NATIVE CUSTOMARY RIGHTS ISSUES

 I am not an expert in Native Customary Rights issues nor do I claim to know much on these or related matters. 

But what I do know and FEEL is that there is a serious TRUST DEFICIT between the rural folks and the government of the day on such issues. 

Why do I say so ?

To answer that, we must first UNDERSTAND the Government is the authority or power that rules on behalf of a group of people.

It is there to, among other things, maintain social order, provide public services, establish laws and ensure good governance is in place.

Getting involved in business is not the Government’s ‘duty and responsibility’.

Rightly or wrongly.... that's for the experts – to be more precise, the PEOPLE to gauge. 

One thing which I feel is not 'morally' right is for our State Government to grant sizeable chunks of State/NCR lands to plantations owned by West Malaysian companies - directly or indirectly. 

Worse, a number of these companies and plantations 'involved' our leaders and politicians, relatives or 'friends'(directly or indirectly) - I stand corrected on this.

All said, A RESPONSIBLE Leader and Government should put the interests of the Rakyat FIRST, as in 'Sarawak FIRST' - above all other considerations. 

Not everything is as clear as mud. 

But in the final analysis, MORALITY and LEGALITY should be the driving force of GOOD GOVERNANCE.

It takes GOOD and CLEAR CONSCIENCE to see this through. 

After all, aren't we supposed to be ruled by 'a government of the PEOPLE, by the PEOPLE and for the PEOPLE' ?

It's 'PEOPLE',  isn't it...? 

Not 'ME',  not 'YOU,  not the YB or Ministers, obviously. 

Anything else is running contrary to all these PRINCIPLES. 

If we can't get the main beam of our country's governing principles right, how do we expect its lesser beams to be right  ?

Create opportunities for Sarawakians to prosper, not impoverish them. 

The thought of over 60,000 Dayaks having to eke out a living in Johore and West Malaysia during this Covid19 pandemic brings nothing but sadness. 

Shouldn't they be in Sarawak in the safety and comfort of their own families  ?

Home is where the heart is. 

Have a heart, dear Leaders in Government. 

It goes beyond spending on big projects or dishing out $$$ goodies. 

It's about our people and State's pride and dignity. 

If the GPS State Government still cannot grasp or understand this simple concept, then it has not only failed in its basic duties but should honourably step aside and make way for those who can.

It’s time for change, a change which will see things being done differently for a new outcome for Sarawak and her people.

Pemimpin Dayaks Dalam GPS - Cakap Tidak Serupa Bikin

Pemimpin Dayaks Dalam GPS - Cakap Tidak Serupa Bikin

On the 26^th October, Borneo Post online reported James Masing as having said Sect 18 NCR Land title owners face ‘great danger’ of selling land.

https://www.theborneopost.com/2020/10/26/masing-section-18-ncr-land-title-owners-face-great-danger-of-selling-land/

A hypocritical statement indeed as James Masing himself was implicated in some of the biggest sale of untitled NCR land in his own area in Kapit. Nobody know how much he benefited from the Sime Darby/Nature Ambience Sdn Bhd/Vertical Drive Sdn Bhd scandal but Sime Darby reported a loss in excess of RM100 million.

 

https://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/2014/09/04/63096/

 

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/chew-zubair-said-sime-would-buy-vertical-drive-if-ncr-bid-succeeds

 

James Masing’s wife, Corinne Bua Nyipa is the proud concession holder of Belian Timber Licence 3333, which covers a massive area of land, including NCR land, in the region.

https://www.sarawakreport.org/2012/03/spotlight-on-masing-corruption-exclusive/

 

The Linggi family, through their family owned companies like Rajang Wood Sdn Bhd, Keresa Timber Corporation Sdn Bhd, Asia Plantation Sdn Bhd, to name a few, have plundered their fellow dayaks of their NCR land for the last 25 odd years.

 

That very hypocritical and condescending statement reminds the dayaks of a statement made by CM Abang Johari on the 30^th August 2019 and reported by an online news portal, the Free Malaysia Today.In Nov of 2013. In that statement, the Malay Mail reported Nancy Shukri as having said bumiputra (including the poor dayaks) will resort to stealing if not aided by the government.

 

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2019/08/30/sarawak-has-reduced-poverty-rate-says-abang-johari/

 

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2013/11/08/bumiputera-will-steal-if-left-unaided-says-law-minister/558131

 

The dayaks, as a community can however agree with the undiluted conclusion by CM Abang Johari, namely that the rural based dayaks B40 families have very low income because they cannot monetise their NCR land. While DCM Awang Tengah seems to suggest that Sect 18 land titles for dayak NCR lands is the starting point in the process to monetise NCR land and rightly so too, DCM James Masing seems to disagree with him (Awang Tengah). There are another two conclusions which dayaks, particularly the rural based dayaks, fully agree on is : The state of poverty that they are in makes them very vulnerable to manipulation and oppression by scrupulous politicians and their land, vulnerable to acts of land-grab.

 

The two conclusions above are and will continue to be the consequences of NCR remaining untitled and incapable of acquiring any meaningful financial value.

 

They can also agree that leaders who have occupied positions of extreme comfort and enviable wealth for far too long is oblivious to the sufferings of those who propel them to the positions that they (the so-called leaders) are now occupying. James Masing himself has been an ADUN for almost 25 years now and has also been a DCM for two years now.

 

The hope now is that dayaks, particularly the rural based dayaks have come to the realization that the time has arrived to get rid of GPS/BN from the Sarawak government, especially the jurassic era leaders like James Masing and Uggah. 

 

 

TIMBER - A WEAPON OF GPS’ ‘POLITICS OF MASS DISTRACTION’ ?

 TIMBER - A WEAPON OF GPS’ ‘POLITICS OF MASS DISTRACTION’ ?

The family flagship company of the Linggi family, Rajang Wood Sdn Bhd,is among the earliest recipients of timber concessions dished out to politically useful families by the late Tun Abdul Rahman Ya’akub, chief minister of Sarawak from July 1970 – March 1981 . Rajang Wood Sdn Bhd is a timber trading company incorporated in January 1978. 

It is recorded to hold 309575 hectares in concessions throughout Sarawak, an area almost half the size of Singapore. Singapore land area is 71,910 hectares in size. In 1976, a timber license (T/0537) was issued to Keresa Timber Corporation S/B covering a virgin forest area of approx. 49,996 ha. On 15th August 1979, another timber license (T/3024) was issued to Rajang Wood S/B covering a virgin forest area of approx. 309,575 ha. Karesa Timber is a timber-based company also controlled by the Linggi’s family.

