by the end of this year with RM 20 Million allocation from the Federal Government.
NCR land issues has been known as the opposition main weapon against Taib government. After looking at the date of the  implementation of the NCR Land  initiative, I doubt the BN sincerity in implementing the initiative. As we all awared that Taib and his cronies have been actively robbing the Iban/dayak of their NCR lands. The initiative could be another Taib's/BN's Promise of the Moon tactic  means to fish for the Iban's Vote in preparation for the State election. Considering the size of sarawak, the initiative can  take between 10-20 years to complete. We have been cheated by BN for the past 50 years therefore I am urging all the Dayaks/Ibans not to be cheated by BN for another term.

PR Offers Better Land Code Affecting Their NCR Lands If Given Mandate To Rule Sarawak

Iban has better choice in Pakatan Rakyat especially Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). PKR in its Convention held on 28 July 2009 at Crown Tower Kuching, adopted the resolution on Land as follows :-

(1) To ensure that alienation of land shall be fair and just and that landless and needy Sarawakian families shall be entitled to apply for and be granted alienation of lands.

(2) To make it a fundamental policy that in Sarawak land belongs to the people and government only holds and administers land in trust for the people as opposed to the policy that all lands are state land.

(3) To make residential land to be issued with grants in perpetuity. All lands currently held with 60 or 90 years lease periods are to be automatically converted to land with such lease with no further payment  or premium except for nominal administrative charges.

(4) To review, amend or repeal any legislation or provisions in any land statutes that are unjust, oppressive and burdensome to landowners.

(5) To introduce amendments to the Sarawak Land Code with a view to upgrade NCR land owners from mere licenses to proprietors of land issued with documents of titles and therefore for such right to lawfully acquired through purchase, inheritance, as gifts and by other lawful means.

(6) To establish a Native Land Commissioned to identify, determine and settle all NCR lands issues with powers to investigate, review and give back NCR land ownership by issuing titles to lands which have been ascertained to have been illegally alienated and acquired.

(7) To introduce smart partnership policy to ensure all land-based development be participated by and are for the maximum  benefit of both the landowners and financiers  or the developers.

(8)  To ensure that companies alienated land for oil palm plantations truly develop the said land instead of selling them for quick profit.

(9) To recognise the cultural and customary practices of the natives relating to land use in particular "Pulau Galau" and "Pemakai Menoa" and to accord the lands involved in such practices due status.

(10) To ensure that NCR land Policy conforms to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indegenous people. This means to respect the inherent rights of the indegenous peoples especially their rights to their lands, territories and resources and their rights not to be subjected to any action which dispossess them of  the same and from any form of forced population transfer which violates or undermines any of their rights (Article 8 and Article 26).

(11) To introduce a Land Acquisition Ordinance to provide that land shall be acquired for a truly public purposes and be properly and fairly compensated by the government and that no person should be deprived of his land without fair compensation. That land acquisition process ought to be carried out in a fair, just and transparent manner and that Section 47 Land Code Procedure ought to be reviewed or even abolished.

(12) To recognise all forests on NCR lands as Native Forests.

(13) To restore NCR lands in Batang Ai and Bakun (HEP) and future HEPs that are not inundated and that they to be given back to the former NCR owners.

(14) To ensure that all developments affecting NCR lands shall be based on free, prior and informed consented.

Conclusion

BN has been ruling Sarawak for nearly 50 years and throughout that 50 years period they had robbed Iban/natives of their NCR lands in the name of politic of Development.
Whereas PR through Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) had 14 points resolution regarding Land which will protect the NCR lands.
As a conclusion, Iban/Dayak should not risk their NCR lands by Voting for BN. They SHOULD CHOOSE PAKATAN RAKYAT, AS THE LATER HAD PROMISED BETTER CODE FOR NCR LANDS IF GIVEN THE MANDATE TO RULE SARAWAK.

Mupok Aku

AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN

“Utter Disgust” – PKR Leader Baru Bian Speaks Out

Kuching
Thursday, 22nd July 2010

This article was published in Sarawak Report on Tuesday, July 13th 2010

One Shocking Report After Another

Sarawak’s PKR Leader Baru Bian has expressed his “utter disgust” at the extent of the foreign properties owned by the Chief Minister and his family, as revealed in a series of recent exposes by Sarawak Report. ”For us it has been shocking as we read one report after another”, he said.

The opposition leader also explained that the information, which has been kept hidden until now, has served to further highlight the “huge disparity” between the Chief Minister and ordinary people in Sarawak, who are amongst the poorest in Malaysia, despite the natural wealth of the state.

Bian, who inspected some of the properties owned by the Taibs in a recent visit to London, nevertheless fears that the billions of ringgit of assets uncovered by Sarawak Report in Canada, the USA, London and Australia are only the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to the Taibs’ stolen wealth. His challenge to the Chief Minister is uncompromising, “Taib’s silence since the first report implies there is a strong degree of truth to these reports. There has been no response from him yet. We want a denial and if it is not true he needs to take action. If not, there is an irresistible conclusion that he is definitely the man, The Godfather, behind the source”.

