Hi folks, did you see the Al Jazeera focus on Sarawak over its 101 East programme just now? And how they highlighted the 12-dams overkill in Sarawak.
The programme spotlighted the role of Taib Mahmud’s family owned company, CMS. It also interviewed the CEO of Sarawak Electricity, who is Taib’s brother-in-law.
It was fun to watch Fauziah, the interviewer, roasting James Masing with a smile on her face. Did you notice James making some vain attempts to adjust his tie when the going got a little too hot?
Fauziah, who had done her homework, was asking James whether he was Taib’s crony and why projects were awarded to CMS without open tender. But James said he was just a “friend” of Taib’s and insisted contracts were properly awarded.
James kept saying that if there was anything wrong, the laws and the legal process would have taken its course. Finally, he said the electorate in Sarawak kept voting them back; so surely the leadership was vindicated. (Sarawak voters, take note.)
Anyway, an analyst in Sarawak tells me that the pervasive role of CMS in Sarawak may be news outside the state, but it’s old hat for Sarawakians, who are all too familiar with CMS…
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Just too bad the whole state is (virtually) ‘sold off’..CM well done a great job….
IbanBidayuhmix, my apology for the overt generalisation of the situation. I have no intention of looking down on the political will of anyone, but it’s just my thought that even by changing your political alignment from Devil A to Devil B, it would send a clear message to these so-called ‘leaders’ that the people is still in charge of who’s representing them. By continuing to elect the same Devils back into office only reinforces that the people are happy with the current government even if that’s not the case. You’re right on the fact that since we don’t live in… Read more »
Dear anak tempatan Honestly, I’ve already showed my courage by being different from the majority who voted for BN all these while and yeah I’m poor too, seems hard to secure a job when most of the private companies where I applied jobs aren’t keen to hire me(probably because I’m a bumi, just probably), and not to mention the civil service. Owh why have to work for them? why not start my own business?I’m not a money printing machine, dude. Yeah, I do some menial jobs such as working at fuel station, electronic factories (used to), etc. and now I… Read more »
It’s Not SarawaKian Vote BN.
It’s that Rural Old Folks Without Internet,Electricity,roads,Tv etc.They are Too Easy To Fools with A few Crates of Beers,foods,zincs,woods,water tanks,oils,generators,a few bucks and the List goes on.Sarawakian Natives especially Those Too ULU they are not Educated and too friendly.When a stranger Came with Sweets talking Sweet Words Giving Gifts etc they ll vote for You…..
God Save Sarawak My Beloved LAnd Of The Hornbills ( Not Land Of The Crooks By Hooks) Amen.AMITABAH
Dear Uchu Labi While I agree with your assertion that the Opposition provides mouth services and BN gives subsidies, the Opposition don’t really have a choice do they? Consider this: The party in power holds the key to the treasury or the purse and it is they who will decides at their whims when and to whom to loosen the purse string. So the BN uses the state money like it its theirs to use as they please (with a lot flowing to their pockets). Remember the wealth and assets of Sarawak belong to Sarawakian, not to BN and the… Read more »
Those who missed out the programme, can check out the videos – 3 parts here.
http://bongkersz.com/2009/03/20/al-jazeera-101-east-the-fight-for-power/
I’ve been thinking… On what basis we malaysians make our vote? Do we vote simply because i hate person A/party A, so i vote person B/ party B? Have you guys ever noticed that during every GE, most people/party running for office never made any clear promises that we, as voters can base their performance should they get elected. We always see/hear in the media whereby each party/or person running for election will say “vote us for the betterment/development of m’sia and her people”. May I ask, development/betterment of what? Development of bigger pockets? I feel it is ridiculous. They… Read more »
Dear anak tempatan, Perhaps, the main reason why Swakians are hard to to vote for Opposition over here is that because, majority of them don’t see much difference between BN & Opposition, though I myself voted for Opposition all these while..with PKR and DAP were bickering over the number of seats they wanted to contest in the last GE. So, hey, most of them perceive Opposition as hypocrites, which is quite true..I mean, they only do mouth-business … all the time, but when it comes to service..sadly, only God and they know. You want to convince them to vote you,… Read more »
AlJazeera: 101 East
The Fight For Power – Sarawak
For those who missed the broadcast on ASTRO, Click to watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbGRO4y-3mo ( part 1 )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mICLICezUY ( part 2 )
Reading the comments from the Sarawakians, I can only shake my head in disbelief. The Peninsular voters were brave enough to vote for change though not good enough but still show courage and they now also suffer the consequences of voting the PR but no one regrets. See what happened in Perak and Selangor but no one regrets. Peninsular voters knew what they were in for when they voted opposition yet had the moral fibre and guts as we know change will take time and we will also suffer for some time before change is completed. Hey bro its about… Read more »
Haha, good job…………if there is more time, This crony will be grilled till burnt. He was talking nonsnece and frivilous. Not guilty? He has no sense of compassion so how can he be a leader. Question more about what has been plan for these displaced ppl to make sure they are cared for……….
