By Joseph Tawie
Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian has received complaints from native parents about their children being classified as Malays in their school report cards.
According to him, the children’s “keturunan” (origin) were stated as “Melayu” instead of “Lain-Lain” (others) as practiced in the past.
“We were informed by one parent that the status cannot be changed (back) because it was already within the system and the education officer was not able to make the changes,” he said. (more…)
By Sim Kwang Yang
Years ago, before I opened a shop and started running a business, I was advised by a friend to consult this Feng Shui master in Kuching city. Although I generally do not subscribe to geomancy, public opinion dictated that I should submit to an appraisal under that ancient system of belief.
The Feng Shui master turned up at my front door one fine morning. He was a frail man, bent by age, but looked energetic enough. Presently, he brought up his Lo Pan, the metallic instrument with which he read the changing features of the landscape. (more…)
By Sim Kwang Yang
AFTER a donkey number of years in and out of Burmese prison, Aung San Suu Kyi is free once again, to mingle with the ordinary people of Burma or Myanmar.
The world had anticipated her release, after the court in Myanmar had freed most of the military regime’s detained prisoners. As to what will happen next, nobody knows for sure
After the prolonged stand-off between the generals and Suu Kyi, it is not clear how the current situation can ever develop into a peaceful win-win situation for all. (more…)
Kenny Gan, Malaysia Chronicle
I started working as a young graduate electrical engineer in 1983 in an engineering firm in Kuala Lumpur. My starting salary was RM1200 which was pretty typical in those days. This may not seem much now but mixed rice was less than RM2.00 with Chinese tea and petrol was RM1.00 a litre. After 6 months and an increment under my belt I plonked down for set of wheels; a cute little Toyota Corolla which I paid off in 3 years. Two years later I put down the deposit for a double storey terrace house in a thriving suburb near the capital. (more…)
Letter to HU by Carol Yong
The year was 1997. I was stopped at the Immigration at the Miri Airport in northern Sarawak. No official reason was given, only a letter issued instantly by the Miri Immigration authorities. I was jolted by this rude ‘reception’ and the few words on the paper, ‘declared persona non grata …required to leave the state within 24 hours.’
This seemed so wrong. Just two months earlier, in April when I started preliminary data collection as part of my Master’s thesis, I was even invited by the State Planning Unit (SPU) to join the state Ministry of Land Development (more…)
Press Release by Baru Bian
State Liaison Chief for PKR Sarawak, Baru Bian, accompanied by his lawyer Desmond Kho and several party members, paid a visit to the MACC state office at the 12th floor of Bangunan Sultan Iskandar at Simpang Tiga here today at 3pm.
Baru Bian said serious allegations are reported in an article which is posted at a news portal called Sarawak Report under the provocative heading of ‘TAIB SHARE SHOCK!’
(more…)
Sarawak Report can reveal that the Chief Minister, Abdul Taib Mahmud, has a major personal shareholding in Sarawak’s highly controversial Royal Mulu Resort, a project that has received huge injections of cash from the State. This means that, as both Chief Minister and Finance Minister, Taib has authorised the diversion of large sums of public money straight into his own pocket.
As State Resources and Planning Minister, Taib was also responsible for the forced acquisition of a large area of Native Customary Lands from the indigenous Berawan tribe to build the resort, for which the tribespeople received virtually no compensation. Our evidence therefore further exposes him for having authorised this land-snatch for his own direct benefit. (more…)
By Pak Bui
“Malaysian students are mostly supporters of the Barisan Nasional,” a lawyer and political strategist for a Pakatan Rakyat component party told me recently over a meal. “Our (Pakatan) surveys show our support among the youth comes mostly from the older age group, between 24 to 35 years old, those who have started working.”
It appears somewhat counter-intuitive, that students support Barisan (BN), Malaysia’s ultra-conservative race-obsessed incumbent coalition that has won every general election since 1955. This passivity is also surprising, if we consider our history of passionate anti-establishment student movements, particularly in the late 1960s and early 70s. (more…)
Sarawak Update
The new Lawas Hospital was put on hold due to the inability to find a place for the hospital morgue.
Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Liaison Chief, Baru Bian said it was indeed sad that the 50,000 people in Lawas was unable to get better health facilities due to the wrong priority set by the State government.
He said under the 8th Malaysia Plan, a new hospital was approved for Lawas but a piece of land found was too swampy to be used as a hospital. (more…)
By FMT
Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud is all ready to ring the bell for the big “fight”: he may call for state election as early as next month.
Taib has openly said that he would decide on matters of seats and a “partyless” assemblyman once Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Najib Tun Razak makes a decision on opening the BN doors to associate members and possibly embracing “independents”. (more…)
Sydney Sasson
You claim that ‘irresponsible people are tarnishing the good name of Malaysia’. We beg to differ. In our opinion, the only one tarnishing the good name of Malaysia is the Malaysian government itself. The only traitors in this whole saga, are the politicians who have betrayed the citizens who elected them. And this is why Malaysians abroad are standing in solidarity with their fellow citizens back home to demand good governance, justice, accountability and transparency. Till then, please let Prime Minister Najib and his cabinet know that you are all under watch. (more…)
Chris Reubens
“There’s gold in thar hills,” the Americans said back then during the California Gold Rush in 1849.
In Bau, a quaint town about 36 kilometres from Kuching, the same gold rush is now taking place in the once known as “Gold mine of Sarawak” which was filled with its rich gold ore deposit.
However, the number of illegal miners in the area has increased in the last six months and the local folks are worried that someone would get hurt if there is no stop put to it. (more…)
By Maclean Patrick
It cannot be faulted if we all agree that it is human nature for people to group together within familiar circles. We see this in family units, communities, villages, towns, cities, states, countries and (the obvious) political entities.
It’s a comforting effect – to be able to huddle together in a tight unit either for warmth or security. A habit born from prehistoric times since the days the human species branched out to populate the world.
Human beings are herding creatures, much like the rest of nature. (more…)
By FMT
The “White Rajah” of Sarawak had the audacity to pull the wool over the people’s eyes when he sanctimoniously proclaimed that he supported a move to publish a White Paper to punish “naughty people” who caused trouble in his scarred kingdom. The all-important paper would presumably detail the misdeeds of the outsiders who came to Sarawak to disrupt public peace and order. They would inevitably be branded a threat to state security and swiftly thrown out. All these so-called instigators have no business to disrupt the activities of Taib Mahmud. Leave him alone. Let him continue his rapacious work. (more…)
All signs point to a snap general election soon. The various actions taken by the BN recently are a very clear indication that the ruling coalition is all set for the electoral battle.
The BN is now open to direct membership from individuals and NGOs to expand its power base, particularly in attracting support of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community organisations and young people.
It is an improvement for the BN to gradually open up. In the past, (more…)
Richard Loh
Both coalitions are obsessed with Putrajaya, failing to note that Putrajaya does not belong to any of them but the RAKYAT.
The 13th General Election is more like a “do or die” mission for the rakyat to take back the country. The rakyat used Pakatan as a stepping stone at the 12th GE to do what is necessary. Can we still hang on to Pakatan to ensure victory for the rakyat?
The rallying cry is not just for change but to “Take Back Our Country”. (more…)
By Apang
Quality Concrete Holdings Berhad (QCHB), the infamous company partly owned by Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s sister, Roziah @ Raziah Mahmud, and Taib’s first cousin, Hamed Sepawi (reported to be worth at least RM600 million), is at the epicentre of another scandal rocking Sarawak.