The family also owns Keresa Plantations Sdn Bhd (Co. No. 74447-V) which controls  8,551 hectares (ha) in Labang district between Bintulu and Belaga.  A news report carried by The Star on the May 2003 revealed that Keresa Plantations Sdn Bhd was awarded the subject land lease by Sarawak Government. An apparent form of reward for the Linggi’s family loyalty to PBB.

That the Linggi family has benefited and prospered for 44 long years from the timber concessions given to them is without doubt. In recent years and with the clear advantage they have, the family has also ventured into plantations and in 2014 sold Asia Plantations Ltd which controlled a total 24,622ha comprising five wholly-owned estates within Miri and Bintulu in Sarawak to UMNO related Felda Global Ventures. The sellers reportedly pocketed a cool RM1,016,000,000.00.

In fact, long before the durian farmers in Pahang started making their money in the musang king and black thorn durians, the Linggi family was already chocking on the profits from their durian balak and durian sawit. 

The sale of the APL land is however now a subject of investigation for manipulation , a report by the Edge quoted an insider source as saying “Several things triggered the investigation, but what started the ball rolling is that another plantation company — a big one, much like FGV, and also government-linked — was offered Asian Plantations at RM20,000 per hectare … FGV ended up paying in excess of RM65,000 per hectare” 

Among the major shareholders of Asian Plantations when FGV took over was Keresa Plantations Sdn Bhd, the vehicle of Tan Sri Leonard Linggi Jugah, which had 24.9% equity interest; and Dennis Nicholas Melka and Graeme Iain Brown, who, with Linggi, controlled close to 60% of the company. 

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/newsbreak-fgv-investigating-overpriced-asian-plantations-purchase

Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), making references to investigative reports by environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) like Global Witness and the Bruno Mansor Fund, noted "APL’s success and profit started with allocation of valuable forest land by the Sarawak state government, under the control of the (former) chief minister, to political allies and family members for well below market value. The giveaway of state forest land for plantations, at substantially below market value, amounts to theft of the Malaysian people’s common resources.Theft of public forest lands is not new in Sarawak. Scholars have noted how, since the 1970s, Leonard Linggi, the chairman of APL, his immediate family members, and other political leaders have acquired logging concessions in return for political favours to Sarawak’s ruling leaders – and subsequently profited from these concessions on a massive scale."

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/former-sarawak-minister-named-report-state%E2%80%99s-timber-corruption

There was a brief period, during the late Adenan Satem’s term as CM, when the Linggi’s family fell out of favor due to ‘insufficient’ contribution to Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) coffers. PBB of course is the political party largely responsible for the massive wealth (and the financial clout that comes with it). It did not take very long for the Linggi family to realise that their continuing prosperity and influence is very much at the hands of the leaders of the bumiputra faction of PBB. Amends were quickly made with the arrival of Abang Johari as the new CM. 

It therefore came as no suprise when Alexander Nanta Linggi, member of the Linggi family and current secretary general of PBB recently made a call for the government of Sarawak to revamp policies affecting the timber industry in Sarawak. To all who has the slightest interest and knowledge of the timber industry in Sarawak, the call was actually to punish the supposedly ‘ingrates and recalcitrants’ in the industry who had the nerves to support a certain political party whose leaders were once members of ruling coalition.

https://www.newsarawaktribune.com.my/call-to-revamp-timber-industry/

It was really a very perplexing statement, becoming even more perplexing when CM Abang Johari very publicly supported the call. Surely any change in policies affecting the timber will have an across the board effects on all the timber companies in Sarawak. The short-sightedness in the call, readily apparent to others was not apparent to them. Was there an intention to apply the potential changes selectively?

But then Sarawakians have grown used to no brainer comments from CM Abang Johari, like the recent statement he made about carbon credit trading and green status for Sarawak. Sigh…

The time has come for a change, a real substantive change from the era of broken promises, unrealistic ambitions and neglect to an era of pragmatic , substantive and holistic development firmly centered around the well being and happiness of all Sarawakians. Sarawakians have no other choice but to vote out BN, rebranded as GPS, in the coming PRN. If not, Sarawak will continue to languish as the state with the most poor people in it and the state most under-developed in its infrastructure.

Sarawak & Carbon Credit - Surely You Jest Bro Jo

 Sarawak & Carbon Credit - Surely You Jest Bro Jo

In a statement to the media on the 19th Oct 2020, reported by Borneo Post under the caption ‘ Sarawak Needs To Upgrade Law To Claim Carbon Credit, say CM’ CM Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg talked about updating state laws so that Sarawak can claim carbon credit and be recognised as a green state.

https://www.theborneopost.com/2020/10/19/sarawak-needs-law-to-claim-carbon-credit-says-abang-johari/

So what exactly is this carbon credit that Abang Johari is talking about and what is green state? Well, the key to understanding this starts with something called carbon footprints and carbon footprint corresponds to the whole amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) produced to, directly and indirectly, support a person’s lifestyle and activities.

Carbon footprints are usually measured in equivalent tons of CO2, during the period of a year, and they can be associated with an individual, an organization, a product or an event, among others.

Wide scale deforestation is a significant contributor to carbon footprints and the consequential global warming. 

Carbon credits and carbon tradings are mechanisms put in place by countries who are parties to the Kyoto Protocols and the Paris Agreement to control the emission of greenhouse gas and reduce global warming. Developing countries like Malaysia whose greenhouse emission is presently relatively high can use carbon credits earned from efforts to progressively reduce their rate of emission while promoting renewable energy. In other words, carbon emissions trading allows countries that have higher carbon emissions to purchase the right to release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from countries that have lower carbon emissions. It is a little like sin tax.

