RM2 million for Longhouses in Batang Ai By Churchill Edward; Borneo Post; Sunday, March 29th, 2009
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=49427
Land titles
…Sarawak is conducting a census among people in the Batang Ai resettlement area to resolve the long-standing issue of land titles after they were displaced by the construction of the Batang Ai hydro-electric dam in 1982…(NST, 27 March 09)
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/2516060/Article/index_html
Batang Ai: Ho! Ho! Ho! The White-Haired One arrives…
Due to climate chaos wreaking havoc to Santa’s North Pole winter detection system, he has mistakenly set out to balmy Asia way ahead of schedule.
Having been tipped off, my contact in Sarawak has been keeping an eye out for his early arrival. Hark, are those sleigh bells ringing? The ring-a-ling draws closer and then… with a mighty flourish, the sleigh draws into view and screeches to a halt. As the jolly White-Haired One, a huge sack of goodies slung over his shoulder, disembarks and bellows, “Ho! Ho! Ho!”, his band of cronies… er, I mean, faithful elves dances a jig.
It’s Santa and his elves bringing the politics of ‘instant noodles’ development to the good folks of Batang Ai.
Positive signs at the two Bukits for Pakatan
Karma reports on the Pakatan’s prospects at Bukit Selambau and Bukit Gantang:
The sentiment on the ground at the two Bukits appears positive for the PR. Thrilled to see multi-racial supporters giving massive support to PR. Many from all races were waving Pas flags drowning the BN supporters. A good sign for Malaysian solidarity if this is any indicator of race relations in the country.
In Bukit Gantang, PR waves were too huge to be subdued by BN supporters. If this is any indicator, Nizar will win big.
Bukit Selambau saw a storm in a tea cup among PR supporters. Surprised though to see now a multi-racial crowd swarming around the PR candidate, despite the media comments on the disgruntled supporters.
Of the three showdowns, Batang Ai is the most critical
1229: Sarawak – My other contact in the state reports:
Of the three by-election campaigns now underway, the most critical is that of Batang Ai in Sarawak. Bukits Gantang and Selambau are both PR seats and their retaining those seats – although extremely critical – will reflect the electorate’s referendum on Umno’s recent assembly and how Umno undermined constitutional governance in Perak. PR winning both seats would only restore the status-quo ex-ante between both coalitions in Semenanjong. It goes without saying that losing any one or both of the seats would be a major blow to PR. Batang Ai, however, is a whole different ballgame. Sarawak has long provided a crucial ‘fixed deposit’ of parliamentary seats to the BN thanks to local strongman and CM Abdul Taib Mahmud’s iron grip over patronage in the state! Any PR electoral inroads in Sarawak would pose a serious threat to the BN nation-wide, far bigger than if PR merely retained both Bukits in Semenanjong. Hence, BN’s determination to retain Batang Ai at all costs. Already, everything at the BN’s disposal – including instant noodles and the kitchen sink – has been thrown into the contest. Batang Ai has long been a BN seat. Although the BN candidate is a local unknown, he has the massive BN machinery to help him win. The PR candidate is a popular five-term former BN MP who, after being dropped by the BN in 2008 given local party conflicts, has since moved his politics and his longhouse into PR. Campaigning together with the popular Batang Ai PKR division chief, they collectively pose a clear and present electoral danger to the BN. Currently, throughout Sarawak there is deep anger and widespread antipathy among native Bumiputeras towards Abdul Taib Mahmud’s family’s corporate shenanigans. These Mahmud-linked companies enrich themselves and other BN cronies at the expense of native lands and livelihoods. As well, Batang Ai folk, many of whom were resettled by the Batang Ai dam 23 years ago, have been largely neglected and shortchanged by the BN ever since. In the 2006 state election, the BN candidate only won by a mere 806 votes out of 5,784 total votes cast. Given the rising popularity of PKR in Batang Ai and throughout Sarawak, CM Abdul Taib Mahmud has to win – and win emphatically – to prove to big brother Umno that he still has what it takes for the state to continue grabbing native Bumiputera land and to preserve BN corporate interests. But, only if he wins BIG given the amount of resources and money the BN has already thrown and will continue to pour into the contest. Anything less and Abdul Taib Mahmud’s justifications to continue in office as manager of the BN’s ‘fixed deposit’ of parliamentary seats in Sarawak will be tenuous in the eyes of Umno. An ominous thought certainly for Taib Mahmud and his family! Consequently, Batang Ai is a by-election in which the BN has everything to lose while PKR has everything to play for given their long-term game plan.1222: Bukit Selembau – A record 13 independent candidates have been accepted along with the BN and PKR candidates. It is difficult to gauge the crowd size from the centre as vegetation blocks the view. But loud roars can be heard indicating large crowds. Three or four of the independent candidates appear to have sizeable entourages, but not as many as the two main candidates, with the crowd estimated at 10,000. 1216: Bukit Gantang – It’s a three-way fight here, with an independent joining the fray. There’s a huge crowd of 30,000-50,000, including some 2,000 ethnic Indian Pas supporters. Pakatan supporters easily outnumber the 6,000-odd BN supporters. The Pakatan supporters at a field nearby performed a ‘Mexican wave”. There was some tension and yelling when the Bagan Dato Adun from the BN mistakenly walked into the Pakatan area, but thankfully nothing happened. Overall, it’s been a festive atmosphere. 1146: Batang Ai – It’s all over. It’s a straight fight between BN and PKR. Supporters are slowly leaving.
Batang Ai: Taib “the Glue” to lead 5,000 BN supporters
Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Taib Mahmud is expected to lead some 5,000 BN supporters to the nomination centre at the Lubok Antu Mini Stadium this morning, reports the Borneo Post.
Among the BN big guns expected to join him in the show of support for their candidate, Malcolm Mussen Lamoh, are Umno vice-president Shafie Apdal, Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Parti Rakyat Sarawak president James Masing.
On the opposing side, Khalid Ibrahim and other PKR leaders will accompany their candidate, Jawah Gerang.
Batang Ai: Jawah addresses 800-crowd in longhouse
My contact in Sarawak reports:
2137: At a ceramah in a long-house, Jawah Gerang, the PKR candidate, is speaking using a mixture of Iban and Malay. Among those present are Ngemah state assembly member Gabriel Adit (an independent who joined PKR in November) and Padungan state assembly member Dominique Ng.
Gabriel is speaking in Iban now. Khalid Ibrahim and others are waiting in the wingsfor their turn. The crowd is estimated at more than 800, their mood upbeat.
1819: At the PKR operations centre in Lubuk Antu, Khalid is addressing a crowd of 80 in a crammed room. He speaks about the ‘welfare government’ of Selangor and stresses that all Aduns must work hard and cannot afford to take it easy.
A by-election win here would be a victory not just for Batang Ai but for all Malaysians who cherish justice, he adds.
Bkt Gantang: Nizar gets a rousing reception in Taiping
Nizar receives a standing ovation in one of the largest Chinese restaurants in Taiping last night – Photo courtesy of Kinta Kid
Ban on ceramah in “public places” in Kedah
Another day, another restriction ahead of the by-elections. This time no outdoor rallies will be allowed in Kedah in a move likely to hurt the Pakatan the most in its attempts to reach out to voters.
On 23 March, police fired tear gas and chemically laced water to disperse a crowd of several thousand attending an Anwar ceramah on an open field in Sungai Petani. On 7 March, a large crowd of 15,000-20,000 attended another Anwar rally in Bukit Selambau.
Police will now only allow indoor ceramah in Kedah. This excerpt from a Bernama report carried in NST:
All political parties are prohibited from holding ceramah or gatherings at public places in Kedah to maintain public order.
No rest for Najib and his men
With Najib and his men basking in the glow of victory, the real test for them begins now as they confront the challenges that lie ahead.
