Pictures Alfred Jabu and William Mawan would not want you to see!

For the third leg of its state-wide roadshow, PKR visited two very strong Barisan Nasional strongholds over the weekend.

And we are glad to share with you that we have been able to penetrate these places and received very encouraging signs of welcome by the rakyat there. These pictures should be able to show you the reality on the ground and the tsunami sweeping over the entire state as one by one, BN bastions are opening their fortress doors to Pakatan Rakyat!



SATURDAY 29TH JANUARY, JULAU (Pakan and Meluan)

The PKR flag now proudly flies in the parliamentary constituency of Julau which covers the two state seats of Pakan and Meluan.




The rakyat welcomed us with traditional music.




The tuai rumah himself performed the dance of the hornbill slaying its enemies!




Rakyat who have not heard of reformation and change and the corrupt practices of the BN are now equipped and educated with the essential tools they need to make the right decision: INFORMATION in the form of printed materials and vcds.








We were told many rakyat were still afraid to show up for fear of backlash by their local YBs. However, their hearts are now keen for CHANGE.

Nevertheless, the two hundred people who did turn up consisted of many tuai rumahs, opinion leaders and new party members who will bring back information to their respective areas and longhouses.






Again, we hear of the same problems and issues affecting the people of Julau that are affecting the other rural areas in Sarawak. And so our leaders took the microphone and explained how PKR and Pakatan Rakyat will help them to resolve these problems and issues.




Mengga Mikui, Dr. John Brian Anthony, Baru Bian and Munan Laja.




Munan Laja, Pemancha Jenging, Steven Epay and Joshua Jabing.




Jimmy Donald, Bernard Ngumbang, Mengga Mikui and Dr. John Brian Anthony.




Wong, George Chen and Warren Aris.




PKR leaders explaining the real meaning of democracy and justice for all to the rakyat whose lands have been taken away and whose livelihood is now precariously threatened by the rampant corruption and mismanagement of state funds.











SUNDAY 30TH JANUARY, BETONG (Layar, Bukit Saban and Saribas)

On Sunday night, despite sabotage and dirty tricks by the BN, over three hundred people turned up at PKR's Chinese New Year gathering held in a street pavement in Betong town. PKR had no choice but to serve dinner on a street pavement adjacent to a coffeeshop because all the dewans and halls in Betong are under the payroll of the BN regime.

Never before has Betong, a BN stonghold and 'fixed deposit' controlled by Alfred Jabu for the past 30 years, seen a crowd this large openly attending an Opposition function held in public!

See for yourselves!










Even the nearby coffeeshop was filled with customers who listened to our ceramah!




Baru Bian with Abang Zulkifli Abang Engkeh and Stanny Embat.




Party leader Nicholas Bawin and ex-PBB supporter Pemancha Jenging who has tendered his resignation as a 'pemancha' because he said it is shameful that the BN government pays him a salary of "RM700 which is less than that of an Indonesian maid."




Mengga Mikui, Joshua Jabing, Dr. Christopher Kiyui and Datuk John Tenewi Nuek.




All stood for grace and prayers before the function began.




These are PKR leaders who are willing to stand in the street to bring the message of CHANGE!




Even the rain could not stop the tide of BERUBAHLAH! sweeping Betong!




Which BN leader will abandon the comforts and grandiose of an air-conditioned and carpeted hall and instead stand on a street pavement to speak to the rakyat in the rain? PKR leaders will and do! And Betong responded with loud and thunderous applause!




BERUBAHLAH! BETONG DAN JULAU!

Movement wants Baru Bian as CM if Pakatan wins

For his dedication to serve the downtrodden in society, Baru has earned the respect and admiration of many Sarawakians, says MoCS chief.

KUCHING: Sarawak PKR chairman Baru Bian is the choice of the Movement For Change, Sarawak (MoCS) to be the chief minister of Sarawak should Pakatan Rakyat comes into power after the next state election.

“Today, MoCS officially endorses Baru Bian as the new Sarawak CM in the event of a change of government after the polls,” the movement’s leader Francis Paul Siah announced here Sunday.

“For the past six months, MoCS has been looking for a suitable candidate to present to the people of Sarawak as their new CM. We have found that person in Baru Bian,” he told the MoCS public forum held at a local hotel here.

Siah described Baru as a dedicated public servant although he is actually in private practice as a lawyer.

“He had energetically fought for many victimized land owners over the NCR land issue and had won several landmark cases. He had toiled tirelessly for many years to help not only the Dayaks but other races as well.

“For his dedication to serve the downtrodden in society, Baru has earned the respect and admiration of many Sarawakians,” Siah added.

The MoCS leader said that another important reason why the movement was endorsing Baru was that the PKR chief is a devout Christian and a God-fearing person.

“Anyone who is God-fearing will have a conscience and is unlikely to be greedy and corrupt when he attains high public office,” Siah said.

Baru Bian, a 52-year-old Orang Ulu is the first Dayak politician to be endorsed by MoCS to be a candidate in the coming state election.