John Q’s eloquent posting above says it all……………..
I like this “We do not like to be just seen as a disposable “extras” for you to achieve your goals.”
Thank you for putting up a clearer picture fellow sarawakians.
We are not staunch followers of any party, true we may want change. But change for the betterment of our people. Not to line the pockets of our so called ‘leaders’ from whichever politcal divide that may be. If we are courted by both sides, why not take advantage of the courting?
It’s not blind faith in a party but it’s a matter of surivval and of development….
We do not like to be just seen as a disposable “extras” for you to achieve your goals.
Kudos to IbanBidayuhmix, The whole reason why we still voted BN is because government be it opposition and even BN themselves are ignorant of the plight of Sarawak people. Only point I see why the oppositions now getting involve in east politics is because we are the main reason that BN is on the top. By voting the oppositions, what do you think will happen? Probably they will start thinking of proposing to decrease the vote count here when they have won thus making us even more less important. I’m seeing a lot of floods here, bad road condition between… Read more »
(^_^) + (^0^) = (+_~)
I’m an urban educated Sarawakian and I totally echo the views of my brother/sister Sarawakians who have commented thus far. Generalisations by West Msian commentators such as @Penangites above just reveal how out of touch West Msians are about the realities on the ground here in East Msia and how the issues at the forefront of the East Msian electorate substantially differ from their West Msian counterparts for various reason. @Penangites, perhaps you may like to read Sim Kwang Yang’s articles on Malaysiakini for an insight as to why we vote the way we do, here across the water. Anil,… Read more »
IbanBidayuhmix, I totally agree with you… What our people want is only a better treatment from the party we voted for. It is not all about politic’s party… It is about our damn leader!!
Penangites & Yow Chuan, Come and live with those deep rural folks for like a year, completetly living like us deep in the jungle.. don’t ever stay in town, it’d be different. You might want to know, how these so-called ‘brainless’ people as you both blamed, yearn for development in their ‘RURAL’ area for damn only God knows..it’s not really like the Semenanjung rural area, dudes…where, even though you have enough facilities, you still whine. Neither do us want the corrupted BN … to stay in power, they are just simply left with few choices not like you all do… Read more »
I concern our people are less educated but not stupid. We got to find out an effective way on how to educate our people (Which most of them are our folks = naive). Lets think about something…
People. We HAVE woke up. We know that they won using shady tactics. The problem is a bit more complicated than just the dams, the cronisym in Sarawak and vote rigging. Most of us do not even enjoy the present technology like internet which allows us to get more accurate information. Most of the newest technology and facilites are channeled at the peninsulars and we are basically ignored until a decade or so. When the goverment talks about broadband penetration, I suppose they are talking about those in peninsular only and disregard us Sarawakians as merely … meant to live… Read more »
hi, Im sarawakian & live in kuching … in sarawak i voted oppositon all the way as im very unhappy with the rajah of sarawak & the gangs.. i wonder why the hell those rural are voter keep voting for BN i.e Taib… (quite a few of) the major companies in sarawak is belong to taib and his cronies…CMS… and all those related to infrastruture businesses. land are taken in the name of goverment project but actuall fact only a small piece for gov. projet and the balance piece for housing project..? to all non Taib & the Gangs cronies,… Read more »
Google for Jamilah Taib and you will find some interesting information.
Lets not forget the cheats in elections. How can people make an informed choice when they’ve not been educated enough about it. Lets not forget the postal votes, missing candidates, etc.
Let’s hope the people of Sarawak will wake up and take back what belongs to the people.
Change is what the west is seeking and we hope the eastern state will rise up and work together with us.
Long Live PEOPLE’S POWER.