Infrastruktur S’wak diberi keutamaan Belanjawan 2014

KUCHING: Kerajaan akan meletakkan keperluan infrastruktur sebagai keutamaan yang diberikan kepada Sarawak dalam Belanjawan 2014, kata Menteri Kewangan Kedua Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah.

Menurut beliau, keperluan infrastruktur adalah antara perkara paling banyak dibangkitkan dari Sarawak dalam konsultasi belanjawan bersama pihak-pihak tertentu sebelum ini.

“Di Sarawak, salah satu yang kita lihat ialah keperluan infrastruktur. Ia merupakan perkara paling banyak dibangkitkan dan kita akan berikan keutamaan, selain perkara lain,” ujarnya ketika ditemui pemberita selepas merasmikan Hari Terbuka Kementerian Kewangan 2013 di Akademi Kastam Diraja Malaysia (AKMAL) Cawangan Sarawak di sini, semalam.

Ahmad Husni berkata, dari segi perkembangan persiapan Belanjawan 2014, kementerian telah menyelesaikan konsultasi belanjawan di Semenanjung, Sarawak dan Sabah minggu lepas.

Hasil konsultasi tersebut, katanya, secara keseluruhan pihaknya menerima kira-kira 100 memorandum.

“Kita kini dalam proses terakhir daripada 15 ‘focus group.’ Sekarang hanya tinggal beberapa lagi yang belum selesai termasuk ‘focus group’ berkenaan Indeks Kebahagiaan rakyat. Ini penting dan diperkenalkan pada tahun ini,” katanya sambil menjelaskan menjelang pertengahan bulan September, kementerian akan menyiapkan draf belanjawan tahun depan.

Belanjawan 2014 akan dibentangkan oleh Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak pada 25 Oktober depan.

Sebelum pembentangan, kementerian mengadakan siri konsultasi bagi Semenanjung, Sarawak dan Sabah untuk mendapatkan pandangan atau cadangan termasuk daripada orang ramai sebagai input sebelum ia dikaji.

Setiap isu yang dibangkit dan cadangan yang dike- mukakan akan diberi pertimbangan sewajarnya sebagai input penyediaan Belanjawan 2014, katanya.

Terdahulu dalam ucapannya, Ahmad Husni berkata Hari Terbuka Kementerian Kewangan 2013 merupakan program yang amat bermakna kepada Kastam kerana ia bukan sahaja untuk berkongsi pengalaman dengan pelanggan, tetapi juga secara tidak langsung mendapatkan maklum balas mengenai jabatan.- theborneopost

SWP tidak berprinsip dan amal politik tidak jujur: Daud

KUCHING: Parti Pekerja Sarawak (SWP) adalah sebuah parti yang tidak berprinsip dan mengamalkan politik yang tidak jujur, kata Naib Presiden Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman.

Atas dasar itu, katanya beliau yakin gabungan kerjasama parti yang pernah mengiktiraf diri sebagai mesra Barisan Nasional (BN) itu dengan Parti Tindakan Demokratik (DAP) tidak akan membawa apa-apa impak kepada BN.

“Mula dulu kata diri mesra BN tapi menentang calon BN pada Pilihan Raya Umum lepas.

“Kemudian mereka kalah di semua kawasan menyebabkan mereka rasa tidak mempunyai masa depan dalam BN dan ingin cuba di tempat lain.

“Ini menunjukkan SWP adalah parti yang tidak jujur dalam perjuangan mereka dan tidak mempunyai hala tuju sedangkan sebelum ini kata mesra BN tetapi sekarang mahu bergabung dengan DAP,” katanya mengulas mengenai SWP di mana Presidennya Larry Sng berkata parti tersebut bersedia berganding bahu dengan DAP.

Beliau ditemui ketika menghadiri Majlis Ramah-tamah Aidilfitri Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara (DBKU) di sini, semalam.

Sehubungan itu, Daud berkata kemasukan SWP ke beberapa kawasan luar bandar misalnya pada pilihan raya lepas telah ditolak oleh kaum Bumiputera khususnya masyarakat Iban.

“Saya pasti mereka (SWP) akan meletakkan calon di kawasan masyarakat Iban pada Pilihan Raya Negeri akan datang.

“Ini strategi mereka tetapi saya percaya masyarakat Sarawak khasnya Bumiputera tahu akan prinsip BN dan akan terus menyokong BN,” katanya.

Mengulas mengenai kewujudan parti baharu seperti Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) Baharu, Daud berkata ia juga tidak akan memberi impak kepada BN.

“Kita mengamalkan demo-krasi dan siapa sahaja boleh mencadangkan parti baharu untuk bertanding.

“Biasalah, hendak pilihan raya maka banyak parti baharu ditubuhkan kerana ingin mencuba nasib.

“Namun berdasarkan sejarah 50 tahun kita mengamalkan demokrasi di Sarawak, setiap parti baharu yang bertanding tidak akan mendapat sokongan orang ramai,” katanya sambil menambah BN Sarawak kini masih kukuh dan kuat tanpa sebarang masalah. - theborneopost

SWP ending its BN-friendly stance

Larry Sng

KUCHING: Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) has given a clear indication that it is no more Barisan Nasional (BN)-friendly, ending months of uncertainty among its own members over its future direction.

