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In Sarawak, a Christian groundswell

By Sheridan Mahavera
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 26, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 — When 3,000 Christians turned up for a prayer rally in Kuching this week it sent ripples running through Petrajaya, where gleaming structures house the Sarawak state government that is facing elections next month.

In a Christian-majority state where there has been little in the way of religious tension, the prayer rally was an unusual event.

It was a protest against the establishment which Christians have associated themselves with in the state.

The unhappiness with the Barisan Nasional (BN) government is palpable among Christians all over the country. But for it to be become so apparent in Sarawak is worrying BN politicians even in Putrajaya.

Through conversations with ordinary Christians, church officials and Christian Barisan Nasional supporters, a consensus emerged that though the dispute gnawed at their hearts, it would not tilt election results.

For now.

The prayer rally on March 23 has challenged that conclusion. Continue reading “In Sarawak, a Christian groundswell”

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Who’s the fool?

By Thomas Lee

Although the April Fool’s Day is still a week away, a deputy federal minister from Sarawak has already come out with a “foolish” statement.

Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum was reported as saying that the Christians in Sarawak are “foolish” to hold protest prayer vigils against the way the Barisan Nasional regime is violating the rights to freedom of religion with its detention of thousands of copies of the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible, and imposing certain conditions for their release.

Joseph, who calls himself a Christian, has said that if the Christians “come out and say that we want the Bibles, they will get it” and that “If they want to make fools of themselves, we will not respond,” whatever that means.

Joseph, the federal deputy minister for information communication and culture, was commenting critically on a series of prayer vigils that the Sarawak Christians are holding to seek divine help and intervention in facing the constitutional violation of their religious rights.
Continue reading “Who’s the fool?”

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Sex Video: Who Is the More Immoral?

By Kee Thuan Chye

OH no! Not again! They’re gunning for Anwar Ibrahim over another alleged sex scandal. The video revealed by the mysterious “Datuk T” showing a man resembling an Opposition party leader having sex with a woman, said to be a prostitute, is obviously targeted at him.

But the timing of its revelation to the media on March 21 suspiciously coincides with the dissolution of the Sarawak State Assembly, paving the way for state elections. Not to mention the part in Mahathir Mohamad’s recently launched memoir, A Doctor in the House, that claims Anwar arranged to have sex with four girls when he was deputy prime minister in 1998.

What has Malaysia turned into? The sordid sex opera capital of the world? What are we showing the world? That we are a nation of sex maniacs? Or, worse, that our politics is so dirty that we turn to sex to discredit our enemies?
Continue reading “Sex Video: Who Is the More Immoral?”

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The prelude to the Battle for Putrajaya

By Thomas Lee

The dissolution of the 71-seat Sarawak legislative state assembly on Monday 21 March 2001 has set the stage for the introductory phrase of the Battle for Putrajaya.

The Sarawak state election is a foreshadow of the battle royale between the Barisan Nasional and its formidable foe Pakatan Rakyat in the impending 13th general election for the control of Putrajaya.

The Sarawak Barisan Nasional is not expected to have an easy time sailing through smoothly in the current state election, unlike almost all previous state elections when it literally had the monopoly of the Sarawakian support.

The alternative Pakatan Rakyat coalition is going all out to cash in on the current revolutionary fervor in Egypt and in almost the wholes region of the Middle East to sound a clarion call to the people of Malaysia for an electoral revolution to oust what it claims to be an oppressive and corrupt regime. And Sarawak will be the acid test on whether the momentum of the March 2008 tsunamic impact is gathering force or losing steam in its march to Putrajaya.
Continue reading “The prelude to the Battle for Putrajaya”

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Only way to ensure Taib steps down as Sarawak Chief Minister is to deny BN 2/3 majority in Sarawak State Assembly

Within a few hours, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has demonstrated that his talk of stepping down as Sarawak Chief Minister is so vague and elastic that he and he alone is the sole decider of what it means – and not even the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is prepared to cross his path.