Hamed Sepawi is listed at 28th among the 30 largest shareholders of QCHB as of 6 May 2010, according to QCHB’s 2010 Annual Report, filed with the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. Another Taib family member among the 30 largest shareholders is Abdul Aziz Bin Husain, former State Secretary and Taib’s brother-in-law of Taib, listed at 24th. (more…)
By Baru Bian
I was rudely awakened by the howling wind that ferociously beat through the woods and occasionally whistled through the cracks and crevices in the wall above me. I felt unusually cold and the sharp excruciating pain through my body jolted me to a complete state of consciousness. The crude, rough surface of the wooden plank was cruel. The deafening thunder echoed through the night into the wee hours, lightning flashes through the pitch dark space surrounding me. It rained the whole night. (more…)
By Mariam Mokhtar
The path to a true democracy is never easy. We had it once, around the time of independence, but in later years, Umno blew it.
To maintain control, the ISA was used to quieten political dissenters, amongst other things. Money was siphoned from noble causes and used to fund the party’s political elite. Democracy, in the Malaysian context, comes with an enormous human, economic and political price tag.
The most damning comment by Zaid who created havoc in PRK last week (more…)
By Shazeera Ahmad Zawawi @ Loyar Burok
Considering the lack of consideration for the rights of the child in the recent case of the pork lunch meal caning.
On November 5th 2010, a mother complained to the Sarawak Education Department that her son was caned by his teacher for bringing pork to school. As you notice (of which I hope you do), I did not mention the religious or ethnic background of the boy at all. There are two reasons why I left out those layers of fact. (more…)
By FMT
Retired civil servants, described by a Barisan Nasional-partner as “frustrated” are posing a threat to Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s plans for a significant sweep of seats in the Sarawak state elections, which must be held before June 2011.
Furious at being classified as “easily influenced by negative elements” in addition to being ‘frustrated’, a teacher here has slammed the Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) for its arrogance and insensitivity. (more…)
By Sarawak Report
( More Photo Here ) Sarawak Report has had numerous requests to investigate and display the wealth of the extended Taib family, who are widely known to be living extraordinary millionaire life-styles off the back of their uncle, the Chief Minister. But why should we investigate when they show off their riches so blatantly on their own facebook sites? Thousands of their pals are treated to pictures of their lavish lifestyle and we think it only fair that the rest of Sarawak should see them too. (more…)
By Gan Pei Ling
In Oct 2010, indigenous rights activist Nicholas Mujah was arrested and remanded for three days with seven others from his village for an alleged fire in a logging camp.
The Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) secretary-general has been fighting for the rights of Sarawak indigenous peoples to their native customary land since around 1980 and is no stranger to arbitrary arrest.
He became politically conscious after his arrest by police in 1983. He had helped seven European activists who wanted to stage a sit-in protest to block timber exports from Baram. (more…)
The menagerie of Malaysian politics keeps getting bigger. We had toads, donkeys and moronic oxen. Now they have been joined by chameleons.
Zaid Ibrahim’s recent tantrum against the PKR leadership has started the speculations about a Third Force again. Some bloggers are also sounding out the formation of a Third Force. But what exactly are they offering that’s different from Pakatan Rakyat? That they are more ‘principled’ and more capable than Pakatan representatives? Is that enough? (more…)
By Keruah Usit
A Malay landowner, Mohamad Rambli Kawi, ( Photo right ) has won a groundbreaking Kuching High Court judgment upholding native customary rights (NCR) to land.
These rights are guaranteed by Sarawak’s land code and the federal constitution, but are given scant recognition by the executive.
Mohamad Rambli, 63, sued the state government, after the Land and Survey department (more…)
It all started the same way all other land disputes in Sarawak. Palm oil plantation projects in fertile areas of Sarawak are commonly implemented without consultation with the indigenous landowners.
There are very few channels for negotiations between the native landowners (more…)
By Joseph Tawie
The Kuching High Court yesterday handed down yet another landmark decision when it recognised the native customary rights (NCR) of Malays in the state over land.
In passing his judgment, Justice Linton Albert said that Malays in Sarawak have “customary rights over land as well as over swampy areas surrounding their NCR land”.