The thing to note here is that while Malaysia did ratify the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris agreement these two treaties are not binding on Malaysia because Malaysia is on the non-annexed list of developing countries. Incidentally, both the Kyoto Protocols and Paris Agreement are initiatives of the United Nation. Because Malaysia is not fully bound to the two agreements the question of Malaysia trading carbon credits does not arise. That Abang Johari mentioned that Sarawak does not have provisions in its law to treat carbon credit as a trading commodity is even more perplexing because carbon credit trading can occur only with the framework of the two treaties mentioned and the treaties are between nations that are fully and legally bound by the terms of the treaties. In short, these two treaties is the business of the federal government and the Sarawak government has no direct voice in the workings of these treaties in Malaysia.

https://magazine.scientificmalaysian.com/issue-13-2017/tackling-climate-change-malaysias-emission-reduction-target/

There is however the small possibility that Abang Johari has decided that he does not want to be controlled by the Malaya-driven federal government any more. And he wants Sarawak to have the necessary state laws to empower the Sarawak government to ‘fully ratify’ and be completely and legally bound to the two treaties, for the good of Sarawak. That of course will automatically mean that he is pushing forward the idea that Sarawak is a sovereign state (equal partner) within Malaysia and furthering the full and complete autonomy agenda under MA63. If this is the case, I am certain he has the unequivocal support of all Sarawakians, provided he carry the plan through. 

Sarawakians should now strongly urged Abang Johari to apply to the UN to allow Sarawak to be a party to the Kyoto Protocols and to the Paris Agreement and thereafter to ratify these two treaties. Once that is done Sarawak DUN must legislate a state law to ensure full compliance by all parties involved in the industry.

Sarawak’s stake in the oil palm industry was recently increased when the Sarawak government agreed to buy all of Tabung Haji’s plantations in Sarawak. The plantations were collectively valued at RM1.42 billion. That is the equivalent of 48% of the SST paid by Petronas to Sarawak. So it stands to reason that it must do all it possibly can to get in the good books of consumers in the EU countries and in the US.

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/newsbreak-th-plantations-advanced-talks-sell-assets-sarawak

So, what has bio-gas from oil palm bio-waste got to do with carbon credits and green state status for Sarawak? Truth be told, I really don’t know. The main issue with the EU countries and the US over Malaysia’s oil palm is wide scale deforestation, cause of high carbon dioxide emission and global warming and, generating bio-gas from oil palm bio waste may be in line with the global trends of favoring renewable energy but it will not make the deforestation issue disappear.

There is the other issue about the viability of investments in plants for bio-gas in Sarawak. A study conducted not too long ago shows that one key issue among plantation companies is the high capital investment in the generating plants. Even if the mills are in close proximity to SEB’s grid, the Sarawak government will still not be able to compel any mill owners to build bio-gas generating plant as presently Sarawak does not have have ‘purpose built’ or dedicated ordinance that govern bio-gas industry in Sarawak.

Renewable energy is the future and CM Abang Johari looks determined and is fully prepared to bring Sarawak to make that quantum leap into the future. This is another area where Sarawakians must give their full support to Abang Johari. We there strongly urged him to lead the government, in the next sitting of the DUN, to legislate two crucial two ordinances namely the Renewable Energy Ordinance and Sustainable Energy Development Ordinance, patterned along the lines of the federal Renewable Energy Ordinance Act 2011 and the Sustainable Energy Development Act 2011. 

It would be quite safe to conclude that without these two initiatives, namely ratifying the two international treaties mentioned above and legislating laws that will give power to the government to implement the reforms to the industry, the oil palm industry will remain only as a channel to give huge tracts of land, very often NCR land of the dayaks, to the cronies of the government leaders.

Sarawakians will regard the initiatives mentioned above as one among your must do pre-PRN-12 Key Performance Indicators and will be closely monitored.

Over to you Abang Johari Sir.

THERE ARE A HUNDRED REASONS OR EXCUSES NOT TO DO SOMETHING WHEN ALL IT NEEDS IS JUST ONE GOOD REASON TO GET IT DONE

 There is a saying – ‘There are a hundred reasons or excuses not to do something when all it needs is just ONE good reason to get it done’.

More so, when ‘that something’ is so pertinent to Sarawak, and Sarawakians – our future and the future of our State and the next generations.

On this premise, it is embarrassing to read of SUPP’s Convention Resolution to the State’s GPS Government to the ‘setting up a Sarawakian Sovereign Fund to ensure that the future generations will continue to benefit from the Oil and Gas revenues even after the depletion of our Oil and Gas resources’.

Really ? 

Having being part of the Government of the day for donkey years, is SUPP’s sudden awakening from its slumber been triggered by ‘election fever’ ?

Or are SUPP Leaders suffering from political amnesia or running out of ideas on how to bring Sarawak to greater heights, despite being in the State Government for the past 47 years with BN or GPS and making hay while the sun shines ? Yes – for 47 years !

Yet, SUPP and GPS aka ex-BN Leaders had constantly turned a deaf ear and had in fact denied Sarawakians at least 3 times…..over the setting up of a State Sovereign Fund !

1st Denial

This State Sovereign Fund proposal was first mooted by YB See Chee How as early as 2014 when he suggested to the then CM, the late Tok Nan “to stamp his mark and that of his administration as clean, transparent and accountable, the new Chief Minister should set a deadline to constitute a sovereign wealth fund for the purpose of fulfilling the rights and benefits of all Sarawakians in terms of education, health and rural development and generally to improve their lives and livelihood.” (The Star, 7/6/2014)

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2014/06/07/sovereign-wealth-fund-crucial-for-overall-progress-says-see

2nd Denial

YB See Chee How repeated the call to the State Government to consider setting up a State Sovereign Fund in September 2019 – this time, under the new and current Chief Minister YAB Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Zohari. (Borneo Post, 12/9/2019)

https://www.theborneopost.com/2019/09/12/see-state-govt-should-set-up-state-sovereign-wealth-fund-for-petroleum-related-projects/

3rd Denial

As expected, See’s noble and patriotic call fell on deaf ears and this State Sovereign Fund never got to see the light of day.

Notwithstanding the sound of silence from SUPP and GPS Leaders, YB See pressed on and issued another timely on the notion that ‘what’s good for Sarawak deserves another round of reminder’, and it is something YB See Chee How pressed the State GPS Government once again to reconsider the ‘setting up a wealth fund under the watch of the state legislative assembly to manage petroleum resources in the state, to ensure that all Sarawakians have a fair share in ownership and obtain equitable benefits from the resources.’ ( FMT, 18/9/2020 )

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/09/18/set-up-wealth-fund-to-manage-sarawaks-petroleum-resources-says-state-rep/

How do we expect YB See Chee How’s ‘State Sovereign Fund’s seed to sprout, not to mention bear fruit when it keeps falling on GPS aka ex-BN arid, unproductive and infertile ‘political soil’ all these years ?

Whatever happened to ‘Sarawak comes first !’ ?

