Taib might have broken Sarawak state law as Chief Minister

Written by Ho Wah Foon. Published by The Edge Malaysia on 3 March 2014.

Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who has just stepped down as Sarawak chief minister and become the Yang di-Pertua Negeri (state governor), had led the state imperiously for 33 years; and during these years, his family members have amassed billions of wealth.

Ruling with a tight fist, Taib had allowed his immediate and extended families to control 400 companies in every sector in Malaysia and hold overseas assets worth more than RM800 million in four countries, according to the 8-page special cover story in The Edge Weekly.

Under the state constitution, the Chief Minister shall not hold any office of profit and shall not actively engage in any commercial enterprise, but according to the research findings of The Edge Weekly Taib might have broken this state law while he was ruling Sarawak. “Checks show that Taib is a director/shareholder of at least five Malaysian companies: Demak Jaya Holdings Sdn Bhd, Hamamorial Sdn Bhd; Mesti Bersatu Sdn Bhd, Pehin Sri Heritage Sdn Bhd and Ramah Jelita Sdn Bhd,” stated The Edge Weekly.

For example, Demak Jaya Holdings was started in 1988 and made an exempt private company on July 15, 2013. It is co-owned by Taib (50%) and his sister Hanifah Hajar Taib-Alsree (50%). The weekly, in its in-depth investigative report this week, also revealed that due to various reports on the web of companies owned by Taib’s family members, his family members have relinquished some of the companies or converted them to exempt status, which will block public access to their financial information.

Apart from revealing which companies have used the exempt status as a shield, The Edge Weekly also reported the connections of Taib’s family to some of the controversial privatisations of public listed companies in Malaysia and listed what assets they hold overseas.

Although as Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Taib is supposed to hold a ceremonial role, the political analysis of The Edge Weekly sees him as more than a figurehead. “He will wield more power and influence than any governor in history,” said its writer.

A full investigative report and detailed analysis on this powerful politician and his business empire, headlined A Sprawling Family Business Empire, is found in the pull-out of The Edge Weekly (March 3-March 9).

Link: http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/business-news/278183-highlight-taibs-family-in-400-firms-worth-billions-and-taib-might-have-broken-state-law-as-cm-says-the-edge-weekly-.html#.UxQo94hh3N0.twitter

It’s A Misconception To Think Sarawak Chief Minister Is Really Retiring

By Barry Porter and Manirajan Ramasamy. Published by Bloomberg News on 10 February 2014.

Abdul Taib Mahmud plans to retire as chief minister of Sarawak, after running Malaysia’s commodities-rich eastern state for more than three decades.

Taib, 77, intends to inform Sarawak’s head of state to of his intention to resign, Malaysia’s official Bernama news agency reported, citing the chief minister. The decision comes seven months after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission formed a multi-agency task force to expedite investigations into claims of graft. Taib has denied corruption allegations, and press reports say he may seek to become the state’s governor.

During his 33-year rule of Malaysia’s biggest state, Taib’s government handed out concessions for logging and supported the federal government’s mega projects, including construction of the country’s largest hydroelectric dam. Oil palm plantations spread as loggers rolled back the frontiers of Borneo’s rain forest, home to nomadic people and rare wildlife such as orangutans and proboscis monkeys.

Some stocks linked to his relatives fell after the Berita Harian newspaper first reported on Feb. 5 that Taib planned to retire as chief minister and become the state’s governor. Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd. (CMS), a construction and building materials maker, rose 3.8 percent today after declining 8.6 percent last week after the report.

‘More Powerful’

“It’s a misconception to think he’s really retiring,” said James Chin, professor of political science at the Malaysian campus of Australia’s Monash University. “When he moves up to governor, he becomes even more powerful. Certain things need his signature. He appoints the chief minister. All mining leases must be signed off by him.”

Taib and his allies control 25 Sarawak seats in Malaysia’s national parliament. That’s enough to ensure the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition falls from power should they ever choose to switch support to the opposition, said Chin. Prime Minister Najib Razak’s alliance was returned to power in May 2013 by its narrowest margin since independence in 1957.

Taib told Bernama he would step down from his current position by the end of this month. He is Malaysia’s longest-serving chief minister, in power longer than Mahathir Mohamad, who retired after 22 years as prime minister in 2003.

Important Role

“Taib is not really gone from Sarawak politics,” Ibrahim Suffian, a political analyst at the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research, said by phone. “From behind the scenes or even as the new governor, he will play an important role including handling economic issues. Most important now is who will be Taib’s successor.” Opposition parties have made some inroads in Sarawak in recent years, he said.

Taib had doubled up as the state’s finance minister, and minister for planning and resource management, according to his official website. He’s also president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, or PBB, and state chairman of Barisan Nasional, Malaysia’s ruling political coalition headed by Prime Minister Najib Razak.

PBB met at the weekend and gave Taib a mandate to nominate his successor, the Star reported, citing party Chairman Amar Asfia Awang Nassar.

Local media, including the Star, have named three candidates short-listed by Taib to replace him. They are the party’s deputy president Amar Abang Johari Openg, senior vice president Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan and information chief Adenan Satem.

To contact the reporters on this story: Barry Porter in Kuala Lumpur at bporter10@bloomberg.net; Manirajan Ramasamy in Kuala Lumpur at rmanirajan@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Rosalind Mathieson at rmathieson3@bloomberg.net

Link: 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-10/commodities-rich-sarawak-s-top-minister-to-retire-after-33-years.html

Published by Today Online on 10 February 2014.

But Mr Taib’s influence over the sprawling Borneo island state is likely to remain strong as he is expected to take on the job of state governor, a more ceremonial role than his current post.

His departure will raise doubts over whether a successor will be able to maintain Mr Taib’s political balance between defending the interests of native Sarawak residents, and supporting the national Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. The state is majority Christian in Muslim-majority Malaysia.

Sarawak, the country’s largest state, has been increasingly crucial to the long-ruling BN coalition as its support wanes in peninsula Malaysia. Without the 25 seats that Mr Taib’s party and his allies won in last May’s election, the national coalition would have lost its majority in the 222-seat parliament, likely ending its 57-year rule.

Mr Taib’s party emerged from the election as the coalition’s second-largest party after the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), boosting his sway over national politics.

Mr Taib has short-listed three possible successors, including his housing minister who is seen as having close ties with the federal government and Prime Minister Najib Razak.

“I think the big question is what happens over the longer term, whether his successors will develop minds of their own,” said Mr Ibrahim Suffian, head of the Merdeka Center polling firm.

Mr Taib, who travels by Rolls Royce and private jet, has been under pressure to step down amid a growing focus on alleged timber corruption in the state.