Prior to the May 5 parliamentary election, SWP declared that it was BN-friendly but insisted that it contest in all six seats allocated to Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), which is a BN component party. SWP, however, failed in its bid to win any seat let alone gaining the chance to replace PRS inside BN.

Yesterday, its president Larry Sng said the party is willing to work together with the state Democratic Action Party (DAP) and even expressed his respect for state opposition leader Chong Chieng Jen, who is also state DAP chairman.

“SWP and DAP are in consensus on the need to work together to maximise our strength in numbers. There is no need for opposition parties to frustrate one another by contesting in an already crowded political arena,” he told The Borneo Post.

“We should pool our resources and streamline our message so that we are not perceived as a loose pact but a serious alternative to the present government. DAP being the backbone of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Sarawak should take the lead to open discussion with all like-minded opposition parties,” he said.

“It is also timely that they are now expanding into rural seats. I am confident in Chong’s leadership and he has my support in furthering PR’s ambition in Sarawak,” he added when responding to a recent call by Chong for a SWP-DAP cooperation.

On Tuesday, Chong revealed that a few informal meetings had been held between them and SWP after the May 5 parliamentary election for a possible cooperation.

Any political party sharing the same interests and ideology to win over Putra Jaya would be most welcomed to cooperate with the PR coalition, he stressed.

He also claimed that SWP has the strength and influence in the central region of Sarawak which could benefit PR in their bid to make inroads into rural areas.

“In principle, we should unite all forces to go against the Barisan Nasional coalition,” Chong told reporters at the DAP headquarters here. Chong is Bandar Kuching MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman.- theborneopost

Will UPP be SUPP without the ‘S’?

Wong denies link with United People’s Party, a new party expected to be approved tomorrow

KUCHING: The similarity between United People’s Party (UPP), one of the five new political parties based in the state expected to be approved by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) tomorrow, and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) has led political pundits to believe that the new party would be SUPP in disguise.

Several political blogs claimed that UPP is being registered to replace SUPP in the event the latter was deregistered by ROS.

UPP has also been linked to the faction led by Sibu division chairman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh in SUPP’s internal dispute.

However, Wong was quick to dismiss talks that UPP is associated with him and the five other state assemblymen aligned to him when contacted yesterday.

To prove his denial, Wong, who is a Senior Minister told anyone linking the new party to his faction to check with ROS on the people behind its formation.

Describing the claims as “outrageous”, Wong said. “There is nothing secretive about it. You can check with the ROS. The talk is just mere speculation. We have no knowledge of it (UPP) and as far as we are concerned, we just wait for the final decision from ROS on SUPP,” he said referring to ROS show cause letter which SUPP had replied.

Wong, who is Bawang Assan assemblyman, explained that they would be making their next political move only after the ROS had decided on the fate of SUPP.

The five other state assemblymen linked to Wong are are Datuk Francis Harden Hollis (Simanggang), Datuk Lee Kim Shin (Senadin) Dr Jerip Susil (Bengoh), Ranum Mina (Opar) and Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa (Engkilili). While Wong is also Second Finance Minister, Harden, Lee and Dr Jerip are assistant ministers.

Meanwhile, if words from the political grapevines were proven true tomorrow, then Sarawak will have five more parties joining its already crowded political arena.

A reliable source told The Borneo that the Registrar of Societies (ROS) would announce the approval of 20 new parties, five of which would be based in the state.

Besides United People’s Party (UPP) the other Sarawak-based parties are Parti Tenaga Rakyat (TERAS), PBDS Baru, Peace Party and Parti Ekonomi Rakyat Sarawak Bersatu (PERSB).

TERAS has long been said to be associated with the sacked office bearers of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) who are also people’s elected representatives namely; Datuk Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru); Datuk Sylvester Entrie (Marudi); Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau) and Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe (former Mas Gading MP).

However, Nansian speaking on behalf of the group yesterday denied any connection with TERAS and stressed that they would only join any existing Barisan Nasional (BN) party except SPDP.

Meanwhile, both BN Dayak based component parties, Parti Rakyat Sarawak and SPDP have stated that they were unperturbed by the possible formation of PBDS Baru or TERAS as they were confident of taking care of the welfare of the Dayaks.- theborneopost

Dawos to let PBB leaders decide if he should contest

KUCHING: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) elected supreme council member Dato Sri Dr James Dawos Mamit will let the party’s top leaders decide if he should defend his post.

Dawos represents the Pesaka side of the party, of which PBB deputy president Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu is in charge.

“Whether I will contest or not will depend on the leadership to decide,” Dawos, who is Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, said when contacted yesterday.

The Bumiputera side is helmed by PBB president and Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Dawos, who is Mambong Member of Parliament, pointed out that his decision to contest or otherwise would be based on consensus.

PBB will hold its convention on Oct 18-20 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).

Meanwhile, PBB Bengoh branch will hold its annual general meeting (AGM) on Saturday at the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) headquarters.