Taib is in fact asking for a blank cheque to continue as Sarawak Chief Minister until he could groom a successor and “form a new team” to govern Sarawak – two tasks which may take him the entire term of the next government after he had dismally failed in the past 30 years to prepare for a succession.

When he announced in Serian yesterday morning that he will step down after the next Sarawak state polls, he spawned speculation whether he was talking of a timetable ranging from one to five years.

By the evening, at the Kuching International Airport, he had lengthened the timetable speculation from three to five years! Continue reading “Only way to ensure Taib steps down as Sarawak Chief Minister is to deny BN 2/3 majority in Sarawak State Assembly”

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Taib not stepping down as Sarawak Chief Minister any time soon

Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud is not stepping down as Sarawak Chief Minister any time soon.

This is obvious from his latest very elaborate political dance which he had choreographed over his intended resignation as Sarawak Chief Minister.

Cutting through all the verbiage and verbosity indulged by Taib yesterday, the message is very clear: Taib will lead the Barisan Nasional into the state general election expected next month and he will continue as Sarawak Chief Minister after the polls!

Reason? Taib has not yet been able to groom a successor! Continue reading “Taib not stepping down as Sarawak Chief Minister any time soon”

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Hey Presto! Suddenly no need Cabinet decision

Twitter updates from @limkitsiang

Tuesday, 15 March, 2011 20:06
6 hours ago, no approval – Cabinet 2discuss it on Friday http://bit.ly/d4tsbb DPM denies approval for Bible release (TMI)

Tuesday, 15 March, 2011 20:10
Hey Presto! suddenly no need Cabinet decision http://bit.ly/d4tsbb Government orders release of Malay bibles (TMI)

Tuesday, 15 March, 2011 20:16
What’s behind sudden change of mind re Bible in BM? Constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion? PM’s credibility? Nil! Its Swak Elections!

Tuesday, 15 March, 2011 20:22
Najib Muhyiddin starts Swak election campaign Sat. Malay Bible controversy will spoil their campaign. Will Swak Assembly dissolve on 19th?

Tuesday, 15 March, 2011 20:28
I welcome release of 35k copies Malay Bible. Shd not b detained in 1st place. What is d lesson of the saga? Stand firm on const rights!

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A clarion call to the Christians in Malaysia

By Thomas Lee

Enough is enough! The usually docile, meek and temperate Christian community in Malaysia has had enough, and has exploded in anger over what they perceive as their human, civil and constitutional rights being denied and rendered illusory, with the latest seizure of 30,000 Malay Bibles from the Kuching Port in Sarawak.

Several such incidents over the last few years are nothing less than an assault on their God-given rights to worship, and to practice and propagate their faith in their own national language, without any legal restriction or political oppression.

There should no place for such evil bigotry and discrimination towards any religious belief in our country which is founded on the fundamental human right basis of freedom to worship and to practice and propagate one’s faith without hindrance, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

Article 8 of the Federal Constitution states that “All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law”, and “there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent, place of birth or gender in any law ….”.
Continue reading “A clarion call to the Christians in Malaysia”

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Wife of Taib’s son seeks share of RM400 mil

Hafiz Yatim & S Pathmawathy
Malaysiakini
Mar 9, 11

The estranged first wife of corporate figure Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, son of the long-time Sarawak chief minister, is seeking RM300 million of assets which the couple had amassed together in their 19 years of marriage, as well as RM100 million in compensation.

Shahnaz A Majid, who is singer Sheila Majid’s sister, filed the divorce papers at the Kuala Lumpur Syariah High Court last month.

The reasons for the divorce are irreconcilable differences and not having sex (nafkah batin) since 2001.

Her divorce case was called for mention today. However, Abu Bekir (right) was not present. Continue reading “Wife of Taib’s son seeks share of RM400 mil”

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London protesters want Taib’s assets frozen

Mar 1, 11
Malaysiakini

Some 20 protesters comprising Malaysians and foreigners have staged a ‘Stop Timber Corruption’ demonstration in the British capital to highlight alleged abuses of long-serving Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

The demonstration, organised yesterday by NGO Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), was held outside a property company controlled by the Taib family, Ridgeford Properties Ltd, in central London.