Environmental groups say that under his rule, Sarawak — which accounts for a quarter of the world’s tropical log exports - has lost 95 per cent of its virgin forest. Sarawak officials say 84 per cent of the state is forested although this includes massive oil palm estates planted in place of forests.

UNDER INVESTIGATION

Mr Taib has been under investigation by Malaysia’s anti-graft agency since 2011 and is regularly accused by activist groups of enriching his family through his control over awarding huge infrastructure contracts.

Ms Clare Rewcastle-Brown, who has long been a critic of Mr Taib and who runs the Sarawak Report website, said Mr Taib was merely “moving upstairs” into the new role and would maintain his overall influence on state affairs.

“He will never willingly give up power as it would be too dangerous for him and threaten the business empire he has built up across Sarawak,” she said.

Mr Taib is presiding over a US$100 billion (S$127 billion) plan to harness the state’s rivers into 12 dams by 2020 and transform it into an energy hub that can power smelters built by Japanese and Australian firms and also light up the rest of Borneo island.

Shares in Cahya Mata Sarawak, owned about 40 per cent by Mr Taib’s immediate family, snapped three days of losses to rise 2.5 percent today on expectations Mr Taib will still have a say in how the state awards infrastructure jobs.

Timber companies such as Ta Ann Holdings and Jaya Tiasa that benefit from logging licenses awarded by Mr Taib rose 2.3 per cent and 1.3 per cent respectively.

All the counters outperformed the broader market which inched up 0.4 per cent. REUTERS

Read more here:

http://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/controversial-malaysia-state-boss-due-retire?singlepage=true

Published by Free Malaysia Today on 12 February 2014.

Research by Swiss NGO, the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), has shown that Taib’s family raised US$16.94 million (RM55.9 million) from the sale of one of his San Francisco properties. The historical 11-storey building at 260 California Street in San Francisco’s financial district was sold by Sakti in mid-2012. Sakti, a US company, is allegedly controlled by Taib via his closest family members.

Documents released by the late whistleblower Ross Boyert back in 2010 showed that 50% of Sakti’s shares were held “in trust” Taib by his two brothers – Onn and Arip – and his three children. The Swiss NGO said in a statement that Taib’s majority control of Sakti was kept a secret because the Sarawak constitution prohibits the Chief Minister from actively running commercial interests.

The constitution states that the head of government and the Governor “shall not hold any office of profit and shall not actively engage in commercial enterprise...The Sakti sale is a textbook example of money-laundering. A foreign politician who acts in an illegal and unconstitutional way should not be allowed to operate freely in the United States. The US and the Malaysian authorities have to act decisively and confiscate all Taib assets whose origin cannot be explained,” the statement said.

Read more here:

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2014/02/12/bmf-taib%E2%80%99s-us-property-sold-for-over-rm55-mil/

Baram & Murum Dams blockades: Natives Staking Their Lives for Their Land

AMIDST concerns that the "Allah" issue infringes on the religious freedom of East Malaysians, Bumiputera Christians in Sarawak are facing another struggle deep in the interior. It is the struggle for the right to land, livelihood and selfdetermination. The latest in this decades' old struggle are the Baram Dam and Murum Dam blockades.

The Baram blockade

Kayan, Kenyah and Penan natives are fighting plans for yet another dam which will displace up to 20,000 natives and submerge a rainforest area of over 400km2.

Blockades at different locations were launched in Oct 2013, one, to stop construction of an access road, and the other, at the proposed dam site itself. Both blockades enjoyed success when workers left the area and took their heavy machinery and other equipment with them.

Points to note in the Baram case are: 1) The affected villages have not consented to the dam. 2) No social or environmental impact analysis (EIA) has been conducted on the proposed site, and yet, road works and surveys at the site have started. 3) Nothing about the project, resettlement and compensation has been discussed with the affected natives.

On 6 Nov, two Baram villages, Long Na'ah and Long Kesseh, sued the Chief Minister and State Government at the Miri High Court. They are claiming rights over 4000 ha of their land which will be submerged by the dam. They are also challenging the constitutionality of provisions in the Sarawak Land Code on the grounds that land, being their source of life, cannot be taken away by such laws.

The Murum blockade

The wall of the Murum Dam was recently completed and impoundment began on 21 Sept. It has displaced about 1500 Penan natives. To date, three affected villages have resettled in Tegulang.

However, the affected Penan natives tell a different story: 1) That the first two years of the dam's construction was carried out in secret. 2) That the EIA report was not disclosed until the dam had reached an advanced stage of construction. 3).The villagers who resettled in Tegulang had no choice as their original homes would inevitably be submerged. 4) The compensation offered and living conditions at Tegulang are atrociously sub-par. There are no farmlands and forest to grow and hunt food. There is no clinic and waste disposal system.

The Penans have launched blockades since Sept 2012. The latest blockade began in September this year and still continues. With their land already lost to the impoundment, they are now protesting the terms and amount of compensation, and to stop materials from coming in to complete the dam's turbines and powerhouse.

On 7 Nov, 10 Penan protestors were arrested for blockading. They include two under-aged boys. All 10 were released after three days but will be charged with wrongful restraint and criminal trespass.

A critical juncture

The blockades against both dams continue and are manned by the natives numbering up to several hundred strong on some days. They include whole families; women, children and the elderly. They live in makeshift tents and occasionally receive food, drinking water and medicines supplied by groups of concerned Malaysians and some NGOs. Long-term exposure to the elements and lack of nutritious food has caused some of them to fall sick. At times, police have stopped humanitarian aid from reaching the blockade sites. Natives have also reported harassment and use of force against peaceful protestors.

Many among the tribes currently affected - the Penan, Kenyah and Kayan - are Christians, and so are the lawyers and the NGO leaders helping them. These NGOs include the Sarawak Indigenous Lawyers Alliance, SAVE Rivers, Borneo Resources Institute (BRIMAS) and the Society for Rights of Indigenous People Sarawak (SCRIPS). They are asking for prayer and support to cover the cost of food, aid and transportation to reach the interior and to help lawyers prepare legal cases.

As far as the natives are concerned, they will continue to hold their ground. But for how long? The state government plans to build a total of 12 hydroelectric dams for industrial parks under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) project. The first of these, the Bakun Dam, has already displaced 10,000 natives. The Baram and Murum blockades are thus appealing for help at a critical juncture that may determine whether more dams will be built and more natives displaced.