Dawos is branch chairman.- theborneopost

Masing not telling latest move by G5

Tan Sri Dr James Masing

MIRI: PRS president and Minister of Land Development Tan Sri Dr James Masing is keeping it to himself the latest development on his invitation to former SPDP leaders dubbed the G5 to join his party.

He declined to comment when asked whether any of the G5 members had taken up his offer or if there was any other development that had not been revealed.

“Just wait and see and hope for the best, but whatever we do, it must be for the benefit of the Barisan Nasional (BN) and strengthen it to face the state elections,” he said.

Masing first made the offer after the group declared their intention to join BN component parties other than the party that sacked them.

His offer drew a rebuke from SPDP, which accused him of interfering in its affairs but Masing maintained that the invitation was made for the greater good of state BN’s interest.

PRS currently is the second largest BN component party in the state.

The G5 include four state assemblypersons – Datuk Sylvester Entri (Marudi), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu), Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau) and Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie (Tasik Biru) and former Mas Gading MP Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe.

With their sacking and resignation of Meluan assemblyman Wong Judat to join Sarawak Workers Party (SWP), SPDP is left with its president Tan Sri William Mawan as the sole assemblyman for the party in the 71-seat state assembly.

The party said it would be fielding new faces in the seats allocated to it in the last state election.

Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who is PBB president and state BN chairman, kept the door open for the G5, saying the ruling coalition would always have room for those loyal to it.

The G5 and their supporters have been insisting that they are fully behind BN, and even established BN service centres in their respective constituencies. Except for Dr Tiki and Paulus, the other three are serving assistant ministers in the state cabinet.- theborneopost

Sarawak’s most neglected infrastructure

MIDIN SALAD BY YU JI

A month ago, I wrote on the need to widen the Pan Borneo Highway after an accident claimed four lives. Six more have died since.

ROUGHLY 10km of the road between Sri Aman and Betong have claimed 10 lives in under a month. The Pan Borneo Highway, which is also called the Pan Borneo Trunk Road, is surely the most neglected piece of mass infrastructure in the whole of Malaysia.

This is already my fifth opinion piece on the highway. Everytime I write about it, I have highlighted that this is the only network that connects most cities and towns in Sarawak and Sabah.

And in almost every piece, I have also stated that only 10% out of the 2,239km long highway is dual carriageway.

For some 2,000km, the highway is really nothing more than narrow, winding country roads.

A month ago, I was having dinner with my father when he talked about the high rate of accidents that were being highlighted in the Chinese newspapers several times a week.

The next day, reacting to the deaths of four on the highway, I wrote a column, stating that nearly 100 people have been killed on the highway in the first half of this year.

Since then, I have received a list of accident-prone spots along the highway and a list of where more than 240 fatalities have occurred since 2011.

Numbers alone cannot paint a gruesome picture. Photos of mangled bodies and wrecked vehicles do that, but the figures point to a devastating neglect.

The police have classified 35 blackspots along the Sarawak portion of the highway. The deadliest is on Jalan Bintulu-Tanjung Kidurong, where 23 have perished since 2011.

Another danger stretch is around KM53 between Sri Aman and Betong.

This is where in the last month 10 lives have been lost in three accidents. All were within 10km of one another.

On July 10, four Indonesians were killed here when their vehicle collided with a lorry. On Aug 1, four state Islamic officials were killed in a similar fashion.

Last Saturday, two more were killed in a crash. The dead have all been between 20 and 39 years old.

Blackspots are classified by the police as any area where three or more fatal accidents have occurred.

Such information is then passed onto agencies like the Road Safety Department.

Therefore, the authorities know exactly just how dangerous this highway is.

Thirty-five areas where there have been more than three fatal accidents. Just think about that.

Thirty-five! And that is only for the Sara-wak portion of the highway. Yet funds are still not being made available for improvements.

Davina Agnes Enteli is the state director of the Road Safety Department.

A former IT engineer turned public safety advocate, she told me this week her career change was sparked by having lost loved ones to the road.

“Road safety is a very close thing to my heart. I feel passionate about it. I feel it’s a responsibility I have,” Agnes said.

After the last fatal accident near Betong, the department submitted a list of proposals.

They included lowering the speed limit along the 10km stretch and painting on more speed breakers.

“However, these are only short-term measures. We have in the past proposed that roads need to be upgraded.

They need to be widened. We are hoping for a good response in six months,” Agnes said.

“The number of cars is increasing everyday. In terms of public education, we can only target certain groups.

Because the Pan Borneo Highway is the only road that we have, the spectrum of users is very wide.”

Agnes told me she knew KM53 well. It begins with a straight piece of road, she said. The area is hilly.

A motorist is always given a false sense of safety looking ahead. “At KM53, there is the beginning of a curve. It is a S-shape curve.”

The accidents that have occurred were due to line of sight.

“The accidents have occurred either early in the morning, meaning drivers started even earlier, or around the time of thunderstorms.”

There is more to it then that too.

“From Sri Aman, the next rest stop is Betong; from Betong, the next one is Sarikei. These are long journeys. That affects the driver.

