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Good news for BMC controversy

During the debate on the last ministry – Home Ministry – on the 2007 Supplementary estimates in Parliament late yesterday evening, DAP MP for Serdang, Teo Nie Ching and I questioned police conduct in the Bandar Makhota Cheras (BMC) “thug and police violence” following public protest at the rebuilding of the barricade by the toll concessionaire, Grand Saga.on Tuesday night.

I had earlier met the Works Minister, Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed at the MPs’ lounge and I asked why his Ministry could not resolve the long-standing BMC access road issue.

Mohd Zin said he has a formula to resolve the issue which he would be bringing to the Cabinet today.

I understand there is good news for the long-suffering residents over the BMC controversy.

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Sabah – Cinderella after March 8 “political tsunami”

All eyes are on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as Santa Claus with “goodies” for Sabah in his visit to the State tomorrow.

As reported by the Star yesterday, among the “goodies” for Sabah expected from the Prime Minister are announcements:

• Abolishing the controversial Department of Federal Development Sabah (JPPS) set up when the state was ruled under the then-opposition Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) in 1991 and to channel federal development funds through the Sabah Development Office;

• More federal funding for projects in the state.

• A high-powered Cabinet panel to work on the framework of a long-term solution to Sabah’s complex migrant problem; and

• Immediate standardization of the prices of subsidized goods nationwide.

What about 20% oil royalty for Sabah?

Lets wait until tomorrow to see what are the goodies Abdullah has in store for the people of Sabah. The March 8 political tsunami in Peninsular Malaysia has a Cinderella-effect on the people of Sabah in transforming them from among the most marginalized to “king-maker” holding in their hands the very survival of the Barisan Nasional federal power.

Hence the “goodies” in Sabah tomorrow!

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Ordeal of foreign spouses in Malaysia

Letters

by B.R.

It is almost unimaginable the daily trauma that is faced by them, some of them are born overseas but were unable to get registered at the Malaysian high commission or embassy within the stipulated time. They are faced with daily trauma, which includes inability to attend local schools, universities, long waits at immigration to get a visa, when in actual fact they are Malaysians.

I, for one, am a spouse of a Malaysian citizen and 15 years down the line, I am accorded worse treatment than an illegal for at least illegals, after a while, do get amnesty, not spouses. There are many of us here, for 12-20 years still on a dependent pass or on an employment pass and still waiting for years and even decades, not for citizenship but for a mere Permanent Resident status.

Foreign spouses find life in Malaysia really difficult because of inadequate measures for good governance. The laws, if any, are so grey that it varies in interpretation from immigration officer to officer.

Many of us even have to resort to merely doing volunteer service, though it is a necessity to be an income earner. Some of us lucky ones manage to get an employment pass on the spouse visa but not many employers are prepared to employ a foreign spouse due to the tedious paperwork. Only employers with a paid up capital of over RM200K can employ us. Many even exploit us and pay some measly sum as token salary. When we wish to change jobs, there is a cooling off period to cool our heels for six months. Life in Malaysia is near traumatic for us and here’s more.. Continue reading “Ordeal of foreign spouses in Malaysia”

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“All we want is just that road”

DAP MP for Serdang, Teo Nie Ching failed in her attempt this morning to adjourn Parliament to debate as a definite matter of urgent public importance “the thug and police violence” against residents of Bandar Makhota Cheras (BMC) following the rebuilding of the barricade by the toll concessionaire, Grand Saga.

I spoke briefly at the gathering of BMC residents outside Parliament House this morning, where a long-standing BMC resident, “Mas”, recounted how she fractured her left arm during the “rampage” by thugs on Tuesday night when she and her two young children merely wanted to show support and solidarity for the cause to open the road for public use. (See YouTube)

Another group of BMC residents, together with DAP MPs including Nie Ching, Fong Kui Lun M. Kulasegaran and Lim Lip Eng (also present were Selangor State Exco members Ronnie Liu and Ean Yong Hian Wah) held a media conference at the Parliament lobby to condemn the violence perpetrated against the defenceless public, including press representatives as three were assaulted by the “samsengs” in the Tuesday night rampage.

