Pak Bui
The average age of a Malaysian is strikingly young, around 26. By comparison, the average age of the federal cabinet is about 59. It is
probably 89 for the state cabinet, similar to their average IQ.
Most of you reading this are older than 26. You may not be around in 20 years from now. Even so, I invite you to come along with me on a flight of fancy.
Where will Sarawak be in two decades from now?
One imaginary, alternative future is laid out below.
SARAWAK IN 2031
Sarawak in 2031 now enjoys true multi-party democracy. The current ruling federal and state governments happen to be Pakatan Rakyat, now a single party made up of all Sarawakian ethnic groups.
The most recent federal government, for a single term, was Barisan Nasional, with Khairy Jamaluddin as the talkative Prime Minister, and Mukhriz Mahathir as his hangdog deputy.
Changes in government proceed after elections without any fuss. The civil service has finally grown more independent of political control.
Secret instructions from a religious extremist in the previous Barisan cabinet, to ban bibles written in the Malay language, have been
largely ignored by the bureaucracy.
Instead, these instructions were leaked to the press, one of the freest in Southeast Asia, and the minster was forced to resign. He now
faces charges and a jail sentence, under the new Religious Freedom Act.
Barisan performed woefully in the recent 2027 16th general election, because of infighting among rival factions. This is a curse that has
persisted since Umno and the MCA disintegrated following the historic 13th general election in 2012.
UMNO DEFUNCT IN 2031
During the pivotal 2012 election, Umno lost half its seats, and MCA was wiped out in every seat it contested, providing the first change
of government in Malaysia’s history.
Umno imploded following the 2012 defeat. It splintered into rival camps loyal to Muhyiddin Yassin and Mukhriz Mahathir.
Muhyiddin was outwitted and unseated by Khairy, who then set up the Barisan Nasional party, open to all races.
Mukhriz, once a rising star in Umno, established the Barisan Angkatan Rabid Malay Youth (Barmy) party, campaigning on the single issue of Businessmen’s Urban Malay Supremacy (BUMS).
Mukhriz eventually handed over Barmy presidency to his grandson Mimsy. Barmy membership has been dwindling. Most branches were converted into Proton service centres, until Proton went bust and was taken over by Perodua.
MCA SURRENDERS CABINET POSTS
True to the promise of MCA’s risible leader Chua Soi Lek, MCA did not take up any cabinet posts, since it won a grand total of zero seats.
MCA’s offer to defect from Barisan and join the new Pakatan government was ignored.
Eventually, MCA also split, with most members joining Gerakan. The rest formed the rump MCA, known as the Malaysian Chua Association.
This eventually closed down because of an aging membership. Chua Soi Lek ‘migrated’ to New Zealand, where he raised sheep for the rest of his days.
Utusan Malaysia closed down due to a declining subscription. The New Straits Times was reborn under new management as a proper newspaper.
Ownership of the New Straits Times, the Star, and the Chinese press was opened up and all the newspapers were eventually floated on the
stock market.
INSTITUTIONS SALVAGED
The Royal Malaysian Police underwent wholesale reform. The police responded favourably to new multi-ethnic recruitment drives.
Police morale improved with the imprisonment of several of its former top brass, and the supervision of the new Independent Police
Complaints and Monitoring Commission.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was disbanded. Those responsible for deaths in custody under the Police and MACC served
lengthy jail sentences.
The independence of the judiciary was finally restored to its pre-Mahathir levels. A bipartite paliamentary Judicial Appointments
Commission allowed promotion based on ability and legal acumen.
A Freedom of Information Act was passed in every state, as well as at federal level. Funding for political parties was curtailed by a
Political Party Finance Act, supervised by an independent and professional Election Commission.
A Religious Freedom Act was passed, guaranteeing freedom of worship for all faiths. A consultative Interfaith Council was established to
iron out differences.
TAIB’S GREAT ESCAPE
And what, you may ask, became of Taib Mahmud?
A Taib Mahmud monument was erected following his ignominious departure to Australia. (Taib and his family fled during the counting of votes in Barisan’s devastating loss in the 2012 general election).