“After two hours of driving, people’s concentration wanes off. They go from concentrating on the journey to concentrating on ‘arriving’.”

Plans to upgrade the Pan Borneo Highway into dual-carriageway are contained in the second edition of theHighway Network Development Plan, which was published in 2010.

The authors of the report estimate the cost of the upgrade would be roughly RM22bil, saying the Federal Government deemed kos keseluruhan yang tinggi (high overall cost).

As such, the report said the upgrade would be carried outberperingkat-peringkat (in stages) bermula dari tahun 2011 kepada 2025 (starting from the year 2011 until 2025).

If the statistics of the past two years continue to hold true until 2025, then might 1,000 more lives be lost to the Pan Borneo Highway?

The Sarawak and Sabah state governments must tell the Federal Government this is unacceptable. The Federal Government must not overstate the quantity of ringgit for quality of life. - 

Pemuda UMNO kecam keras kenyataan fitnah Chong

KUALA LUMPUR: Per-gerakan Pemuda UMNO mengecam sekeras-kerasnya tindakan Pengerusi DAP Sarawak Chong Chieng Jen yang melemparkan tohmahan kononnya insiden kes tembak yang berleluasa di negara ini adalah sebahagian daripada sandiwara Barisan Nasional (BN).

Ketua Pergerakan itu Khairy Jamaluddin berkata, tohmahan Chong merupakan satu bentuk hasutan politik yang jahat, serius dan keterlaluan, dilihat bertujuan mempengaruhi rakyat bagi membenci BN selaku kerajaan yang dipilih secara sah pada pilihan raya umum lalu.

Beliau berkata, kenyataan Chong sebagai pemimpin kanan DAP dan juga anggota Parlimen Bandar Kuching, itu jelas menampakkan tembelang pembangkang bagi memperjuangkan politik kebencian dan perpecahan dalam kalangan rakyat.

“Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO mengutuk sekeras-kerasnya kenyataan ‘politik kotor’ Chong dan berharap ia membuka mata rakyat tentang kualiti pemikiran dan perjuangan politik para pemimpin pembangkang,” katanya dalam kenyataan di sini semalam.

Isnin lalu, menerusi laporan sebuah akhbar berbahasa Inggeris tempatan, The Borneo Post, Chong mendakwa kes pembunuhan melibatkan senjata api dibiarkan berleluasa bagi membolehkan kerajaan BN menggubal undang-undang baharu menggantikan Ordinan Darurat (EO).

Undang-undang baharu itu kemudian akan disalah guna oleh para pemimpin atasan BN untuk meng-aniayai pembangkang, kata-nya.

Mengulas lanjut, Khairy berkata Pemuda UMNO turut membuat laporan polis terhadap kenyataan Chong itu dan berharap satu tindakan undang-undang yang tegas dan adil dapat dilaksanakan. — Bernama

Chong bertegas, tetap dengan kenyataannya

KUCHING: Pengerusi Parti Tindakan Demokratik (DAP) Sarawak Chong Chieng Jen berkata beliau tetap dengan kenyataannya bahawa kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) sengaja membiarkan kadar jenayah di negara ini meningkat dengan niat untuk melaksanakan undang-undang pencegahan.

“Saya tetap dengan kenya-taan saya. Kami selama ini sentiasa tetap dengan apa yang telah kami nyatakan,” kata Ahli Parlimen Bandar Kuching itu semalam.

Beliau berkata, isu utama di sini bukan kenyataannya tetapi bagaimana untuk membendung kadar jenayah yang semakin meruncing.

“Mereka (pemimpin BN) seharusnya memikirkan bagai-mana membendung pening-katan kadar jenayah bukannya mengambil tindakan ke atas saya. BN ialah kerajaan. Polis di bawah Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) dan mereka melakukan tugas dengan teruk serta dahsyat. Tiada alasan mereka tidak boleh mengekal-kan keamanan negara,” ujar Chong.

Ditanya bagaimana beliau selaku seorang peguam boleh membuat kenyataan seperti itu tanpa bukti kukuh, Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Kota Sentosa itu berkata: “Saya menggunakan perkataan ‘mengesyaki’… ke-rajaan BN nampaknya menggunakan situasi sekarang untuk memperkenalkan semula EO (Ordinan Darurat).”

Isnin lepas Chong pada satu sidang media berkata, “akhir-akhir ini pihak tertentu dalam BN termasuk Zahid (Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) menggunakan peningkatan kadar jenayah dan insiden tembak sebagai alasan untuk memperkenalkan semula undang-undang pencegahan seperti EO.

“Kita mengesyaki kadar jenayah dengan sengaja di-biarkan meningkat dan polis bersikap mengambil mudah mengenai perkara ini hanya membolehkan Zahid memperkenalkan semula undang-undang seperti EO yang akan memberi Zahid sebagai Menteri Dalam Negeri kuasa penuh untuk menghalang pembangkang bersuara dan menekan pembangkang.”

Kenyataan Chong itu bagai-manapun dikecam beberapa pemimpin BN termasuk Pesuruhjaya Polis Sarawak Datuk Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani.

