By Sarawak Report
Like all Sarawak’s indigenous people, the Penan are faithful practicing Christians who treat their women with respect and do not take more than one spouse.
Despite the temptations of the modern world they live a simplistic god-fearing life eating mainly from the forest.
Last Sunday, several gun-waving policemen threatened the Penan community in Long Sebayang, who had erected a blockade in protest against the savage destruction of their hereditary lands by Lee Ling Timber Company, which incidentally is linked to Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s sister Raziah Mahmud.
The incident is not new.
The fact remains that the Penan are constantly harassed and intimidated by gangs of loggers – armed with heavy vehicles, chainsaws and weapons – and their foreign workers, who rape and destroy not only their rainforest but their women as well.
The Penan women live in constant fear of these intruders who prey on their villages when the men are out hunting or attack hitch-hikers looking for transport to the nearest towns and schools.
Last September, the federal government disclosed a report which revealed strong evidence of numerous rape attacks, many of them on young girls trying to get to school, some of them as young as 10.
A number of babies have been born as a result of this abuse.
Federal investigators also noted a number of cases where logging workers pressured Penan girls to enter into unwilling relationships with them.
The report said that some managers in the logging firms were indulging themselves by keeping up to “three wives” in this way.
On desperate Penan father had told the investigators that he had approached a manager asking that he choose one wife and leave the others alone, “but he dismissed our concerns.”
Said the father: “The loggers have taken away our land, so they think they can take everything even our daughters.”
BN ministers have failed to act
In spite of the findings contained in the official report, Sarawak BN ministers have remained tacit, dismissing these incidents. They have refused to take steps to bring the attackers to justice.
Instead these leaders have continued insulting the Penan and their women, blaming them for these problems.
In an interview with BBC earlier this year, Sarawak Land Minister James Masing had reportedly described Penan women as “naturally promiscuous” and “normally start relationships as young as 12 years.”
To add insult, he alleged that the Penan were “very good storytellers”.
The so-called “stories” told by the Penan community are not isolated. It also occurs in other native communities.
Under the new Score development plans announced in January, over half a million more Sarawakian natives will be pressed from their lands in the same way as the Penan.
All this so that BN ministers can continue to exploit their territories and the loggers their women.
Dear Chief Minister,
The forest department are giving thousand and thousand of hacters to the timber company. Some company are helpful like Samling but not Like Lee ling timber who treat the Punan like animal and slave. The penan at ulu Limbang is just like slave for the Lee Ling Timber. The managing director of Lee Ling Timber should investigate what is thier manager camp doing on their camp. The blockade at Long Sebayang done by the Punan is right cos they are defending their right. Mr Kong Camp manager say that the penan at Ulu Limbang has no land there cos all land at ulu Limbang is belong to Lee ling Timber. Mr Kong also did the terrible mistake by punching the punan guy which broke the punan nose. So it not mistake to the punan who tied manager Kong.Lee Ling Timber In Limbang is very-very much depend on GANGSTER as Mr Kong Always say ” I will bring 200 gangster to fight all the punan at ulu Limbang. This is very bad for the Lee Ling Timber. Im sure that Mr Roger does not knows all this activity cos he is just sitting at kuching. Mr Roger, open your eye please.
Hopefully the satae goverment will give piece of land to the penan at Long Sebayang thru, communal reserve. If not, the Lee Ling Timber will throw all the penan in Limbang River as Manager Kong Say. Beloved Chief minister please do something to your Rakyat. Punan are also human being and not animal.
Comment by Joshua — July 17, 2010 @ 12:16 AM |
Taib’s Cruel Revenge
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 GMT
Turned out of house and home
Legal Slap-down for Taib Mahmud
Chief Minister Taib Mamud’s was humiliated by a native Iban victory in the Malaysia Federal Court last November. The Headman Nor anak Nyaway of Sungai Sekabai near the town of Bintulu won a case against the Sarawak State Government who had taken the village’s land for palm oil plantations. The judges ruled that the State of Sarawak has no right to ignore native customary rights and seize such lands.
The defeat of the government in this crucial case, means that hundreds of claims by other native communities should also be successful when they come to court. All these cases are being represented by the top human rights lawyer and new PKR opposition leader for Sarawak, Baru Bian. As Bian explained,
“This victory means that tens of thousands of indigenous people are entitled to claim back their lands and to demand compensation from the Sarawak Government led by BN”.
Taib’s revenge – tear down the houses of the poor
Illegal Revenge
However, Taib Mahmud does not like to lose. For decades he has got away with illegally over-riding native rights in order to snatch thousands of square kilometres of valuable rainforest and traditional hunting and farming lands from indigenous peoples to give to his own family and cronies, first for timber and then for palm plantations.
So in January, after losing in court he used strong arm tactics instead. He sent in police and bullies to tear down the village in revenge. The gangs pulled down many houses and destroyed villagers possessions leaving them without food or shelter.
One villager said “Taib had no right to defy the court. We have lost our homes and everything we possess. Everyone in Sarawak is in danger from this greedy monster”. Baru Bian acted immediately in this case and has now protected the remaining villagers with another court order banning Taib from attacking the houses. But, while Taib Mahmud and his BN party remains in power it is clear he will do everything he can to ignore the law and to intimidate the poor.
Comment by Mata Kuching — June 30, 2010 @ 1:55 PM |
All these wicked and unthinkable actions of Taib Mahmud and BN government in Sarawak must be exposed and made known to all Malaysians in Sarawak and beyond.
Make copies of all these reports and have them displayed in all places of worship in all villages, towns and cities and circulate in the internet. We ask for people power to help defeat Taib and BN Sarawak in both state and parliament elections.
Comment by lee Hui — June 30, 2010 @ 2:06 PM |
Where are the Black Areas for UMNO controlled BN rural constituencies ?
a) Areas where 30% or more of the population have yet to have treated water, electricity, and decent tar roads.
b) Overcrowded primary and secondary schools with poor learning environment.
c) NCR land and Section 47 land issues.
d) Areas where 70% of the youths have no jobs or employment opportunity and forced to leave home to work in the cities or towns.
e) Areas where the YBs have been over promising and under delivered or YBs who are known to have vested interests in private plantations and plantation owners have been intimidating and threatening the local people.
e) Areas where the plight, grievances, and problems of the people were known to have fallen on deaf ears.
The above list is not exhaustive and if we were to pin point rural constituencies with the above issues, UMNO controlled BN in Sarawak will have many Black Areas in the coming state election.
Pakatan Rakyat must activate their election machineries now and capitalise on the above issues which UMNO controlled BN has failed to solve and deliver although the ruling government has been given the mandate to rule for 48 years.
Comment by Mata Kuching — June 30, 2010 @ 1:47 PM |
What’s there to xpect from the gov’t? Even the police are siding the logging cos. So there’s no hope for security from the police forces when u know that they the tali barut for these timber cos. Our Penan and Orang Ulus should now defend their own rights even to the xtent they need to declare war with these peoples. Plz don’t wait for many more young girls of the Penans become rape victims to these timber cos workers. If u think that u got to apply the law of the jungle well u decide after all Taib is also using law of the jungle to rompak the balak belong to our natives in the interior.
Comment by Minda Mandol — June 30, 2010 @ 12:03 AM |
If the gov’t doesn’t heed all the reports against these timber companies; so I suppose we will take them with our on hands then. If they want war…then we gives them WAR!
Come…all the orang ulu’s and Penan; we had been bullied all these years so time up now.
Comment by Black Cloud.... — June 29, 2010 @ 7:34 PM |
Dear brothers and sisters, let’s us pray for the Penans.
That the Lord shall fight for them.
Let not the wicked go unpunished.
For the righteous Lord reigns over Sarawak and Malaysia.
Praise the Lord !
Comment by PH Chin — June 29, 2010 @ 1:01 PM |