This outrage must be placed on the agenda of the Cabinet meeting tomorrow for it raises the question whether the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, has the political will to deliver his various promises of reform, whether judiciary, the battle against corruption or the police.

Was the Royal Police Commission, which was established when Abdullah first became Prime Minister more than four years ago, a complete waste of time and money when its recommendation to create an efficient, incorruptible and professional world-class police service proves to be such a mirage as highlighted by the “thug and police violence” at the BMC on Tuesday?

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The Perils of Assimilationist Politics

By Farish A Noor

A quick look at the troubles in the predominantly Muslim-Malay provinces of Southern Thailand – which has been a troubled spot for the past four years at least – would point to a fundamental flaw in the line of thinking of the powers-that-be in Bangkok. Having disregarded the historical factors that make the four provinces of Patani, Jala, Satun and Narathiwat unique compared to the rest of the country, successive governments in Thailand have tried to make the Malay-Muslims of the south think of themselves as Thais, who are an ethnically different people with a language, culture, religion and history of their own.

Since the late 19th century following the conquest of Patani, Jala, Satun and Narathiwat by the Thais, and compounded by the Anglo-Siamese treaty of 1909, the four provinces have experienced what can only be described as a policy of cultural assimilation. During the 1930s and 40s Thai leaders like Phibun Songkram have tried to force Thai culture and cultural norms on the Malays by any means possible: From forcing them to speak Thai to adapting Thai dress and manners as their own.

Needless to say, this has alienated the Malay-Muslims even further, and has only helped to fuel the resentment they feel against the Thai political elite. Over the past four years this resentment has boiled over to the point of violence, leading to the needless and senseless slaughter of innocent Malays and Thais all over the south. Continue reading “The Perils of Assimilationist Politics”

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Bandar Makhota Cheras violence and police connivance – public inquiry warranted

The use of thugs to assault residents of Bandar Makhota Cheras protesting against the barricade put up by the toll concessionaire, Grand Saga and the connivance of the police not only in its “hands-off” policy during the rampage by the thugs, but in going on a rampage of its own when some 20 police personnel armed assaulted an innocent bystander, Chang Jiun Haur, must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.

An independent public inquiry into the spate of physical violence against the protesting public by thugs and police personnel is fully warranted.

DAP MP for Serdang, Teo Nie Ching will be raising the issue in Parliament tomorrow.

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RCI for Sabah illegal immigrants crisis – Sabahan support

INQUIRY A NECESSITY
New Sabah Times
28th May, 2008

KOTA KINABALU: A Parliamentary Select Committee on illegal immigrants is no substitute for the Royal Commission of Inquiry, said UPKO secretary-general, Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau.

“Our call for the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants is actually to address a very specific issue and that is, to determine the truth behind the Project IC, which is also the mother of all illegal immigrants-related problems in Sabah.

“There is no compromise in this matter. A Royal Commission of Inquiry is no longer an option but a necessity. That is if the government is serious in putting things right on the award of citizenship in this country,” he stressed.

He said this in a statement issued here yesterday, in support of the statement by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, who called for a concerted effort to act on illegal immigrants.

He argued that just like the setting up of a Royal Commission on the Lingam video clip, which was to address the concern on the independence of the judiciary in the country, the call for the setting up of RCI on illegal immigrants in Sabah is equally, if not more important as it involves the security and sovereignty of this country.

To better illustrate his concern on the illegal immigrants issue, he cited the recent news report where the Prime Minister’s Department disclosed in Parliament through a written reply to a question from the Sepangar MP, Datuk Eric Majimbun, that during the period 2002 to 2008, there was a 12% increase in the Sabah population, that is an increase of 333,500 from 2,730,100 to 3,063,600. Continue reading “RCI for Sabah illegal immigrants crisis – Sabahan support”

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Extension of Suu Kyi’s detention – Malaysia should lead ASEAN condemnation

During the committee stage debate of the Foreign Ministry in Parliament this morning, I called on the Malaysian government to lead the ASEAN condemnation of the Myanmar military junta for the extension of detention of Burmese Opposition Leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Suu Kyi has been incarcerated for more than 13 years in the past 18 years, with the present five-year detention going back to the Depayin Massacre in May 2003.