Sarawak Report has made clear it has documented evidence to back up all its revelations about the Taibs’ property and that the vast majority of the information is available to members of the public online, through official registries and court documents. This evidence will be made available to bodies such as the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) on request.

Meanwhile, Baru Bian emphasises that one of the first priorities for PKR on taking power would be to gain restitution of this wealth. “This is the wealth of the people and just as restitution has been done in the Philippines and Indonesia, it must be delivered here in Sarawak”. The PKR leader also pointed out that in China, the country on which the Chief Minister is relying to support his much-criticised dam building exercise, any embezzlers from the State are harshly dealt with.

Where is the MACC?

In a final comment Bian issued a weary plea to the MACC. “All my long-held suspicions [about the Taibs' wealth] are now confirmed and it all leads to the Godfather. The MACC must take action immediately because it involves the huge wealth of the state. He cannot remain Chief Minister”. The PKR leader however acknowledged that the anti-corruption agencies have a dismal record under the present regime. “If we want to do anything about this we have to change who is in power” he said, calling for unity and focus among all opposition forces in Sarawak.

Mupok Aku

AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN

YB Mong Dagang Is Out To Cheat the Rural People Using Old Tactic

Kuching
Tuesday, 20th July 2010

Dream On YB but at the BeeNd,  it is Vote that Counts!

''Those of Us Living in Rural Areas Know that We Still Lag in Terms of Infrastructure development''..Admits YB Mong Dagang. He further advised the rural people to vote for barisan Nasional for continous Development!

For most of us the dayaks, the above speech by Barisan Nasional (BN ) leader sound familiar. BN leaders have been using the same script to fish for Iban's vote for the past 50 years. BN has been ruling Sarawak since it joining Malaysia in 1963. After almost 50 years the coalition still fail to develop Sarawak and provides its people with basic amenities like road, electricity and cleaned water. Based on the statistic about 90 percents of the Iban's longhouses throughout Sarawak still without the above basic amenities.

YB Mong Dagang who is the YB for Bukit Begunan when speaking at the "Ngiling Tikai" or Closing of Gawai Dayak at Rh Igoh Atut longhouse at Selanjan Angkong Jalong near Sri Aman admits that Iban (rural areas) are still lagging in term of  Infrastructure compared to the town area, as such he said the Iban should remain supporting BN because only BN can develop the rural people.

The Iban must be very stupid or in Iban we call stupid as "beli(k), tambab and lungau, if we still give chance for BN to rule us. Just imagine, after 50 years under BN's rule only  about 10 percents of the longhouses throught out Sarawak have been provided with the bacic amenities. Just imagine how long does it take for BN to develop another 90 percents of the longhouses throught out Sarawak?
Considering the past performance of  "BN's Politic of Development" , they need another 450 years to develop another 90 percents of the longhouses throughout Sarawak. Can we afford to wait for another 450 years and gamble our future generations on Barisan Nasional?
I dont want to be fooled or neither I want to see the Ibans being fooled or " dikemeli(k), kelesei or dikemuntat"  by BN therefore I am urging YB Mong and the rest of the Iban politicians from BN NOT TO USE the same old song to fish for votes from the Ibans. BN can CHEATS  us for THE PAST 50 YEARS but not now. And not to forget that the BN politicians may RELAX and feel confident with the  result of the survey by Merdeka Centre's ,  but remember  at the end only VOTE THAT COUNTS.
To all the Ibans especially those who are living in town area, please inform and persuade our people who live in the rural, NOT TO VOTE FOR BARISAN NASIONAL in the coming state election.

AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN

Perak PAS Youth calls Mufti of Perak Harussani a Racist

Kuching
Tuesday, 20th July 2010

If one search in the Google using this search phrase racist remarks by mufti of perak, one will find a total of  15,300 results, but despite being racist, surprisingly this mufti who has been living in the tax payers monies which are contributed by multi-racial Malaysians had never been questioned by the authorities!

Perak PAS Youth today called the state’s mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria a racist and said that he was not fit to be a mediator for Muslim unity.

It said that Harussani’s statement that he will continue to play the role of “mediator” to unite Muslims and Malays was only a ploy by Umno to garner support.

“Perak Pas Youth is not confident with Perak Mufti Tan Sri Dr Haji Harussani Zakaria’s personality or if he is able to be professional and just in ensuring the unity of the Malays and Muslims because he is politically biased. The statement made is actually Umno’s agenda to ensure that they will stay in power after the people have rejected them,” said Perak PAS Youth in a press statement.

Last Saturday, Harrusani said that he will continue in his efforts to unite Muslims especially Umno and PAS members.

