The release of the federally sanctioned report on the sexual abuse of Penan women and girls has prompted contrasting reactions from Sarawak government leaders.
Take a look at the Borneo Post, which reports that Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu, who had not seen the official report, took a swipe at the messengers, the “negative NGOs”, while casting aspersions on the contents:
Doubts over KL Penan rape report
By Churchill EdwardJabu says negative NGOs could have a hand in federal government finding
KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu yesterday questioned the credibility of a government report about allegations of rape of Penan women.
Although he has not seen the actual report from a special task force set up by the federal government as of yesterday, he believed negative non-governmental organisations (NGOs) could have a hand in it.
“There may be a report, but you must remember that negative NGOs were strongly behind it,” he told reporters when told that the report indicated that rape cases as well as sexual exploitations occurred in Ulu Baram where the Penans live. Full report here.
Is this a case of denial syndrome?
If the NGOs are too “negative” for Jabu’s liking, perhaps he might want to consider commissioning a more “positive” report on this issue. It would make for interesting reading…
Jabu’s position seems to be at odds with his cabinet colleague, Land Development Minister James Masing, who is “shocked” and “stunned” and wants immediate action taken, according to this report in the Eastern Times. (Why is he so shocked though?)
Masing: “I am stunned”
KUCHING: Land Development Minister Dato Sri Dr James Masing said he was shocked and stunned by findings which confirmed that many Penan girls were indeed raped by timber workers in Ulu Baram.
“I am stunned! I am shocked! The perpetrators of this hideous crime should not be left to freely roam around among us. They must be punished in accordance with the laws of this land. The authorities concerned must take this matter seriously and find them regardless as to who or where they are,” he said in his signed press statement yesterday.
“Malaysia is not a rogue state, therefore, we cannot simply arrest anybody seen within the vicinity of the Penan communities in Ulu Baram without facts.
“We need all the details to catch the perpetrators of this dastardly deed. Therefore, I would like the Ministry which did the study, the NGOs, the Penan community, and most important of all, the alleged victims, to supply all the details to the authorities. Do not hide them,” he urged, adding that he was confident that the relevant authorities would accord the rapists the punishment they deserved. Full report here.
Jabu’s comments are basically a rehash of what he said in September 2008, as reported in emedia:
Penan sex claim is baseless, says Jabu
25 Sep 2008Desmond Davidson
KUCHING: Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu yesterday dismissed the claims of a Swiss non-governmental organisation that Penan women and girls were being sexually abused by workers from two logging companies.
Jabu said unless the Bruno Manser Fund could give details of their allegations, it would be a waste of time to investigate.
“Show proof. Tell us which Penan settlement.
“I have not heard of such complaints from the Penan community leaders in my many visits to Ulu Baram,” said Jabu, who is the chairman of the steering committee on the Penans, after launching Ops Sikap XVII at Km19 of the Kuching-Serian Road.
BMF had posted the allegations on its website, claiming that the workers preyed on students who were in the settlement during school holidays. It also claimed that the abuse had resulted in several pregnancies. Jabu said if the NGO could provide evidence, then the police could take action.
He was also dismissive of BMF, labelling it a “bunch of people who are nothing in their own country but like to sensationalise events elsewhere”. Jabu urged the BMF and other NGOs not to paint a negative picture of Sarawak and to respect the truth. “Hearsay and sweeping statements are unfair to Sarawak.”
Kita mesti bersatu mengutuk kerajaan ini.
Belum lihat laporan sudah cari bermacam-macam alasan. Saya rasa tiada harapan bagi mereka memperbaiki keadaan di Penan, Sarawak.
Sudahlah kekurangan makanan, kaum wanita dirogol pula. Petugas Pakatan Rakyat mesti aktif ke situ untuk mendaftarkan penduduk yang layak mengundi. Kerajaan negeri sekarang mesti ditukar kerana mengabaikan kebajikan masyarakat mereka.
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I did visit a Penan permanent village or settlement provided by state government many years ago and feel sad they are made zoo-like showpiece for tourists. Tourists are most interested on Penan women’s breast feeding than their traditional lifestyle.
DNA tests can prove who fathered the children. Anyway, I doubt those loggers involved in rape still there after many years of inaction by the police.
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Penan report
Alleged rapes and abuses
Why some Sarawakian leaders deny it?
Because they don’t see it happen!
The hinterland mass of green
It takes days to go into it
In this forest of nature
The powerful takes control
In the law of the jungle
A good political leader
Read the report and allegations
Go down to the ground
Before he throw words
Denying it ever happens
The symptoms breed
In Federal and State leaders
Always deny or wrongly quoted
Favourite words hiding the truth
They think people are fools
Wasting time and energy
Go to the ground
The forest of silent crying
The truth will be unfold
The plight of the indigenious people
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Taib, Jabu and Masing. They are all in the same boat exploiting the forests at the expense of the forest and the indigenous people.
In the article, Penan tribe escalates anti logging campaign dated 23 Aug 09 in Mkini, Masing was quoted as saying the Penan were “good storytellers” and their claims should be treated with caution. “the Penan are the darlings of the West, they can’t do anything wrong in the eyes of the West.” Another case of the victim of rape asked for it ?
And now Masing says he is stunned or shocked. What a phony remark ? Even the Police in Sarawak have their fair share of reasons for failure to act.
I have my doubts that justice will be done here. Another case for regime change in Sarawak.
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Deputy CM Jabu remains sceptical since he has limited intellectual faculties and only acts on directives from his Feudal Lord and Master, CM Abdul Taib Mahmud.