Kelmarin, Pemuda UMNO membuat laporan polis terhadap kenyataan Chong yang dikatakan berbentuk hasutan politik yang jahat. Laporan polis dibuat di Balai Polis Indera Mahkota Pahang.

Ketua Pemuda UMNO Khairy Jamaluddin dalam kenyataan akhbarnya menyifatkan kenyataan Chong itu sebagai ‘berniat jahat, menghasut dan keterlaluan.’

“Kenyataan itu jelas menghasut dengan niat memanipulasi rakyat agar membenci BN, kerajaan yang sah dipilih oleh rakyat pada pilihan raya umum lepas,” kata Khairy.

Menteri Belia dan Sukan itu menambah sebagai pemim-pin kanan DAP dan Ahli Parlimen Bandar Kuching, Chong jelas menampakkan tembelang pembangkang bagi memperjuangkan politik kebencian dan perpecahan dalam kalangan rakyat.

“Kita berharap rakyat boleh melihat kualiti pemikiran serta perjuangan pemimpin pembangkang,” tambahnya lagi.

Sementara itu, Bernama melaporkan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Nancy Shukri berkata kenyataan Chong tindakan yang tidak bertanggungjawab dan jelas tidak benar.

“Adalah amat tidak bertanggungjawab untuk Chong membuat kenyataan seperti itu. Sebagai kerajaan bertanggungjawab, kita bekerja keras memastikan keamanan serta kestabilan negara. Mungkin ia juga strategi untuk mengalih tumpuan rakyat daripada krisis politik sedang dialami DAP ketika ini,” katanya.

Nancy menambah, semua pihak seharusnya bekerja sama menangani jenayah bukannya menuding jari antara satu sama lain. - 

Laporan polis, Yong selar tindakan Khairy

KUCHING: Setiausaha Penganjur DAP Negeri, Violet Yong menyelar tindakan Ketua Pemuda UMNO, Khairy Jamaluddin susulan laporan polis terhadap Pengerusi DAP Negeri Chong Chieng Jen atas dakwaan hasutan.

Yong yang tidak berpuas hati dengan tindakan Khairy itu menggesa kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) me-lihat isu sebenar yang cuba dibangkitkan oleh Chong berhubung kadar jenayah yang semakin membimbangkan.

Beliau yang menjangka-kan perkara ini turut percaya tindakan itu adalah demi kepentingan politiknya memandangkan pemilihan UMNO bakal berlangsung tidak lama lagi.

“Saya tidak terkejut dengan tindakan Khairy ini memandangkan pemilihan UMNO bakal diadakan tidak lama lagi.

“Jika dakwaan ke atas Chong adalah disebabkan kenyataan berbaur hasutan, mengapa Khairy tidak membuat laporan polis ke atas kenyataan sama yang dibuat oleh pemimpin BN dan PERKASA yang lain sebelum ini?” soal Yong.

Pada sidang media di Ibu Pejabat DAP semalam, Yong yang juga Ahli Dewan Un-dangan Negeri (ADUN) Pending turut sangsi mengapa kerajaan perlu menggunakan Ordinan Darurat (EO) untuk menangani jenayah.

Sedangkan menurut Yong, negara-negara jiran seperti Singapura dan Thailand tidak perlu menggunakan undang-undang yang sama untuk memastikan keselamatan masyarakatnya.

“Adakah polis tidak berguna lagi hingga kita perlu bergantung kepada EO untuk menangkap penjenayah? Di Malaysia, kadar jenayah semakin meningkat tetapi keupayaan polis semakin menurun,” tambahnya.

Yong turut berharap Khairy atau kerajaan yang memerintah hari ini menghentikan permainan politik untuk mengalih perhatian umum daripada isu sebenar.

Rabu lepas, Khairy tampil membuat laporan polis ter-hadap Chong susulan kenya-taan Pengerusi DAP Negeri itu yang berbentuk hasutan dan keterlaluan.

Pada sidang media Isnin lepas, Chong berkata sese-tengah sektor dalam BN termasuk Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi telah menggunakan peningkatan kadar jenayah dan kes pembunuhan senjata api sebagai alasan memperkenalkan semula undang-undang pencegahan seperti EO.

Undang-undang tersebut kemudiannya akan disalah guna oleh para pemimpin BN untuk menganiayai pembangkang, kata Chong sebagai memetik laporan akhbar baru-baru ini. - 

Keputusan petisyen pilihan raya Sarikei 5 Sept

SIBU: Mahkamah Tinggi di sini semalam menetapkan 5 September depan bagi membuat keputusan petisyen pilihan raya bagi kerusi Parlimen Sarikei.

Petisyen pilihan raya Sarikei ini difailkan oleh calon Barisan Nasional (BN) Ding Kuong Hiing terhadap calon Parti Tindakan Demokratik, Wong Ling Biu yang memenangi kerusi terbabit.

Ding memfailkan petisyen itu bagi memohon keputusan pilihan raya bagi kerusi Parlimen Sarikei itu tidak sah dan batal.