When you think of it, he has been getting plenty of free advice from a host of personalities associated or previously associated with Umno: Abdullah, Mahathir, Razaleigh, Zaid…
He has the power, but there is one thing even Power will find hard to manage and that is public perception.
Here’s something I wrote for Asia Times after the Umno elections:
Challenges mount for Malaysia’s Najib By Anil Netto PENANG – Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak took a big step towards taking over the premiership when he was returned unopposed this week as president of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the dominant party in Malaysia’s ruling coalition. His men also bagged most of the leadership posts in the recently concluded party elections. As head of the UMNO, Najib automatically becomes premier, although a formal handover date has yet to be announced. Najib has been hammering home a message of change and reform, but many Malaysians wonder what his vision might entail.
When politicians and the press chase the homeless…
It is totally weird, bewildering and disturbing that certain politicians and members of the press see it as their patriotic duty to chase homeless people on the streets of George Town…
Is it any wonder why these street people fear these rough “rescue operations” so much? Do those who are “rounding up” these people know where these street people are being sent to and what conditions are like there? The Social Welfare Department should ask itself why these people are so afraid of being “rescued”. Has anyone stopped and thought about the root causes of such homelessness and what kind of social safety nets we have?
The press were there to cover the operations but that did not stop one press member from going on his motorbike in hot pursuit of a homeless person, already being pursued by the political secretary to the CM no less. Reminds me of journalists “embedded” with US troops in Iraq and how they like to don army flak jackets and pretend they are part of the war too, while reporting from the US military’s perspective.
It’s official: Muhyiddin it is…
2240: It’s official Muhyiddin has just been elected to the No. 2 post in Umno.
Muhyiddin now being mobbed by supporters. Zahid Hamidi (1,592), Hishammuddin Hussein (1,515) and Shafie Apdal (1,445) are the VPs.
Will Najib become PM now?
By now, many are thinking – and worried that – it’s a foregone conclusion that Najib will become the next PM.
But Tengku Razaleigh reminds us the Agong and Parliament have a crucial constitutional role to play:
Let us understand very clearly the transitional situation we are in. 1. The incumbent Prime Minister is about to resign as he has solemnly promised to by the end of this month. 2. On the appointed day (which like so many things in this administration remains a mystery) the Prime Minister will tender his resignation and that of his cabinet to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. With this the government of the day comes to an end.
Another ceramah stopped
While Najib is talking about change etc, another Pakatan ceramah in Sg Tinggi in the Bukit Gantang area is stopped. This from Wong Kah Woh’s blog:
There were at least 4 FRU trucks standby even before the Ceramah started. I couldn’t understand if they don’t have any other better things to do. After the speech by MB and YB Kesavan, the Police started to interfere and asked the crowd and the loud speakers to be confined into the Hall. Yes, we complied with. Yet, after 10 mins, the FRU trucks starting coming forward and warning to disperse was given. I went to argue with them that we have complied with every order of the police with regards to the conduct of the ceramah, yet, they have failed to keep their promise.
Let me lead you through the streets of George Town…
An eye-opening video produced by a team of citizen journalists in Penang. Courtesy of Obnoxious 5xMom’s blog.
Great work by these citizen journalists in putting a human face to the street people, who are often “invisible” to passers-by. The scary thing is that more people could be forced on to the streets as retrenchments soar and people are unable to pay rentals or housing loan repayments.
It should prompt us to ask what kind of social welfare or security system we have in place and whether it is enough. These street people are periodically rounded up by the authorities – but where are they sent to?
The video reminds me of the haunting lyrics of Ralph McTell’s ballad ‘Streets of London’:
Have you seen the old man In the closed-down market Kicking up the paper, with his worn out shoes? In his eyes you see no pride And held loosely at his side Yesterday’s paper telling yesterday’s news
Latest game in town: Restricting the media
Imposing restrictions on the media seems to be the flavour of the week.