In another MoCS public forum in Miri Saturday, Siah announced the movement’s endorsement of five DAP state assembly incumbents. They are Wong Ho Leng (Bukit Assek), Chong Chieng Jen (Kota Sentosa), Chew Ching Sing (Kidurong), Violet Yong (Pending), Ting Tze Fui (Meradong).

MoCS also endorsed two other DAP potential candidates, Dr Wong Hua Seh of Bintulu and Fong Poh Teck of Miri.

Two weeks ago, the movement endorsed its first candidate, PKR’s Dr Michael Teo of Miri.

According to Siah, a MoCS endorsement means a public declaration that the candidate is a person of integrity and substance and that he/she is worthy to seek elective office and deserves the support of the people.

“It also means that the endorsed candidates will receive ground support from MoCS and its affiliated NGO’s during the election campaign,” he said.

Parti Kita president Zaid Ibrahim and SNAP vice-president Augustine Liom were the two guest speakers at the MoCS forum on Sunday.

Speakers at the Saturday forum in Miri were Sarawak DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng and Dr Teo who is Miri PKR chairman.


Taken from Free Malaysia Today.

Free Malaysia Today Exposé: THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR TAIB - Can Rosmah ‘pillow-talk’ Najib to ‘save’ Taib?

Pandering to Rosmah Mansor's vanity, Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud is hoping, she will 'call' for joint polls.

KUALA LUMPUR: A revolt is simmering in Sarawak and is threatening to indirectly topple self-declared first lady, Rosmah Mansor, unless she manages to “pillow-talk” her husband Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak into holding concurrent polls.

Suave Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Taib Mahmud is pandering to Rosmah’s vanity and is hoping that her sweet-talk for “concurrent polls preferably in June” will save his hide.

To help Taib achieve this, is his wealthy flamboyant sister Raziah Mahmud, who is said to be very pally with Rosmah.

According to a FMT source, Taib has asked his sister to “persuade Rosmah to push Najib” into holding joint state and parliamentary polls “for BN’s own survival”.

“Taib has informed Najib of the ground situation. He believes Najib is mindful of this but there is no positive reaction.

“Now Taib wants his sister to help him convey to Rosmah the hard facts.

“Raziah will tell Rosmah that if Sarawak BN fails to deliver the parliamentary seats, then Najib will no longer be able to hold onto Putrajaya.

“He will not be prime minister and Rosmah, as the first lady, will be history,” said the source.

No Putrajaya

The source said Taib believed that by holding concurrent polls, the Pakatan Rakyat opposition pact will be stretched and resources divided.

“Being a peninsula-based party, Pakatan is going to focus its maximum efforts on retaining Selangor, Kedah, Penang and Kelantan while pushing for Perak and Negri Sembilan.

“But if we hold only state polls, then the opposition will come down on us like it did in Sibu,” said the source.

Meanwhile, another insider in Taib’s Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) party familiar with “rumours to rope in Rosmah” said the coalition was in dire need of “this particular federal assistance”.

“Umno in Sabah and in the peninsula is very divided. Najib is very dependent on Sarawak.

“We know this and unless both elections are held together there is no guarantee that BN can win a majority of the parliamentary seats in Sarawak.

“Sarawak has 31 parliamentary seats. The opposition holds two seats. We think we will lose more seats this coming general election.

“If this happens, then BN’s overall majority will be greatly reduced and it will definetly affect Najib’s bid to retain Putrajaya,” the source said, adding that if Sarawak BN failed to deliver the seats there was the “frightening” possibility of Umno muscling its way into the state.

Reduced majority

Barely 10 months ago, a confident Taib had rubbished talks of an emerging grassroots rebelllion.

He saw absolutely no threat in Sarawak opposition DAP, as the sole flagbearer holding a parliamentary seat.

Sarawak BN held 30 seats at the time, a nice number which helped seal BN’s grip on Putrajaya in the unexpected 2008 political tsunami.

Then blew the unprecedented Sibu wind which defied the political odds in Sarawak. DAP won its second seat.

In August last year, opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim said the Pakatan Rakyat coalition was “upbeat” about its chances in Sabah and Sarawak.

Speaking at a ceramah, Anwar had reportedly said: “They can hold on to Sabah and Sarawak. Najib has been going there over and over again and (his wife) Rosmah even went there to sing.

“But when we can wrest a seat in Sarawak (Sibu), it is a clear indication that the BN fortress has begun to crumble. All we need is less than half the seats in Sarawak and a few in Sabah, and Insyallah (God willing), we will take on Putrajaya.”

But much has happened in Anwar’s PKR, which, if truth be told, has shaken its members’ faith in the party, its policies and ability to lead.

“PKR is riding on DAP and, to some extent, PAS’ strength. On its own it can’t survive. In Sarawak, we have good capable PKR leaders but they are subject to KL’s law and that makes them useless to us.

“PKR also does not have much money, not like DAP… PKR expects Sarawak to take care of itself but long-term sustainability is not easy…” said a grassroots PKR member here.