The monument, a five foot tall termite made of granite, reminds all Sarawakians of the excesses of the 30-year-longTaib era.
The RM300 million state assembly building, built to boost Taib’s ego, has been converted into a low-cost housing complex. Taib’s Demak Laut mansion has been converted into an early learning centre for poor children.
After his escape to Australia, Taib was forced to repatriate most of his overseas assets to fund universal free education up to university
level, for all Sarawakians.
Awang Tengah, Alfred Jabu, James Masing and other Taib cronies were unable to ‘migrate’ in time, and spent the rest of their lives serving custodial sentences, and replanting trees.
Within a decade, every household in Sarawak enjoyed clean water and electricity. Plans for hydroelectric dams were scrapped and Native Customary Rights land was returned to communities all over Sarawak.
Rural communities were able to plant oil palm as well as food crops on their land for sale and eventual export.
Timber harvesting from remaining forests was carried out on a smaller, more sustainable scale with profits going to local co-operatives.
Sarawak’s universities began to attract talent, including returning Sarawakians from the international diaspora, albeit on a smaller scale
than Hyderabad.
Sarawak became a regional centre of excellence for biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals.
In the humanities, it grew into a global hub for anthropological and linguistic research. Eco-tourism became a growth industry.
As for Taib, efforts to extradite him failed because Australia’s succession of pragmatic governments refused to send rich people to
Malaysia, and only shipped refugees there.
Taib’s health declined after bitter infighting among his siblings and children over his remaining fortune.
Shortly after a furious argument with his sister Roziah, he drove his Rolls Royce at high speed into a tree. It is thought he had lost
control of the car.
He was buried in the grounds of the University of Adelaide, in the Taib Mahmud (Former Chief Minister of Sarawak) Court. A tree sprouted
where he lies, with withered white branches and leaves, but no fruit - a twisted and barren tree.
Taib will always be remembered as the Small CM with the Tall Wife.
This article may be read like “wishful thinking”, but if Sarawakians dared stand up to Taib and his cronies all the above could come true!
Comment by Ling — June 29, 2011 @ 4:16 PM |
IMAGINE
The writer did say “flight of fancy” which means “imagine”.
It is no t wishful thinking but a determination to make that change..
You may not be around then but you might some history and that the Chinese took over 350 years to overthrow Manchu domination and another 100 years to get rid of Western and Japanese bullying and looting and shame.
We hope you’ll join us to fight for a better Sarawak
Comment by OurSarawak — June 29, 2011 @ 4:56 PM |
IMAGINE NO POSSESSIONS
TELL IT TO TAIB & GANG- THEY GOT PLENTY
Last 2 stanzas from John Lennon – Imagine lyrics
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
We hope someday you’ll join us to fight for a better world
Comment by OurSarawak — June 29, 2011 @ 3:27 PM |
THE WRETCHED OF THE EARTH
PROPERTY IS THEFT…THE RULING ELITES STOLE LAND FROM THE POOR AND THE POOR HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK FROM THE RICH
In another language this could mean revolution.
The UMNO PBB BN domination of Sarawak politics has already created a mass underclass of dispossessed and unhappy people. UMNO NEPs have been plans misused to enrich the power eilite not the poor. That alone does not create a revolution. But it won’t be long before the ideas spread to them and Sarawak will start to see uprisings.
It may have happened already as seen in the Bidayuh example of burning illegal timber logger’s equipment is a sign of the way things will go.
This seems inevitable as the people in power carry on in total disregard of the people’s sufferings created by the rulers in the first place.
The oppressed people’s level of tolerance has been steadily reduced as each year of the last 48 years has seen the deliberate and progressive degradation of their lives. It makes it less and less meaningful for them to even think of “Malaysia” as their country when they have got nothing out of this deal and are the main group of people suffering from it. They have become pathetic second class citizens who have to wait for handouts from the “gomen”. They become more and more de-humanized by their UMNO master.
The proposed “Land Bill” to terminate their rights will be the real test of their tolerance of state oppression and the next direction they will take to fight for their rights.
Up to now UMNO PBB BN has managed to placate the rumblings from under.
