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Swiss President Orders an Investigation into Taib’s Assets! – Exclusive

Sarawak Report | May 12th, 2011

In a fullsome letter to the Swiss-based NGO, the Bruno Manser Foundation, the President of the Swiss Federation Micheline Calmy-Rey has revealed that she has forwarded information about Taib Mahmud’s assets in Switzerland to the regulatory body FINMA (the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority) for investigation.

Calmy-Rey (pictured left at the Davos World Economic Forum, which is hosted annually in Switzerland) is the country’s Head of State.

The letter, sent on April 8th, is revealingly entitled: “Freezing of possible assets of Abdul Taib Mahmud, head of government of the Malaysian state of Sarawak, in Switzerland”.

In the letter the Swiss President makes clear that the country’s authorities take extremely seriously the concerns that have been raised internationally about Taib’s profiteering from timber corruption and are unhappy that such assets may have been invested in Switzerland.
Continue reading “Swiss President Orders an Investigation into Taib’s Assets! – Exclusive”

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The rise of pop-litical culture

By Zairil Khir Johari | May 12, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

Midway through the Sarawak campaign I received a text message from an unfamiliar number. The sender turned out to be a woman in Kuching, wanting to know when my next layover at the state capital would be.

Feeling perplexed, I glanced at my campaign itinerary. Some days I didn’t even know where I was. Spaced out as I was by the constant travelling, I was even more bemused by the rest of her message.

She went on to explain that her teenage daughter had a collection of five Ubah (the DAP hornbill mascot) plush toys, four of them bearing autographs of various party leaders and ceramah speakers. One of them, still in its original plastic wrapping, had been especially reserved for my John Hancock. Hence, she wanted to know if Kuching would be part of my tour.
Continue reading “The rise of pop-litical culture”

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Bidayuh villagers burn timber camp

By Keruah Usit
May 11, 2011
Malaysiakini

ANTIDOTE Natives from 10 villages in Tebedu, Sarawak, are said to have torched dormitories, bulldozers, tractors and other machinery at a timber camp on May 9.

The Bidayuh villagers had been blockading the timber access road of logging contractor Alliance Bahagia to defend their Native Customary Rights (NCR) land.

According to witnesses, nobody was injured in the arson attack. Police arrived at the scene in Tebedu, about 90 minutes’ drive from Kuching, in time to see the equipment and buildings aflame.

Police were far outnumbered by “emotional” villagers and did not make any arrest.
Continue reading “Bidayuh villagers burn timber camp”

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‘Who is running the country?’

FMT Staff
May 10, 2011

A retired colonel from Malaysian Armed Forces is upset that a government policy regarding children of mixed mariages in Sarawak has not been implemented.

KUCHING: A storm is brewing over the non-implementation of a government directive regarding the “Bumiputera” status of children from mixed marriages in Sarawak.

An irate father, Suhirtharatnam Kularatnam, a former retired colonel in the Malaysian Armed Forces, is demanding to know “who is running the country” when government policies are not carried out.

“Why is the government directive acknowledging the children of mixed marriages in Sarawak as Bumiputeras not being implemented? Who is running this country? Is it the prime minister or is there someone else?” he asked.

Suhirtharatnam’s daughter, Teresa Clare, who scored 10As in last year’s Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, was not given a seat in the matriculation programme because she was not considered a “Bumiputera”.

Teresa’s mother Pauline is an Iban and the daughter of former Land and Mineral Resources Minister Francis Umpau. Continue reading “‘Who is running the country?’”

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‘Think of it as a duty roster than a shadow cabinet’

Susan Loone | May 8, 11
Malaysiakini

Sarawak DAP state representatives played down the current spat between the party and PKR over the shadow cabinet issue, saying the temporary crisis would not mess up the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

DAP Sarawak secretary Chong Chieng Jen (right) described the issue which recently pitted the two Pakatan allies as a ‘minor hiccup’ which will not affect the existing relationship between the duo.

Chong, who is Kota Sentosa MP, explained that the problem has cropped up because the two parties viewed the issue differently.

Chong said the DAP viewed the exercise as a “portfolio distribution’, where every assemblyperson would get to flex his or her muscle in areas where they excelled or have expertise in.