If ‘I’m IN !’ or ‘We’re IN ! ‘ , why are they not ‘IN’ for this ‘State Sovereign Fund’ by supporting YB See Chee How’s call ?

It’s obvious Sarawak has a problem with the political farmer, not the seed or soil. 

For 47 years….47 long years ! 

Not trying to cry over spilt milk but just the lost opportunities which went with it.

Yet SUPP Leaders now have the audacity to create political drama by using its Convention to reinvent the wheel by parroting YB See Chee How’s call with YAB CM Abang Jo agreeing to the idea riding on the artificial sweetener that “Hopefully, by middle of 2024-2035, we may have additional (money) so we invest into our sovereign fund, and that will make Sarawak financially strong,” he said, Dayak Daily reported. “But, let this (coming state) election makes us stronger,” 

If this isn’t political drama and carrot-dangling, what else is it then?

GPS is creating political drama to hoodwink Sarawakians into believing that it will start something which it had failed to do so when crude oil prices were at sky-high prices back in the 80s and 90s.

Do we still want to fall for and believe in their ‘but, let this (coming state) election make us stronger first’ gimmick ?

Just remember – We can never make the same mistake twice. The second time we make it, it’s no longer a mistake. It’s a choice.

For 47 long years, we have lived with the mistake of giving our trust to GPS and ex-BN.

Lest we forget -  SUPP was, and still is part of this mistake.

The King Prawn Behind The Pebble

 Udang Galah Bersembunyi DiBelakang Batu Kecil

(The King Prawn Behind The Pebble)

Since Feb 2020 we the rakyat have been up to our noses with the acts of betrayal by people we elected to high office. Our hopes for a better Malaysia, a better Sarawak and better future were routinely trampled upon and dashed. We are left to wonder if, from funeral pyre of our regrets and disappointment , we can, like the proverbial pheonix rise from the ashes of our broken dreams and hopes?

Eversince he took office as Chief Minister of Sarawak in Jan 2017,Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari has spoken strongly about I.R4, digital economy, artificial intelligence, wider internet coverage and higher speed internet. When the COVID.19 pandemic took the world on a roller coaster ride, dragging the whole world into a recession, Abang Jo’s voice on the internet of things in Sarawak was welcomed with an audible sigh of relief. Not unlike the many diehard fans of Abang Jo and GPS, I too found myself saying terbaik lah Abang Johari, ketua menteri yg perihatin dan berjiwa rakyat. I was relief to know that my grandchildren whose studies were disrupted by the MCO SOPs would be able to continue their lessons with online classes. The folks of Kpg Remun in Serian are quite fortunate as we do enjoy a decent speed internet service. 

And in my rather infrequent socmed comments I did say thank you to CM Abang Johari because the internet services for the rural areas seems to feature quite prominently in the plans he put forth. Under the COVID.19 conditions that we are now in, his announcements and plans were very much welcomed news as rural based students will not be so left out from learning and rural folks with something to sell will have an avenue through which they can reach consumers. 

It was not too long before I discovered that all those talks about dramatically increasing internet coverage and internet speed in Sarawak were merely pebbled walls building, to hide a giant king prawn. They were articulated to mask the self-serving agendas of the elites of Sarawak, people whose existing wealth can easily last at least 3 generations. I must say that the COVID.19 pandemic has provided a very opportune time for Abang Johari as it provided the best pebble for the king prawn to hide behind.

The internet industry in Sarawak can rightly be described as a most lucartive diamond field as the potentials for profits is boundless.And this diamond field that is the internet industry in Sarawak is even going to take away some of the lustre from the Pan Borneo project. It is the king prawn struggling to hide a pebble in clear water. 

How big exactly is this udang galah that we are looking at? Very briefly, we are looking at plans to construct 1400 telecommunication towers with 600 targeted to be completed by 2020. So far 184 have completed. The complete ‘hardware’ picture will include fibre optic cables and the other enabling components. In line with Sarawak’s digital economy ambitions, CM Abang Johari had spoken about upgrading internet speed in Sarawak to 2 terrabits per second (2000 Gbps. Think real time 5G internet). So far Abang Johari has pinned RM1 billion to this ambition. Lately, RM50 million was mentioned, for the construction and installation of VSAT network. He further mentioned that he is hoping that the federal government will match the RM1 billion by the Sarawak government. We are therefore looking at least RM2 billion that is to be made in this diamond field.

The diamond field that is the internet industry in Sarawak is going to take away some of the lustre from the Pan Borneo project. It is the king prawn struggling to hide a pebble in clear water. 

I am moved to offer, albeit very grudgingly, my congratulations to 3 local telcos namely PP Telecom Sdn Bhd, Danawa Resources Sdn Bhd and Sacofa Sdn Bhd. These are the first three to be at the starting blocks for the 100 meters dash to the potential RM2 billion udang galah. 

c is a telco co-owned by Abang Abdillah Izzarim bin Abang Abd Rahman Zohari. Abang Abdillah owns 8,633,100 shares in the company. Abang Abdillah Izzarim is the son of Sarawak’s chief minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg. Izzarim incidentally is also a director/shareholder in Borneo Seaoffshore Engineering Sdn Bhd. Borneo Seaoffshore and its jv partner Handal Resources Bhd were given a RM300 million contract by Petronas Carigali in June 2015.

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/handal-jv-bags-rm360m-j

The other substantial shareholder in PP Telecom Sdn Bhd is Dato Stanley Ling Tiung Leng, founder and President of the Asia-China Entrepreneurs Association (ACEA), an association with strong ties to the business community in China.

PP Telecommunication Sdn Bhd (PPTEL) has big ambition and plans to set up an internet data exchange hub at a cost of US$20 million (RM80 million) in Kuching, to provide the vital link for the state’s digital economy to take off.