Hakim Chew Soo Ho menetapkan tarikh itu bagi memberi masa kepada peguam bela pempetisyen, David Kuok bagi menjawab hujah tambahan yang dikemukakan oleh peguam pihak responden pada 12 Ogos lepas.

Terdahulu, Kuok memberitahu mahkamah yang beliau telah menerima hujah lain daripada pihak responden yang membangkitkan isu berhubung memfailkan petisyen pilihan raya itu dan bidang kuasanya.

“Surat ini bagaimanapun hanya dihantar kepada kami dan diterima pada pagi semalam (kelmarin),” ujarnya.

Petisyen pilihan raya itu difailkan di bawah Seksyen 10(a), (c), (d), (e), dan (f) serta Seksyen 11(1)(b), Seksyen 32(a), 34(c), 35(a) dan (b) serta 36, Akta Kesalahan Pilihan Raya 1954.

Pada Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU13) lepas, Ling Biu berjaya menewaskan Ding dengan majoriti tipis iaitu 504 undi.

Ding mendapat 13,758 undi manakala Ling Biu mendapat 14,263 undi.

Ling Biu diwakili oleh peguam Chong Siew Chang, Yap Hoi Leong, dan Wong King Wei. - 

Name calling draws flak from Chong’s new assistant

KUCHING: The new special assistant to state DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen is not happy that he has been branded a ‘Malay traitor’ by a certain non-governmental organisation (NGO).

At a press conference here yesterday, Abdul Aziz Isa regretted that Sarawak Malay Civilisation Association (Adab) had made a posting in its official facebook page that he is a “three-star stooge, Malay traitor and apostate” for joining the DAP, which was subsequently carried by pro-BN social media sites Wira Kenyalang and Unreported News.

“What does Adab mean by apostate? It is a immature action from an NGO. It does not stop there as the same slander was made by pro-BN media such as Wira Kenyalang and unreported News.

“I am sad these people made slander and false accusation in the month of Shawwal that is full of forgiveness. Adab is playing up racial sentiment here,” he said at DAP headquarters here.

Aziz said the association should not issue a political statement affiliated to certain parties, adding that every word the NGO used “is disgusting”.

He stressed that DAP “is a party for young people” like him to uphold justice and “defend the Malays and other Bumiputeras long ignored by the government”.

According to him, many new generation Malays who are educated and exposed to information and facts are now DAP members.

“That is why youngsters like us choose DAP as a struggle to become the check and balance to the ruling party. We reject race-based politics but fight for unity-based politics that benefit the people politically, economically and socially because we are Malaysians.”

Noting that DAP does not limit its membership to a particular race, Aziz said BN component parties, however, draw a clear line on their memberships.

“Unlike BN limiting party membership to a single race like Umno for Malays, MCA for Chinese and MIC for Indians, DAP is a political party that fights for freedom, equality, social and economic justice and parliamentary democracy.”

He thus urged Adab to be more open-minded, realistic and stop any prejudice against DAP. - 

Reach out to those who did not vote for BN — Mawan

CONGRATULATIONS: Mawan (centre) presenting a prize to one of the participants of competitions held recently while Ganil and others look on.

SARATOK: Community leaders who are appointed by Barisan Nasional (BN) must reach out to constituents who did not vote for the coalition in the last parliamentary election as they too have a stake in the development of the state.

Making this call yesterday, Saratok MP Tan Sri William Mawan said everyone should work together to ensure all government development programmes and projects run smoothly particularly in areas where electricity and treated water supplies and tar sealed roads are still lacking.

Mawan who is also State senior minister and Social Development Minister said he would bring in relevant state and federal agencies together to review all development plans for Saratok.

“This (review) would ensure that future development in Saratok could be implemented systematically and cost-effectively,” he said when speaking a Ramah Tamah Aidilfitri at Sessang here recently.

The event was also a thanksgiving ceremony to mark BN’s victory in the last parliamentary polls in the constituency.

Also present at the event were Kampung Kabong Baru village headman Ganil Janif and local leaders of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

At the function, Mawan also gave away prizes – cash and hampers – to winners of various competitions. - 

DAP taken to task over accusations

KUCHING: SUPP Central Youth chief Tan Kai yesterday scoffed at Sarawak DAP for making wild and malicious accusations, which he described as unacceptable and completely irresponsible, against the BN government.

He said all the opposition party could do was to criticise every single move the government made and every word BN leaders said, highlighting that the people were yet to see any corresponding increase in the service quality of DAP elected representatives despite the whopping increase in their salaries not too long ago.

“They are still doing what they did ten years ago – lip servicing the people,” he said in a press statement yesterday.

Rather than contributing constructively, he claimed that DAP leaders preferred to play a destructive political game in order to gain mileage but always had excuses that they were not in the government for their inability to address various issues.

“People are getting frustrated by this type of irresponsible and immature attitude, many are wondering what good did they get for casting their votes to get the DAP candidates elected if all they can give is lip service, leaving the real jobs to the government,” he said.

He reminded DAP leaders to be cautious in their speeches and criticisms because they are not only public figures but also professionals in their respective fields, and things they say can influence a lot of minds.