Taken from Free Malaysia Today


Let’s flush out Taib Mahmud and BN
January 28, 2011

FMT LETTER: From Alan Newman (NZ), via e-mail

The fastest way for the opposition to bring down Taib Mahmud and BN is to generate a lot of attention and publicity in a confrontation with MACC – a great opportunity near an election.

Taib is a bit shaky now and if he starts to tremble, Najib may dump him and there will be a vicious spiral of self-destruction. Let’s challenge them openly through online portals, websites and all available channels to:

a) Act on investigating Taib, or

b) At least to explain or justify their silence on Taib.

What about other sympathetic and supportive media?

How about a quarter page in New Straits Times S’pore? A half page in Brunei’s Borneo Bulletin?

What about a combined class action suit against MACC ?

I heard Najib has a facebook account. Can we all register, login in and bombard him with these questions?

Taken from Free Malaysia Today.

‘Father’ crab not walking straight

Joseph Tawie

Billionaire Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud denounces the 'crab culture' among Malays – to the amusement of PKR.

KUCHING: Chief Minister Taib Mahmud is whistling a different tune lately and it is puzzling the opposition.

Earlier this week, he boldly declared to Sarawakians that there were “equal opportunities for all”; now, the “I have more money than I can spend” billionaire is asking his people to “walk straight” and not be a “crab”.

A bemused Sarawak PKR has likened Taib’s latest comments to a “father crab” trying to teach its offspring to walk straight when he himself is walking sideways.

“How can you tell people to walk straight when you are not doing it yourself?

“You tell people not to take away people’s land, don’t abuse power and not to be corrupted, but you are doing it all yourself,” said Abang Zulkifli Abang Engkeh, Sarawak PKR’s secretary.

He was referring to Taib’s recent condemnation of the “crab culture” prevalent among the Malays.

Taib said that Sarawak rejected the culture of pulling successful people or governments down.

Instead, the state under his administration advocated social and political discipline to progress into a higher income economy and beyond.

“In PBB (Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu), for as long as I am leading the party, I forbid the ‘crab culture’ of politicking although competition is acceptable because political discipline is also part of the needed social discipline,” Taib told community leaders in Limbang.

Taking a swipe at the opposition, he said these parties “had such a mindset.. they are always trying to pull the government down by harping on the shortcomings.”

‘Crab culture‘

Opposition parties, he said, constantly ignored the “development and benefits” the state government brought to the masses.

Responding to Taib’s comments, Zulkilfi said that the “crabs teaching their offspring to walk straight” is far worse than the “crab culture”.

“In BN, there are many ‘father’ crabs which ask their followers to walk straight,” he said.

On the so-called crab culture, Zulkifli said that the crabs too wanted to go out to see the outside world.

“Perhaps these ‘crabs’ are fed up with the State BN politics and wish to join the opposition,” he said.

According to Zulkifli, Sarawak PKR’s biggest obstacle in its political campaigns is the police who refused to give them permits.

“We cannot organise a big function to spread our policies as the police refuse to give us a permit, citing security reasons.

“Nor do we have RTM1, RTM2 and TV3 where we can explain our policies to the people.

“Since we have no avenues, we therefore have to resort to ‘mouth-to-mouth’ communication and small gatherings to make known our policies,” he said.

He pointed out that the party had resorted to CDs and flyers to reach the rural areas and villages.

“This is our biggest problem,” he added.


Taken from Free Malaysia Today.


NOT SO MUCH A CRAB, MORE A SET OF PINCERS by Rekaya Ji

Sarawak CM Taib likened opposition political leaders to crabs. These, he said, pulled things down rather than building them up. He must have been thinking of the building up of his enormous personal fortune and those of his crooked associates. A little more thought would have reminded also that he, and they, have been pulling down Sarawak from the richest State in Malaysia to one of the poorest by robbing its natural resources for personal gain.

A bumpkin from the coastal Rejang, the young Taib can hardly have failed to notice that crabs, which abound in the swamps there, in fact DO build up mounds. So his analogy is as false as his reasoning.

As to pulling down be certain, Taib, that this is what awaits you at the coming election. And not just you but the whole rotten apparatus that you and your cronies have erected on the living body of the State.

The sharp pincers of Pakatan Rakyat will seize you and your fellows, drag you to justice and never let you go. Start worrying about that right now!

BOCOR!!!

Money almost amounting to NINE HUNDRED BILLION RINGGIT has been illegally transferred out of Malaysia without Bank Negara being able to do anything about it! This claim points up the wholesale criminality of the political establishment both in the State and in the Federation.

You cannot export even RM1 if you do not have it in the first place so where did the 900 billion come from? And why did it have to be sent away illegally? If it was legitimate money, declared and taxed profit from business or whatever and it was necessary to send all or some of it out of the country; no problem. The mechanism and justifications for such transactions exists to be used.

So why illegally? Obviously because this was money obtained illegally, probably not declared, or under declared for tax purposes, and ownership of which could not safely be acknowledged in the Federation.

Who has benefited? Najib and Taib are not telling. Not now at any rate. And not surprising seeing what scandalous revelations have come out already; with much more to come.