According to its executive director Dato Stanley Ling Tiung Leng, the private initiative is to tap the state’s huge potential in digital economy as well as the relatively competitive cost energy source, which is crucial for the data hub to operate.

http://pptelecom.com.my/news/2018/PPTEL-to-set-up-RM80-mln-Internet-data-exchange-hub

Danawa Resources Sdn Bhd is majority owned by Datuk Amar Abdul Hamed Sepawi, Chairman of Naim Holding Bhd. He is a cousin of Sarawak’s TYT Pehin Seri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud. Naim Holdings Berhad is one of the contractors for the Pan Borneo Highway project.

https://www.naim.com.my/press-releases/pan-borneo-highway-project-upskills-local-talent/

SACOFA Sdn Bhd is the telco principally responsible for building telecommunication towers in Sarawak and is 50% owned by Cahaya Mata Sarawak (CMS) Bhd. In Jan 2019, Borneo Post reported that SACOFA is on track to build 600 towers through out Sarawak. 

https://www.theborneopost.com/2019/01/06/sacofa-on-track-to-construct-600-telco-towers-in-swak-this-year/

On the 8th Oct 2020, the New Sarawak Tribune reported that PP Telecom Sdn Bhd and Danawa Resources Sdn Bhd had signed MOUs with SACOFA, to collaborate to further enhance telecommunication services in Sarawak. PP Telecom Sdn Bhd will play a pivotal role in building the underlying infrastructure to support the digital economy through high capacity submarine connectivity.

My disillusionment with politicians is complete and my disappointment is suffocating. Finally it dawned upon me why the logo of a certain political grouping is that of a dismembered bird, without heart and stomach. I am reminded of a malay peribahasa tidak berhati perut and its meaning.

I asked my kopi o’ friends how I should or rather how we should respond to this and I was stunned by their almost unanimous reply. Vote for a change in the coming PRN. Let us give Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) a chance to prove their worth.

WHEN YOU ARE A BUFFALO, WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO BUT FOLLOW?

     When you are a ‘BUFFALO’🐃, what else can you do but FOLLOW ?

There is a saying – ‘A Politician thinks of the next election; a Statesman of the next generation. 

A Politician looks for the success of his Party; a Statesman for that of his Country. 

The Statesman wishes to steer, while the Politician is satisfied to drift.’

On that saying alone, my fellow Sarawakians – we should seriously reflect on what we want really want for ourselves, our families, our children and future generations.

Elections after elections, we had, and still have been ‘advised’ to ‘vote wisely’ for our ‘future generations’ with progress and development which ‘only the BN Government can deliver’. 

The ‘DACING’ became the ‘iconic logo’ which many Sarawakians, especially our rural voters, stuck with and TRUSTED for decades in the hope of a better future built on the BN’s promises of ‘progress and development’.

       "Promises made, repeated and broken, time and again."

Timber tracks taken as ‘roads’, ‘de-lighted’ taken as ‘delighted’, divide and rule taken as ‘unity in diversity’, selective development taken as creative development, water and housing shortcomings taken as ‘more are coming’.

The bluffs and excuses continued until the unthinkable and unimaginable happened – when BN lost control of Putrajaya in .

This same group of Sarawak BN Leaders had no hesitation to ‘jump ship’ and ‘rebrand’ themselves under ‘GPS’ aka ‘Gabungan Parti Sarawak’ - ‘a new political entity’ not aligned to any ‘Malayan-based’ coalition or Party.

Whatever happened to the adage that ‘a good and dutiful Captain will stay with his ship un till the last passenger and crew are in safe hands’ ?

Instead, this group of politicians CHOSE to jump first  – for their own political survival and relevance than to ‘save the country or the people’ as GPS aka ex-BN had been all along been proudly exhorting.

Who can forget the famous ‘we will swim or sink with BN’  statement by Dr. James Masing ? 

Or the ‘chorus’ by SUPP that ‘I’m IN !’ ? 

Or rather, ‘We’re IN !’ ?

Do we still want to continue believing that this same group of leaders are, and will be FIGHTING for our rights and interests under MA63 ?

Do we still want to believe in the fox which keeps volunteering to guard and protect the chickens when the chickens are still wondering why they are getting less and less ?

Or are we the very same chickens who keep voting for ‘KFC’ and the Fox ?

If so, then we are also part of the problem, aren’t we ?

The realisation of a problem is the beginning of a solution.

We cannot aspire to be the solution when we unwittingly become ‘part of the problem’ – by electing the same leadership which had all along been ‘Umno’s proxy’ for decades ( say ‘no’ to Umno – really ?)

and eroding our rights, among others - ownership of our Oil & Gas resources, (being paid SST isn’t the same as regaining OWNERSHIP), boundaries of our Territorial Sea Waters and ‘Borneonisation’ of our Civil Service. (not ‘Malayanisation’, please)

This begs the question – why do most of our State Leaders appear so subservient to Putrajaya or the Prime Minister or ‘Malayan’ Leaders on matters so pertinent to Sarawak ?

It’s YES to PN, the backdoor government.

It’s YES to PAS, the Party which openly propagates religious politics

It's YES to UMNO, the Party which openly propagates race politics

It's YES to surrendering and eroding our State's rights and status

It's YES to 'Malaya First, Sarawak Second'

It's YESterday once more - be GPS or ex-BN

Why are they so muffled when there are opportunities to voice out or say their piece ? 

Why are they roaring like lions on home turf and turning into lambs at Putrajaya ?

Why ?

Worse, why are they so conspicuously silent when Malayan leaders and even Ministers encroached on ‘MA63 territory’ which ‘equal partners’ should have an equal, or vocal say ?

Like Race, Religion and Autonomy which were agreed to and enshrined in MA63 as ‘conditions precedent’ for Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore to come together with Malaya to ‘join in the formation’ of ‘Malaysia’.

If that isn’t our right, what else is ?

Why the deafening silence ? 

Have they been muted by ‘forces’ beyond their control ?

Silence isn’t an option, more so the ‘sound of silence’.

Moral of the story…….or rather, to cut a long story short…..after 57 years……

Will we or should we continue to elect ‘buffalos’ ?

Obviously NOT !

What say you ?

SARAWAK BARU – it starts with me and you.

NO MORE PARROTS, please.

No more buffalos, please.

Only SARAWAK HEROES and Patriots - really and badly.

SELF-PRAISE IS NO PRAISE

  SELF-PRAISE IS NO PRAISE

‘Sarawak has sound financial and resource management and this has helped the state to implement various development projects.

                 Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg pointed this out at a community                           dinner  held at the Kapit Civic Centre on Sunday evening (Oct 4th 2020)’

Those were the opening lines in a news report captioned  ‘State has sound financial, resource management’ and carried by the New Sarawak Tribune dated the 5th Oct 2020.

The claim is something all Sarawakians would be proud of it was a completely truthful statement. Unfortunately, truth sometimes can be stranger than fiction and in this case, it is a fiction worthy of a literally award. The only thing that Sarawakians will agree about in the matter of financial management is Sarawak finances is shrouded in secrecy.