Link: http://www.necf.org.my/newsmaster.cfm?&menuid=43&action=view&retrieveid=1541

Show us your income tax returns, Najib

Dear Najib,

You have come out to call tax evaders traitors. That’s a very strong word. If you had used it on corrupt public officials and politicians, especially government ministers, that would have been more apt. It would have struck a resonant chord. It would also have indicated your seriousness in fighting corruption within your ranks.

As it is, according to your minister Paul Low, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested nine politicians who were reported to be involved in corruption between 2010 and August 2013, and only five have been charged. That’s a pretty low number over the course of four years. The minister did not clarify who these politicians were, but one would presume that they were part of the ruling party.

It may well be that Malaysian politicians, including those holding public office, are generally clean, but the unofficial allegations that have been brought up from time to time tell us a hugely different story. You may be aware of them yourself – allegations about this minister living beyond his means, like building a palatial home, and that minister receiving kickbacks or laundering money for his so-called “adopted son”. And of course the biggie surrounding Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and his relatives, some of whom were caught on video earlier this year by the international NGO Global Witness allegedly offering logging licences in return for profit.

Only a few days ago, Sarawak Report exposed another alleged scheme of Taib and his family in exploiting the Bandar Samariang low-cost housing project for their own financial gain. If these allegations about the family are true, what would you call the people involved? More important, would you launch an investigation and haul them in for corruption?

Okay, let’s get back to the tax evaders issue. I have a proposal for you that I hope you will accept to prove your sincerity and accountability as a leader.

Since you call tax evaders traitors, show us you are not one. Release your income tax returns to the public. Let us know how much income you make, what assets you own and how much tax you pay. Get your ministers to do the same. Show us that you are not a traitor, that you do not under-declare your income or resort to tax shelters in order to pay less tax.

Don’t try and back out of this one, with some excuse or other. The US president publicly reveals his income tax returns and declares how much tax he pays. And that’s good, don’t you think? He apparently has nothing to hide. Even if he tried to, it’s all out there in the open. If he’s found out later, he can be held accountable.

You should do the same. Since you condemn others for evading tax, it is all the more incumbent on you now to show that you are not doing it yourself. You probably know the saying, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”

For your information, the tax returns of US presidents are protected by law from public disclosure, but since the late 1960s, most of them have chosen to release their returns publicly. Apparently, Gerald Ford is the only exception. Even candidates for the presidency do the same, including those contesting in party primaries.

If you want to look at the combined tax returns of Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, for 2012, please click here.

Barack and Michelle reported an adjusted gross income of US$608,611. They both paid US$112,214 in total tax. It could have been higher if they had not donated about 24.6 per cent of their adjusted gross income to charity. That’s a generous US$150,034.

Out of curiosity, may I ask how much you donate to charity? You may of course include your wife’s donations too, if you like. Oh, by the way, does she pay income tax?

On top of the federal income tax, the Obamas also released their state tax returns and reported paying US$29,450 to their home state of Illinois.

For Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife Jill’s combined federal tax returns for 2012, have a look here. 

They reported an adjusted gross income of US$385,072 and paid US$87,851 in total tax. For state income tax, they filed separate returns, with Jill filing a non-resident one for the state of Virginia. They paid US$13,531 to Delaware and US$3,593 to Virginia.

The Bidens gave to charity US$7,190. That’s a small fraction of what the Obamas donated, but that’s not the point.

The point is, don’t you think this sort of declaration contributes to a wonderful and open system?

Other countries that operate with such openness and transparency include Sweden, Finland and Norway. In fact, there, everyone’s income tax returns are made public. It is said to cohere with the Scandinavian tradition of jantelag, which roughly means that nobody is better than anyone else.

It should also cohere with the “best democracy” that you promised for Malaysia in the speech you made on September 16, 2011. Don’t you agree?

If you recall, on that occasion, you announced the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA), which effectively outlawed the use of preventive detention in Malaysia. Now that preventive detention is back – reinstated through the recent amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act – does your promise of “best democracy” still hold true?

In that speech, you also said the repeal of the ISA was part of the political transformation that your government was carrying out pertaining to human rights. You said, “The time has come for us to take another step forward not only in economics and education but also in upholding democratic principles.”

Do you still believe that?

If you do, walk the talk. For now, to put your money where your mouth is, disclose your tax returns publicly. And get your deputy and your other ministers to do the same. Be a leader and lead the way. Prove to us that you can lead.

Otherwise, you are just sounding like a prime minister who is talking in abrasive language because your coalition didn’t win the popular vote at the last general election in May.

Otherwise, we will not know for sure that you are not a traitor – like any vile, shameful, despicable, crooked, cheapskate tax evader.

Sincerely,

Chye

* Kee Thuan Chye is the author of the new bookThe Elections Bullshit, now available in bookstores.

Published by MSN News Malaysia on 26 November 2013. Link here:

http://news.malaysia.msn.com/community/blogs/blog-show-us-your-income-tax-returns-najib

Barisan Nasional government is not walking the talk

The nation’s top leaders spent almost half-a-million ringgit for each trip they took using the government's private planes last year, a DAP lawmaker revealed today.

Seremban MP Anthony Loke told reporters that in 2012, a whopping RM182 million was spent on 372 flights to 339 destinations, using the six private planes belonging to the government,

Loke was referring to a written reply he received from Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim on the expenditure incurred by the government in the usage and maintenance of the planes.

Of the RM82 million, fuel cost RM14,951,448.04 while maintenance cost RM167,079,541.80.

"This is another form of wastage by the government who does not want to reduce its expenditure despite telling the people to do so. Did the Prime Minister and his deputy fly everyday? The records seems to indicate so," said Loke at the Parliament lobby today.

He questioned the need for both leaders to continually use the private planes even for domestic travel, pointing out that it was cheaper to take a commercial flight. "Even if they took business or first class, it would have still been cheaper,” he added.

Loke however said it was proper if the jets reserved for VVIPs were used by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.

He added the "colossal wastage" showed that the Barisan Nasional government was not walking the talk by prioritising the people's needs. "They ask people to save and take away all kinds of subsidies and they spend the nation's resources lavishly like this. BN has always thought of the nation's funds as party funds. The subsidies of both the PM and DPM should be reduced first, then only talk about the people's," said Loke.

Read more here:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/rm500000-every-time-a-government-jet-is-used-for-leaders-trips-says-dap-law

The rich can well afford to thumb their noses at the good and service tax (GST). All they have to do is hop on plane and go to London to buy handbags or to the United States to buy expensive rings. Ipoh Timur MP Su Keong Siong told the Dewan Rakyat today that this means that they will not have to pay GST here.