It was led by Clare Rewcastle Brown, the sister-in-law of former British premier Gordon Brown, and Sarawak native Peter John Jaban. Continue reading “London protesters want Taib’s assets frozen”

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Sarawak BN may fall like Berlin Wall, says British anti-Taib crusader

By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
February 26, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 — Barisan Nasional (BN) has held on to power in Sarawak through intimidation, but could still fall just like the Iron Curtain and Berlin Wall, said the sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown who has turned into an internet and radio crusader against Tan Sri Taib Mahmud’s administration.

Clare Rewcastle Brown, who operates radio station Radio Free Sarawak and blog Sarawak Report from Covent Garden in London, told The Malaysian Insider that “every person I have spoken to is scared of the fact that the BN government will know how they vote.”

But she said that even though voters “face naked threats that BN will withdraw vital services from longhouses that vote against them,” the tide of opinion can subtly change and “wash away the foundations of power without anybody quite realising.”

“The collapse of the Iron Curtain and Berlin Wall took the world by surprise and almost happened overnight,” she said, recalling her experience as a reporter with Sky TV when the wall fell in 1989.

“I remember the shock of it all, as the grip of communist power had seemed so immovable for so long,” said the 51-year-old investigative journalist who began her career with the BBC World Service in 1983. Continue reading “Sarawak BN may fall like Berlin Wall, says British anti-Taib crusader”

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Gordon Brown’s sister-in-law tackles corruption in Borneo

David Cohen
London Evening Standard
22 Feb 2011

In a flat above a restaurant in Covent Garden, an investigative reporter called Clare and a tribesman from Borneo covered in tattoos prepare to transmit their daily revolutionary radio broadcast deep into the Borneo jungle.

They make for an unlikely double act – she is a white, middle-aged Englishwoman, and he the proud grandson of a Dayak headhunter who broadcasts under the pseudonym Papa Orang Utan. Their aim is no less outlandish: to expose the alleged corruption of Taib Mahmud, chief minister of the Malaysian state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo 6,500 miles from London, and bring an end to his 30-year rule.

“This is Radio Free Sarawak,” begins Papa Orang Utan, donning his headphones to interview a village headman who has been forcibly removed from his land and who, quite remarkably, speaks to them on a mobile phone from the edge of the Borneo rainforest. Clare briefs Papa: “Make sure you ask if he knows that it’s chief minister Taib who has stolen their land? And get who he’ll be voting for!”

Until now the identity of the “pirates” behind Radio Free Sarawak has been a closely guarded secret – and for good reason. Scandal-plagued Taib, 74, is one of the world’s most ruthless and wealthiest men – richer allegedly than the Sultan of Brunei, whose independent country lies alongside – and locals who oppose him can feel the full force of his retribution.

But today is a watershed: the duo have bravely decided to out themselves ahead of the upcoming Sarawak elections, expected in April. Indeed, the Evening Standard can reveal that the mystery Englishwoman who set up Radio Free Sarawak four months ago and who brought out the tattooed tribesman – real name Peter John Jaban – to front her broadcasts is in fact Clare Rewcastle Brown, sister-in-law of former prime minister Gordon Brown. Continue reading “Gordon Brown’s sister-in-law tackles corruption in Borneo”

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Taib will dissolve Sarawak assembly this week, say sources

By Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
February 14, 2011

Feb 14 — Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud will meet with the Sarawak Governor this Friday to seek his consent to dissolve the state assembly, sources say.

A source at Astana Sarawak told The Malaysian Insider the chief minister’s office had called last week to fix a February 18 appointment with Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng for that purpose.

Another source in the state government said district officers have been asked to freeze leave for their staff as of February 19, when the dissolution is expected to be announced.

