The chairman of the British parliament’s All Party Parliamentary Group for Tribal peoples, MP Martin Horwood, has written to Taib Mahmud expressing concern about the plight of the Penan as the Sarawak chief minister arrived in the UK.
A barrage of placards greeted Taib at Oxford University’s Said Business School this morning – Photo credit: Survival
Martin Horwood, MP - Photo source: Wikipedia
“The Penan have frequently been subject to violence and intimidation at the hands of loggers operating on their land… Without recognition of their land rights, the Penan are struggling to provide for themselves, and are left vulnerable to violence and exploitation,” Horwood wrote, according to Survival, the movement for tribal peoples.
Horword asked Taib to “halt logging and other developments on the Penan’s land without their free, prior and informed consent, according to international law” and to “ensure that Penan women and girls are protected from sexual violence and the perpetrators of such abuse brought to justice”.
Full letter on the Survival website here (.pdf format).
Thank you CM!
Sarawak CM has done a big favour to the Penans by highlighting their issues to a bigger audience. Maybe he should crawl back to his cocoon and think twice about giving speeches overseas again.
Barisan Nasional leaders and cronies on a roll, making a fool of themselves on a global scale.
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The Penan walk while Taib flies around in his Cessna Citation X Executive Jet or his Bell Helicopter!!! The Penan lose their forest resources while (Taib’s) … family… companies (thrive) worldwide. Not bad. Malaysia Boleh!
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Sarawak used to be the land of the headhunter, now it the land of White_hair
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hey, where you want to hide… Taib.
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What amused most bystanders was Westerners were kicking a big fuss when Malaysian timber companies were felling trees…because it affected world warming!….but, when it came to the plight of Penan people, little interest was shown by both the British public or the University students…this is “White men” hypocrisy and selfishness at their best!!
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Great!!! The white man wrote to the white hair, finally.
Anak Bakun, the Penan didnt walk but they crawl on their own land… How sad !!!
The poor are always being exploited and the rich are getting richer each day… Sigh !!!
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Yes, thanks to taib and his vanity he has now created interest in his activities in s’wak to the world.
Oxford will probably face some credibility issues now as a result of this for they have opened up a can of worms! Heads in oxford will roll!
taib has undoubtedly shot himself in the foot this time and he can kiss his honorary doctorate goodbye, which might be the reason for this ‘do’ in the UK! Question is, who is paying for all these hoohaa!
What a PR disaster! It just goes to show the arrogance and stupidity of the man for thinking that he can be as how he is and do whatever he does as in S’wak in a free country like the UK.
Makes the mind boggles as to why sorts like taib are obsessed and so preoccupied with gratuitous and unwarranted ‘titles’ like a bunch of cub scouts earning tasks badges but unlike the scouts, they did not earned it!
So typically 3rd world dictator types dawned with titles a mile long with portraits of themselves in medals laden uniforms and should one were to melt down these medals, one could probably build a small skyscraper!
How ludicrous and it just shows the backwardness of taib!
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I STRONGLY BELIEVE GE12 HAS CHANGED MALAYSIA FOR THE BETTER, THE RESULT HAS GIVEN FAITH, CONFIDENCE AND BELIEVE TO RAKYAT IT’S POSSIBLE TO CHANGE THE GOVERNMENT AND DENY BN 2/3 MAJORITY, IT MAY EVEN REPLACE THE BN IN GE13 TO CHANGE THE WAY THINGS MUST BE DONE IN THIS NATION FOR ALL. NO ONE CAN CHALLENGE THE UNIVERSAL FORCES WHICH IS FAIR, JUST AND HARMONY. THE TIME WILL COME. I BELIEVE THE TIME IS NOW FOR THE SARAWAKIANS AND SABAHANS TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND DO THE THING RIGHT ONCE FOR ALL FOR YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. ALTERNATIVE GOVERNMENT…….YOU DECIDE.
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Actually, not only the Penans are suffering. the Orang Ulus, the ibans and kelabits are also in the same quandary. The Penans are worst due to the challenge in reaching them
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UK’s “all-parliamentary group chief” writes to Taib.
As if it matters.
As if Taib will shake with fear.
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If everyone adopts a pessimistic view like you, Pek Moh will continue to thrive. We should snowball the protest into a global event to make known to all that Penan people are (losing) their land, livelihood and dignity under Taib’s mahmud administration, that is only primed for wealth of the (well-connected).
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I am not pessimistic. I am just being real.
Who is that “UK all-parliamentary group chief” guy?
What power does that guy has?
Why should Taib even heed that Mr. Nobody from that sub-standard nation?
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You have a point, Pearl.
About Taib. He’s so indignant of things decent, that had he been sober enough to let really a solid character to be in his place at the function, Halal products and Islamic branding might have scored something. He would have made things difficult for PR to do decently in the coming State Elections. Now? He’s done the opposition a favor!
What to do, lor! Kind of a terrible self-fulling act!
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Pearl
You are not helping the cause with your opinion and attitude. If you are too realistic, BN will continue to rule for anotehr 50 years. Please break away from the paradigm and encourage the young voters to speak up.
We shall mobilise the people of Sarawak to stand up agaisnt … Taib.
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Why did the Chinese by and large not vote for BN?
Because it’s corrupt. Plain and simple. Let’s call a spade a spade. And BN showed how corrupt it was during the campaign by throwing bribes to the electorate, including baiting a Chinese school in Rasa by promising RM3 million should it win the by-election.
The Chinese were not alone in seeing this corruption. The figures are unofficial but one could assume that at least 40 per cent of Malays and 45 per cent of Indians who voted against BN in that by-election also had their eyes open. So, what’s wrong with not supporting a government that is corrupt? If the government is corrupt, do we continue to support it?
To answer the question then, what do the Chinese want?
They want a government…
a. that is not corrupt;
b. that can govern well and proves to have done so;
c. that tells the truth rather than lies;
d. that follows the rule of law;
e. that upholds rather than abuses the country’s sacred institutions.
Because BN does not fit that description, the Chinese have learned not to vote for it. This is not what only the Chinese want. It is something every sensible Malaysian, regardless of race, wants. Is that something that is too difficult to understand?
Some people think that the government is to be equated with the country, and therefore if someone does not support the government, they are being disloyal to the country. This is a complete fallacy. BN is not Malaysia . It is merely a political coalition that is the government of the day.
Rejecting BN is not rejecting the country.
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