“PKR, however, viewed it as a reflection of a future ministerial cabinet (where the candidates would eventually assume the ministerial post should Pakatan seize Petrajaya in the coming election),” he said.

“So to avoid controversy, perhaps we can call this line-up by another name…for example…a duty roster?” he added, at the conclusion of the party’s mega-ceramah in Penang last night. Continue reading “‘Think of it as a duty roster than a shadow cabinet’”

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Chinese voters must decide

ON THE BEAT WITH WONG CHUN WAI
Sunday Star
Sunday May 8, 2011

The question is whether the Chinese community wishes to be in the government or the opposition in the next general election.

IT’S a month now since the Sarawak state polls and Tan Sri Taib Mahmud, who was the target of the emotional election campaign, remains the Chief Minister.

He delivered 35 out of the 35 seats contested by Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu and convincingly won in his Asajaya stronghold, with his opponents losing their deposits.

The calls for Taib, the longest serving Chief Minister, to step down have since stopped.

Despite the cry for change, nothing has changed. Taib is still the man in charge and he still holds the key to the state’s 29 Barisan Nasional MPs in the safe deposit box.

Painful as it may sound, the reality is that the only change that has occurred is the Chinese voters have committed their representation to the opposition. Continue reading “Chinese voters must decide”

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DAP girds up to penetrate S’wak’s hinterland

By Ang Ngan Toh | Malaysiakini
May 7, 11

Interventional cardiologist Dr Tang Sie Hing has joined a growing list of professionals and educated young Sarawakians signing up as DAP members to serve in rural areas.

Tang, who celebrated his 42nd birthday on Thursday, will be helping Sarawak DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen as special assistant, whose job specifications include serving the rural areas.

Under the five-year plan, the DAP is expanding into the state’s countryside with the main aim of spreading its influence among the Dayak community there.

The Chinese-based party has so far outshone the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) in winning urban support.

Boosted by its victories in capturing the mostly urban and Chinese majority 12 seats in the recent state elections, the party has turned its attention to the state’s hinterland to prepare the ground for the next state polls.
Continue reading “DAP girds up to penetrate S’wak’s hinterland”

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Post-Sarawak Elections: The Sway Of Chinese Voters – Analysis

By Choong Pui Yee and Farish Noor

MALAYSIA’S RULING Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition won two-thirds of the seats in the 16 April 2011 state elections in Sarawak. Supported by the presence of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, the BN victory means it retained its majority in the East Malaysian state with 55 seats and was able to form the state government again. Despite the victory in this staunchly pro-BN state, which has always been perceived as the BN’s ‘fixed deposit’, the ruling coalition has suffered a significant drop in ethnic Chinese voter support.

The opposition parties acting in alliance as Pakatan Rakyat (PR) made inroads, eating into the BN’s support base. The Democratic Action Party (DAP) won 12 out of the 15 seats it contested, doubling its share of seats in Sarawak since the 2006 state elections. Another opposition party, the People’s Justice Party (PKR) won three seats, including a rural seat at Ba’Kelalan, while the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) did not win a single seat. The inroads made by the opposition alliance were mainly due to the work of the DAP. One unexpected result was the toppling of George Chan, the state’s deputy chief minister from the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP). His defeat by a political newcomer, Ling Sie Kiong, strongly manifests the intensity of Chinese voter sentiment against the BN.

Building up the Momentum
Continue reading “Post-Sarawak Elections: The Sway Of Chinese Voters – Analysis”

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To explore further the idea of a DAP-SNAP merger in my three days in Kuching, Sibu and Miri starting tomorrow

In my three days of visit to Kuching, Sibu and Miri beginning tomorrow, I will also take the opportunity to explore further the idea of a DAP-SNAP merger as a follow-up to the 416 political awakening in the recent Sarawak state general elections with the twin objectives to accelerate greater political awakening among Sarawakians of all ethnic groups and deepen and strengthen DAP and Pakatan Rakyat political support in the state.

This will be in line with the decision of the DAP Sarawak State Committee at its meeting in Sibu last Sunday to give the nod to explore further the idea of a possible DAP-SNAP merger.