A February dissolution would lend weight to speculation that Taib will call for state elections in March or April, ahead of the expiry of the state assembly’s term in July. Continue reading “Taib will dissolve Sarawak assembly this week, say sources”

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Sibu Hospital : A sad story of Sarawak

Letter by Mimi

This is a sad story of Sarawak and the Sarawakians.

What went wrong in Sarawak?

From the photos taken at the Medical Ward at the Sibu in Hospital, no one would believe Sarawak is one of the largest contributors to the Federal fund.

End of Dec 2010, I spent some time caring for a relative who was admitted at the Sibu Hospital. From the outside, this hospital looks like a 3 star resort. However, inside the hospital, the story is totally different.

This is 2011. How come there is no air conditioning in the Medical ward (I didn’t have the time to check out the other wards)? During the day, the ceiling fans are merely swirling warm, muggy air in the ward. It’s so hot & balmy that the patients leave their tops unbuttoned (yes, even the female patients).
Continue reading “Sibu Hospital : A sad story of Sarawak”

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Sarawak activists, lawyer detained ahead of polls

by Keruah Usit
Malaysiakini
Jan 7, 11

Police detained four activists and confiscated ‘seditious’ CDs and VCDs containing video and audio recordings of TV Sarawak Bebas and Radio Free Sarawak late last night in Kuching and Miri in what appears to be coordinated arrests.

Kuching-based land rights activist and Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) secretary Nicholas Mujah and Miri-based land rights lawyer and activist Abun Sui Anyit were both detained by Kuching and Miri police respectively.

The duo had their statements taken by the police. The other two, who were arrested by police in Kuching but without their statements taken, were social activist Ong Boon Keong and Sadia staff Nikodemus Singgai.

Six Home Ministry officials and a team of Special Branch officers raided Sadia office just past midnight and confiscated about 1,200 of CDs and VCDs. Also confiscated were two compact disc burners and some promotional leaflets.

Mujah, Singgai and Ong were subsequently taken to the Satok police station in Kuching.

A few hours later, Mujah was transferred to the Home Ministry office in Kuching for questioning after the confiscated materials were recorded at the Satok police station.

He was told that he is being investigated under Section 6 of the Film Censorship Act. Continue reading “Sarawak activists, lawyer detained ahead of polls”

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Parliament rejects questions on Utusan, Sarawak

By Adib Zalkapli
The Malaysian Insider
October 11, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — Questions on Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s wealth and the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia were among 28 questions from 17 opposition MPs rejected today.

Two DAP MPs from Sarawak, Wong Ho Leng and Chong Chieng Jen, had earlier asked the government to explain if the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has started investigating allegations on Taib’s property ownership overseas, as published on an anonymous website.

“My question is valid. I want to know if an investigation has started because of the report on the website,” said Chong when protesting the Parliament’s decision to reject the question.

“Why was the question rejected? Are we afraid of the CM?” he added. Continue reading “Parliament rejects questions on Utusan, Sarawak”

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Key political risks to watch in Malaysia

Oct 1, 10
Reuters/Malaysiakini

Malaysia has unveiled ambitious plans to boost its economy by mobilising hundreds of billions of dollars of private investment, although questions remain over whether the money will materialise.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s cut in fuel, gas and sugar subsidies in August triggered a political backlash that may see him holding off more reforms ahead of the next general elections due by 2013.

Najib has pledged to reform the country’s subsidy bill to tackle the budget deficit. But he is wary of upsetting the country’s majority ethnic Malays, a critical votebank whose support will be vital as he tries to revive his ruling coalition which was hit by record losses in general elections in 2008.

Following is a summary of key Malaysia risks to watch:

Political conflict

Political tensions spiked after the 2008 general election when unprecedented opposition gains transformed the political landscape. BN coalition’s 52-year grip on the country was dented when it ceded control of five states and lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority to an opposition led by former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The political uncertainty has weighed on foreign investment with net portfolio and direct investment outflows reaching US$61 billion (RM188 million) in 2008 and 2009 according to official data. Money has since flowed into the bond market according to central bank statistics, but little has flowed into equities.

What to watch:

• Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial. Anwar says the case is a political conspiracy, and a contentious verdict would anger his supporters. Any marked increase in political tensions could see more foreign money pulled from stocks, bonds and the ringgit. But with limited foreign portfolio investment still in the country, the impact will be muted.

• Elections in the Borneo state of Sarawak, expected by the end of this year. The state’s chief minister has directed the ruling coalition to ready itself for state-wide polls, and analysts say nationwide elections could follow soon after. BN’s shock defeat in a May by-election in Sarawak raised doubts over its support levels in the state. Continue reading “Key political risks to watch in Malaysia”

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Congrats Nazri for being the first in Cabinet to declare he is Malaysian first and race second – Ministers who refuse to make such declaration should be dropped from Cabinet

Congrats to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz for being the first in Cabinet to declare that he is Malaysian first Malay second in his open letter in reply to Awang Selamat of Utusan Malaysia (The Malaysian Insider).

Why it has taken more than six months since my challenge to Cabinet Ministers during the debate on the Royal Address in Parliament on March 18, 2010 to declare that they are Malaysian first and race second is really beyond me, as it demonstrates their total lack of support, commitment and political will to make Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia policy work and suceeed.

I had at the time posed three simple tests of 1Malaysia to determine whether all the Cabinet Minsiters were sincerely and seriously committed to Najib’s 1Malaysia, viz:

• Whether he or she agrees to the establishment of an Opposition-headed Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia;

• Is he or she prepared to declare that the basis of 1Malaysia is “ketuanan rakyat Malaysia” and not “ketuanan Melayu”; and

• Is he or she prepared to endorse the objective of 1Malaysia as defined by the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Roadmap to create a nation where every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion or region second.

Continue reading “Congrats Nazri for being the first in Cabinet to declare he is Malaysian first and race second – Ministers who refuse to make such declaration should be dropped from Cabinet”

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Fill half with Sabahans: DAP

Daily Express
Published on: Sunday, September 19, 2010

Kota Kinabalu: The Federal Government should seriously implement the 20-Point Agreement on Borneonisation by setting a target to fill at least half the 59 Federal departments in Sabah with Sabahans as heads before the next Malaysia Day celebration on September 16, 2011, said DAP Adviser Lim Kit Siang.

“(Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib should table this target at the Cabinet meeting next Wednesday to demonstrate that his administration is serious in wanting to address the 47-year grievances, frustrations and discontent of Sabahans and Sarawakians – making the first Malaysia Day as a national public holiday really worthwhile and meaningful,” he said.

He said Sabahans are disappointed that Najib came to Sabah completely empty-handed for the first Malaysia Day national public holiday in 47 years.

Speaking at the Malam Pakatan Rakyat gathering cum dinner held in Beaufort, Thursday, Lim further contended that if not for People’s Power as represented by the emergence of Pakatan Rakyat, Malaysia Day on September 16 would not have been declared a national public holiday by the Prime Minister even after 47 years.

He said that this was why the people of Sabah and Sarawak do not want to see the declaration of Malaysia Day as a national public holiday as a mere political ploy. Continue reading “Fill half with Sabahans: DAP”

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Sabah, Sarawak losing points to KL

By K Pragalath
FreeMalaysiaToday

COMMENT

Malaysia is 47 years old through the unification of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore in 1963. (Singapore was separated from Malaysia in 1965.)

The Kuala Lumpur-Kota Kinabalu-Kuching relationship must be relooked because of the imbalance between the centre and the periphery.

Most importantly, the 20-Point Agreement has been largely ignored in making the Malaysia that we have today.

Initial attempts by Sabah first chief minister Fuad Stephens to do so resulted in him being made Australian High Commissioner.

As a result, there were regressions from Sabah’s 20-Point Agreement and Sarawak’s 18-Point Agreement as seen in the “Allah” controversy and the ban on the Malay language Bible. Continue reading “Sabah, Sarawak losing points to KL”