The day of reckoning is near and when these people are no longer able to use ministerial power to hide their activities the money will be recovered for the people and the guilty most severely punished; not just for criminal behaviour but also for having brought Malaysia into the same outcast group with people like Mugabe and Marcos.

GEORGIE PORGIE!

Kissed the girls and made them cry. So runs the nursery rhyme. Not quite correct so far as DCM Georgie Chan is concerned. Kissed them he may well have (frou frou foo foo) but any girlish crying would have been with delight at being gifted the chance to rip off the taxpayer with a “new” heart hospital which cannot do heart surgery; nor any other surgery, which cost six times as much as it should have, which was a failed private business venture before kind Uncle Taib rescued it with huge amounts of taxpayers' money and which, above all, is a permanent memorial to greed and corruption. Unless shame forces them to demolish it or turn it into a home for ousted YBs! Those threatened by Taib with replacement at the coming election!

Read the entire story at Sarawak Report's latest expose, DCM’s Girl Got Heart Hospital Contract Worth Millions – Exclusive!

But Georgie, an “outstanding” Health Minister does not stop at health; where he ought to be concentrating his “efforts”. He is also busy claiming that the Chinese have been “given equal opportunities.” Well certainly he and other Chinese cronies of Taib have been! Unequalled might be a better description!

When he talked about “marginalised” members of the Chinese community who was he thinking about? The small businessman without political backing and making too little money to buy Chinese politicians? The up-river towkay scratching a living from a small shop trade? The small holder with a few pepper vines? How about their equal opportunities? Not as equal as Georgie’s!

Another Georgie gem. No governmental policy could be implemented instantly. “It.... takes time.” 37 years? That’s how long the policy of robbing Sarawak and its people of 90% of its forests has taken Georgie and in-law Taib. And now they are after the rest of the oil not yet grabbed by Putrajaya. How long do you think that will take Georgie? Or hasn’t Uncle T told you yet?

These various fatuities by Georgie are reported to have been uttered in response to a claim by Sibu SUPP leader Tiong who said a fed up Chinese community were “putting politics behind their business and economics. If this Mr. Tiong is identical with Taib’s chief crony business partner and timber exploiter one can see why he dislikes politics getting in the way of business!

Tiong ended his remarks with “the perception that the Chinese are marginalised is not true.” Certainly not him!

Court orders halt to logging by Taib-linked firms

Keruah Usit

An interim injunction has been granted to 15 Iban longhouse communities in upper Sebangan in Simunjan, Sarawak, ordering Quality Concrete Holdings Bhd and its contractor Loyal Billion Sdn Bhd to halt logging, land clearing and other related activities there.

Timber concession licence holder Quality Concrete is substantially owned by Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's sister, Roziah. Another two of Taib's family members also have shares in the company.

Taib's first cousin, Hamed Sepawi, is listed 28th among the 30 largest shareholders of Quality Concrete as at May 6, 2010, according the company's annual report for that year. Another Taib relative is his brother-in-law Abdul Aziz Husain, a former state secretary, who is listed at 24th.

The longhouse communities are claiming native customary rights to the land. The 15 villages are proprietors, occupiers, holders and claimants of NCR lands surrounding Kampung Entanggor, Ensika, Lumut, Arus Dayak, Tongkah Dayak, Tongkah Dayak Lubuk Manta, Tongkah Dayak Atas, Tongkah Dayak Rumah Panjai, Lunying, Belimbing Besi, Ketimbong and Bajong Ili, Bajong Ili Atas, Bajong Ili Tengah, Bajong Ili Baruh, located about three hours' drive from Kuching.

District office, forest department refuse to act

In November 2009, the Sarawak Forest Department issued Quality Concrete with a "Licence to Take Jungle Produce", but the company has been extracting timber from an area measuring 5,525 hectares, which the native Iban communities claim to be their NCR land.

The company and its contractor Loyal Billion faced strong resistance from the local native communities when logging operations began in June 2010. The longhouse residents lodged police reports and sent numerous letters to the relevant authorities asking for the logging to be stopped.

Frustrated by the refusal to act on the part of the local district office and the forest department, the natives last October set up barricades along the logging tracks.

The stand-off came to public attention when Loyal Billion directors told a press conference in Sibu that their logging camp, located 4km from the native blockade site, was torched on Oct 18.

Police then stepped in and arrested activists Nicholas Mujah and Numpang anak Suntai, as well as five longhouse chiefs. They were detained for three days and then released on police bail.

In November 2010, Numpang and 290 other representatives of the Iban communities filed a suit against Quality Concrete, Loyal Billion, the Sarawak Forest Department director and three others for trespassing and encroaching into their native customary land and seeking a declaration on their customary rights to the land.

Barely two weeks after filing the civil suit, Numpang was brought before a magistrate's court in Serian and charged with "criminal intimidation".

In the affidavit filed in support of his application for an interim injunction, Numpang included photographs of the timber logging activities being carried out, despite the expiry of Quality Concrete's logging licence.

The photographs were said to have been taken in the presence of police officers from the Simunjan station.