Spot the difference – if any:
New media denied passes by Umno
Banning NST won’t solve anything
Harakah, Suara Keadilan banned 3 months
You see, once politicians start restricting the media because they think certain media have been “unfriendly” or “biased” or whatever, there’s no end to it…
Retrenched migrant workers must be fairly compensated
The federal government says it has no choice but to approve highway toll hikes because the concession agreements stipulate that compensation would have to be paid to the concessionaires if the hikes are not approved. (We won’t discuss here how they drew up such lopsided agreements in the first place.)
So is it fair to retrench foreign workers who have valid employment agreements without paying them adequate compensation?
LABOUR-MALAYSIA: Hit Foreign Workers First Govt Tells Employers By Anil Netto PENANG, Mar 23 (IPS) – An official guideline for employers to retrench their foreign workers ahead of local employees has alarmed civil society society groups who fear that indebted migrant workers could be sent home with inadequate compensation. Worries about retrenchment and unemployment have been mounting as Malaysia sinks into a recession, its export-oriented economy taking a hit from a slump in global consumer demand.
Chaos as tear gas, water cannon fired at ceramah in SP
2342: Just off the line with Selangor state exco member Xavier Jayakumar. He told me that the speakers on stage in Sungai Petani tonight did not hear any police warnings to disperse.
Police fired water cannon and tear gas into the crowd, including women and children, as they moved in.
Children coming out of a neaby tuition centre were also doused by the spray from the water cannon; so were patrons in a nearby Chinese restaurant, according to Xavier.
Even the usual small itinerant traders selling Pakatan memorabilia were not spared the action. Police could be heard warning of even more aggressive action as they chased the people away. “The police action was aggressive,” observed Xavier.
Nizar is the Pakatan candidate for Bukit Gantang
2254: Nizar thanks the crowd for their prayers and the Pakatan leadership, especially the Pas leadership for entrusting him to stand in the by-election, as he concludes his speech.
2246: Nizar will be the Pakatan candidate for Bukit Gantang.
2238: Hadi is addressing the crowd now and will announce the candidate shortly.
2229: Azmin Ali is speaking to the crowd now.
84-day media honeymoon for Najib
Najib says he doesn’t expect much of a political honeymoon – never mind the customary 100-day settling-in period for an incoming leader – in terms of the level of scrutiny he is likely to receive if he takes over as PM as planned.
But now we see the removal of a high level of media scrutiny for the prime minister-to-be.
The three-month suspension of the permits of Harakah and Suara Keadilan allows Najib an 84-day honeymoon (assuming he takes over from 1 April) from scathing criticism from the Pas and PKR party newspapers. It is a serious blow to press freedom in Malaysia.
Crucially, the suspensions will also severely handicap Pakatan’s attempts to reach out to the Malay-speaking rural voters in Bukit Selambau and Bukit Gantang during the by-elections campaigns from 29 March to 6 April.
PR candidate for Bkt Gantang to be unveiled tonight?
The Pakatan candidate for Bukit Gantang is expected to be announced in Simpang at around 9.30pm, according to a media source. Originally, the candidate was supposed to be revealed on Thursday but the announcement has since been brought forward, says my source.
He tells me that five Pas names were in the running and Nizar was not one of them – though others think Nizar would be the best choice. Let’s wait and see.
World could dump US dollar and opt for shared currency
The days of the US dollar as the global reserve currency seem to be numbered. For some time now, independent commentators have been saying that the US dollar is on shaky ground – or could even collapse altogether. But when a UN panel recommends that the world should ditch the dollar in favour of a basket of shared currencies and the mainstream business press like Reuters takes it seriously, you got to sit up and take notice:
U.N. panel says world should ditch dollar
Wed Mar 18, 2009By Jeremy Gaunt, European Investment Correspondent
LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) – A U.N. panel will next week recommend that the world ditch the dollar as its reserve currency in favor of a shared basket of currencies, a member of the panel said on Wednesday, adding to pressure on the dollar.