“There is still hope (for Muslim and Malay unity) if we are smart in giving priority to more important matters towards achieving this goal. There is still hope because both (Umno and PAS) want to unite,” said Harussani.
PAS Youth also stressed that Harussani must be neutral and not politically biased.

“Perak PAS Youth also rejects Tan Sri Harussani’s racist attitude and his responsibility as a Mufti. While abroad, especially in Australia in June 2010, Tan Sri Harussani revealed his hate against other races during his ceramah with Malaysian students there.

“Tan Sri Harussani must be neutral and his knowledge must display the characteristics of a respected figure and not as a spokesman for certain parties,” PAS Youth said

Mupok Aku

AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN

'Forgotten' tribes left behind by development

Kuching
Monday, 19th July 2010

The Orang Asli of Malaysia, just like the other Natives in Sarawak are easily manipulated by BN therefore have left behind and marginalised by Barisan Nasional.

Just a few hours from the glittering Malaysian capital is a pitiful scene of hungry children and desperate parents, in an indigenous village home to the "forgotten Malaysians".

Naked youngsters with the tell-tale signs of malnourishment - bulging stomachs and brown tinged hair - sit listlessly in a hut, while others cling to their mothers as they suckle milk.

Welcome to Bertang Lama village, home of some of Malaysia's Semai people, an indigenous tribe mired in poverty and struggling to adapt as the multicultural nation races towards modernity.

The village, which houses about 300 people, is located close to Cheroh, a small town in central Pahang that sits along the Titiwangsa mountains which form the backbone of Peninsula Malaysia.

The Semai, once nomadic but now largely settled, are seeking recognition of their traditional land rights as well as basic needs - piped water, electricity, medicine, education and tarred roads.

Known for their tracking skills

There is little food in the village where families live a subsistence life, hunting and gathering to trade in jungle products like rattan and agarwood.

Neither is there much money, as the forest they depend on is fast being depleted of its resources thanks to deforestation caused by logging, and the rapid expansion of rubber and palm oil plantations.

There are an estimated 45,000 Semai in Peninsular Malaysia, among some 150,000 indigenous people divided among 19 linguistic groups who live on the country's mainland.

Colin Nicholas, coordinator of the Centre for Orang Asli Concerns, said the people of Bertang Lama and others like them have become "the forgotten and invisible Malaysians".

Nicholas said the Semai played a valuable role in the British offensive against communist insurgents in the 1950s due to their stealth and tracking skills, but are now seen as irrelevant.

"Come elections, ruling party politicians make promises in exchange for votes but after that they renege on their words. Because of their small population, they are easily ignored by the government," he told AFP.

"The indigenous people have been pushed to the brink. Their situation will only get worse. After nearly 53 years of independence, the government is in a state of denial."

Invisible people

Not all Semai or Orang Asli people are impoverished, and some communities, particularly those located closer to urban infrastructure, have done much better in terms of education, employment and health.

But the plight of Bertang Lama village was highlighted when Lim Ka Ea, an executive officer with the Malaysian Bar Council visited recently and recounted her shock at the scene there in a newspaper article.

"The Orang Asli have been regarded as invisible by many people," she told AFP.

"What we do see in them is their 'primitive' form of lifestyle and the entrenched stereotype that they serve no purpose to the advancement of our nation except to make our tourism advertisements look exotic and attractive."

In the village, 11-year-old Jolisa returns home from the forest, armed with a machete and a bamboo basket on her back as she skips along with three other barefoot friends.

"We went looking for wild vegetables," she says.

"Yes I would like to go to school if there was one in our village," she replies with a smile to a visitor's question.

'Life is difficult'

Nearby, inside a dilapidated hut, a naked two-year-old child with mucus dripping from his nose and an expressionless face holds a bowl containing only mashed tapioca, a flavorless starch, for his breakfast.

The chidren are mostly illiterate, and mostly hungry as their families can only provide them with vegetables and tapioca sourced from the jungle.

The village is located just 11 kilometers from a main road but it is a tedious drive along an unsealed logging track.

"We sell rattan, bamboo and agarwood sourced from the forest. But it is hard to find them now," says Yoke Ham, a 47-year-old father of 12 children who says his ancestors settled here hundreds of years ago.

"The average income per month is less than RM300," he adds, as crying babies drown out the chirp of insects.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is striving for Malaysia to achieve developed-nation status by 2020, earlier this month assured all Malaysians that no one will be left behind.

"I promise you, as prime minister I will be fair to everybody. We will help all communities to move forward. We will make Malaysia a high-income country," he said.

But the lofty goals mean little to Robina, who looks in her thirties but does not know her age. She holds her sick three-year-old daughter, Sinar, on her lap and appeals for help as tears roll down her face.

"My child has a fever. I have no money to buy food and rice for her," she says. "We have not had our breakfast yet. Life is difficult."