I propose not only to meet SNAP leaders and veterans but also to discuss the post-416 political scenario and challenges with a whole spectrum of Sarawakians. Continue reading “To explore further the idea of a DAP-SNAP merger in my three days in Kuching, Sibu and Miri starting tomorrow”

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Najib’s no match for wily old Taib

by Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz
Free Malaysia Today
April 28, 2011

The moment he got wind of Umno KL’s plans to replace him, he swiftly moved to consolidate his grip over Sarawak.

COMMENT

It’s time for the boys on our side to rethink what has happened in Sarawak. A victorious and accordingly emboldened Taib Mahmud is now a cause for more headaches to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Umno.

Let’s replay the behind-the-scene incidents on April 16. On that night, after making sure he already had the numbers, Taib called the house asking family members to get ready.

He warned them that much depended on speed and that there was no time to lose. Taib then called the governor informing the latter to get ready by 10.30pm.

He arrived 15 minutes past 10.30pm and was sworn in as chief minister, even before the people in Kuala Lumpur could savour the win.

Taib had got wind of rumours that he will be replaced by someone more docile and favourable to Umno. Continue reading “Najib’s no match for wily old Taib”

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Polls watchdog reiterates S’wak vote-buying claim

By Lee Way Loon | Malaysiakini

Watchdog Sibu Election Watch (SEW) has refuted SUPP’s claim that the party had only been paying wages to Ibans who had gathered in front of its Sibu office on Monday.

SEW reiterated that their allegation of vote-buying against SUPP was based on what they saw and their interviews with more than 10 individuals at the scene.

Group coordinator Boney Wong who had conducted the probe with another colleague, told Malaysiakini that they had visited the site and interviewed the group before issuing a press statement on the incident.

She said the interviewees never mentioned they were there to collect wages from SUPP, or that they had worked for the party during the election campaign.

“What they told us was that they got (an upfront payment of) RM100 before voting day and that, if the BN candidate won, they would each be paid another RM400.
Continue reading “Polls watchdog reiterates S’wak vote-buying claim”

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By all means discuss merits or demerits of the DAP-SNAP proposal but don’t question integrity of DAP leaders

The DAP-SNAP proposal mooted as a direct result of the 416 Sarawak election results which saw an unprecedented political awakening of all Sarawakians, transcending race, religion or region, has attracted unprecedented interest and attention.

It has elicited a most diverse and divergent responses, from all-out opposition to all-out support.

There are those who say that SNAP has become a nonentity, as illustrated by its disastrous electoral performance in the recent Sarawak state general elections where SNAP failed to capture a single seat and its candidates lost their deposits in 24 of 26 constituencies contested.

That, furthermore, the total votes garnered by all of SNAP’s candidates combined were less than those garnered by independent candidates – and that SNAP came in last in almost all multi-cornered fights.
Continue reading “By all means discuss merits or demerits of the DAP-SNAP proposal but don’t question integrity of DAP leaders”

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Ibans storm SUPP office asking ‘election reward’

Malaysiakini
Apr 26, 11

More than 100 Ibans stormed the Sibu headquarters of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) yesterday, demanding the balance of RM400 a person as their reward promised for backing a party candidate who won in the recent state election, an election watchdog has revealed.

Sibu Election Watch (SEW) in a press statement released in the Sarawak town late yesterday evening said the Ibans were upset that they did not get the “balance”, despite being promised by SUPP election agents as well as the tuai rumah (longhouse headman) before polling day.

The incident was first reported by the web portal Sarawak Indigenous Community News and tweeted by DAP Sarawak chairman and Bukit Assek assemblyperson Wong Ho Leng (left), who was present at the site yesterday.

Soon after the news broke out, SEW sent two representatives to the Sibu SUPP headquarters to check out the situation.

Its probe, SEW said, showed that the Ibans were promised an upfront payment of RM100 before voting day on April 16 and if the SUPP candidate won, they would each be paid another RM400 after the election.

SEW said its representatives have witnessed Ibans from at least two longhouses being paid the “balance” of RM400 each.

The election watch said the Ibans were from Rumah Chandi, Rumah Pasang and Rumah Ujang. Continue reading “Ibans storm SUPP office asking ‘election reward’”

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New urban thinking led to BN losses in Sarawak towns

by Ronald Benjamin
The Malaysian Insider
April 25, 2011

APRIL 25 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s comments that the racist politics of DAP has been exported to Sarawak clearly reveal his ethnic prejudice and insecurity.