Note please that he has not read the reports but is happy to make dumb-ass statements.
As well, Jabu and his family have little appreciation of what it means to be a victim of a sex crime.
Such a stance speaks volumes about the low-class, garbage- and gutter-quality of the key politicians in Sarawak.
Satu lagi projek BN – i.e. to condone rape and sexual crimes against the most marginalised people in Sarawak (and Malaysia) by remaining sceptical of government task-force reports.
Is it not time to vote out these garbage-quality low-life politicians who protect timber companies and their criminal-workers who rape Penans?
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
After being a Malaysian myself for 30 years, I am still appalled that our fellow countrymen the natives of this land are still being severely marginalized by our government. The indigenous people in peninsular and east Malaysia still lives in the same way their ancestor lived with almost zero amenities and technology.
A stark contrast to aboriginal people in foreign country where these people had evolved and blanded so well in the modern society.
Look at the Australian aboriginal, American natives, Taiwanese indigenous people, you can’t see them any different from their other races. But here, it’s a pathetic to see our orang asli and natives bumiputras still struggles everyday for basic needs, food.
HOW HARD CAN IT BE!!!( a famous qoute by Jeremy Clarkson)
Why our government not putting much efford into these people all these years on independence.
Why can’t the qovernment request the armies’ help to transport foods using the Nuri to the Penans instead of allowing it to be abused by some high-powered government servant?
Why the government simply allowed companies to abuse the jungle which is the source of life for the indigenous people that severely dwindle their foods supply and DID NOT do anything when these people BEG for food….
Why can’t the government empower strict rules to these timber companies in performing their corporate social responsibility in which they must take back their metal bridge which they claimed worth almost a million but they had forget that they had ripped of multi million from these helpless people.
Why can’t the government do anything when there is report that the Penans girls were raped and sexually assaulted? And this issue has to be brought up by (outsiders). What a shame. Denial by DCM Alfred Jabu can’t make it even better.
Why the police asked for more information regarding this issue instead of finding it themselves.C’mon, wake up you policemen, YOU should find it yourself as if we have to do it for you.
The assemblyman of these people is too busy splashing themself with luxury holidays and food.
A simple bridge for the school going kids to cross rivers also take years or worse none.
I have all these years believes that our government simply hasn’t done much to the natives in peninsular let alone Sabah and Sarawak.What have the ADUN in these respective places help their people leave much to wonder.
HOW HARD CAN IT BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Anil,
I’ve been following your articles and posts on Sarawak and Sabah for sometime. I just want to say that I’m very grateful that a person such as yourself has devoted so much of your effort and time to highlight issues in East Malaysia which many of our West Malaysian counterparts, and even a good number of my EM fellow citizens are not aware of, thanks to tight media controls and state propaganda machinery.
You’ve said everything I wanted to say about Jabu and Masing’s ridiculous statements and comments about sexual abuse faced by the Penans. Quite frankly, I thought I had developed a reasonable layer of thick-skin after having being exposed to a lot of… that passes for factual reporting in local newspapers over the years, but Jabu and Masing’s latest statements left me at a literal loss for words. I felt so outraged at the arrogant nonsense they were spouting but I didn’t know how to voice it out in a way that would expose the illogic of their comments. Thank you for giving me that way. I recommend this post to anyone who can still even believe a single word that comes from them.
Anil, please do not stop exposing the corruption that is so prevalent among the echelons of EM government and politics.
To my fellow citizens in W. Malaysia who seem to be implying that Sarawakians deserve this ill-treatment because they deserve the government they voted in, let me tell you, don’t assume that politics and life here is the same as in W.M. Many Penans and E.M bumiputras are ignorant of their rights as citizens, no thanks to unbalanced development in the interiors. Many of them don’t even have ICs, [not for lack of trying as many of them submitted applications years ago, some even multiple times], so how can they register to vote, even if they want to? Many of them live so far away from urban centers that it can take days of travelling by foot, road, and/or boat just to reach a voting booth.
What seems so familiar to us in our Wi-fi equipped concrete jungle is literally a different world to natives living in the interior. Please don’t be so quick to judge them. As it took W.Malaysians time to learn that they hold the power to determine their fate and to be brave enough to exercise that will, so will it take time for the peoples of East Malaysian to overcome corruption’s regime enforced by decades of cultivated fear and ignorance.
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I hope this struggle on this issue will be persistent until justice is done! This is highly critical, and such NGO coalition should also give a memo to EU, Japan & US Ambassadors, and campaign on this issue specifically, in the EU especially amongst EU NGOs since these countries are among the biggest exporters of Malaysian timber and palm oil. The spokesperson from the Penan rape victims can be brought to Europe to further campaign on this, through Bruno Manser Fond for example. The Church communities must also be more outspoken on this issue as most Penans are devoted Christians; I attended their church service in Long Sait in Upper Baram, which has no electricity. Priests, Nuns and church volunteers can also travel to remote Penan villagers, especially in educating Penan children, where many have dropped out of schools due to the remoteness and lack of basic infrastructure like public transport, discrimination due to their families anti-logging stance and the threat to their security. The Penans should have a right to this religious freedom and social help since political NGOS are banned from entering these villagers usually, by both the state and timber/plantation corporations.The traditional and poor Penans and from other ethnic groups like the Iban, Kenyahs and so on, need also such social humanitarian help, not just political help.
Katharina Sri (former: Noor Aza)
Germany
Complain about this comment
Like or Dislike:
0 
0