Su said the poor will have to cough up the GST while the rich will be flaunting their expensive tax-free handbags. The DAP man said that it was incorrect when certain quarters claim that those who spend more will be most affected by the GST. He then said that the GST will thus not be beneficial for the country.

Read more here:

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/11/06/when-the-rich-can-fly-off-for-shopping/

Shahnaz Abdul Majid, the ex-wife of the son of Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud, provided a peek into their marital life and home in Kuching from 1992 to 1999 in her RM400 million divorce suit at the Syariah High Court.

In her verbal and pictorial portrait, Wisma Mahmud, the home she shared with ex-husband Mahmud Abu Bekir, was a 3-storey residence with 12 rooms inlaid with Italian furnishing. It was next to the Chief Minister's house, by the river with a private jetty.

"We lived in a three-storey bungalow with 12 rooms, where one room had been transformed into a kitchen. Another room was made into a study,” she said, as reported by Malaysiakini.

"Our house was next to Taib's residence in Petra Jaya. This was not the chief minister's official residence, but his private residence.” she added.

Read more here:

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/while-married-to-son-of-chief-minister-did-she-clean-the-house-ex-wife-aske

Sarawak Energy grants USD196 million in contracts to Chief Minister’s son amidst growing tensions over dam projects

Sarawak Cable Bhd (SCB) has bagged two new contracts totalling RM618.6 million from Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) to develop transmission lines in Sarawak.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia yesterday, SCB said the group, via its unit Trenergy Infrastructure Sdn Bhd, yesterday received a letter of award from SEB for the Sinohydro-Trenergy Joint Venture the Mapai to Lachau 500kV transmission line project (Package B) for RM352.8 million. It also received a letter of award dated Oct 23, 2013 for the Lachau to Tondong 500kV transmission line project (Package C) for RM265.8 million.

Read more here: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/868887

Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, the son of long-serving Sarawak state chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, owns 20.69% of Sarawak Cable. State-owned Sarawak Energy, meanwhile, owns 18.75% of the firm.

Read more here:

http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/business-news/260759-malaysias-sarawak-cable-wins-state-contracts-worth-197-million.html#.Um-oZxE4fMA.twitter

Sarawak Cable is chaired by Mahmud Abu Bekir, the elder son of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud. According to company documents, the Sarawak strongman’s son is both chairman of Sarawak Cable and its second-largest shareholder with a 33% stake in the company (21% held directly and 12% indirectly).

The Bruno Manser Fund is dismayed that Sarawak Energy under its Norwegian CEO, Torstein Sjøtveit, continues with the corrupt practice of favouring the Chief Minister’s family. Already between 2010 and early 2013, Sjøtveit had granted over 220 million USD in contracts to Taib family-linked enterprises.

“By granting contracts worth a grand total of over 400 million USD to the Chief Minister’s son, Mr. Sjøtveit’s conduct has passed all levels of decency”, Bruno Manser Fund director Lukas Straumann said on Thursday. “We ask Mr. Sjøtveit to resign immediately as he has lost all credibility when claiming that he contributes to the development of Sarawak. Instead, he has made himself a tool of the Taib family’s unrestrained greed and corruption. Mr. Sjøtveit should feel ashamed for what he is doing to the people of Sarawak and to the reputation of Norway in Malaysia.”

The explosive news comes amidst a situation of growing tensions over the planned Baram dam construction. Earlier this week, native communities scored a victory when their blockades forced Sarawak Energy workers to halt survey works for the planned Baram dam. 

Read more here: 

http://www.barubian.net/2013/10/sarawak-energy-grants-usd196-million-in.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The dam, one of 11 new dams being planned by the state government throughout Sarawak, will see the evacuation of 20,000 natives from the Kenyahs, Kayans and Penans ethnic groups...

Meanwhile, The Star quoted Telang Usan's Barisan Nasional state assemblyman, Dennis Ngau, as saying that the situation on the ground was "very hot" following no sign of the natives backing down. The politician claimed he was worried the matter would "boil over into a physical confrontation", urging restraint through a "cooling off period".

"Stop all ground works for the time being until further notice. Don't confront the protesters. Leave it to us politicians to find a solution," Ngau advised, referring to rock drilling works between Long Naah and Long Kesseh, some 200kms inland from Miri City. Ngau said he had also cautioned Sarawak Energy and officials from the state Land and Survey Department to stay away from the site for now.

Read more here: 

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/swiss-group-slams-rm600-million-energy-contract-says-company-chaired-by-sar?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+tmi%2Fnews%2Fmalaysia+%28TMI+-+Malaysia%29#When:02:57:37Z

We should not let the Allah issue be exploited by Umno or its media!

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) today said that it will not support the call for a ban on the use of the word "Allah" if it is used with good intentions, properly and not in a degrading manner. PR de facto head Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said PR and Christians in general had been unreasonably attacked over the matter. "We should not let it (the Allah issue) be exploited by Umno or its media," he told a press conference today.

Although the Court of Appeal ruling on Monday prohibiting the use of the word "Allah" was limited to the Bahasa Malaysia section of the Catholic weekly The Herald, the implications on the grounds are far-reaching with some Malay rights groups calling for the ban to be extended to churches in Sabah and Sarawak.

Anwar said PR had referred the matter to religious experts, including PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, even before the ruling, and international Islamic scholars. PR will issue a statement today on the opposition coalition's joint stand on the word.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) secretary-general Nicholas Mujah said calls for the ban to be extended to Sabah and Sarawak are uncalled for. "Unlike in Peninsular Malaysia, the Sarawak Muslims are not confused and the Christians are also not confused with the usage of the word," he said when asked to respond to a call by Perkasa to extend the ban to the two states. He said the call is against the spirit of the 1963 Malaysia Agreement and the Cobbold Commission Report on the formation of Malaysia.

Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) issued a statement that any ruling to stop Dayaks from using the word is tantamount to infringing Christians' constitutional rights. Its president, Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom, who is state social development minister, said it is also against the fundamental right to freedom of worship.

Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) president Dr Dusit Jaul said he agreed with state Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing's stand that any ban on the use of the word is an infringement of the rights of Christians in Sarawak.

Constitutional lawyer Syahredzan Johan said the Court of Appeal's decision has set a precedent that may be used in the future to ban similar words or publications. He said in The Herald case, the home minister was acting under the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA). "That is a federal law, which is also in relation to national security. That is why in the future, they may use PPPA to perhaps ban words in the Al-Kitab, the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Gurdwara Council president Jagir Singh said the ruling will affect Sikhs in the country who also use the word in their prayers. "Since the (judgment) is wide, it will affect us. If you go by the ruling of the court, there is no exemption for anybody. It is blanket and will affect every publication (which uses the word Allah)," said Jagir.