To quell Dayak disgruntlement in the armed forces UMNO promote a Dayak General after 47 years of using Dayaks as their hunting dogs against the communists and that stopped further complaints.
They have also promoted various Dayaks to high Federal and State positions where they are put to do clock watching exercises. All the things they have done have been to placate Dayak discontent but not to actually advance the majority of Dayaks from their poverty stricken positions. Oil Palm plantations create cheap labour jobs only after the Dayaks were forcibly deprived of their precious land.
The Dayaks today are a far cry from their much vaunted reputation as fighters. It seems they have had the fight taken out of them and steadily taken down the road of hopelessnes and firewater as happened to the Amerindians who were defeated by the white colonial settlers and put in “reservation camps”. This is what is happening to the Dayaks.
This is a sad comment on the corruption of the UMNO regime which is exprienced in dealing with “emergencies” but not tackling social problems. Or is it because it in not in their interest to do this?
They fail to see they are creating the very conditions that breeds revolutions.
Comment by TEBEDU SPRING — June 29, 2011 @ 10:43 AM |
I really enjoy reading it, brightened up my day. I just hope it can be a reality .
Comment by bell — June 29, 2011 @ 7:21 AM |
What happen when the present BN government to continue? And Taib’s family and the next generation of the family’s cronies holding to power? And the oppression towards the Dayaks continues.
One local statistician analysis projected that by 2050 all the Dayaks will be left as mere beggars. To put it mildly he said the Dayaks will be the hardcore poor to the extend that they only survive by stealing from the rich.
Comment by wallenbergie.raoul2050 — June 28, 2011 @ 10:27 PM |
The currnet BN adminsitration is definitely too old to understand the aspiration of young voters.
BN is still employing old dirty tactics to harrass the opposition.
Comment by Meng — June 28, 2011 @ 6:22 PM |
CHRONICLES OF THE SARAWAK PEOPLE’S WAR 2031
SARAWAK REPORTS FROM THE FUTURE
The ability to send messages back and forth in time has enabled this report to be sent to us from the future by a young woman writer who was involved in the 20 years National Liberation War in Sarawak and Sabah.
It is the preface to the chronicles she is writing partly as witness and participant in the events and partly from what she heard she narrates the people’s struggle for national independence.
SARAWAK INDEPENDENCE WITHIN 20 YEARS
Few Sarawakians would believe they could realise their wonderful dream of becoming free from Malayan UMNO colonial rule and achieving real national independence OUTSIDE “Malaysia” in a space of 20 years.
How many would know that on fateful Bersih March 9th July 2011, the events of this day would spark off the second Sarawak People’s armed struggle that would finally free them from the Malayan Umno colonial yoke.
After some 48 years of suffering the naked military oppression and corruption of the ruling elites, the Taib Government emboldened by its renewed fraudulent mandate, passed the Land Bill totally abrogating NCR owners rights in Sarawak.
This created widespread anger and demonstrations in Sarawak. On what is now annually remembered as Bersih Day a crowd of some 5,000 very angry NCR land owners converged on the DUN (state parliament) from different directions and stormed the compounds. They wanted to clean out the crooks and bandits that infested the DUN.
The authorities had concentrated a body of troops on the main bridge across the Sarawak river and did not foresee that more marchers came from the opposite directions.
The Kuala Lumpur colonial authorities had also assembled 3,000 fully armed crack troops and tanks to surround and defend the DUN in Kuching. Fighting broke out on the main bridge as a group of soldiers tried to prevent the marchers from crossing. The marchers disarmed the soldiers and seized their weapons and broke through the barrier with casualties.
At the DUN a confrontation took place and the FRU and occupation army fired on the marchers killing several hundred of the marchers. The Sarawak river turned red with their blood.
The enraged marchers managed to overwhelmed some more of the colonial troops and used their weapons against them. Many marchers had been ex soldiers. Dayak troops in the occupation army did not fire on them and turned their guns on Malayan troops. All hell broke loose. Taib’s ugly memorial building was burnt to the ground. (20 years later this was turned into parkland for the people. The Istana was fully restored and became a museum of British and Malayan colonialism). Taib was overseas for medical treatment during the Uprising, otherwise the marchers would have got his head.