His simplistic comments fail to consider the current political and cultural trends among the urban population whose political sense and approach to issues is increasingly rooted in universal justice, equality and pragmatism.

Ethnic issues are minimal in this paradigm of thinking.

The Barisan National coalition of ethnic-based parties is still finding it difficult to come to terms with this new political paradigm that goes beyond mere ethnic accommodation. The urban middle-class is basically connected to a global world, where a sense of equality, meritocracy and democratic expression is the norm in any enlightened civil society. Continue reading “New urban thinking led to BN losses in Sarawak towns”

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Sarawak DAP gives thumbs-up to SNAP merger

By Clara Chooi
April 25, 2011

SIBU, April 25 — The Sarawak DAP appears to be taking aggressive steps to take charge of Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) campaign ahead of the coming general election, beginning with endorsing the proposal to merge with the Sarawak National Party (SNAP).

The state’s top leaders met here yesterday to discuss the proposal mooted by DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and gave its approval despite SNAP’s still-simmering feud with PKR.

The merger is seen to be the DAP’s strategy to boost its mileage in the state’s Dayak-majority areas, thus giving the party greater bargaining power when negotiating for seats with PKR in the coming general election.

Sarawak DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen (picture) told The Malaysian Insider today that the party had already kicked off informal discussions with several SNAP leaders on the proposed merger and will soon raise the matter with the DAP’s national leadership.

He acknowledged that PKR was uncomfortable with the merger but reminded its leaders that it was PKR’s strained ties with SNAP that had forced multi-cornered fights between the two parties during the April 16 state polls.

“To have a friend is better than to have a foe. For whatever said and done, they (SNAP) still have their support so that is why our state committee met and discussed the proposal and decided to endorse it.
Continue reading “Sarawak DAP gives thumbs-up to SNAP merger”

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Idea of DAP-SNAP merger conceived as one important measure to take 416 UBAH political awakening in Sarawak to its full flush of victory in next national elections

Firstly, let me congratulate the 12 newly-elected Sarawak DAP State Assembly representatives led by Sarawak DAP State Chairman Wong Ho Leng, Deputy Chairman Chiew Chin Sing and State Secretary Chong Jian Ren for their success in the historic 416 Sarawak state general elections the previous Saturday.

It is not so much a victory for the DAP as a victory for the UBAH generation in Sarawak spearheading a political awakening for change in Sarawak with far-reaching implications for Malaysian politics as a whole.

Just as the 2006 Sarawak state general elections (520 or 20th May) paved the way for the 308 “political tsunami” of the 2008 general elections which saw the fall of Barisan Nasional in five states and the loss of its parliamentary two-thirds majority for the first time, will 416, which saw DAP elected representatives doubling from six to twelve and a collective Pakatan Rakyat State Assembly presence of 15 representatives, herald another historic political change in the forthcoming general elections with the fall of Barisan Nasional in ten states and a change-over of Federal Government in Putrajaya from Barisan Nasional to Pakatan Rakyat?

As a response to the 416 UBAH political awakening in Sarawak, I had broached the idea of a possible DAP-SNAP merger not only to learn from the lessons of the Sarawak general elections to avoid multi-cornered contests but also to accelerate the mobilization and political awakening of Sarawakians for the 13th general elections expected any time. Continue reading “Idea of DAP-SNAP merger conceived as one important measure to take 416 UBAH political awakening in Sarawak to its full flush of victory in next national elections”

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DAP-SNAP merger plan triggers concern of a Pakatan rift

By Wong Choon Mei
Malaysia Chronicle
Sunday, 24 April 2011

Amid concerns that Pakatan Rakyat might become infiltrated by enemies from Prime Minister Najib Razak’s BN coalition, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim held a “pow-wow” with top leaders of his PKR party in Sarawak.

At the closed-door meeting, they charted plans for the national elections expected to take place soon. They also discussed solutions in the event of multi-parties contesting the same seats, should an internal row brewing amongst coalition members get out of hand.

“The meeting will include top leaders from the PKR national leadership. They need to strengthen the state machinery fast in case the GE really comes early. Another hot topic will course be the SNAP-DAP merger,” a PKR insider told Malaysia Chronicle.

Sarawak recently held its 10th state election, where PKR won 3 seats and Pakatan colleague DAP won 12. Although the Pakatan victory was unprecedented, with the Chinese voters clearly deserting the BN, there is speculation Najib might hammer through snap general elections rather than allow risks to snowball by delaying.

When Malaysia holds its 13th GE, Sarawak will become another hotbed of competition, not just between BN and Pakatan but also within Pakatan itself. Component parties are all eyeing the state’s 31 parliamentary seats. There a total of 222 seats in the Malaysia Parliament. Continue reading “DAP-SNAP merger plan triggers concern of a Pakatan rift”

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When wolves cry ‘wolf’

by Zairil Khir Johari
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 25, 2011

APRIL 25 — When a known liar accuses someone else of lying, whom do you trust? In a nutshell, that is the predicament faced by the proverbial boy who cried wolf. And, of late, there have certainly been many boys crying “Wolf”.

The 2011 Sarawak election has been a successful one, insofar as the DAP is concerned. However, our success has now rendered us victims of a vicious hate campaign being propagated by the BN and its media.

A quick glance at news items last week reveals a barrage of high-profile attacks on the DAP. First it began, unsurprisingly, with an editorial from Umno mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia, calling upon the BN to forego Chinese support because, ostensibly, the community has turned its back on the government. Such ungrateful citizens! We gave them the right to vote, and they dared to vote against us?

Awang Selamat’s call-to-arms was immediately followed up by a fellow Utusan editor, who went one step further by announcing the need for a “1 Melayu, 1 Bumi” movement in order to unite the “divided” Malay community.

And this is apparently necessary because Malay political power is now under threat by the Chinese, who, despite making up only 25 per cent of the Malaysian population, is suddenly capable of taking over the reins of power. I for one am glad I had a different maths teacher. Continue reading “When wolves cry ‘wolf’”

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A Sarawakian voter’s dilemma

by June Rubis
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 14, 2011

APRIL 14 — Sarawak has never seen anything like it: the focused attention from Peninsular Malaysia during a state election.

From the political celebrities flown here especially to entertain us with their ceramahs, to the constant barrage on social media to vote for either “ubah” (change), or to keep the status quo. We should feel so special.

After all, it’s only taken 48 years for Peninsular Malaysia to finally get clued in that Sarawak (along with Sabah) is a vital part of Malaysia. And what happens in Sarawak would start the ripple of change for the rest of Malaysia.

Or as proud Sarawakians would adamantly declare, Malaysia is PART of Sarawak. I beg to remind you that if it weren’t for Sarawak and Sabah, there will be no Malaysia. It would just be Malaya.

This state election is indeed exciting. For the first time in decades, we may possibly see a political change for Sarawak. For the first time, both coalitions are equally balanced in the media front, albeit the Pakatan Rakyat-favoured media is only available online. Continue reading “A Sarawakian voter’s dilemma”

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SUPP’s Wong may join BN as direct member

by Kong See Hoh
The Sun
April 25, 2011

KUCHING (April 24, 2011): FOLLOWING Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s remark that Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) has no right to stop its deputy secretary-general Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh from accepting a state cabinet minister post, all eyes are on whether the beleaguered Bawang Assan assemblyman would quit the party to become a direct member of the state Barisan Nasional (BN).

Wong had earlier dismissed as rumour the talk that he would be setting up a new party after falling foul of the party’ central working committee (CWC) for having sworn in as a cabinet minister.

In view of the party’s dismay performance in the recent state election due to a drop in support from the Chinese, the CWC has decided to recommend only the party’s Dayak assemblymen for cabinet jobs and not the two Chinese assemblymen who survived the DAP onslaught in the polls.

According to a report in Oriental Daily News today, although some of the party’s top leaders are vehemently against Wong remaining in the cabinet in defiance of the CWC decision, Wong has already been sworn in and there is no turning back the clock.

Furthermore, Taib has also made it very clear that he is firm in retaining Wong in his cabinet. Continue reading “SUPP’s Wong may join BN as direct member”