In June 2018, shortly after the GE14 in which the Pakatan Harapan (PH) showed Barisan Nasional (BN) the exit door, Sarawak DCM Tan Sri James Masing was reported as having said the the Sarawak BN government should use up all the state’s reserve in the amount of RM31 billion for projects before the PRN12. That was the first and the last time Sarawakians ever heard of the financial strength of the Sarawak government because after that revelation from James Masing there was no farther mention from any of the government leaders including from the chief minister himself. Indeed, I am inclined to think that most of GPS ADUNs including assistant ministers do not know of the existence of the reserve.

Sufficiently piqued by this revelation Sarawakians are now asking where is the money kept. It would not be logical to assume that the entire RM31 billion is kept in low interest paying bank accounts as that would not exactly be sound financial management. So where is the money spread? Treasury Bills, Malaysian Government Securities, Stock & Shares? Real Estate Investments?, Bonds like the 1MDB Bonds? If a significant portion of the reserve is kept in forms other than cash, then what is the current market value now? Is the RM31 billion still there? 

Sarawakians are asking because what they know of from information in public domain does not dovetail with this ‘brief flash in the pan’ revelation from James Masing. There was for example the issuance of USD1.6 billion through Goldman Sachs in 2011 and 2012:  US investment bank Goldman Sachs appears to have turned a blind eye to glaring corruption risks and conflicts of interest in order to underwrite US$1.6 billion in bonds for the Sarawak State Government, Malaysia, said Global Witness today (1). https://www.globalwitness.org/en/archive/goldman-sachs-underwrites-us16-billion-under-radar-bonds-corrupt-sarawak-regime-and-wins/

The scandal ridden jiwa murni roads in central and northern regions of Sarawak is another example which speaks of the possibility of the reserve not existing at all. The jiwa murni roads were crucial network of roads that was intended to provide rural communities with road connectivity. We now know that the ‘contracted’ sum was RM800 million which was less than a billion ringgit. Why did the Sarawak government not use the reserve to construct these roads, so crucial to the well-being of the rural folks? Not to mention the 24 hours electricity and treated water supply to communities that are still deprived of these most basic of utilities. Good financial management would have dictated that financing for these projects would be through sources carrying the smallest interest or opportunity cost burden to the state government and raising funding through issuance of bonds is definitely not the best option.

The Development Bank Of Sarawak (DBOS), incorporated in May 2016 and commenced business in Jan 2018 is one page from the annals of the financial management of the Sarawak government which raised many questions among Sarawakians. The following is an excerpt from a news report carried by Borneo Post on the 13th Jan 2019 :

‘As of Oct 23 last year, DBOS holds a total deposit of RM3.448 billion with credit facilities approved and disbursed standing at RM350 million and RM244 million, respectively.

Assistant Minister of Corporate Affairs Abdullah Saidol said the depositors are government-linked companies (RM7.5 million), local authorities (RM17.6 million), statutory bodies (RM23.2 million), and the public sector (RM3.4 billion)’

https://www.theborneopost.com/2019/01/13/dbos-an-alternative-financing-route-for-sarawak/

At that time DBOS had in their books deposits totaling RM3.448 billion, all from the Sarawak government, directly or indirectly and a paid-up capital of RM1 billion.

https://www.dbos.gov.my/page-0-9-6-tid.html

On the 13th Jan 2020 DBOS homepage published a media statement in which they said ‘ Besides this, he (Sim Kheng Boon,CEO of DBOS) said DBOS had already approved loans amounting to a few billion ringgit. Aside from financing mega development projects, the bank also finances smaller infrastructure projects……“DBOS will offer banking facilities to eligible borrowers which have at least 51 per cent state equity with management control.’

The last sentence quoted here presented at least one area of concern which is that, among the eligible borrowers are those with 51% state equity with the balance of 49% being privately held. What it means here is that DBOS was set up to help finance (with state funds) private business people. Here we are talking about financing for the elites, the privilege few who are able to dip their hands into the 49% share in these very lucrative areas.

https://www.dbos.gov.my/modules/web/pages.php?mod=news&sub=news_view&menu_id=0&sub_id=19&nid=11&m=1&y=2020

An article published in the Home Page of Sarawak’s DAP reveals some names which should ring many alarm bells.

https://en.dapsarawak.org/petros-board-members-beneficiaries-of-petronas-contracts/

Next is Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros), another wholly state-owned enterprise incorporated on the 6th March 2018. Petros presently has an issued and paid-up capital of RM20 million. 

In the words of CM Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari, it was set up by the state government to enable Sarawak to actively participate in the extraction of oil and gas in Sarawak. The thinly veiled objective was to increase the revenue stream from the oil and gas sector as the federal government was saying signs that it will not bow to Sarawak’s demand for an increase in oil loyalty.

What significant success has Petros achieved since incorporation? It was reported in Feb 2020 that Petros has assumed the role of gas transporter and aggregator in Sarawak effective this year following the sales and purchase of gas distribution business and assets in Miri and Bintulu.

Petroleum Sarawak Gas Sdn Bhd (Petros Gas), a subsidiary of Petros, is now the operator of Miri Gas Distribution System (MGDS) and Bintulu Gas Distribution System (BGDS). Both facilities were previously owned and operated by PETRONAS Gas Berhad (PGB), a subsidiary of Petronas.

https://www.newsarawaktribune.com.my/petros-takes-over-gas-distribution-business/

How much is the segment worth yearly to Sarawak or how much did Sarawak compensated Petronas for it was never revealed. What we do know is PDA74 is still very much relevant in the oil & gas industry and will remain as a major damper on CM Abang Johari’s ambitions for Petros and for the ROE and ROI of Petros. 

And there is the matter of the SST payout of RM2.95  billion by Petronas. Sarawakians were told on the 17th Sept 2020 that Petronas has paid to the Sarawak government the sum of RM2.95 billion in court-awarded SST on O&G products. Nine days later, Sarawakians were told that the Sarawak government has agreed to buy all of Tabung Haji oil palm estates in Sarawak. The consideration price was not mentioned but a 2019 valuation of the estates placed the fair value at RM1.42 billion. 

In the final reckoning it was a case of the federal government, through Petronas, putting money through Sarawak’s left pocket and taking it back through the right pocket via the Tabung Haji’s rescue plans. Whether or not there was some arm twisting there is unknown but Sarawak certainly was short changed.