On the crime situation, he said the BN government had taken proactive measures to address the problem and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had declared war against crime.

“But this can only work when the people work hand in hand with the authorities. What DAP should do, rather than pointing fingers, is to come out with feasible solutions and work closely with the government. This is what can really benefit the rakyat.

“It is my wish that with the formation of SUPP Central Youth’s Crime Prevention Task Force, we can bridge the gap between the general public and the relevant authorities and particularly in this case, the enforcement agencies such as the police,” he said.- 

Police report against Chong

Khairy Jamaluddin

Umno Youth wants action on state DAP chief for alleging BN allows crime rate to soar

KUCHING: Umno Youth lodged a police report at the Indera Mahkota police station in Pahang against state DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen yesterday for saying that Barisan Nasional (BN) government is purposely allowing crime rates in the country to soar to justify bringing back preventive laws.

In a press statement yesterday, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said Chong’s statement was “malicious, seditious and excessive”.

“The statement is clearly seditious with the intent to manipulate the people into hating BN, a legally chosen government in the last election,” said Khairy.

Khairy said as senior leader of DAP and Bandar Kuching MP, Chong had shown the true colour of the opposition, which is advocating the politics of hatred and division.

“We hope people can see the quality of thinking and struggle of the opposition leaders,” he said in the statement.

Meanwhile, unfazed by the police report, Chong said he stood by his statement when contacted by The Borneo Post yesterday.

“I stand by my statement. We have always stood by what we have said,” said the Bandar Kuching MP.

He added that the main issue was not his statement but rather how to curb the rising crime rate in the country.

“They (BN leaders) should think how to curb increasing crime rates rather than taking action against me.

“BN is the government. The police are under the Home Affairs Ministry and they are doing a horrible and lousy job. There is no excuse for not being able to maintain security,” said Chong, who is also Kota Sentosa state assemblyman.

When asked why as a lawyer he made such a serious allegation without concrete evidence, Chong said he had used the word “suspicion” – that it “seemed like the BN government was using the situation to get EO-like laws to be reintroduced”.

Chong on Monday had said in a press conference that “of late there are certain sectors in BN including Zahid (Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) who have been using the increase in crime rate and gun shooting as grounds to reintroduce preventive laws like the EO.

“Our suspect is that crime rates are deliberately allowed to skyrocket and the police are taking a couldn’t-care-less attitude about crime so as to give justification for Zahid to reintroduce laws like EO which will give Zahid as Minister of Home Affairs the uninhibited power to silence dissidents and to oppose and suppress the opposition.”

His statement has drawn condemnation from BN leaders and state police chief Datuk Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani.- 

Abg Johari enggan ulas jawatan dalam PBB

KUCHING: Timbalan Presiden Kanan Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB) Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Abang Openg enggan mengulas mengenai kemungkinan mempertahankan jawatan kedua tertinggi parti itu pada pemilihan Oktober depan.

Beliau yang masih dalam suasana sambutan Hari Raya Aidilfitri berkata masih terlalu awal untuk beliau bercakap mengenai hal-hal parti terutama membabitkan kedudukan beliau sebagai timbalan presiden kanan pada pemilihan akan datang.

“PBB mengamalkan budaya perpaduan yang kukuh antara ahli-ahli dalam parti dan disebabkan perpaduan yang kukuh ini juga parti mampu memberi kesan yang baik kepada Barisan Nasional (BN) hingga diberikan empat jawatan menteri penuh dalam kabinet persekutuan.

“Jika PBB berpecah kita tidak mungkin akan dapat empat menteri penuh dan tiga timbalan menteri daripada PBB sahaja dan sudah tentu budaya ini harus kita pertahankan pada masa depan,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita ketika ditemui di kediamannya selepas menerima kunjungan Hari Raya daripada Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhammad Salahuddin dan isteri Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Norkiah serta rombongan yang lain.

Tambah Abang Johari, Sarawak mempunyai perancangan untuk membangunkan negeri ini secara tersusun hingga tahun 2030 di bawah kepimpinan Ketua Menteri Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud yang juga pengerusi BN Negeri dan presiden PBB.

“PBB adalah tulang belakang kepada rancangan membangunkan negeri Sarawak dan mereka yang terlibat dalam rancangan pembangunan hingga tahun 2030 adalah daripada kalangan mereka yang sudah biasa dengan rancangan ini.

“Kalau PBB sebagai tulang belakang negeri Sarawak berpecah dan tidak kuat sudah tentu perancangan ini terjejas dan saya yakin rakan-rakan BN yang lain akan menyokong usaha ini,” katanya.

Mengulas mengenai rancangan pembangunan negeri ini, Abang Johari yang juga Menteri Perumahan dan Menteri Pelancongan berkata selain pembangunan pembuatan yang berteraskan industri, penekanan juga diberikan kepada pembangunan sosial iaitu perumahan bandar.

Perkara ini menjadi cabaran yang besar kerana pilihan raya yang lepas memberi petunjuk bahawa kawasan bandar adalah kawasan yang harus dibangunkan oleh kerajaan negeri di bawah BN.