Link: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/857562

International media reports:

By Jennifer Pak. Published by BBC News, Kuala Lumpur on 14 October 2013.

The verdict does not come as a surprise to the two million Christians in Malaysia. Many of them believe that the case stems from a tight race between the governing Malay-Muslim party, UMNO, and the opposition Islamic party, PAS.

The Allah ban is seen as an attempt by UMNO to boost its Islamic credentials and win back votes. It's an issue that crops up in the government-linked media ahead of an election and promptly dwindles after the vote.

Christians are so convinced that this issue is about political posturing that most followers say they will continue to use the offending Bibles and use the word Allah in their worship.

Not all Muslims back the ban. But one of the most outspoken supporters is an influential group called Perkasa, which is backed by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad - a champion of Malay-Muslim rights.

Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24516181

Published by the National Editorial on 14 October 2013.

Like the history of most religions, the history of Islam is complex and much debated. But there are a few elements that are not in dispute, chief among them that the God of the Quran is the same as the God of the Bible and of the Torah before it. The mission of Islam, as expressed in the Quran, is not to bring a new faith, but to update the messages of the monotheistic faiths before it.

It is therefore surprising to see, as The National reports today, that a Malaysian court has ruled that a Christian newspaper may not use the word “Allah” to refer to God. The court overturned a previous decision by a lower court, ruling that “Allah” as a term is not exclusive to Islam. This causes a problem for the country’s substantial Christian minority, who have used the word “Allah” to refer to God for decades.

In a fellow Muslim country with substantial Christian and Hindu populations, this feels like the wrong decision. The UAE is rightly proud of its society that allows people from all over the world to practise their faiths openly and without discrimination. Indeed, that inclusiveness is inherent in Islam. One of the reasons Islam was able to spread so far, so rapidly, was the inclusive nature of the faith: for at least two centuries after the coming of Islam, the Arabs ruled vast regions where the majority were not Muslims. The word “Allah” is never exclusive to Islam – indeed, both Christians and Jews used the word “Allah” to refer to God even before the coming of Islam.

That remains the case today. When Christians across the Middle East pray to God, they use the term “Allah”. Walk into a church in Cairo, Baghdad or Beirut this coming Sunday and you will hear the name of “Allah” invoked. That also applies to the Jews of the Arab world, who for centuries have prayed to “Allah”. The Quran itself is explicit on this subject, declaring, in Surah Al Ankabut, that Muslims should tell People of the Book (Christians and Jews) that “our God and your God is one”.

The Malaysian decision overlooks not merely the theology, but also the etymology of the word. The word “Allah” is derived from the Arabic “al-ilah”, the god. It’s found its way across the world and entered Malay from Arabic.

Arabic as a language is a vehicle for faith, be that Christianity, Judaism or Islam. The God of the three monotheistic religions is the same god. It is unsurprising, therefore, that all three faiths in the Arabic-speaking world (and beyond) refer to God as “Allah”. And if they have the same God, they should have the right to call their deity by the same name.

Link:

http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/editorial/word-allah-is-not-exclusive-to-islam?fb_action_ids=10151976505061974&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%2210151976505061974%22%3A1427094640843412%7D&action_type_map=%7B%2210151976505061974%22%3A%22og.recommends%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

By Endy M. Bayuni, published by The Jakarta Post on 16 October 2013.

The controversy in Malaysia started when Muslims raised objections to the use of the word Allah by the Roman Catholic Church in its publications. Although the lower court already ruled in favor of the church in 2009, the Malaysian government decided to take up the issue on behalf of Muslims and appealed. Not surprisingly, this week it won the case, ironically on the eve of the Muslim’s Sacrifice Day.

The controversy on the use of the word “Allah” goes beyond semantics, or else it would not have provoked such emotional reactions from all sides concerned.

And it is a debate that sooner or later will come to Indonesia, for the seeds of exclusivity have already been deeply planted among Muslims in the country with the world’s largest Muslim population. Like their Malay Muslim brothers, Indonesian Muslims who share the same Malay root language, translate the phrase Lailaha Illallah to Tiada tuhan selain Allah (in English: No God but Allah), instead of the literal translation “No god but God”.

Something quite fundamental is lost in the translation when Indonesians make a distinction between “God” and “Allah”, two words that essentially mean the same thing. But this erroneous translation may have become the basis that put Muslims in much of Southeast Asia to claim exclusivity to God.

I am no historian, so I do not profess to know the reason for the translation, but since this part of the world was predominantly Hindus and Buddhists before Islam came in the 14th century, the distinction between Allah and God may have been important in helping to convert people who then believed in many deities.

The late Islamist scholar Nurcholish Madjid drew sharp rebukes when he suggested that Indonesians should translate the term to “No god but God”, so the idea was dropped prematurely. Exclusivity to the claim of God is equally strong in Indonesia, if not stronger, than in Malaysia.

Indonesia has had its share of debates on Islam’s claim to exclusivity, including whether non-Muslims should be allowed to say the traditional Islamic greeting assalamu’alaikum (which means peace be upon you) and other popular Islamic expressions such as Alhamdulillah (praise be to God) and Insya Allah (God willing).

It’s only a matter of time before someone takes the cue from Malaysia and starts raising objections to non-Muslims using the word Allah. The problem with religious exclusivism is that it breeds intolerance, which leads to prejudices against the others.

Indonesia and Malaysia may rightfully claim to have developed a more moderate strand of Islam, and history has actually proven that Muslims in this part of the world to be more tolerant when compared to their brothers and sisters in Islam’s place of origin in the Middle East or in South Asia.

But there is only a thin line dividing tolerance and intolerance, so we should not take this moderation for granted. With the rising exclusivism that the Muslim majorities in these two countries are pushing, we may be witnessing the Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia becoming less and less tolerant. In fact, it may already be happening.

Which begs the question: Is there anyone in this country that is pushing for more religious inclusivism? Insya Allah.

Read more here:
http://m.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/10/16/no-one-has-monopoly-claim-god-on-use-allah-malaysia.html

Sarawak lagging behind in everything

By Joseph Tawie. Published by Free Malaysia Today on 23 May 2013.

Sarawak, which is the largest state in Malaysia, has only 212 government-run clinics. According to the Social Statistics Bulletin Malaysia 2012, this included only seven rural clinics (Klinik Desa), 197 health centres and eight 1Malaysia clinics.