At the time, the Malaysian Foreign Minister was in the forefront in publicly calling for her immediate release and the then Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad had even warned that Myanmar might be suspended or expelled from ASEAN if the military junta continued to defy regional and international opinion.

The Myanmese military junta now appeared to have the upper hand, with no condemnation or protest from Malaysia or ASEAN for the extension of Aung San Suu Kyi’s detention, making a complete mockery of the ASEAN Charter and ASEAN’s “constructive engagement” policy with Myanmar to initiate democratization and national reconciliation in Burma, the reason given by Malaysia for spearheading Myanmar’s entry into ASEAN in 1997.

Together with the sham referendum on May 10 and May 24, held when the country was hard hit by the cyclone Nargis disaster, claiming over 100,000 dead, some 250,000 missing and over two million victims, just to legitimize the undemocratic regime of the Myanmar military junta, Malaysia and ASEAN should lead instead of straggling behind international pressure to demand greater democratic change in Burma.

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All Malaysians have special rights

by Dr. Azly Rahman

“Therefore, the rakyat must unite and never raise issues regarding Malay rights and special privileges because it is quid pro quo in gratitude for the giving in of citizenship (beri-paksa kerakyatan) to 2.7 million non-Malays into the Tanah Melayu federation….Thus, it is not appropriate for these other ethnic groups to have citizenship, only (later) to seek equality and privileges,” said Tengku Faris, who read from a 11-page prepared text.

As a Malaysian who believes in a social contract based on the notion that ‘all Malaysians are created equal’, I do not understand the ‘royal statement’. I have a view on this.

If it comes from the Biro Tatanegara (BTN), I can understand the confusion. But this is from a royal house.

This statement was valid 50 years ago, before Independence. This is an outdated statement that is not appreciated by the children of those who have laboured for this nation.

I believe we should look forward to institutionalising ‘special rights for all Malaysians’. The word ‘special’ is in itself special. Culturally it can either denote an enabling condition or a disabling one.

In the study of religion, one is bestowed a special place for living life well or for doing good deeds. In educational studies, ‘special education’ caters for the needs of those with a disabling physical, emotional or cognitive condition.

In all these, ‘special rights’ are accorded based on merit. One works hard to get special offers and into special places.

In the doctrine of the ‘divine rights of kings’, one’s special right is the birthright. Louis XVI of revolutionary France, Shah Jehan of Taj Mahal fame, Emperor Hirohito of Japan, Shah Reza Pahlavi of Revolutionary Iran, King Bumiphol Adulyadev, and the sultans of Melaka were ‘special people’ who designed institutions that installed individuals based on rights sanctioned through a ‘mandate of heaven’.

Such people use specialised language to differentiate who is special and who is not. Court language is archaic, terse, meant to instill fear and to institutionalise special-ness.

The language of the street or market is fluid, accommodating, meant to instill open-ness and institutionalise creativity at its best and further development of the ‘underclass’ at its worst.

This continuum of language, power, and ideology is characteristic of histories of nations. In Malay history, istana language is enshrined in the hikayat and in Tun Seri Lanang’s Sejarah Melayu. Street language used in Malay folklore and in bawdy poems, pantun and stories of Sang Kancil.

Class consciousness, many a sociologist would say, dictates the special-ness of people across time and space. Historical-materialism necessitates the development of the specialised use and abuse of language. One can do a lot of things with words. Words can be deployed to create a sustainable and profitable master-slave relationship. Continue reading “All Malaysians have special rights”

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On “egg-shell” reputation and Parliament as “kangaroo court”

Seven years ago in December 2001, when Fong Po Kuan, as first-termer DAP MP for Batu Gajah, was suspended for six months without pay for publicly criticising the Speaker, I was in Europe.

I issued an immediate statement in London on Dec. 11, 2001 before the motion to penalise Po Kuan was debated and another statement on my return to Malaysia.