Their rights, he said, are similar to that of the Dayaks’ “pemakai menua” (territorial domain) and “pulau galau” (communal forests) (more…)
By Pak Bui
Hornbill Unleashed (HU) needs you. HU needs help to spread news throughout Sarawak. By news, we do not mean the propaganda regurgitated out daily by RTM, by Umno’s servants, TV3, Utusan and the New Straits Times, or MCA’s The Star, or timber tycoons’ newspapers like Nanyang Siang Pau, See Hua, Borneo Post or International Times.
We need your help to translate important pieces of news, suppressed by the mainstream media, into as many Sarawakian languages as possible, including Iban, Mandarin, Malay, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Penan, and so on, so that more Sarawakians can read them. (more…)
Did PKR believe it was going to ‘march to Putrajaya’ when the people leading it appear to have two left feet? If PKR wishes to become a trusted party, it must realise that the party should be about policies and not personalities.
Procedures put in place, to ensure the proper workings of the party, must also seen to be enforced. If the party is perceived as ‘another Umno’, people will reject it.
What is damning in Zaid Ibrahim’s shock announcement yesterday was not his disappointment that “the PKR party leadership actively condones malpractices and electoral fraud”, or his withering remark that “those adoring fans of Anwar will no longer regard me as a ‘spoiler’ standing in their way”. (more…)
By Aidila Razak
Sarawakians in the interior of the state will now have an alternative source of information with the Radio Free Sarawak beginning transmission today.
The broadcast is being transmitted out of London, and consists of only one hour of programming from 6.30-7.30 am Sarawak time on the short-wave frequency 7590 kHz.
The same news, current affairs and commentary programme will be repeated the same day from 6-7pm local time on 15869 kHz. (more…)
By Dr Kua Kia Soong, Director of SUARAM
In their moment of exuberance, the fat cats in the recent UMNO general assembly really “let the cat out of the bag” when they poked fun at each other’s immigrant backgrounds. UMNO’s biggest champion of “bumiputeraism” as we all know has mamak origins; other UMNO bigwigs who were on stage were goaded for their Bugis, Achinese and other foreign origins.
But by some conceptual trick, they are strictly “Malays” (more…)
By Sarawak Report 
It is undoubtedly one of the smartest addresses in London. Hampshire House is an enormous and gracious period building overlooking the world-famous Hyde Park, just a stone’s throw from Marble Arch and Oxford Street. It contains some of the largest apartments in the capital, including the regular ‘pied a terre’ of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.
The ground floor apartment used by the Taibs is worth around £8.5 million (RM 43 million) and measures over 4,000 square feet. (more…)
The arrests pictures expose police collusion with SS Gas Pipeline contractor
November 13, 2010 by democracy4now
The pictures from the arrests scene are finally in-which expose the collusion between the Lawas police and the SS Gas Pipeline contractor. Even done in the quiet away from the public and media view-technology is empowering the people to record such astrocious action of the police-who keep quiet when the land owners complained about the land encroachment for a long time, but spring into action after 1 week of the blockade! 4 persons were arrested on the 1st day-and they had all been, under public pressure, released by now. (more…)
By FMT Staff 
KUCHING: The people of Sarawak have a dream. They dream of jobs, better salaries, schools, water and electricity.
Awesome simple truths yet so terribly complex when dressed with politics and doctrinations.
It’s been a trying week looking for that which is real in the midst of an endless stream of loud political theatrics. Truth is often lost in the slush of who said what.
But in Sibu on May 2010, they found that elusive ‘truth’ and impossible became possible. (more…)
By Bunga Pakma
Who of you has read Melville’s great novel Moby Dick? It is not an impertinence to connect this book with Borneo. The Pequod’s cruise took her by the coast of Sarawak. A turtle-egg gatherer on Talang-Talang might have seen her hull-down in the offing.
In chapter 124 Capt. Ahab notes something amiss. He demands what course the helmsman is steering. The man at the tiller replies “East-sou-east,” and yet the sun is rising over the ship’s stern.
It proves that the strong electrical fields of a storm the night before have turned the compass, (more…)
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