Mupok Aku

AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN

Polis Tembak Rakyat Lagi

Kuching
Sunday, 18th July 2010

ATAS ALASAN MEMPERTAHANKAN DIRI POLIS MELEPASKAN TEMBAKAN

Penduduk Sibu telah dikejutkan dengan peristiwa pihak  polis menembak seorang remaja berumur 16 tahun atas alasan mempertahankan diri. Peristiwa ini telah berlaku di bandaraya Sibu pada  17 Julai 2010 jam lebih kurang 11.20 malam.

Mengikut laporan yang diterima oleh Bukittunggal.com, semasa kejadian polis telah ternampak remaja berkenaan yang bernama Zulfikar sedang berlari keluar daripada sebuah kedai minuman dengan memegang sebilah parang. Dua  orang anggota polis yang yang masing-masing berpangkat lans korporal dan Korporal daripada D7 telah berjaya mengejar remaja berkenaan . Melihat kehadiran dua anggota polis, remaja tersebut telah mencampakkan parang yang dipegangnya.
Mengikut laporan, apabila melihat salah  seorang anggota polis yang cuba menghampirinya tergelincir dan terjatuh, dia telah dipercayai mengambil parang tersebut dan cuba untuk mencederakan anggota polis berkenaan. Semasa inilah salah seorang daripada anggota polis telah melepaskan tembakan dan mengenai dadanya.

Buat masa sekarang remaja tersebut sedang dimasukkan di hospital Umum Sibu dan berada di dalam keadaan stabil.

Rakyat bukanlah tidak mempercayai PDRM sepenuhnya, tetapi dengan apa yang berlaku di kebelakangan ini di mana pihak polis telah melepaskan tembakan dengan sewenang-wenangnya terhadap rakyat atas alasan mempertahankan diri,  membuatkan rakyat merasa takut dan tidak selamat di tangan polis.

Ini bukanlah kes pertama yang melibatkan pihak polis menembak rakyat yang sekadar menggunakan parang dengan "maximum use of force" (Penggunaan kekerasan yang maksima, iaitu istilah tembak untuk membunuh atau Shoot to Kill) sehingga menyebabkan kematian atau kecederaan parah.
Sebelum peristiwa di Sibu ini, pada tahun 2009 hingga awal tahun ini  telah berlaku 3 peristiwa di mana pihak polis telah menggunakan kekerasan maksimum dan tidak munasabah terhadap rakyat.

Tiga Kes Di Mana Polis Tembak Rakyat Sepanjang Tahun 2009 dan Awal Tahun 2010

Pada tahun 2009 dan pada  awal tahun ini,  telah berlaku tiga (3) kes/peristiwa di mana pihak polis telah menembak rakyat yang tidak merbahaya atas alasan mempertahankan diri serta menjalankan tugas. Peristiwa pertama berlaku di Johor di mana seorang remaja yang bernama Mohd Afham Arin,berusia 18 yang disangka pencopet telah mati ditembak polis pada 20 Oktober 2009. Kejadian kedua pula  berlaku pada 16 April 2009 lebih kurang jam 12.30 pagi di Seksyen 7, Shah Alam yang melibatkan seorang belia bernama Sharil Azlan Ahmad Kamil yang berusia 25 tahun. Menurut beliau yang bekerja sebagai operator di Port Kelang semasa kejadian beliau bersama rakannya di dalam perjalanan ke Kapar setelah berhenti minum di Sekyen 7 Shah Alam telah terjumpa dengan sekatan jalan raya. Takut kena saman oleh kerana cukai jalannya telah luput dia telah cuba berpatah balik tetapi di dalam proses berkenaan keretanya telah ditembak oleh polis.Dia telah terkena tembakan bertalu-talu oleh pihak polis. Kes ketiga dan yang paling kontroversi berlaku pada 26 April 2010 di Shah Alam Selangor dimana remaja yang berusia 14 tahun, Aminulrasyid Amzah telah ditembak oleh polis secara kejam. Mengikut kawan Aminulrasyid yang turut berada di dalam kenderaan yang ditembak oleh polis, semasa kejadian mereka berdua sedang di dalam perjalanan pulang dari minum di gerai berhampiran.

Kes Polis Menembak Remaja di Sibu Seharusnya Dijadikan Pelajaran Oleh Polis

Apabila seseorang itu telah sanggup untuk menjadi anggota polis, beliau seharusnya bersedia untuk mengahadapi bahaya. Bahaya ini seharusnya dihadapi secara profesional dan bukan membabi-buta. Rakyat melihat apa yang berlaku dan akan bertanya adakah wajar polis melepaskan tembakan yang boleh membunuh? Kalau sekadar mempertahankan diri adakah perlu melepaskan tembakan di bahagian badan yang boleh membunuh? Dan adakah wajar ancaman remaja atau budak sekolah dilayan seperti menghadapi penjenayah berat seperti Botak Chin?