Expressing his surpise, Ba’ Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian said in comparison Perak which has about the same population as Sarawak had 328 clinics of which 242 were rural clinics (Klinik Desa). “(Even) Pahang, the largest state in Peninsula Malaysia but with an area less than a third of the size of Sarawak, has a total of 324 clinics, 243 of which are rural clinics,” he said yesterday while debating the address of Yang Dipertua Negeri Sarawak.

“Whichever way one looks at it, it cannot be denied that Sarawak has not been getting her fair share of allocation, resulting in deprivation of adequate healthcare for her people. “The people deserve the same standard and accessibility of healthcare as that received by their fellow citizens in West Malaysia but it seems that this will continue to be denied to them for many years yet,” he said.

Fifty years ago, then prime minister of Malaya Tunku Abdul Rahman said that one of the principal objectives in forming Malaysia was to further the economic development of the Borneo territories so that their standards of living and technical skills might be raised, and a firm basis provided for accelerated economic growth. He announced that “measures would be introduced to accelerate industrial development in the Borneo territories, and to minimise the disqualifying effect of free play of the economic forces so that the gap between a relatively backward state and the advanced would be narrowed and not widened.”

Bian said: “Half a century after the formation of Malaysia, the ethnic communities of Sarawak are still not able to integrate into the economic system of Malaysia. “At this 50th year mark, it is appropriate that we examine the extent to which Sarawak has benefited from the economic progress of Malaysia, given that prior to the formation of Malaysia, the political leaders of Malaya made many promises, tacit or expressed, regarding the potential diffusion of socio-economic development from Peninsula Malaysia to Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

Poverty, education interlinked

Bian also touched on the issue of poverty in Sarawak, saying that while statistics showed that the situation had improved in 2012 as compared to 2009, he was still skeptical. In 2009 poverty levels stood at 5.9%. This figure dropped to 2.4% in 2012. “Whilst I would dearly like to believe this statistics, my observations during my trips in the rural areas and in the interior of Sarawak give me reason to doubt the accuracy of this figure. “The standard of living of a population is causally related to their educational attainment, which in turn determines their levels in the occupational hierarchy.

“In Sarawak, even to this day, the indigenous people, with only primary education or a lack of formal education, are relegated to jobs at the bottom end of the occupational hierarchy such as skilled agricultural workers or elementary workers. The Labour Force Survey Report Malaysia 2010 shows that Sarawak has the second highest number of workers in the labour force with no formal education that is 94,000 workers, which accounts for 22.6% of the national total.

“The figure for Sabah is even higher, and in total, both the Borneo states account for 55.5% of the workers in the Malaysian labour force with no formal education. “Worse still, there are 242,000 Sarawakian workers with only primary education, who account for 23% of the labour force of Sarawak and 12.8% of the labour force of Malaysia. “The number of workers with no formal education combined with those who have only primary education account for 31.9% of the Sarawak labour force and 35.4% of the national labour force,” he said.

‘Illiterate workers’

He pointed out that Sarawak accounted for only about 8% of the total labour force of Malaysia, but within that small fraction, Sarawakian workers accounted for 35.4% of the country’s functionally illiterate workers. This disparity, he said, bodes poorly for Sarawak in relation to its standing and competitiveness within Malaysia.

“With such a large proportion of the Sarawak labour force having inadequate education, how can the government hope to achieve its high-income economy goal by 2020? In fact, the energy-intensive SCORE region in Central Sarawak has plans to attract 1.2 million foreign workers over the next decade or so.

“Already, there are 600,000 foreigners in Sarawak and of these no less than 240,000, it has been estimated, are illegal immigrants from Indonesia and elsewhere. This leads to various other problems, which have been brought up here before in this August house,” he said.

He said that workers with no formal education combined with those who only have primary education are classified as ‘functionally illiterate’ by the World Bank. He said the majority of them currently worked in the primary or agriculture industry and in secondary (or manufacturing) and tertiary sectors as unskilled or elementary workers.

“Whatever mechanical or technical skills they may have acquired will not prevent them from being marginalized when micro-electronic processes are introduced to their work places in the near future,” said Bian, pointing out that skills are becoming obsolete more rapidly, and the demand for continuous skill training for the current workforce will be tremendous.

He said around 51% of this portion or 123,420 of Sarawak’s labour force are less than 35 years old and would still be alive by 2040. “The government needs to provide adequate training for them in community colleges so that they can acquire some form of skills and functional literacy to survive the Knowledge-based economy of the future,” he said.

According to the Social Statistics Bulletin Malaysia 2012, there are only three community colleges in Sarawak – Kuching Community College, Mas Gading Community College and Branch Betong Community College – with a total enrolment of 182 students. “Sadly there are only three community colleges in Sarawak. I urge the government to seriously address the needs of the 123,420 workers who will need to be trained,” he said.

Link: 

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/05/23/sarawak-lagging-behind-in-everything/

Outrage grows over scandal-tainted Malaysia state boss

By AFP. Published by MSN news on 23 May 2013.

Taib, 77, and his family are accused of massive corruption and running Malaysia's largest state like a family business, controlling its biggest companies with stakes in hundreds of corporations in Malaysia and abroad.

A Rolls Royce and flashy jet cover his transportation, while a vast war chest has kept his political authority unrivalled in 32 years in charge of the resource-rich Borneo island state, which remains one of Malaysia's poorest.

"The amount of control he has is astounding. He has been able to dominate politics and society here for nearly four decades," said Faisal Hazis, a political scientist with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

But pressure is rising both at home and abroad for action against a man referred to by his harshest critics as the "thief minister" and viewed as the prime example of a culture of corruption fueling public disgust.

Swiss-based activists Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), citing financial records, last year estimated the 77-year-old's worth at $15 billion, which would make him Malaysia's richest person.

Such revelations are hugely embarrassing for Prime Minister Najib Razak, who faces a slide in support due in part to corruption blamed for bleeding the country of billions of dollars annually.

But Taib, a member of Malaysia's 56-year-old ruling coalition, is widely considered untouchable because the Sarawak parliamentary bloc he controls helps keep the coalition in power.

"We don't see the political will to address grand corruption like this and it could destroy the country" by crippling economic development, said Josie Fernandez, Transparency International's Malaysia director.

A 2008 US State Department cable revealed by WikiLeaks called Taib "highly corrupt" and "unchallenged", saying Taib-linked companies dominate Sarawak's emerging economy.

He and his family are accused of routinely taking kickbacks for lucrative government contracts or awarding the projects to companies they control.

A prime example dominates the languid capital Kuching -- the state-assembly building whose swooping, golden roof gleams like a crown in the tropical sun.

A Taib-linked company won the $98 million contract to build the structure, which opened in 2009 and is home to a legislature he controls. A similar story surrounds a futuristic convention centre nearby.