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/petronas-says-it-has-paid-sarawak-sst-2019

https://www.theborneopost.com/2020/09/26/swak-government-to-take-over-tabung-haji-oil-palm-plantations-in-the-state-says-cm/

And that, to my mind are unacceptable blunders in the managing of both the state’s financial and natural resources.

The Showman, Joker and Village Clown But Never The Chief Minister

 

The Showman, Joker and Village Clown But Never The Chief Minister
- Aki Ari Aup

“SIMON! Urgent! Convoy tomorrow. Sibu-Kapit. EkoPark meet point. 6am. RM 200 elaun. Must come” 

I read that text from my old friend and fellow bike enthusiast, Halim ‘Harry’ Ramli, several times trying to make sense of it. Harry has never sent me any text as strange as this one in all of our 20 years of friendship. 

In fact, bike convoys are typically very well-planned affairs – schedules, routes, logistics, emergency procedures, route timing, informing authorities and so on. Last minute bike convoys usually end up being tremendously chaotic episodes, if not outright hazardous events.

“What is this about, Harry?”, I texted back. 

“Just come. Emergency!” was the almost instantaneous reply. 

Convoy emergency. Now that’s something entirely new. I have not heard that one in all my 56 years of existence, and that sealed the deal. I had to see what the whole big occasion was about. Perhaps an asteroid the size of a babi hutan crashed into the forest of Rantau Panjang Park last night and our local Sibu Angels Biker’s Club is sending out a scientific expedition to extract the specimen.

Come 6.00 am the next morning, I arrived promptly on the main road leading to Eco Park on my beloved BMW G310R. Before I had the chance to look for Harry and interrogate him on the nature of big emergency, I had the second shock of my life in less than 12 hours. 

There were no less than 200 bikes of all shapes and sizes clogging up the entire stretch, and I could see that many more were streaming in from the distance. Our Sibu biker’s club has a maximum of 20 riders, on a good day. Where on earth did all these fellas come from? 

As I sat on my bike still shell-shocked, Harry rode up beside me on his Tracer 900GT and grinned from ear to ear. “You made it, Simon” he beamed while enthusiastically fist bumping me.

“What’s this about, Harry?” I whispered over the roaring engines of our bikes. 

“We are going to make history today, Simon. Just tag along with me.” And that ended any further information I could pry out of Harry. 

                              

               

Come 8.00 am, I finally realised that I would be part of a really gigantic convoy of bikes from all over Sarawak riding along with Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg from Sibu to Kapit, and back. 

Before we began, we were briefed by one of the CM’s officers about the various grandiose projects of the Sarawak Government around the areas which we would be passing by. 9KM Nanga Ngungun-Temalat road. Kapit Square. Kapit Waterfront. The list went on and on. 

I was pretty sure the CM himself was briefing the very front of our convoy at the very same time, but we were too far behind in the line to see it or hear anything. Hence his officer came and acted as a poor man’s wireless repeater of sorts. 

Our convoy took off on schedule without incident at a little before 9.00 am. The entourage stopped by Kanowit for our late breakfast, and here we were given another speech by the CM. Again, he gloated about all the different lavish projects being cooked up by his office. 

This time he talked about the launch of TV Sarawak and how it would change the landscape of Sarawak and improve the people’s lives. (Although I was quite tempted to stand up and ask him how is a TV station going to provide primary school education to the Penan kids in Belaga)

Then he went on to give specifics the earlier Kapit Waterfront, Kapit Cultural Center, Kapit Market, Kapit Recreation Center projects and a load of other really impressive sounding developments (I tuned him out 10 minutes in… I was more preoccupied with what I wanted to eat for lunch at Kapit later).

In our next leg of the journey (Kanowit-Kapit), I had the time to finally let what the CM said sink in. Recalling his past speeches and announcements, it finally dawned upon me that we have a CM who likes to announce impressive sounding projects, but with nothing tangible to show for it. 

Going as far back as when he was the State Tourism minister in 2012, he announced plans to make my Sibu town the most popular tourist destination in the whole state. 

As my mind slowly processed all that he said to us I simultaneously put side by side in my mind the images of him straddling the Honda Goldwing Trike DCT and the images of the longhouses of the rural folks along the road to Kapit. A year 2020 Honda Goldwing basic bike costs about RM208,000.00 and conversion to a trike would have cost another RM100,000. RM308,000.00 would have been enough to built 3 bilik in a longhouse, to the standards of a single storey terrace house in Sibu Jaya. And I wonder what thoughts would be in a king’s mind when he turun padang and sees the living conditions of his long suffering subjects. Does he feels that he is guilty of dereliction of duty to his subjects? 

After being elevated to a Chief Minister, his trend of proposing glorious sounding schemes not only continued, but was elevated many folds. For example, he boldly announced the Kuching LRT project which became a major laughing stock for Sarawakians all over. 

I don’t go to Kuching very often except for business, but I have yet to see a single brick being laid for the LRT as of yet, 3 years since the announcement. 

It was a long, quiet ride on the countryside road. An idle mind does the devil’s work, as they say. So I decided not to let my mind idle and dug a little deeper into my memory about Abang Johari’s past announcement and what came up made me laughed myself silly under my big helmet:

Stolport airport for Spaoh

Stolport airport for Kapit

LRT for Samarahan/Kuching

ART to replace LRT

Now you see now you don’t hydrogen buses 

And I have not even begun to scratch the surface, I reckoned to myself. 

After our little trip to Kapit and a nice big lunch, we were on our way back to Sibu. I was on this return trip that I finally realised what kind of CM we have on our hands. 

A showboat, a joker and a clown. But never The Chief Minister. 

As for the “history” Harry said we would create? Well, a 100KM motorbike ride with the Clown. That’s it. So much for a history.

A VEGETARIAN TIGER?

 A VEGETARIAN TIGER?

                                                         

The news headline in the Borneo Post edition of the 4th October 2020 read, ‘Have new timber policy ‘to benefit all’, says Nanta’ He went on to say,’ “Therefore, l hope that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg would come out with a new policy that could benefit the ordinary people, and not only the rich people,  Nanta, who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) secretary-general, in his welcoming address for the ‘Special PBB Convention-Central Zone at a hotel here yesterday.

https://www.theborneopost.com/2020/10/04/have-new-timber-policy-to-benefit-all-says-nanta/

If these words were to come from somebody other than Alexander Nanta Linggi it would have attracted almost no attention at all. Firstly, who is Alex Nanta Linggi? He is none other than the heir to the Linggi fortune, and thence lay claim to being the richest Iban in the world. He is also the son in law to the late Tan Sri Celestine Ujang a former Vice President of PBB. For his part in the downfall of the PH government in March 2020, Alex Linggi was appointed to the  Perikatan Nasional Cabinet under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, and is currently the Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs. Clearly he is establishment and elitist in every sense of the word. 