“Sekarang ini penghijrahan ke bandar adalah ketara dan nisbah kita ialah 50:50 bermakna penekanan pembangunan bandar adalah penting.

“Oleh itu, kita mempunyai perancangan secara menyeluruh dan sepertimana yang diumumkan oleh Ketua Menteri kita akan bangunkan prasarana yang dapat membabitkan industri perkhidmatan termasuk pelancongan,” ujarnya. 

S'wak DAP weighs in against EO-like law

The Sarawak DAP has accused sections of the federal government of "allowing" a rise in crime and gun violence in order to reintroduce preventive detention laws similar to the Emergency Ordinance (EO).

Expressing his suspicions at a press conference yesterday, state party head Chong Chieng Jen (left) referred to remarks by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, a proponent of reining in "criminals" freed from detention centres when the EO was abolished at end 2011.

"This is a political conspiracy. As we all know that the EO gives tremendous power or uncontrolled power to the police, and to the home minister to suppress, oppress and arrest dissidents and opposition politicians (without giving reasons)," claimed Chong, who is the Bandar Kuching MP.

"Such arrests are not subject to (oversight by a) court of law."

He said there is no reason why the police cannot control crime, bearing in mind that the force receives the fifth-largest slice of the annual budget.

"The source of the problem lies in (deployment). Of about 112,000 police personnel, 40 percent are assigned to administrative, management and logistics duties; and 31 percent to the general operations force, federal reserve unit and light strike force.

"Only 9 percent of the personnel are assigned to the Criminal Investigation Department; 3.8 percent in the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department and 1.4 percent in the Commercial Crime Investigation Department.

"All in all, only 14.2 percent are assigned to prevention, investigation and fighting crime. This is insufficient."

The police should deploy at least 50 percent of the personnel on curbing crime, he added, also questioning why the force has not done so despite recommendations to this effect.

The writer, who is based in Sarawak, uses a pseudonym  .

Fresh party polls only if RoS gives explanation, says DAP

The DAP is prepared to hold fresh party elections provided the Registrar of Societies (RoS) gives it a reason and under what section of the Societies Act that it is being compelled to hold it.

Secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (pic) said the party is making one last attempt to meet the Registrar of Societies (ROS) Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman on the matter.

“We are looking for two explanations of the reasons why and under what powers of the Societies Act it is directing the DAP to hold re-elections for its central executive committee (CEC).

“The DAP is willing to hold party re-elections provided these two explanations are given in a manner that is reasonable, lawful and with factual basis,” he said in a statement today following an emergency CEC meeting last night.

Lim said the party's national organising secretary Anthony Loke will be making arrangements for the appointment with the ROS.

“The DAP leadership would be helpless in not being able to answer the queries of DAP delegates at a party congress on why it succumbed and surrendered to such arbitrary and high-handed abuse of power by the RoS in directing re-elections,” the Penang chief minister said.

Lim said if the DAP accepted the RoS rationale that no explanation is needed for the re-election directive, then what is there to stop the RoS from directing that fresh elections be called again and again merely because the RoS is not satisfied.

He said the the party's CEC is unhappy that the RoS has repeatedly behaved unprofessionally, unethically and even unlawfully by making media announcements that had no factual or legal basis.

“If the RoS believes that they have been defamed by the DAP, they can always sue us for defamation,” he said.

Lim said the CEC reiterates that the CEC election in December last year was properly and cleanly conducted.

However, several disgruntled members had complained to the RoS that it was not properly conducted after the party announced that a glitch in the tabulation had resulted in the wrong candidate being elected in the CEC.

Based on these complains, the RoS initiated the investigation and ruled that fresh elections had to be held.

“When a computer glitch caused the wrong announcement of the successful candidates, DAP immediately rectified it and even got an accounting firm to verify the corrected results. There was no mistake either in vote counting or tabulation but only in posting the results, leading to one candidate Vincent Wu wrongly announced as a successful candidate when it should be Zairil Khir Johari,” he said.

Lim said the mistake was rectified and the party installed Zairil, the Bukit Bendera MP, as the winning candidate.

Lim said DAP had fully explained this honest mistake to the officials from the Registrar of Societies by furnishing all relevant materials.

The mistake was admitted voluntarily by DAP without being exposed by ROS or BN in the interest of upholding transparency and accountability.

Instead of facts by the DAP that were verified by an accounting firm, RoS appears to believe the unsubstantiated lies of Utusan Malaysia (UM) and New Straits Times (NST) that 753 DAP delegates had been denied their right to attend the DAP congress in Penang or that there were 547 “phantom” delegates attending the congress.

Abdul Rahman had insisted a few days ago that the DAP hold CEC re-elections.

He was reported to have said that the RoS had based its decision on statements given by the party’s stakeholders.

The RoS had issued a letter last month to the party, ordering it to hold the CEC re-elections as it was not satisfied with the DAP's explanation on the issue of manipulation of votes in the earlier elections.

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said the party is prepared to have a public inquiry to establish the truth about the party's CEC elections as it has nothing to hide. - August 13, 2013 -