In the mayhem the marchers fled into the jungles (what was left after Taib cleared them) and grouped up and shortly began a guerrilla war of national liberation. A People’s Army of Sarawak (Pasokan Rakyat Sarawak- PARASA) was formed and led by many ex-soldiers with expertise in jungle warfare. The war spread from Lundu to the far northern end of Sarawak even touching Baru Bian’s homeland.
This was called the NCR People’s Uprising 2011 or later the Second Sarawak People’s National Liberation war.. The first national liberation war was fought from 1965 to 1990.
PARASA received immediate mass support from Dayaks and other patriotic Sarawakians. PARASA soon established a network of liberated zones all over the country. The fighting spread to Sabah when the Kadazans and other races also rose against the oppressive Malayan UMNO rule and its puppet regime.
This war of liberation was aided by an outbreak of the “second” liberation war in Malaya. The Bersih 2 march saw UMNO unleashing its secret army (they had trained and armed in the past several years) and with PERKASA members carried a out a major bloody massacre in KL. There was mass exodus of youths to the jungles where the new Malayan People’s Liberation Army was formed. The Second Emergency was declared and a reign of terror followed the massacre. Malaya was soon engulfed in a bloody guerrilla war.
Putra Jaya tied down with 2 major wars on 2 wide fronts was unable to withstand the combined might of the people’s armed forces. After some 20 years of warfare the people’s forces seized control of all the oil fields and cut off KL’s revenue. The regime finally collapsed and the corrupt leaders flee overseas to Saudi Arabia.
The people’s forces in Sabah Sarawak and Malaya marched in triumph into their respective capitals and were welcomed by the exhilarated people as their liberators.
A new era of peace and good government follows with the UMNO BN and puppet regimes being brought to justice. In Sarawak Taib’s (who died of a heart attack not long after the Uprising) families cronies and timber tycoons were tried for crimes of wanton theft and pillage against the Sarawak people. They were mercifully given life sentences to plant trees all over Sarawak to restore the land. They were treated humanely with set working hours and pay (more than how they treated oil palm plantation workers). Similarly the Sabah people took action against the corrupt ones who had pillaged their land.
Land reform was carried out whereby people were treated fairly. In many cases people got back their land or were finally properly compensated. A new agricultural system was installed based on the native communal life style and all traditions of the people were upheld and respected. The details of these will be reported from another report from the future.
The immigration laws were retained as a symbol of the people being in control of their land. This was enhanced by the new Sarawak Border Scouts and Sarawak Rangers who patrolled the land and sea borders.
Sabah and Sarawak finally controlled their own destinies and they re-examined the old idea of a “North Kalimantan Unitary State. They invited Brunei to consider the reunification of the original Brunei state based on a democratic system. After considerable negotiations the 3 territories united to form North Kalimantan. The people’s army was renamed Pasokan Rakyat Kalimantan Utara (PARAKU) in honour of the fighters of the people’s first army.
Independence Day was proudly declared on Radio Free Sarawak.
More future reports will follow to trace out the Sarawak and Sabah Independence war as transmission allows.
Comment by Sarawak Future Reports — June 28, 2011 @ 1:47 PM |
Aiyaa, no need to keep talking war war la. Concentrate on GE13 first and build a proper two-party system.
Comment by analist — June 28, 2011 @ 3:40 PM |
THAT IS IF YOU WISH TO REMAIN A SLAVE OF KUALA LUMPUR@!
Comment by People4RealDemocracy — June 28, 2011 @ 4:52 PM |
Analist where is your imagination?
Comment by Anon — June 29, 2011 @ 9:47 AM |
hahaha… built one pekmo figure infront of DUN. In a kneeling position face down. All are welcome to spit on him.
Comment by Sarawak interest — June 28, 2011 @ 11:48 AM |
nice to read, hope some will come true. i likes the last part of the stories, where all in the family were fighting each others.
Comment by fayena — June 28, 2011 @ 9:16 AM |
Very entertaining indeed …. a good bed-time story to read
Comment by Tiger YK — June 28, 2011 @ 5:37 AM |