After hearing submissions from See Chee How of Baru Bian Advocates and Solicitors yesterday morning, judicial commissioner Rhodzariah Bujang granted the interim injunction and fixed the inter-parte application to be heard on Feb 9.


Taken from Malaysiakini.

Now in Putrajaya: Report against S'wak CM

Aidila Razak




A second report has been lodged with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

This alleged conflict of interest in the transfer of state land to a company linked to a member of his family.

The first report was lodged by Dennis Along and Willie Kajan at the MACC office in Miri on Dec 13, and it was referred to the Kuching office as it was considered a 'high profile' matter.

"I have been calling the MACC for progress (reports), but until yesterday morning they kept telling me it is difficult because it's high profile, so I decided to refer the matter to the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya," Kajan said.

He said the MACC officer he filed the report with in Putrajaya informed him it would take between three months and a year to investigate his complaint.

According to Kajan's report, Taib (right), who is also Sarawak's planning and resource management minister, had abused his powers by directing the Sarawak Land and Survey Department to hand over 240 acres of native customary land in Mulu to Borsamulu Resort.

'Shares in BSSB'

The parcel, known as Lot 7, Block 14, Mulu District, inhabited by some 1,000 people from the Berawan, Tring and Penan tribes, is to be used for the state-supported Royal Mulu Resort.

"There are orchards and paddy fields on the land owned by the native people. We have lived there for generations, but we have received compensation only for 19 acres of the land, at RM80 an acre," said Kajan, who claims to have both Berawan and Tring tribal lineage.

According a Sarawak Report article last November, Taib and his family members hold a 50 percent share in Kenyalang Cergas, which is one of the main shareholders of BSSB.

BSSB was in 1991 handed the ownership and management contract for the land, which was once a state-owned national park.


Taken from Malaysiakini.

Will Tunisia Be the First Domino?

In Egypt, too, protestors are laying waste to the mistaken notion that Arabs and Muslims are politically passive.

The fundamental lesson is clear: The U.S. must stop supporting tyrants and autocrats whether in the Middle East, Pakistan or Southeast Asia. Let this be a new dawn for democracy in the Arab and Muslim world.


By ANWAR IBRAHIM, The Wall Street Journal

Tunisians earlier this month forced their president out of office, marking the first popular revolution in an Arab country in modern history. The swiftness with which it came about should send a clear message to other autocracies and dictatorships in the Muslim world.

The longevity of such regimes comes from their ability to suppress dissent with state-controlled organs, particularly the military. What Tunisia's example demonstrates is that when one of these organs malfunctions—as the security forces did when they failed to mobilize effectively—others, like the media and the judiciary, can fall rapidly as well.

Could this be a Berlin Wall moment for the Middle East? Will other Arab states that employ the same modus operandi of political oppression also fall?

In a 2005 address at the U.S.- Islamic World Forum in Doha, I argued that democratization would come to the Middle East sooner than most projected, and I criticized what I consider to be the U.S.'s "policy of selective ambivalence." While the Bush administration extolled the virtue of freedom in waging its war on terror, the U.S. remained closely allied with various countries that use blatantly repressive policies to stamp out civil society and subvert democracy.

This ambivalence has not dissipated under the Obama administration. Despite Mr. Obama's historic speech in Cairo, where he specifically extolled representative government, this White House continues to work closely with a range of Middle Eastern autocrats. From the perspective of democrats in the region, this is because democratization will likely yield governments that tend to be less responsive to U.S. demands—particularly those governments regarded as Islamist.

Consider Tunisia. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali would not have remained in power for 25 years had it not been for American support. The fact that this kleptocratic regime finally fell is a stark reminder that government built on the suppression of its citizens is temporary. We saw this in Iran in 1979 with the dramatic downfall of the Shah, and also in 1998 when Indonesians peacefully transitioned to democracy after three decades of military rule.

The problems that plague the Arab world remain overwhelming: the concentration of wealth and power by the few over the many, poor infrastructure, primitive education systems, minimal health care, and decreasing incomes in the face of rising food prices and cost of living. Corruption and nepotism reign in the complete absence of accountability and transparency.

It is a perfect recipe for political upheaval: political marginalization and economic impoverishment for the people and ill-gotten wealth for the ruling elite. It's a reality that can't be cloaked by propaganda—citizens can see the reality on YouTube and Facebook—though the leaders certainly try. Indeed, no Arab leader has owned up to any of these evils, other than by offering pious platitudes about improving the economic lot of their people.

It would be foolhardy for governments in the region to regard Tunisia as an isolated case. The economic and political grievances that spawned the revolution are not unique to that country. One need only walk the streets of Cairo and Karachi, or roam the back lands in Algeria and Afghanistan, to see how grinding poverty and oppression can crush a person's dignity.