Taib's office declined repeated interview requests.

A member of the Melanau tribe, supporters see him as defender of the autonomy of Sarawak -- which is marked by Christian and tribal groups -- against the Muslim Malay-dominated federal coalition based on mainland Malaysia.

Taib denies wrongdoing, saying Sarawak must be developed for its 2.4 million people. His critics spout "a web of lies and half-truths wrapped around ignorance and twisted logic", he fumed last year.

But pressure grows, including in the rugged interior where Taib is blamed for decimating vast rainforests through logging and dam projects and evicting tribes from ancestral lands, sparking protests.

Philip Jau travelled for two days by road with dozens of his Kayan tribesmen to protest this week in Kuching against a mega-dam pushed by Taib on the remote Baram river despite local opposition.

"The dam is a curse from hell," said Jau, wearing a feather-strewn traditional woven cap. "Taib will benefit, but he is killing the people."

Jau fears the dam will destroy a river ecosystem the Kayan rely on, noting that tribes near the already-completed Bakun dam, Malaysia's largest, say that has happened there.

BMF head Lukas Strauman said Taib and his family are the "chief culprits in destroying one of the world's last great rainforest areas."

In December, Swiss parliamentarians called for a freeze on any Taib assets there, saying he had abused office "in a spectacular way". Swiss authorities are yet to respond.

Malaysia's anti-graft agency launched an investigation in 2011, but it is widely accused of foot-dragging.

Faisal said action is highly unlikely as Sarawak seats proved crucial to the federal coalition winning May 5 elections, showing Taib is "more important than ever" to the government. Premier Najib's office declined to comment.

Taib has gotten even richer since the polls.

Shares of Taib-linked CMS -- Sarawak's largest conglomerate -- have soared 65 percent following the ruling-coalition win, and the compliant state assembly tripled Taib's pay to nearly $400,000 on Tuesday -- his birthday.

Link: http://news.malaysia.msn.com/regional/outrage-grows-over-scandal-tainted-malaysia-state-boss

Radio Free Sarawak Receives International Media Award In Amman

Published by Sarawak Report on 21 May 2013.

Radio Free Sarawak received the highly prestigious Pioneer of Free Media Award from the International Press Institute at its annual conference in Amman last night.

Accompanied by two London colleagues founder Clare Rewcastle Brown received the honour on behalf of the whole RFS team of Sarawak Malaysian producers and presenters.

The award was established in 1996 to honour media or organizations which have fought to ensure freer and more independent media in their countries.

The other two honours presented by the IPI’s Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie were the World Press Freedom Hero Awards, bestowed on two highly distinguished journalists, Marie Colvin and Mika Yamamoto, who were both killed in Syria last year.

In her address to the 300 guests present at the gala dinner at the Hussein Club in Amman Alison Bethel McKenzie said:

“It is my pleasure and honour to hand the 2013 IPI Free Media Pioneer Award to Radio Free Sarawak.  Radio Free Sarawak was established by journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown and started broadcasting in November 2010 and bills itself as “the independent radio station that brings you the news you want to hear not what others want you to hear”. In practice this bold mission has involved among other things on-going attempts to expose alleged government corruption in Malaysia”

Ms Bethel McKenzie outlined how, broadcasting via shortwave radio and podcast, Radio Free Sarawak’s contributors have been detained by police and accused of possible acts of sedition by ministers in Malaysia.  Along with facing accusations of spreading malicious lies and threatening unity and harmony among races.

“During the bitterly contested 2011 Sarawak elections Radio Free Sarawak and its sister site Sarawak Report were subjected to what were believed to be deliberate, if ultimately unsuccessful efforts to silence them via cyber attacks. They have refused to be silenced. Instead they continue to broadcast loud and clear, critically and courageously”

Back on air shortly

The programme, which has taken a short recess following the election, is due back on air shortly to keep up its role informing the native people of Sarawak and hearing their views.

In her acceptance speech Clare Rewcastle Brown expressed honour and thanks for this recognition and support from the world’s oldest and most prestigious institute for international press freedom on behalf of her Sarawak Malaysian team of journalists and presenters and also on behalf of the station’s longhouse listeners.

“Malaysia is not used to a free media and we have provoked very aggressive reactions. Prominent politicians have accused us of sedition, filed police reports, accused us of poisoning the minds of the Dayak people of spreading lies, of acting as a virus and this has manifested itself in extraordinary cyber-attacks during this recent election and indeed jamming attacks as well and we find it telling that our small voice has provoked such an enormous and angry reaction in Malaysia, although it has also helped to enhance our status in many ways.  It has shown that reform is needed in the media and we will carry on our work in bringing an opportunity, a platform to some of the world’s most isolated and intimidated communities, living in the jungle far away from anyone and having that jungle cut away from under them, their rivers polluted, food becoming hard to find and really not knowing what is going on around them”.

Link: 

http://www.sarawakreport.org/2013/05/17779/?utm_source=Sarawak+Report&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ca3eb925c7-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_97635b3a5d-ca3eb925c7-208017985

Sarawak Chief Minister, his Cabinet and State Assembly now get paid TRIPLE!

Published by The Malaysian Insider on 22 May 2013.

Salaries of Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, his Cabinet and lawmakers were tripled today despite the Sarawak chief minister being linked to corruption by environmental pressure group Global Witness earlier this year.

The Sarawak state assembly approved the pay rise today, but backdated to January 1, 2012. This will involve some RM17 million, state news agency Bernama reported today.

The Members of the Administration and Members of Dewan Undangan Negeri (Remuneration, Pensions and Gratuities) Bill 2013 also provides for increased remuneration for the state assembly speaker, deputy speaker and political secretaries.

The remuneration of the chief minister (picture) will rise from RM13,000 to RM39,000; deputy chief minister, RM11,500 to RM35,000; senior minister and state assembly speaker, RM9,000 to RM30,000; ministers, RM9,000 to RM27,000; assistant ministers and assembly deputy speaker, RM7,000 to RM21,000; state assemblymen, RM4,500 to RM15,000 and political secretaries, RM3,000 to RM9,000.

The last pay adjustment for the state leadership was in 1992.

Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh said a review of the remuneration was done in view of the increasing expectations of the people.

“Sarawak is as big as Semenanjung (the peninsula) and a lot of Members of the Dewan Undangan Negeri (state assemblymen) have to cover a large territory, particularly those who serve the rural areas,” he said.

Wong said the new bill would take effect by next week.