These two statements of December 2001 are reproduced below after the Malaysiakini report “Speaker warns Kit Siang over blog posting”: Continue reading “On “egg-shell” reputation and Parliament as “kangaroo court””

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UMNO’s Tuah-Jebat Dilemma

by M. Bakri Musa

The furor over Tun Mahathir’s quitting UMNO cannot hide an increasingly obvious and ugly reality: Abdullah’s incompetence as Prime Minister. Ranting and raving against Mahathir will not alter this singular fact.

Only an ardent few – his family members, closest advisors, and those beholden to him – believe that Abdullah has executed the duties of his office diligently. These individuals will forever remain faithful to him even if he were to drive the country to ruins. Consider that Saddam Hussein and Shah Pahlavi still have their ardent admirers today.

For others, their only excuse for wanting Abdullah to stay is for “party unity.”

Mahathir’s poser to Abdullah’s putative successor Najib Razak on whether he is loyal to UMNO or to Abdullah is a dilemma shared by all party members. Najib as well as all UMNO members would do well to re-read our classic Hang Tuah-Hang Jebat legend, and in particular ponder the fate of not only the two protagonists but also the sultan and the Melaka sultanate.

In 1987 when UMNO was split, a consequence of the Mahathir-Razaleigh rivalry, the party was weakened but it survived because it had a strong leader. Early in its history when its first president Datuk Onn left the party, the impact was minimal as the party was strong and it had a cadre of capable young leaders like Datuk Razak. This time however, both the party and its leader are weak.

If party members were to shy away from doing the dirty but necessary job of removing Abdullah from the leadership of UMNO, and thus the Prime Minister’s office, then others would by default remove that office from him, and from UMNO. With every delay, Abdullah (and UMNO) gets weaker while Anwar Ibrahim (and his Pakatan Rakyat) becomes stronger. Continue reading “UMNO’s Tuah-Jebat Dilemma”

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Kiandee owes a public apology to Parliament, Sabah and the nation

In her Sunday Star parliamentary roundup “Lim stopped by Standing Orders” today, reporter Elizabeth Looi quoted Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee as confessing that he did not know whether I had spoken the truth in Parliament on Thursday when objecting to his decision to disallow my amendment to the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the three-decade long illegal immigrant problem in Sabah.

I had said that Kiandee had violated all parliamentary conventions, practices and precedents in Commonwealth Parliaments as well as the Malaysian Parliament in ruling my amendment motion as “irrelevant”, pointing out that I had previously amended a Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat and which was debated and voted upon, though rejected.

Kiandee made the confession when interviewed by Sunday Star for the article, as evident in the following:

Kiandee defended the decision and said it was not in any way politically influenced.

He said he would not know if Lim was telling the truth when the latter said he had been allowed to table an amendment to a motion of thanks previously.

As Deputy Speaker, Kiandee should not have acted out of ignorance, as it could be no justification for violating established parliamentary conventions, practices and precedents in Commonwealth Parliaments and the Malaysian Parliament itself, which could easily be checked whether what I had said was true.

I was not “stopped by Standing Orders” but by Kiandee who misused and abused the Standing Orders.

I had amended such a Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat on 12th October 1982 and it was voted and rejected on 13th October 1982! Continue reading “Kiandee owes a public apology to Parliament, Sabah and the nation”

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Don’t make Malaysian Parliament a laughing-stock at Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in KL in August

(Media Conference Statement at Perak DAP Hqrs in Ipoh on Saturday, 24th May 2008)

The 54th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference on “Expanding the role of Parliament in Global Society” will be held in Kuala Lumpur from August 1 to 10, 2008 and it should be a matter of pride to Malaysian Members of Parliament that the country has been given the honour to play host to the annual conference for the Commonwealth’s 172 Parliaments and legislatures.

Malaysia spent about RM7 million to host a much smaller parliamentary conference last year – the 28th Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in Kuala Lumpur last August involving nine ASEAN nations.

The cost for hosting the 54th Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association will be many times more than organising the AIPA Assemby and I will ask in Parliament on Monday how much the Malaysian taxpayers will have to bear for Malaysia hosting the August Conference – whether RM20 – RM30 million or even more.

Apart from the cost of the CPA Conference in August, another equally important question is its purpose.