          

                          The family flagship company, Rajang Wood Sdn Bhd,is among the earliest                                                recipients of timber concessions dished out to politically useful families by                                              the  late Tun Abdul Rahman Ya’akub, the then chief minister of Sarawak.                                                  Rajang Wood Sdn Bhd is a timber trading company incorporated in January                                              1978. It is recorded to hold 309575 hectares in concessions throughout                                                      Sarawak (Singapore totals 71,910 hectares in size) it must also be said that                                                they were never operated downstream, and basically just contracted out and                                              earn profit from there without having to do any work. The archetypical rent                                              seeker.

In short, the Linggi family has benefited and prospered for 42 long years from the timber concessions given to them. Given this clear advantage, the family has also ventured into plantations and in 2014 sold Asia Plantations Ltd which controlled a total 24,622ha comprising five wholly-owned estates within Miri and Bintulu in Sarawak to UMNO related Felda Global Ventures. The sellers reportedly pocketed a cool RM1,016,000,000.00 (RM628 million, and assumed RM388 million in liabilities*). 

The sale is now a subject of investigation for manipulation , a report by the Edge quoted an insider source as saying “Several things triggered the investigation, but what started the ball rolling is that another plantation company — a big one, much like FGV, and also government-linked — was offered Asian Plantations at RM20,000 per hectare … FGV ended up paying in excess of RM65,000 per hectare” 

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/newsbreak-fgv-investigating-overpriced-asian-plantations-purchase

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/former-sarawak-minister-named-report-state%E2%80%99s-timber-corruption

The family also owns Keresa Plantations Sdn Bhd (Co. No. 74447-V) which controls  8,551 hectares (ha) in Labang district between Bintulu and Belaga.  A news report carried by The Star on the May 2003 revealed that Keresa Plantations Sdn Bhd was awarded the subject land lease by Sarawak Government. An apparent form of reward for the Linggi’s family loyalty to PBB

https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2003/05/24/rajang-buys-additional-45-stake

Through a web of convoluted financial arrangements and off shore companies, how much wealth exactly has the Linggi family accumulated, would need a team of accountants to figure out. It would easily run into billions from a rudimentary visual inspection of the real estate they control today. Some of the visible signs are the Menara Tun Jugah in the middle of Kuching city, the Green Heights Mall in the Green Heights commercial and residential area and the Cove 55 property in Santubong.

So when Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi proposed that timber policies be revamped so as to directly benefit the rakyat, His proposal was greeted with raised eyebrows and disbelief, because for close to half a century, the timber industry benefited only a handful of Sarawak’s elite families of which the Linggi family was and still is a member. 

All things considered he is so rich, with his family owning luxurious properties, expensive yachts, and rubbing shoulders with the cream of society. Meanwhile his community, the Dayaks are suffering in poverty without basic necessities and decent education.  One would surely be forgiven for asking, is this pronouncement “A tiger declaring to be vegetarian?”

But to observers with keen eyes, the proposal may not be the saving grace that it is touted to be. Chief Minister Abang Johari, speaking after officiating at the PBB mini convention said, “What has been proposed is that we look into our logging policies … which we want to improve because what is emphasised is to replant our forest and to see whether community involvement in the industry can be considered,” If reading this statement gives one the feeling of dejavu it is because there has been other land developments in which community involvement was experimented with, SALCRA being the most obvious. Has the community, the land owners within the plantation benefited from the land schemes? Easily 90% of NCR land owners in SALCRA plantations derived on the intermittent and inconsistent dividends. In the mills serving the plantation, the land owners are given 0% stake.

Now, Alexander Nanta Linggi is talking about reforming policies which, if crystallize and implemented, will affect land which they have controlled over through the provisional leases (PL) given to them. These lands are not NCR lands so the people will have no stake at all in these lands unlike in SALCRA schemes. So it is near impossible to visualize how the local people can participate and benefit from the reforms being proposed. At most, the local people will continue to work for Linggi family and the other PL holders as laborers earning the minimum wage prescribed by the law. They will  just be helping PL holders like the Linggi family to further enrich themselves.

The key to understanding this sudden intention to reform timber policies is found in the 9th paragraph of the New Sunday Tribune news captioned “Call To Revamp Timber Industry”. The wordings of that paragraph clearly show that the announcement is to intimidate parties who are no longer aligned to them to them politically. Innocent parties who have refused to participate in the continuing “wayang kulit” to fish for votes from an unsuspecting electorate.  

This coupled with the fact that the announcement is part of a pre-election road show by Abang Jo, more or less confirm this is another one of those “air liur” pronouncements. Such pronouncements like, hydrogen buses, LRT, DBOS etc. have become part and parcel of the rheotoric of this administration.

 

Further It is also well known in PBB circles that Abang Jo’s dayak support consist of Linggi Jugah’s cabal, while Abang Jo continue to facilitate the family’s interests, including insisting on a cabinet -position for Alex Nanta Linggi within the GPS UMNO PAS federal coalition.  This marriage of convenience between the two started when the timber concessions held by Rajang Wood Sdn Bhd were not autonomically renewed by the previous CM, to prevent this and in exchange for patronage, they had agreed to side with Abang Jo within the PBB “game of thrones”. This worked nicely for Abang Jo, who needed this support within the party grassroots. The same grassroots who otherwise had always viewed him as unsophisticated & somewhat lacking and wholly unsuitable to be Chief Minister. 

Now we are here, with both of them “you scratch my back, I scratch your back” in full view of a disgusted public. Fortunately, Hot Air is not easy to conceal and when there is little effort to conceal it, it become visible immediately. 

https://www.newsarawaktribune.com.my/call-to-revamp-timber-industry/

Still, there is also the possibility that Alexander Nanta Linggi is suffering an attack of the conscience and is sincere in wanting to share their source of their tremendous wealth. If that is the case, we can expect an announcement from the Rajang Wood group before the next DUN sitting that they have resolved to bring in all the rural communities surrounding their oil palm plantations to become shareholders in their companies. That would be the test of their sincerity.

Sarawakians will be monitoring this.