Autocratic rulers accustomed to permanent sovereignty might consider changing their mindset. The Tunisian uprising was driven by a desire for freedom and justice, not by any particular ideology. The bogeyman of Islamism, the oft-cited scapegoat of Middle Eastern dictators to justify their tyranny, must therefore be reconsidered or junked altogether. The U.S., too, should learn a lesson about the myth that secular tyrants and dictators are its best bet against Islamists. Revolutions, be they secular or religious, are born of a universal desire for autonomy. The common thread that binds the Iranian revolution and the Tunisian upheaval is the rising discontent of the people after years of suffering under oppressive rule.

Could Tunisia's revolution turn this winter of Arab discontent into a spring for Middle Eastern freedom? As Tunisia moves into the league of Middle Eastern democracies along with countries such as Turkey, for much of the rest of the Muslim world democracy remains elusive. Opposition groups in countries like Egypt have found a beacon of hope in Tunisians' struggle. Demonstrations in Cairo and throughout the region lay waste to the mistaken notion that Arab and Muslims are politically passive and prone to authoritarianism. But will they be given a fair chance? The Palestinians chose their own leaders through the ballot box, but the West changed the rules of engagement midway through the game.

The fundamental lesson is clear: The U.S. must stop supporting tyrants and autocrats whether in the Middle East, Pakistan or Southeast Asia. Let this be a new dawn for democracy in the Arab and Muslim world.

Mr. Ibrahim, a former deputy prime minister of Malaysia, is a member of parliament for the Justice Party and leader of the opposition.

Taken from Malaysia Today

When thieves, clowns and dinosaurs open their mouths...

SHORTCUT TO SUCCESS.



In his latest, vaingloroius, public appearance, in Sarekei, Taib announced that there is no shortcut to success except by working hard. Unfortunately he did not go on to explain what he meant by “working hard.”

Did he mean working as a labourer on the oil palm plantations of his business cronies for a daily wage barely enough to keep alive on? Or did he mean stealing native lands to sell on to cronies at a huge personal profit?

And success? What is that in the Taib dictionary? Possession of billions of ringgit stolen from the people of Sarawak? A series of rigged elections won by bribery and intimidation? Or just staying alive in miserable conditions imposed by a corrupt and uncaring regime interested only in private profit?

Now he knows we would like to know maybe he will explain himself in his next public appearance!


DISINTERESTED HELP?



Speaking at a public function, BN deputy CM and SUPP boss George Chan told anyone prepared to listen to him that in Sarawak “we don’t help people based on race but based on need,” in reference to Pakatan Rakyat's proposal to set up the RM1Billion Dayak Endowment Fund.

There might be a smidgen of truth in that claim. The Taib regime, of which Chan is a leading member both by marriage and political affiliation, does seem to take the needs of itself and its cronies seriously and gives them whatever it can whenever it can!

But the real truth is that we (the BN) help ourselves; and to everything we can lay our hands on. Maybe race does not enter into it though religion certainly does. The real criteria for help is “Are you one of us?” So the help trickles up; not down and the ordinary member of the public gets nothing while the sharks gorge themselves.

Wake up George! Have you not noticed that the SUPP, once so pure and communist, is dead and just awaits burial. That will come at the next election!


MINISTERIAL STUPIDITIES.



Deputy Planning Minister, Awang Tengah made a public fool of himself by announcing that the completion of the Bakun and Murum dams “would stabilise Sarawak’s electricity supply.”

Surely a “planning “ Minister should be aware that without a single new volt from these dams Sarawak’s electricity is in surplus of supply over demand?

Trying to justify this ridiculous statement the minister claimed that new businesses would be coming which would need the extra electricity. He was not able to name a single one nor to say when their arrival would take place. That is because no investor in his right mind will put money into Taib controlled, and milked, businesses when the latter is only weeks or months away from electoral defeat and probable prison sentence.

Awang Tanah Tengah might be better occupied considering his own position after a BN defeat in the state election.


SHADOW COMMUNITY.



“Without pride and integrity we will remain in the shadows and at the mercy of others.”

These words, addressed to the Dayak community might easily have been spoken by PKR leader Baru Bian; but were in fact those, of all people, BN Minister James Masing. So let’s look at Masing and BN in the context of those stirring words.

In the first place how can Masing, or any other BN personality, especially Taib, speak about integrity. People who have stripped Sarawak bare of nearly all its wealth for private gain. People who have falsified elections by open and barefaced bribery. People who have stolen native lands to sell on, at huge profit, to their business cronies. Integrity? They don’t know the meaning of the word!

Pride. Well that’s different. They take pride in their villainy and in the illicit riches which they have gained from. Billions abroad, private jet travel at taxpayer expense, weddings at public expense. Whatever they do, big or small, is tainted by criminality. What pride has been left to the Dayaks who have allowed themselves to be trampled on by the Taib gang? Well they can get it back. By kicking Taib, Masing and the rest into the dustbin of a rotten past and working with Pakatan Rakyat to build a prosperous future for ALL the people of the State.

Taib Mahmud's take on poverty 'shocking'

DAP's member of parliament for Bandar Kuching Chong Chieng Jen has expressed shock at a statement that many people in Sarawak remain poor because they have failed to make use of economic opportunities available to them.

Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, when opening a seminar in Sarikei two days ago, had reportedly said that those who have become rich had grabbed opportunities brought about by economic programmes, and also had the will and determination to lift themselves out of poverty.

At a press conference today, Chong said: “That (Taib's statement) was most shocking, and unbelievable, coming from (him). We can see that lucrative (state) government contracts have been awarded without open tenders to companies owned by Taib's children and other family members.”

He said these included the building of hundreds of bridges awarded to Titanium Sdn Bhd, hundreds of kilometres of road maintenance to CMSB group of companies, prime land at Batu Lintang alienated to Naim Cendera group of companies and about 108 ha of prime land in the BDC area that has been alienated to Monarda Sdn Bhd at one-fifth the market price.

Hundreds of thousands of acres of plantation lands have been alienated to his family members, without open tender, Chong claimed.

“I would say it is most ridiculous (for Taib) to say that there are equal economic opportunities in Sarawak,” said Chong.

“It is highly unequal, lopsided and (excessively cronyistic). Up to today, he has no answer to our questions on contracts awarded to Mornada or Titanium, as to why there was no open tender.”

Chong said the use of the open tender system would enhance the confidence of both the public and the business sector.

“Last year, Penang occupied the top spot with RM12.2 billion in investments from domestic and foreign sources. Sarawak, the 2009 champion, went down to fourth position,” he added.


Taken from Malaysiakini

Equal or lopsided opportunities?

Joseph Tawie


Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's bold declaration that Sarawak offers everyone equal opportunities has stumped the state DAP.

KUCHING: Newly wed Taib Mahmud may be feeling the springtide – which probably explains his brave declarationt that there “are equal opportunities for everybody” in Sarawak when it is common knowledge that his family members and cronies have amassed their wealth on “lopsided opportunities”.

Stumped by the Chief Minister’s latest “blatant lie”, Sarawak DAP secretary-general Chong Chieng Jen said: “Coming from the chief minister it is most shocking… to say that there are equal opportunities for everybody to be rich is unbelievable…”

Chong, who is also Bandar Kuching MP, said that all this while the Taib administration did not practise transparency such as open tenders.

He added that projects were arbitrarily alienated and awarded to Taib’s family and friends.

“So what is he saying that there are equal opportunities? It should be lopsided opportunities. We have land alienated to the chief minister’s family and cronies at a cheap premium.

“We have lucrative government projects given to companies owned by his family members with no open tender.

“For example, more than 100 bridges were awarded without open tenders to his family’s company, Titanium (Management Sdn Bhd) which did not complete the job but was paid,” he said.

Poor only have themselves to blame

Chong said that even “small” jobs like road maintenance were not open to tender but were given to Taib’s family to carry out for the next 15 years.

“Then there is the land at Batu Lintang which was given to Naim (Holdings Bhd) and also the 269 acres of land given to Monarda (Sdn Bhd), which is owned by his children and George Chan’s (Deputy Chief Minister) daughter,” Chong said.

Despite numerous reports detailing the Taib family’s colossal wealth locally and abroad, allegedly derived by corrupt means and “exploiting” the state, the man himself has never come forward to clarify or deny these allegations.

Meanwhile, the gushing groom proudly declared to community leaders in Sarikei that Sarawak was now seven times richer than when he first took over the helm of the state government 30 years ago.

Taib said that opportunities were equally open to everybody and that those who failed to make good on these opportunities had only themselves to blame.

“Everybody wants to be rich, but only those who are prepared to work extra hard and equip themselves with knowledge and skills will be able to achieve success.

“Those people who remained poor is because they failed to grab economic opportunities and not because there were no opportunities,” he said.

Conversely, people who became rich were those who grabbed opportunities created by the state government’s economic programmes.

“They possessed the will and determination to break out of poverty,” Taib said.

Asking the people not to harbour feelings of dissatisfaction and envy against those who had become successful, Taib said Sarawakians should be positive in their thinking and exploit chances available to them.

Taib, 74, recently married 29-year-old Syrian Ragad Waleed al-Kurdi in a private ceremony at his residence in Petra Jaya here on Dec 18.

This is Taib’s second marriage. His first wife Laila Taib, a Polish-born Australian, died of cancer in April 2009 after 50 years of marriage.


Taken from Free Malaysia Today

More pictures the Barisan Nasional would not want you to see.

FRIDAY 21ST JANUARY, KAKUS

We continued our second leg of the PKR Roadshow over the weekend. The first stop was a Punan (not Penan) longhouse in the upper reaches of the Kakus River. The Punan are closely related to the Kayan.

Our speeding express boat proudly flew the Parti Keadilan Rakyat flag as we travelled up the river. Incidentally, the PKR logo is often mistaken for a moon. It is actually the eye of justice.




The team consisted of party members from Kuching and cabang members from the area.




Two hours later we arrived to a ceremonial welcome by the residents who played sape music.




Everyone was garlanded and offered a welcome drink.




After a brief welcome, we were invited to dine with the longhouse folk.




Simple, fresh, wholesome longhouse food!






After dinner, it was our turn to share our goodies with the residents. And they quickly devoured our small gifts in the form of printed material.








Our leaders shared the message of change and dispelled the climate of fear that once gripped these folk who had only known the Barisan Nasional all their lives. Now they know they have an alternative. A much better alternative.




"You have the power to change your lives. That power is in your hands. Give Pakatan Rakyat the state government and we will help you change your lives just as Pakatan Rakyat has changed lives in Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan. Sarawak too can change for the better!"








As the evening progressed, more people arrived. We estimated close to half a thousand people present.




At the end of the evening, the entire longhouse and several neighbouring ones unanimously asked to join the party, and a few rantings were formed on the spot! They even took a pledge of loyalty.






Sarawak State Liaison Chief Baru Bian presented the PKR flag to the Ketua Ranting of the longhouse to solemnise the affair.







SATURDAY 22ND JANUARY, KAKUS & TAMIN

The next morning we travelled to an Iban longhouse in the Entajum. The first thing we saw as we walked up the steps was this:




The residents can barely communicate with the outside world. Mobile phones have to be placed outside on the open verandah in order to capture what little reception that intermittently cuts through the clouds on a good day. This is the reality in the interior of Sarawak. This is BN's politics of development.

The next thing to catch our eyes were these solar panels, a gift from Najib - part of the Federal government's token to helping the hardcore poor. The residents had uninterrupted and free electricity...for two glorious months. And then the entire system broke down. They were told that after-sales service does not exist for their project. And so they had no choice but to go back to the old generators. Thank you BN.






A major part of our campaign is the distribution and dissemination of information.














Again, we shared the message of BERUBAHLAH!






"PKR ukai parti penyakal tauka parti pembangkang. PKR parti ti deka nyadi perintah!
PKR is not an opposition party. It is the party that is waiting to form the next government!

Kelia menya aki ini kitai naanka menoa bepantap ngena duku ngena enda takut. Diatu kita naanka tanah ngena pensil takut?
In ancient times our forefathers and foremothers bravely defended our lands with swords. Today, are you afraid to defend your lands with a mere pencil (when ticking your ballot paper)?

Kala kita meli bawang sekilo RM16? Nama kebuah barang naik? Perintah deka cukai kita laban hasil cukainya kena meli undi nuan!"
Have you ever bought onions at RM16 a kilo? Do you know why prices have gone up? So that the taxes collected can be used to buy your votes later!


Pemancha Jenging









Residents of three longhouses came to meet us, and even offered to share their lunch with us. Wholesome living!






It was heartening to see this just as we were leaving the longhouse.




Later in the evening, we visited an Iban longhouse in Tatau. We were received very grandly!














This lady even fired her shotgun as a sign of welcome!






The residents were very organised and well prepared. They invited their friends and neighbours to listen to our message of change.














They invited us to share dinner with them.




After dinner, Baru Bian officiated in the launch of their Wanita Wing.







About two hundred people were present. More significantly, six longhouse headmen came! Despite official warnings from BN ministers, these headmen defiantly turned up to show their support. As you can evidently see from these pictures, the tsunami of change is sweeping through Sarawak from Lundu to Lawas and there is precious little that the BN can do. The BN's politics of fear and intimidation have little effect now!






"Thirty years of BN and Taib are enough! BERUBAHLAH!"





SUNDAY 23RD JANUARY, ULU BAWAN & LABANG, KEMENA

On Thursday last week, Baru Bian received this sms:

"Saya mahu saudara B. Bian datang ke rumah panjang saya untuk kempin parti keadilan R. Atas permintaan rakyat di sini. TQ."

I would like brother B. Bian to come to my longhouse and campaign for the PKR party. At the request of the people here. Thank you.

And so we obliged and visited them. This is their longhouse, which we visited at 8am in the morning in order to fit them into our tight schedule as logistics in the interior is a major issue in Sarawak. Getting from one location to another can take up to three hours, sometimes half a day or even more. Unlike the BN, we do not have unlimited access to helicopters.




The entire longhouse is surrounded by oil palm planted by a company alleged to have links to Taib, who acquired the NCR land from LCDA who in turn rents it from the residents at a paltry amount of RM50 a hectare per year! Is this just and fair? Is this how the BN treats the Dayaks? This is the view from the verandah of the longhouse:


















"We are surrounded by oil palms as far as the eye can see. On our land! And all we get is RM50 a year per hectare! This is what the BN has done to us. This is what they call 'politics of development.' Please help us!"




We helped them form a ranting, and promised them change when Pakatan Rakyat takes over the Sarawak government soon.




Again, the famous hospitality of the Iban was displayed.




In the afternoon, we visited an Iban longhouse in Kemena.














We brought our consistent message for change.




And shared printed materials.





The rural folk are beginning to stand up for their rights, and to vote for change. Help us help this boy and his fellow generation and the generations to come. Campaigning costs money and every ringgit helps. Make a monetary contribution.

We have opened a Sarawak PKR party account as follows:

CIMB Bank
Parti Keadilan Rakyat 11050014518059#

God bless you.


Read the first leg of the roadshow HERE.