Pada pemerhatian saya, pihak polis seharusnya menjalankan siasatan yang telus terhadap anggota polis yang bertanggungjawab melepaskan tembakan tersebut. Dan sekiranya beliau didapati bersalah, beliau perlu dijatuhkan hukuman yang setimpal . Di samping itu, selepas habis habis menerima hukuman  dan masih lagi berkhidmat di dalam PDRM, hendaklah dilatih menembak serta mempelajari "rule of engagement" sebelum dibenarkan menggunakan senjata api.

Rakyat jelata sangat mengharapkan perlindungan polis. Tapi dalam keadaan sekarang, rakyat masih ragu lagi  dengan keberanian serta tahap kompeten anggota polis di dalam melaksanakan tugas mereka. Rakyat berharap agar anggota polis sentiasa menaikkan tahap profesionalime serta kompeten mereka dari masa ke semasa.
Suruhanjaya Diraja Penambahbaikan Perjalanan dan Pengurusan Polis Diraja Malaysia  seharusnya melaksanakan cadangan yang telah dicadangkan seperti cadangan pengwujudan dan pelaksanaan Kod Etika yang sesuai serta peralihan daripada paradigma "Pasukan" kepada perkhidmatan  dan bukan sekadar melaksanakan cadangan kenaikan gaji polis semata-mata.

Mupok Aku

AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN

The Impacts of PM Najib 1Malaysia Price Hike to The Longhouse People

Kampong Empaling (N25-Balai Ringin)
Saturday, 17th July 2010

We will teach BN a lesson when come to election!

PEOPLE OF KAMPONG EMPALING NOT HAPPY WITH GOVERNMENT OVER  INCREASE  OF THE PRICE OF THE  SUGAR AND PETROL.

Eventhought the journey to my hometown cost me more this time but as  usual I still went back to see my family and relatives in  the longhouse located in N25- Balai Ringin.

Due to my other commitment in Kuching, I did not spend  an overnight in the longhouse like what I normally did in the past.

This time round, my short stayed  in the longhouse had been used to gauge their understanding and their  opinion on the price hike on sugar, cooking gas, Ron 95, Ron 97, and diesel which was just announced by PM Najib. The scope of my questions were more to their opinion and how the price hike will effect their day-to day life in the longhouse. These were what they said:-

The government should not increase the price of the goods drastically without proper planning to cushion its impact to the rural people who have no stable income!

1) TR Ngulu expressed his disatisfaction with PM Najib administration over the announcement. According to him, this price hike will burden the people in the longhouse who have no stable income . He added the people in the urban area who have stable income may not feel the burden asw the do. He hope that PM Najib will find way so that the price hike will not burden the people especially those under him.

"Probably we should try to vote for PKR"

2) Also met in the longhouse was Encik  Dugas,  one of  the few  elder in the longhouse.
 "I am so upset with PM Najib decision to hike the price of goods especially the sugar and LPG gas. How are we going to live and cushion this hike" he said.
He added "may be we should teach BN the lesson by throw our support to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)"

Willing to Campaign For PKR for free to oust BN Government

3) Also met  in the longhouse was an ex-army who has been living in the longhouse since year 2008. Pbt (Rtd) Storey informed Bukit Tunggal that the price hike will effect them miserably.
"This BN government is collecting money from the people to be given to their cronies. I am not sure either  how are they going to spend the monies that they collect from this price hike. I am not too sure either the monies will benefit us Sarawakian. In this coming election, I am willing to campaign for PKR for free, as long as the current government (BN) is replaced" said Storey.

Is this 1Malaysia?

4) Andrew Luna, the ex-Sarawak Forest Department employee, said " Is this the real meaning of 1Malaysia as introduced by Najib?"..

The people of Kampong Empaling in the past was a strong supporter of BN. In the  previous election, nearly 98 percents of the people voted for BN. But this price hike announced by Najib last Thursday can change their supports toward BN. Eventhought the Survey by Merdeka Centre showed that about 88 % of the respondents in Sarawak still supporting BN and the rest for Pakatan Rakyat,  but with this latest development, I am not surprise if another survey is done, the support of the people will swing to Pakatan Rakyat.

As we all know that the state election shall be held by July 2011, could the price hike  be part of Najib strategy to get rid of Tok Uban?

Mupok Aku

AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN

Latest subsidy cuts irrational, claims Anwar

Kuching
Friday, 16th July 2010

1Malaysia APCO First People Last!

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today criticised the Najib administration’s rationale for the latest subsidy

cuts, pointing out that the savings of RM750 million was a pittance compared to the billions spent for other “careless” expenditures.

The Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader accused the Barisan Nasional (BN) government of spending billions to bail out troubled government-linked companies and to foot exorbitant bills from foreign consultancies employed to help improve the prime minister’s international image.

He cited an example of how the government had spent RM700 million in taxpayers’ monies to help Sime Darby, which was facing losses amounting to RM946 million due to cost overruns in several projects including the controversial Bakun dam project.

“Burdening the people with the excuse of reducing fiscal deficits and using the savings to accommodate the government’s extravagance is not right and should be stopped immediately.

“Where is the dignity of a prime minister who takes the people’s money in the name of restructuring subsidies but using it to pay firms like APCO Worldwide up to RM77 million a year just to improve his image?

“This RM77 million to APCO is almost the same amount as the estimated savings from subsidy cuts on sugar, which is about RM126 million (as announced by Pemandu),” he said in a statement today.

Anwar, who is also the Parliamentary opposition leader, further pointed out that just yesterday, the House was informed that the PM’s Department’s operational expenditure had reached over RM3.8 billion last year and had been allocated a budget of RM3.9 billion for this year.

“This includes expenses for secretariats for former prime ministers and for Permata, which is handled by the prime minister’s wife,” he said, referring to Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

In a written reply to DAP’s Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz had explained that the escalated operational costs were due to the creation of new agencies in the department, including Pemandu (Implementation and Coordination Unit), and the National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC), as well as an increase of manpower in some existing agencies.

Anwar claimed that cutting subsidies would not solve the country’s deficit problem but would instead exacerbate it similarly to 2008.

“In 2008, at the height of the fuel price rise, the country’s deficit escalated 4.8 per cent compared to 3.2 per cent in the previous year.

“This happened because the government was not disciplined and lacked the political will to channel the savings from the subsidy cut to sectors that truly needed a boost. Instead, more wastage and losses happened,” he said.

Anwar claimed the most effective solution to the country’s economic woes was to institute a more comprehensive reform of the economy, instead of solely focussing on the vulnerable groups.

“The prime minister cannot tell the people to change their way of life when cronies, politicians and the elite few continue to enjoy corporate subsidies like gas to independent power producers (IPPs) which costs about RM18.9 billion annually.

“This is 25 times more than the savings resulting from this latest subsidy cut,” he said.

Anwar, however, said he did not oppose the rationale of the subsidy restructuring exercise to ensure more aid is channelled directly to the 75 per cent of people whose household incomes were below RM2,000 monthly, but questioned if the government had a mechanism to carry this out.

He claimed that the present cuts were “irresponsible” on the government’s part as it had failed to prepare a proper system to help those most affected by the price hikes.

“The government has been speaking of the subsidy rationalisation plan since 2008, claiming that it was for the purpose of restructuring subsidies to ensure that it would benefit the needy.

“However, till today, the people are still waiting for that mechanism,” he said.

Anwar urged Najib to inform the people of how he planned to spend the estimated savings of RM750 million from today’s cuts.

“My advice is for this savings to be channelled in the form of higher allocations for higher learning institutions, new investments in the education sector and direct welfare aid to those with household incomes under RM2,000. This is to ensure that the savings reach the people directly,” he said.

He underlined four emergency measures that the prime minister should take to gain the people’s confidence and prove that their sacrifice of having to pay higher prices was worth it.

“The government should announce sweeping improvements to its procurement system to ensure that it is more transparent and will bring the best value to the people.

“The government should also restructure gas subsidies given to IPPs so that the savings can be channelled back to the people,” he said.

Anwar also urged the government to ensure better control over government-linked companies and agencies to avoid having to force the public to bear their losses.

He further urged the government to prove its sincerity in fighting corruption by ceasing all political interferences in the work of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

In the government’s latest move to rationalise subsidies, the prices of RON95 petrol and diesel were today raised by five sen a litre while RON97 fuel sees subsidies removed completely and will be subject to market forces.

The price of natural gas (LPG) rose by 10 sen while the price of sugar increased by 25 sen per kilogramme.

In explaining the latest cuts, Najib said yesterday that the move was necessary to reduce government expenditure and strengthen the country’s financial position.

As qouted by reliable source, this is the first stage of subsidy cuts and it is expected to be reviewed every six months. Another sources said that subsidies on electricity are also expected to be cut but no decision has been made yet on when that will happen.

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Kenaikan Harga Petrol Diesel dan Gula-Inilah Harga Yang Terpaksa Ditanggung Rakyat Kerana Mengundi Barisan Nasional

Kuching
Thursday, 15th July 2010

1Malaysia Idris Jala DIDAHULUKAN Rakyat DIKEMUDIANKAN

Nampak gayanya Kerajaan Brisan Nasional lebih mempercayai teori Kosong Idris Jala yang mengaitkan bahawa Malaysia akan bankrap sekiranya subsidi dikekalkan, dengan menaikkan harga petrol, diesel dan gula.
Pengumuman telah dibuat bahawa mulai esok, Hari Jumaat, 16 Julai 2010, harga ketiga-tiga barang di atas adalah seperti berikut:-

Manakala harga gula pula naik 25 sen, dengan gas LPG naik sebanyak 10 sen sekilogram

Berikut adalah harga baru:

- Petrol RON 95 - RM1.85 seliter.


- Petrol RON 97 - RM2.10 seliter.


- Diesel - RM1.75 seliter.


- Gula - RM1.70 sekilogram


- Gas LPG - RM1.85 sekilogram

Berikut adalah harga baru Gas:

* Tong 14KG - dari RM24.50 kepada RM25.90 (naik RM1.40)


* Tong 12KG - dari RM21.00 kepada RM22.20 (naik RM1.20)


* Tong 10KG - dari RM17.50 kepada RM18.50 (naik RM1.00)

Dengan kenaikan ini maka akan lebih sengsaralah penghuni di rumah panjang. Apa yang menghairankan, walau apapun keburukan BN, penduduk rumah panjang masih tetap menyokong BeeNd!
Saya hanya mempunyai 4 perkataan untuk memperkatakan (How to describe)  tentang bansa Iban...BELI(k), PALOI, TAMBAB, MUNTAT

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Another Revelation By Sarawak Report On Taib's Property..This Time In London

Kuching
Monday, 12th July 2010

It's another revelation by Sarawak Report on the property belong to Taib's Empire, but this time in London. Based on this revealetion, it is now  prooven that Taib's empire is greater than the empire belonged to  Great Kublai Khan and Alexander the Great.

Kublai Khan empire covered Asia to Eastern Europe, whereas Alexander the Great stretched from Europe to Central Asia. But the empire of  this Melanau Pehin from Sarawak's, is stretching from Canada to America and until Australia in the Pacific. The latest revealetion by Sarawak Report claimed that Taib also own a property in London (Europe), with this it is proven now that this Melanau Pehin could be one of the richest man in the world.

Please see the latest article by Sarawak Report below. As a Sarawakian myself, I would like to thanks and congratulate Sarawak Report for the effort made to track down the property belong to this Pehin worldwide. Eventhough no arrest has been made by MACC so far, but we hope this will not hamper Sarawak Report to reveal more property belong to this Pehin..To Sarawak Report, keep it up . Remember Marcos and Suharto, we hope Taib will recieve the same fate .

Racehorses, residences in swanky Fitzrovia and offices bang next door to the Bank of England. Yes, the Taibs are in London too. In this latest exclusive investigation, Sarawak Report can reveal the full details of Ridgeford Properties Limited, a multi-million pound property company in the UK, once again owned and funded by the family of Chief Minister, Abdul Taib Mahmud.

The London base of the Taib family’s international property portfolio was started in October 1996 under a Canadian, Chistopher Murray. Christopher Murray is the cousin of Sean Murray who is married to Jamilah Taib, the Chief Minister’s daughter and a key lynch-pin for his foreign property empire. Sean Murray acts as Chairman of Ridgeford, while Christopher has been appointed the London-based Flagship Development off Oxford Street

Managing Director. Sean Murray is also President of Sakto Corporation in Canada and Sakti International in the USA, as well as a Director of Sitehost Pty in Australia. These are all major property companies of which his wife and her family (the Taibs) are the owners and shareholders

Again, whilst an impression has been given that Ridgeford Properties is part of a wider business started and owned by the Murray family, Sarawak report has established that it in fact relies on millions of pounds worth of soft loans from a private investor based in the British Virgin Islands. This investor has clear links to the Taib family fortune and to the public Sarawak-based company, which they largly own, CMS (Cahya Mata Sarawak). Many questions have been raised as to the legitimacy of the Taib family’s ownership of CMS, which was once Sarawak’s largest state company, but was then ‘privatised’ by the Chief Minister into the hands of his own close family.

Central London Portfolio

Scores of Stylish Flats for Sale

Ridgeford Properties Limited currently boasts seven major Central London ‘mixed-use’ developments, including luxury flats and thousands of square feet of rented-out office space. According to the company’s own online information just one such property, Tokenhouse Yard ajacent to the Bank of England, is netting the company £1.5 million in rent per annum, whilst of course remaining a valuable and appreciating asset.

All In The Family - Managing Director Chris Murray

Another stunning showcase for Ridgeford is 50 Bolsover Street, in Fitzrovia near Oxford Street. This massive development is in partnership with the prestigious Royal National Othorpaedic Hospital and All Souls College, Oxford along with a fellow developer, the Manhattan Loft Company. According to our research, the first part of this two-stage development has consisted of 210,000 square ft of prime property sold as 66 flats and 4 penthouses for between £1,000 and £1,200 per square foot – giving a total value of well over £210,000,000 (just over one billion ringgit at current exchange rates). The second phase of the project, which is due to complete in 2012 will consist of another 60 flats for sale, making it almost as lucrative as stage one.

 

Modern Office Block Gets Top Rents For Taibs

Meanwhile, in trendy Clerkenwell another Ridgeford development, Ironmonger Row, has seen 12 ‘prestige appartments’ and 2 penthouses sell for what the company describes as ‘well in excess of previous developments in the area’. The company retains the lower part of the building for rent as retail and office space and boasts that this is occupied by top shoe designer Christian Louboutin. Another property, a bright red, modern office high-rise, ’Maple Street’, has secured a 15 year rent as the Headquarters for the famous travel company Thomas Cook at record prices, according to Ridgeford’s publicity material.

Developer with a difference is bullish over recession

Interestingly, while most London developers are now cash-strapped because of the credit crunch, Ridgeford Managing Director, Christopher Murray, says the company sees this period of recession as a good opportunity for more business. As he explained to one reporter, ”we see this period as an opportunity to buy right, as there is less competition. Where there were once 30 companies chasing one

development now there will just be two”. His statement clearly implies that Ridgford is less vulnerable than most to the current loan squeeze and this ties in with evidence from the company’s public financial records, which show that Ridgeford has access to sizeable loans on highly favourable terms from a mysterious donor named Tess Investments, based in the British Virgin Islands. Sarawak Report has found clear links between Tess Investments and the Taibs.

 Links to Sakto Corporation Canada and the Taib Family

 Ridgeford’s company website acknowledges that Ridgeford is a ’sister company’ of Sakto Corporation, based in Ottawa Canada and run by Sean (Hisham) Murray, the husband of Jamilah Taib. Numerous members of Murray’s family have become employed by Sakto since Sean’s marriage to Jamilah in 1987, including Brian Murray who is in charge of office letting in Ottawa, Thady Murray who acts as President of City Gate Corporation, another sister company, and Christopher Murray in London.

Christopher Murray claimed in a recent interview that Sakto is a “family business” started by “my cousin’s father and my father. They had an architectural practice and then got into development”. However, Sakto was in fact started in 1983 in Ottawa by Onn Mahmud, Mahmud Taib and Jamilah Taib, the Chief Minister’s brother, son and daughter, well before Jamilah met and married Sean Murray. Likewise millions of dollars had been invested in developments before Sean Murray became involved in the company.

Trendy Mixed Use - Clerkenwell

Sarawak Report therefore contends that Sakto and its sister companies are in fact a Taib family business, which employs several members of Sean Murray’s family in different departments of its property empire. According to Ridgeford’s financial records Christopher Murray was paid a salary of £178,175 in 2009, a considerable rise from £47,917 in 1998, which apparently enables him to live in a £5 million apartment, as he claimed in the same recent interview. Ridgeford accounts also indicate the company has funded a racehorse in past years, indicating certain added value to be gained from working for the in-laws.

The financial connection

Ridgeford Properties, according to its 2009 Financial Statement ‘relies significantly’ on loans. This includes over £15.5 million of mostly interest-free and open ended loans, from Tess Investments, c/o Equity Trust (BVI) Ltd, PO Box 438, British Virgin Islands. It is notable that Tess Investments was incorporated on 23rd October 1996, the day before Ridgeford was incorporated in London on October 24th 1996. The majority of these loans are not secured on any properties owned by Ridgeford, representing stunningly generous terms from anyone who was not a direct shareholder of the company.

50 Bolsover Street - 60 More Fancy Flats Due For the Market by 2012

The original shareholder of Ridgeford was in fact a company called Astar Properties, incorporated on October 4th 1996, also in the British Virgin Islands (a well-known tax haven) and also sharing the same Equity Trust Agent and PO Box 438 address. Astar Properties also has shares in Sitehost Pty, the Australian property company belonging to the Taibs.

It is notable that CMS (Cahya Mata Sarawak) the once state-owned company that was ‘privatised’ into the Taib’s family’s personal control by the end of 1996 also has a banking division in the British Virgin Islands. CMS in the BVI is also registered at the very same PO Box 438 address and with the same agent, as Astar Properties and Tess Investments, according to information made public by Equity Trust and available on the internet.

In 2001 documents show that Astar’s shareholding in Ridgeford was then passed directly to City Gate International Corporation, which is based at Sakto’s Headquarters in Ottawa. Jamilah Taib and Sean Murray are the registered directors of City Gate and Thady Murray is employed as President.

Sarawak Report therefore challenges the Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud to acknowledge that Ridgeford Properties in London was set up and financed by the Taib family and remains part of the Taib global property empire, which is largely owned and ultimately controlled by himself. We further ask how with him earning a salary of just 20,000 ringgit a month his family has been able to afford to pay millions of pounds into this property company and others across the globe. So far the Chief Minister has found no answer to our revelations, so will it be different this time?

The Above article has been published in Sarawak Report.
 
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