This is because it would be shameful for Malaysia to host the 54th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference on “Expanding the role of Parliament in global society” on August 1 – 10 when the role of Malaysian MPs are being diminished and cannot even move an amendment to the Motion of Thanks for Royal Address, as happened on Thursday when my amendment motion to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry to resolve the 30-year problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah was disallowed by the Deputy Speaker, Datuk Ronald Kiandee on the ground of being “irrelevant” to the motion proper.

Can Ronald Kiandee cite another Commonwealth Parliament which disallows amendments to the equivalent of Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address on the ground that it is “irrelevant”? Continue reading “Don’t make Malaysian Parliament a laughing-stock at Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in KL in August”

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Kedaulatan Pulau Pisang

Letters

by Azmi

Salam sejahtera YB, saya adalah seorang anggota TLDM yang pernah ditugaskan untuk memantau kehadiran petugas rumah api warga Singapura di Pulau Pisang. YB, Pulau Pisang adalah pulau yang tidak dihuni, dimana penduduk asalnya telah berpindah ketanah besar di Pontian, yang tinggal hanya dusun dan perkuburan yang tidak terjaga, Ia terletak di perairan Pontian Johor dan jauh daripada Singapura.

Persoalannya mengapa kita yang telah 50 tahun merdeka masih memerlukan bantuan Singapura untuk mengawal selia rumah api tersebut, adakah Jabatan Laut tidak berupaya untuk mengawal selianya. Disini saya ingin memaklumkan kepada YB, selama penugasan saya di pulau tersebut, kami tidak dibenarkan memasuki persekitaran rumah api, malah menggunakan jetinya juga dilarang apatah lagi memasuki kedalam rumah api. Maka sepanjang penugasan kami di sana, kami hanya memerhatikan dari jauh warga Singapura keluar masuk, tidak lebih dari itu.

Merujuk kepada kemenangan Malaysia keatas kedaulatan Pulau Ligitan dan Sipadan adalah atas dasar pembangunan dan kawal selia Malaysia di pulau tersebut, begitu juga kehilangan kedaulatan Pulau Batu Puteh kepada Singapura juga atas alasan yang sama.

Tidakkah kerajaan Malaysia berasa risau dengan kedudukan Pulau Pisang yang mungkin akan dituntut haknya oleh Singapura pada masa akan datang (tidak sekarang, mungkin 50 tahun akan datang. Tuntutan keatas Pulau Batu Puteh pun dilakukan setelah puluhan tahun ia mengawal selia pulau tersebut). Ada atau tidak perjanjian antara Malaysia dan Singapura yang jelas menyatakan bahawa kehadiran Singapura di Pulau Pisang hanya mengawal selia rumah api sahaja. Continue reading “Kedaulatan Pulau Pisang”

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Indelible ink scandal – spunky scrutiny-in-progress by Po Kuan

Together with other Pakatan Rakyat MPs, DAP MP for Batu Gajah
Fong Po Kuan grilled Nazri Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for the RM2.4 million indelible ink scandal by the Election Commission in the 12th general election.

Po Kuan has blogged about her spunky scrutiny-in-progress, as evident from the two video clips here.

This parliamentary episode is reported by New Straits Times parliamentary report:

Spunky Scrutiny – Part 1 :

Spunky Scrutiny – Part 2 :
Continue reading “Indelible ink scandal – spunky scrutiny-in-progress by Po Kuan”

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May 22, 2008 – Sad Day for Sabah (In video and Hansard)

This is the video clip and Hansard extract of the parliamentary proceeding yesterday – another sad day for Sabah.

It could be the day for redemption for Sabah, the first step in the realisation of the 30-year dream of Sabahans to end the nightmare of illegal immigrants which have made them and future generations strangers in their own state.

Apologies for the defect in the video clip of the parliamentary proceeding yesterday on the rejection of my amendment to the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to resolve the long-standing problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah.

It is now uploaded together with the Hansard (official parliamentary report).


Continue reading “May 22, 2008 – Sad Day for Sabah (In video and Hansard)”

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RCI on illegal immigrants in Sabah – substantive motion to overrule Robert Kiandee’s decision

I have faxed notice to the Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin to move a substantive motion to review and overrule the decision of Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee in disallowing me from moving an amendment to the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address yesterday in order to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the 30-year problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah, reducing Sabahans into a minority in their own homeland.