Last month, Taib challenged Global Witness to debate him on the issue of illegal land deals in Sarawak, and accused the international environmental activist group of having a hidden agenda by visiting Malaysia’s biggest state in a “sneaky way”.

The chief minister was cast into the international spotlight last month after Global Witness released a video documentary alleging the state Barisan Nasional chief to have received millions of ringgit in kickbacks over land deals that have denuded the Borneo state.

He refuted accusations that only five per cent of forests is left in the state, saying that the true picture can be found by looking at the state using Google’s satellite images.

Google maps the Earth using periodic shots taken using satellite imagery and aerial photography in its applications Google Earth and Google Maps.

Taib had also said that he will not co-operate with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) regarding his graft allegations as he believes the government body to be “naughty” and “dishonest” in its investigations.

Link: 

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/sarawak-ministers-assemblymen-get-hefty-pay-hike

By Joseph Tawie. Published by Free Malaysia Today on 22 May 2013.

Thirty six non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have jointly condemned the International Hydropower Association (IHA) for organising its congress in Sarawak where human rights and environmental crimes are allegedly being perpetuated.

In a statement to FMT, the groups said they were “appalled” by HA’s insistence on holding the congress in Sarawak despite being aware of global pressure on Chief Minster Taib Mahmud and the state government. “The 4th IHA Congress prides itself with the theme Advancing Sustainable Hydropower, with a dedicated session discussing sustainability, which is not only making a mockery of the importance of sustainable development but also trying to pull wool over our eyes.

“IHA cannot pretend that it is not aware of the displaced and disenfranchised indigenous communities affected by Batang Ai, Bakun and the soon-to-be completed Murum dams in Sarawak. “Delegates and supporters of the Congress cannot ignore the well- documented social disruptions and dismissed the ecological destruction these dams had caused to one of the world’s biodiversity centres by justifying hydropower as renewable energy,” the statement said.

It said that the mega dams with its destructive social and environmental impacts were not a desirable sustainable energy source or option and this had been adequately argued by the authoritative report of the World Commission on Dam way back in the year 2000.

“The sustainability claim is a sham with the state government’s declared intention to construct a dozen of new dams by 2020 as part of its industrialisation programme via the regional development plan called Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) by enticing foreign investments with cheap electricity supplies.

“This admission called to question the outdated development model favoured by the state government particularly when a large part of rural communities/population in Sarawak has no access to electricity. “Furthermore, this scandalous plan threatens to flood a further 2,300 sq km of the Sarawak rainforests and directly and indirectly affects 30,000 to 50,000 natives from 235 settlements,” it pointed out.

The statement further added that beneficiaries of this ‘damn’ plan are the business fraternity especially entities that are connected to Taib and his family. “Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) – the main sponsor of the Congress and the state power monopolist – had awarded contracts worth RM680mil to three companies closely linked to the family of the Chief Minister namely Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd, Sarawak Cable Bhd and Naim Holdings.

“We would like to call your attention to the latest report by the Bruno Manser Fund on these links which are substantiated with indisputable official documents. SEB itself is controlled by Taib’s cousin Hamid Sepawi. “CMS Bhd, an infrastructure development company which holds the monopoly of cement supply in Sarawak stands to gain from the dam scheme besides benefitting from the cheap electricity through its shareholding in a ferro alloy smelting plant in the SCORE.

“SEB granted CMS subsidiary company PPES Works, a contract worth RM23mil for the construction of the resettlement site for the victims of Murum Dam. “Sarawak Cable Bhd and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Universal Cable, secured three contracts for transmission line from SEB worth RM237mil. “Similarly, two subsidiaries of Naim Holdings Bhd – Naim Land and Naim Engineering – were granted contracts related to the dams by SEB, totalling RM406mil,” it said.

Both CMS Bhd and Sarawak Cables’ biggest shareholder is Taib’s son, Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib.

“So significant is the political link of these companies that a stock rally of CMS Bhd was reported in the two weeks after GE13 where its share price rose substantially (46%) as BN Sarawak led by Taib won convincingly in Sarawak,” the statement said.

The goup further called on IHA to stop its “green-washing attempt” on behalf of the Taib’s regime that is aided by industry players closely linked to him. “We also call upon the newly-minted ministers of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE); and Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA) to address this public concern that had so far been ignored by the Federal Government.“These environmentally-destructive dams are a threat to the country’s biodiversity and our commitment to fight climate change.

“Rotting biomass and organic matters that continue to be washed from upstream into the reservoir is a big source of emission of the global warming greenhouse gas,” it said. The statement also wanted Maximus Ongkili, Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water to explain to Malaysians, particularly Sarawakians, how the mega dams’ scheme fits into the country’s sustainable energy policy.

It also called on the World Wide Fund for Nature-Malaysia (WWF-M), the foremost environmental organisation in Malaysia, along with several other global conservation groups such as the Nature Conservatory to clarify the nature of their support of the IHA congress. These groups have been listed as partners at the IHA congress. Said the statement: “It is incumbent upon these organisations to ensure that their involvement is not manipulated and hijacked by IHA and the Sarawak state government.

“Finally, we reiterate our demand to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the many corrupt practices of Taib Mahmud that had been amply documented. Inaction is not an option,” it said.

The statement was endorsed by Amnesty International Malaysia, Angkatan Nasional India Malaysia (AGNI),Angkatan Warga Aman Malaysia (WargaAMAN), Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC),Community Action Network (CAN), Damn the Dams Action Group, Education and Research Association for Consumers (ERA Consumer), Federation of Malaysian Indian Organisation (PRIMA), Himpunan Hijau, Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia (JKOASM), Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (JERIT), Jawatankuasa Bertindak Wilayah dan Tanah Adat Tasik Chini, Jihad for Justice, Malaysia Youth and Democratic Movement (DEMA), Malaysian Indians Progressive Association (MIPAS), Malaysian Indians Transformation Action Team (MITRA),Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (MADPET), Malaysians for Beng Hock, National Indian Rights Action Team (NIAT), People’s Welfare and Rights Coalition (POWER), Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan (PERMAS), Persatuan Sahabat Wanita, Persatuan Shing An KL & Selangor Women Section, Pertubuhan Pembangunan Wanita Malaysia PJ New Town Branch, Pusat Komas, Rakan Pakatan Rakyat (RAPAT), Respect all Race and Religion of Malaysia (RARE), Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia, Social-Economic Committee of KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, SPNS, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Tamilar Action Force (TAF), Tenaganita, Transparency International Malaysia, Water and Energy Consumers’ Association and Women Section of KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

Link:
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/05/22/groups-slam-iha-for-%E2%80%98backing%E2%80%99-taib/

Longhouse folk without electricity.