Bakun Damned: Where have all the waters gone?

 By HU Editor

(Video link inside)We have just received a call from Daniel, a Kenyah teacher, in Belaga: “Nanga Merit, Nanga Metah, Punan Bah, SK Long Terawan, SK Nanga Merit, SK Punan Bah, Kampung Terawan … All the schools and villages below Belaga Town are cut off because the river has dried up due to the impoundment of Bakun Dam.”

“Even the engineers of Sarawak Hydro are telling us that the state government has no plan to overcome the problem because they are unlikely to stop the impoundment.”

Empowering through History – Conclusion

By Bunga Pakma

(Revised version) On 16 September 1963, all the elements were in place for the unfolding of a political story which, whatever its outcome would be, was certain to go through strange and wrenching twists of plot. Some of these elements were clear to see, others hidden.

It must have crossed many observers’ minds that the component states that made up this new “Malaysia” were an odd quartet. Malaya was a patchwork of small states, most of them feudal régimes headed by Malay kinglets. Singapore was a commercial city-state, predominantly Chinese with a

BOMOH WARNED TAIB TO STEP DOWN!

By Sarawak Report

Taib’s Bomoh confided before he died that he had warned the Chief Minister in 2003 that he should stand down within 7 years!  However, this piece of advice apparently signalled the beginning of the end Taib’s relationship with his long-trusted soothsayer.

As we recently revealed [see Part I of our exclusive revelations],Taib had retained the witchdoctor for decades as his secret adviser and practitioner of black magic.  However,

The mighty Rajang River not so mighty after all

By Chris Reubens

Malaysian Mirror

Malaysia’s longest river – the Rajang in Sarawak – is a source of food, income and a mean of transport for the people living along the 640km waterway.

Once the pride of Sarawak, the Rajang is now old and sick with years of abuses, mostly man-made. And recently, there’s growing fear that the water level is running low. It has reached a critically low point as reported.

On Oct 8, the Rajang was suffocated with logjam causing losses of RM2.7 million after bridges and jetties were swept

Petrified Baram natives want ‘dam plan’ scrapped

By Joseph Tawie

Some 20,000 indigenous natives of Kayan, Kenyah, Saben and Penan communities living in the Baram division are horrified to hear about the voluminous fast-flowing Rajang River drying up, a phenomenon blamed in part to the impoundment of the controversial Bakun dam which began on Oct 13.

The unexpected dry spell and the continuous impoundment has caused untold misery and hardship for those living along the Kapit, Belaga, Nanga Merit and Pelagus areas.

Penan seek outside help

Feeling that their complaints and appeals against logging activities and deforestation have been falling on deaf ears, the Penan community is starting to look outside the country for aid.

A nomadic Penan travelled all the way from the Sarawak interior to Pulau Jerejak to highlight the community’s plight at the bi-annual Friends of the Earth International (FOEI) conference.

Sagong Nyipa, from Layun in Tutoh, shared his experiences

Sarawakian voters and ‘Orang Malaya’

By Pak Bui

The paradox of Sarawak’s upcoming election campaign lies in the dependency of PBB on Umno and Umno on PBB, or indeed on any subordinate Sarawakian BN party that can deliver thirtysomething parliamentary seats to keep Umno in power.

Umno needs Sarawakian BN seats to stay in power, to keep raking in the money. RM40 billion for a Mass Rail Transit mega-project, RM5 billion for a 100-storey mega-tower in a congested part of KL, RM12.5 billion for PKFZ mega-blackhole, RM7.3 billion for the Bakun white elephant, the sums available for “leakage” are dizzying.

Govt ignores Penan’s choice of resettlement land

By Joseph Tawie

The government’s plan to relocate about 1,000 Penans affected by the Murum Dam project to a 24,000 hectares area has been described as “merely paying lip service”. “We still don’t know how the government came to a decision on the size of the area without consulting us,” said Ramlie Bujang, a spokesman for the Peleiran-Murum Penan Affair Committee (Pemupa).

Land Development Minister James Jemut Masing recently

Mighty Rajang running dangerously low

By Joseph Tawie

The Rajang River, once mighty and voluminous, is fast running low – no thanks to the dry spell and the impoundment of the Bakun Dam.

The water level has reached a critically low point, triggering alarm among residents along the river.

The alert has gone out to the authorities to keep watch on more than 79 schools located downstream.

The schools in Kapit, Song and Belaga collectively have 20,000

Anwar lodges police report over Bakun Dam corruption

By Anwar Ibrahim

This is the English version of the text of the report by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on 12 November 1999. It gives us the background to the most expensive project in Sarawak todate of which the cost overruns from RM4 billion to RM15 billion remains a mystery and the Sarawak government is now contemplating to spend our Sarawakians money to the tune of RM7 billion to buy this white elephant from the federal government. – HU Editor

Iban logging protestors defy Taib’s family

By Keruah Usit

Six Iban longhouses in Sebuyau, Sarawak, have lodged 30 new police reports condemning logging on land they say is their temuda (individual orchards and gardens).

The Ulu Sebangan longhouses have reiterated their opposition to logging, despite the arrest of seven of their leaders in response to allegations of arson at the loggers’ camp.

“Looking at the map showing the licensed area, it is clear that they were logging outside their timber concession area.

Orang Asli seething at uncaring govt

By Patrick Lee

Sidelined and insulted by the government, the Orang Asli are fuming and want their rights back and “not your sympathy”. The Orang Asli Villages Network in Peninsular Malaysia (JKOASM) has vehemently opposed Budget 2011, calling it the beginning of the end to their traditional ways.

When unveiling the budget, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced that RM100 million would be allocated for various programmes, including resolving Orang Asli land rights and border settlement issues.

Kuching MP simmers over timber camp fire arrests

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen is pushing for an emergency debate on the arrest of indigenous activists and Iban longhouse chiefs in relation to the burning of a timber camp owned by a company linked to the powerful Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Chong condemned the arrests as illegal, claiming that there was no evidence to link them to the fire.

The company whose timber camp was razed is Quality

How did Sulaiman Taib’s wife get RM70m shares?

By Joseph Tawie

DAP wants Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president George Chan to explain how his daughter Elisa Chan Wai Kuen @ Anisa Hamidah Abdullah received 12% of 269 acres of prime land near BDC Stampin, Kuching. Sarawak DAP secretary-general Chong Cheing Jen said he has “solid evidence” of Elisa Chan’s shareholding.

“I have solid evidence that his daughter was given 12% of the shares which are worth about RM70 million.

Has Bako land issue become a hot potato?

By Chris Reubens

Recent allegations by disgruntled land owners of “unfair compensaton” following land acquisition by the Sarawak state government in the Bako area are raising temperature with elections around the corner.

Common Law practice in equity demands that owners of land should be compensated fairly if the state acquires it for one reason or other, including for development purposes.

Recently, land owners have alleged that this has not been

Masing: Insincere members will kill off BN in polls

By Joseph Tawie

Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) has warned that “insincerity” in the ranks of Barisan Nasional “may lead the coalition to lose” some of its seats to the opposition in the coming state election.

“We lost the Ngemah seat to an independent Gabriel Adit in the 2006 state election because of the betrayal by members of the BN.

“They voted for Adit instead of the PRS-BN candidate

Long Bulan… from plenty to poverty

By Sim Kwang Yang

Sometime in the early 1990s, I had to make the difficult journey from Kuching to visit the Kenyah village of Long Bulan, deep in the labyrinths of the Rejang Valley, to learn about the impact of the planned Bakun dam.

It was a harrowing trip as our party of 10 had to travel by land through Belaga and cross the Balui River. It took two or three days for us to travel by land, mostly over timber tracks, using a land cruiser for the purpose.

Taib in a quandary over ‘partyless’ Sng

By Joseph Tawie

Pelagus state assemblyman Larry Sng, who was expelled from Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) last year, seems unperturbed by his “partyless” status despite the state election being only eight months, or less, away.

He continues to go around doing his duty as an elected representative as well as an assistant minister.

By spending most of his times in the constituency, Sng is giving the indication that he wants to defend his seat.

Awang Tengah : We cannot undo Bakun Dam impoundment

The government will go on with the Bakun hydro dam impoundment, Second Planning and Resource Management Minister Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan said.

He added that the government had expected the water level at the Rajang River to recede to a certain degree during the impoundment but not at the current level, which he said was “totally unexpected.”

“We gave the permit to start the impoundment this month because based on studies and weather reports, we are supposed to be in the monsoon season by now.

Breaking News : Simunjan 7 NCR landowners freed!

By HU Editor

( Updated 15:30) All 7 Simunjan NCR landowners arrested and detained since last week for allegedly blockading logging activities and torching a timber camp linked to Roziah Mahmud, the sister of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib are released this morning (25 Oct) on police bail of RM 1000.00 each with one surety.

Prominent native rights activist Nicholas Mujah, four longhouse chiefs and two others were released this morning from the Simunjan police station, a day earlier than expected under the remand order.

Empowering Sarawakians through History, Part 4.

By Bunga Pakma

Thanks for your attention and your intelligent response to my articles. I am most grateful for your drawing me to see many aspects of Sarawak’s history I would have missed, and for letting me see that history from your point of view.

What is Empowerment anyway?

One reader writes to ask me when I am going to share the “empowering aspects”  of this series. She (or he—we’re all pseudonymous here) and others have made me aware that “empower” is a difficult word. I had better explain.

Timber camp arson: suspects’ lawyer questions allegations

By Chris Reubens

PKR state publicity chief See Chee How(right) , and the lawyer representing seven suspects arrested for alleged arson at a timber camp in Ulu Sebangan, has said he hoped that the police would do a fair and evenhanded job in their investigation.

See was with the villagers on Saturday at Simunjan police station. He said he understood the police had a job to do, but they must be fair and not be prejudiced against the suspects.

“The company in their press statement had made unfounded

A tale of the occult

By Sim Kwang Yang

Growing up and working in Sarawak, I have encountered many strange experiences. But the story of Ah To must rank as one of the most extraordinary chapters in my life.

Ah To was a friend from my childhood. He was not highly educated and worked as a house painter, depending on his hands for his livelihood. He was not rich by any means and lived in a ramshackle house at Jalan Tabuan, Kuching.

One day, when I bumped into him near my office in Jalan

TAIB’S SECRET BOMOH

By Sarawak Report

Sarawak Report can reveal that the aging Chief Minister of Sarawak, Abdul Taib Mahmud, relies on a personal witchdoctor, or so-called Bomoh, to make all key personal and government decisions!

The extraordinary state of affairs, which has remained a carefully guarded secret among his entourage for many years, has now been explained in detail by insiders.

“He will always consult the Bomoh before he makes an important decision, like which minister to hire or fire, or which investments to make”, one senior politician has confided.

200 NCR landowners demand to be detained

By Joseph Tawie

More than 200 owners of native customary rights (NCR) land gathered outside the gate of the Simunjan police station here demanding to be detained together with seven of their colleagues who were being held for alleged mischief with fire yesterday.

Fearful of more owners turning up, police quickly closed the gate to prevent them from entering and called for more reinforcement.

The landowners were supporters of well-known activist Nicholas Mujah and four Tuai Rumah (longhouse chiefs) and two others.

Raziah – Protestors jailed

By Sarawak Report

In a recent story Sarawak Report exposed the shocking attempt by the firm Quality Concrete to force Iban villagers to hand over their rights to 3,035 hectares of Native Customary Rights Lands in Sebangan for just MR 250 (US$ 80) per family.

The company, of which the Chief Minister’s sister Raziah is one of the Directors,  is after the millions of dollars’ worth of rare and valuable hardwood trees in the area.  However the Ibans are refusing, saying they want to preserve their forest for future generations.

70,000 Dayaks fail in bid to get MyKads

By Joe Fernandez

Deputy Federal Regional Development Minister Joseph Entulu Belaun estimates that at least 40,000 Dayaks in Sarawak have no birth certificates, and hence no MyKads, and a further 30,000 who have neither birth certificate nor MyKad.

The Selangau MP includes his constituency as among the many in Sarawak saddled with the problem which takes students out of school at Year Six and maroons them in the villages for fear of being arrested by the police.

“There are at least 500 to 600 people in Selangau alone who either have no birth certificates, and therefore no MyKads, or have the document but no MyKads,” said Entulu.

Forestry: an unnatural disaster in Sarawak

By Pak Bui

Sarawak Forestry Corporation Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and forestry department director Len Talif Salleh has dismissed the horrific ecological and infrastructure damage wrought by the Rejang log-jam as a “natural disaster”.

Len Talif argued that heavy rain, rather than over-logging or the impoundment of the Bakun Dam, had caused a catastrophic pile-up of cut logs and debris on the surface of Malaysia’s largest river. The accumulation of rubbish had blocked river traffic, wrecked boat jetties and killed fish and aquatic life, leaving communities without an important source of nutrition.

” Spot The Similarity “

Timber camp burnt and destroyed by protestors

By Chris Reubens

( Updated 18:30 )( Updated 17:00 )Semujan police were deployed to a timber camp in Ulu Sg. Selabu, Sembang to ease tension between a logging timber company and some longhouse folk.

It was alleged Monday that two environmentalists, two Tuai Rumah and some 100 longhouse folk had burned down a timber camp along with its equipment which were valued to be worth more than RM2 million.

The managing director of Sri Berjaya Enterprise & Co, Lau Poung Siing, held a press conference with his chief security, Chiong Kung Kiong, in Sibu Jaya on Thursday afternoon.

Stranded natives await rainfall in Kapit

By FMT

Natives living in the upper reaches of Kapit and Belaga are praying that it will rain on Saturday, Oct 23, as prophecised by the Sarawak Metrological Department. If there is ‘intermitten rain over 10% of Kapit’ then the dry spell would be broken and Rajang would be saved.

That’s how critical the situation is for communities living in the Nanga Merit district, Kapit, Pelagus and Belaga.

According to the Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB), the water level at Kapit waterfront on Oct 13 was 6.7 metres above sea level. The level dropped sharpely to 1.85 metres five days later on Oct 18. The normal water level at the waterfront is eight metres above sea level.

Logjam disaster: Blame in on the rain, not the loggers

By Joseph Tawie

The blame game between Land Development Minister James Masing and state forest director Len Talif over the recent logjam disaster along the Rajang river has shifted to the weather.

Talif is blaming the rain and is of the opinion that loggers had nothing to do with it.

In a direct challenge to Masing, Talif said the logjam was not caused by logging but due to the changing patterns of rain in the area.

The Nine Cardinal Principles of Vyner Brooke, circa 1941

By Hornbill Unleashed

Vyner Brooke proposed the Nine Cardinal Principles for his fig leaf of a Sarawak constitution, nearly seven decades ago. It is amusing that Vyner, a failed head of state, used the words “Our” and “Ourselves” to describe himself, like Queen Elizabeth II does today.

Reading through this list makes us realise that rulers have been lying to Sarawakians for a long time, using high-sounding words for self-serving reasons.

The Malaysia story – truth, history, propaganda

By Joe Fernandez

Malaysia, it is being written, is celebrating its 53rd year of independence since the departure of the British colonialists. This appears to support the unspoken, unwritten, official line that 1957 is the year of independence for the entire country. This version of history can only mean that Malaya underwent a name change in 1963 to emerge as Malaysia. Hence the story of 53 years continues.

The old Federation of Malaya and its Federal Constitution was supposed to become defunct on Sept 16, 1963 when a new federation, Malaysia, with the promise of a new Federal Constitution was to emerge on the same day in an alliance of four territories in equal partnership namely, Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak. Brunei stayed out at the 11th hour and look where it is today compared with its neighbouring two sister states in Borneo. That’s another story.

Lowest press freedom ranking in nine years

By MalaysiaKini

Malaysia has plunged 10 notches to 141 in the 2010 World Press Freedom Index – the lowest in nine years – putting it firmly in the bottom quarter of 178 countries.

The country failed to capitalise on last year’s improvement where it moved up one notch from 132 to 131.

The issues which have perhaps affected Malaysia’s poor ranking include the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission’s investigation into Malaysiakini’s cow-head video, the arrests of bloggers and the ban on a number of books by cartoonist Zunar.