My substantive motion reads:

“That under Standing Order 43 the House reviews the decision of Deputy Speaker YB Datuk Ronald Kandee in disallowing MP for Ipoh Timor YB Lim Kit Siang from moving an amendment to the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address on Thursday, 22nd May 2008 and resolves that the decision of the Chair was wrong and misconceived as it is contrary to parliamentary conventions and practices in Malaysia and the Commonwealth.”

As a substantive motion under S.O. 43 shall not require more than two days’ notice, this means that it should be able to be debated by the Dewan Rakyat next week.

In the first parliamentary meeting after the 1982 general election, the first of the five general elections under the premiership of Tun Dr. Mahathir, I had moved an amendment to the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat on 12th October 1982.

The amendment, adding to to the Motion of Thanks, was to include the following:

“And noting the grave law and order problem created by the influx of illegal Indonesian illegal immigrants causing armed robberies and murders, URGES the government to crack down on the illegal Indonesian immigrants by estsblishing a Special Task Force III (Indonesian Illegal Immigrants) to stop the influx of illegal Indonesian immigrants.”

The amending motion to the Motion of Thanks was accepted by the Speaker at the time, Datuk Mohamed Zahir Ismail, who went on to be the longest-serving Parliament Speaker for 22 years from 1982 to 2004.

The amending motion was defeated in a voice vote on 13rd October 1982 after a debate. Continue reading “RCI on illegal immigrants in Sabah – substantive motion to overrule Robert Kiandee’s decision”

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Motion to establish RCI on Sabah illegal immigrants sabotaged

The amendment motion in Parliament to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry to realize the three-decade dream of the people of Sabah to end their nightmare of the long-standing problem of illegal immigrants in the state was sabotaged when it was disallowed on the most flippant and unacceptable of grounds.

I had sought to move the amendment to the Motion of Thanks in Parliament by proposing the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the illegal immigrant problem in Sabah at the end of the winding-up speeches by all the Ministers, which was about 6.30 p.m., but the Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee disallowed it on the ground that it was irrelevant.

How could the long-standing and intractable 30-year problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah be irrelevant to what should be the policy concerns of the Federal government for the next 12 months – which in a nutshell is what the Royal Address is all about.

I had previously moved an amendment to a Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address which is the conventional and acceptable practice in all Commonwealth Parliaments as it is an opportunity for a policy debate and resolution – but the Malaysian Parliament is regressing backwards instead of striking forward to become a First-World Parliament.

I feel sad at the shocking disallowance of the amending motion for it also sends out the message that after 30 years, the primary concern of Sabahans – the problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah – is still not taken seriously at the national level and merely treated as a peripheral issue!

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It was 30 years ago that I first raised the problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah

A hostile posting in yesterday’s thread “Fulfilment of 30-year dream of Sabahans in the hands of Sabah BN MPs” reminded me that the first time I raised the problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah was exactly 30 years ago.

I referred to this in my speech in Kota Kinabalu at the 37th DAP anniversary dinner on 4th July 2003, which is worth revisiting, viz:

This is the 40th anniversary of Sabah when together with Sarawak and Singapore, Malaysia was formed in 1963 from an expanded Malaya. It is also a time for an assessment of the successes and failures of nationhood and political development in the past four decades in Sabah.

There is probably no better start for such an assessment than an encounter with a taxi-driver in Kota Kinabalu. In the past few days, the planes are beginning to be full again, hotel room occupancy rates up and travel business and local economy starting to revive after the crippling effects of the SARS outbreak.

But the comment of a Kota Kinabalu taxi-driver was most perceptive and meaningful, when he posed the question: “What is the SARS outbreak for three months when the people of Sabah had been suffering from SARS for seven long years!”

I was at first mystified by what the taxi-driver meant, whether Sabah had secretly been the victim of the fatal SARS outbreak for seven long years without the knowledge of the people in Malaysia , the world and the WHO! Continue reading “It was 30 years ago that I first raised the problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah”