Omong-Omong Kosong Tidak Memadai - Kita Perlu Kesan Undang-Undang

Omong-Omong Kosong Tidak Memadai - Kita Perlu Kesan Undang-Undang

 

‘Adalah tidak perlu untuk semua orang mencari publisiti murahan mengenai isu‘ Allah ’kerana isu ini tidak mendatangkan masalah di Sarawak’… petikan daripada… Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal PenggunaDato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

https://www.theborneopost.com/2021/03/21/nanta-dont-seek-cheap-publicity-over-allah-issue/

Disini, dinyatakan sekurang-kurangnya dua sebab mengapa isu ini menjadi masalah yang nyata dan eksistensial bagi rakyat Malaysia, khususnya penduduk Sarawak yang bukan beragama Islam. Dan,

rakyat di Sarawak yang tidak beragama Islam tertanya-tanya mengapa Alexander Nanta mengatakan bahawa isu ini tidak mendatangkan masalah.

 

Permasalahan Pertama

Pertama, berlakunya penyitaan terhadap 30,000 naskhah Alkitab oleh Jabatan Kastam Di-Raja di Pelabuhan Kuching pada bulan Disember 2010. Perkara ini berlaku akibat larangan penggunaan kalimah 'Allah' di kalangan orang Kristian di Malaysia. Pada bulan Mac 2009, 5000 naskhah Al-Kitab (Alkitab ditulis dalam bahasa Melayu) turut disita di Pelabuhan Klang.

Berikutan protes orang ramai, kitab suci yang dirampas di Kuching dikembalikan kepada tuanpunya pada 12 Januari 2011 tetapi ‘dicemarkan’ dengan kata-kata ‘For Christians Only’. Adakah perkara ini berkemungkinan akan berulang pada masa akan datang? Ramai orang Kristian di Sarawak berpendapat ada kemungkinan dan kemungkinnan juga ini adalah sebab mengapa 2 Ahli Parlimen, 1 Senator dan 15 ADUN dari GPS bergabung dengan rakan mereka dari pihak politik pembangkang untuk mendesak kerajaan persekutuan PN menarik balik rayuan  terhadap keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi mengenai kes 'Allah' Jill Ireland.

Jika anda perasan, Alexander Nanta adalah salah seorang daripada wakil rakyat yang tidak menandatangani petisyen tersebut.

https://www.theborneopost.com/2011/03/14/bibles-meant-for-sarawak/

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2011/03/16/govt-lifts-bible-impound

Berikutan pengedaran semula kitab suci yang dirampas, menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri ketika itu, Datuk Seri Idris Jala mengatakan bahawa tindakan tersebut adalah kompromi yang wajar dalam menguruskan polariti pandangan antara orang Kristian dan Muslim di negara ini. Memenuhi syarat hak asasi sekumpulan warganegara, lalu dijamin oleh perlembagaan negara, namun, yang membingungkan adalah apabila Alexander Nanta yang mengatakan bahawa perkara ini bukanlah sesuatu hal yang boleh dikategorikan sebagai satu masalah. Perkara ini hanyalah masuk akal untuk mereka berdua.

Kedua, larangan ‘Allah’ jika dikuatkuasakan dengan tegas akan memberi kesan kepada gereja-gereja di Sarawak. Perkara ini termasuklah, gereja-gereja terpaksa menghentikan semua perkhidmatan mereka dalam Bahasa Melayu kerana ‘Allah’ digunakan di hampir semua buku doa dan kitab suci mereka. Dalam analisis terakhir, apa yang dimaksudkan adalah hak asasi orang Kristian untuk bebas mempraktikkan agama pilihan mereka dibendung dengan serius.

 

Jaminan Yang Diberi Sejauh Ini

Banyak jaminan lisan dari pelbagai pemimpin kerajaan untuk orang bukan Islam di Sarawak, bermula dari Allahyarham Pehin Sri Adenan Satem hingga CM Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari, DCM Tan Sri Dr. James Masing dan Alexander Nanta. Bahkan terdapat 10-Titik Resolusi Najib Tun Razak pada bulan April 2011. Semua jaminan ini amat selesa didengar tetapi semuanya tidak mempunyai unsur yang paling penting - undang-undang paksa. Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin, hakim yang mengetuai kes Jill Ireland terhadap Kerajaan Malaysia menyatakan dalam penghakimannya, 'kerajaan ketika itu-persekutuan telah gagal memberikan kesan penuh kepada penyelesaian titik-10 ketika diumumkan pada tahun 2011, seperti yang dilakukannya tidak menarik balik arahan pemerintah 1986 '.

Kerana jaminan ini tidak memiliki kekuatan hukum, larangan 22 Mac 1982 (KHEDN: 0 59/3/9 / A; PN (PU2) 24 Pt. 11, yang dikeluarkan berdasarkan Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (Larangan Penerbitan) ( No. 4) Perintah terus tergantung di leher kita seperti pedang pepatah Damocles.

Sekiranya kerajaan persekutuan PN memilih untuk TIDAK mengadili keputusan Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin, keputusan tersebut tetap akan berlaku dan seterusnya akan memperoleh kekuatan undang-undang. Malangnya dan menyedihkan, kerajaan persekutuan memilih untuk mengemukakan dan membuat rayuan. Perkara ini lalu menjadikan bahawa kita seolah-olah  kembali ke kedudukan pada tahun 1986.

Tanah Adat Asli

Melangkah ke isu lain yang melibatkan kekuatan undang-undang atau ketiadaannya masih melanda masyarakat Sarawak, - tanah adat asli (NCL). Pada 24 Julai 2013, akhbar The Star melaporkan bahawa Baru Bian, ADUN Ba'Kelalan telah mengatakan gesaan untuk meminda Kanun Tanah Sarawak agar selaras dengan adat orang asli adalah berlebihan. Baru Bian mengatakan, Kerajaan negeri telahpun membuat pindaan terhadap undang-undang selama bertahun-tahun yang lalu dengan cara Ordinan Kanun Tanah (Pindaan) 2000.Namun, pindaan tersebut sehingga hari ini tidak diwartakan.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2013/07/24/baru-call-to-amend-land-code-redundant

Apakah sebab sebab kerajaan GPS Sarawak (ketika itu dikenali sebagai Kerajaan BN Sarawak) enggan mewartakan pindaan yang mereka buat sendiri terhadap Kanun Tanah Sarawak? Ianya tidak munasabah bagi kita untuk membuat sebarang spekulasi , tetapi kita tahu bahawa kegagalan mewartakan pindaan undang-undang memberi kesan buruk kepada hak pribumi atas tanah NCL mereka.

Sudah cukup jelas bahawa kerajaan Sarawak, bermula dari masa pemerintahan Kerajaan BN hingga GPS (hari ini) tertumpu pada satu perkara: Merampas hak-hak rakyat Sarawak dengan menyingkirkan bidang-bidang penting dalam kehidupan mereka lalu buang kesan dan kekuasaan undang-undang sehingga mereka hilang proses keadilan dalam masalah yang mereka hadapi.

Alexander Nanta adalah kaum dayak dan mungkin seorang Kristian. Kontroversi ‘Allah’ ini mungkin tidak menimbul masalah kepada beliau serta seluruh anggota keluarganya sekarang. Dan dalam hal tanah adat, sebagai dayak yang berpengaruh dan mempunyai kekuatan politik yang besar, beliau mungkin tidak menghadapi masalah yang dialami oleh orang-orang Dayak di luar bandar. Oleh itu, apabila beliau menafikan bahawa isu 'Allah' tidak menjadi masalah bagi orang bukan Islam dan sebagai dayak, beliau tidak mendorong undang-undang yang memperjuangkan dan mempromosikan hak dayak atas tanah NCL mereka, mungkinkah beliau sudah terlalu lama diam didalam zone selesa.

Beliau mampu membawa perubahan dalam industri pembalakan. Jadi, membawa undang-undang atau polisi yang membantu dan membela hidup masyarakat Dayak adalah persoalan sama ada dia hendak atau pejam sebelah matanya.

Sudah tiba masanya untuk warga Sarawak yang bukan Muslim, terutamanya orang Dayak, untuk memikirkan kembali kesetiaan mereka agar mereka sedar bahawa pemimpim yang mereka sokong tidak cenderung untuk melindungi dan memperjuangkan hak mereka yang paling asas. Kita sekarang mesti memutuskan sama ada akan membenarkan mereka terus berkhidmat sebagai penggubal undang-undang atau memilih penggubal undang-undang yang baru dengan platform yang  berbeza.

Ketetapan 10 - Penyelesaian titik-10 dan Kesan Undang-Undang

''Hakim, bagaimanapun, menunjukkan bahawa kerajaan persekutuan ketika itu gagal memberikan kesan penuh terhadap penyelesaian titik-10 ketika diumumkan pada tahun 2011, kerana ia tidak menarik balik arahan Kerajaan yang dilakukan pada 1986 '' ... Nor Bee Ariffin

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/19/high-court-najib-era-10-point-solution-could-have-solved-allah-controversy/1959327

https://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/159346

Punca masalah ini dijumpai pada Disember 1981 ketika Timbalan Menteri Dalam Negeri ketika itu mewartakan larangan Al Kitab di Malaysia di bawah Seksyen 22 Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri 1960 (PU (A) 15/82).

Namun, ianya adalah perintah zalim yang melarang untuk mencetak, menerbitkan, menjual, mengedarkan atau memiliki Al-Kitab. Warta tersebut berisi tuduhan yang amat serius, bahkan menghasut, dengan menyatakan bahawa larangan itu dibuat dengan alasan bahawa Al-Kitab akan memudaratkan kepentingan nasional dan keselamatan Persekutuan.

Pada Mac 1982, satu keputusan oleh Timbalan Menteri untuk merayu keputusan diatas yang mengenakan sekatan ke atas penganut Kristian untuk menggunakan Kitab Suci mereka.

Ianya dilakukan melalui PU (A) 134, yang hanya digunakan untuk sementara waktu mempertahankan larangan tersebut, namun lalu menjadikannya syarat bahawa "larangan ini tidak berlaku untuk pemilikan atau penggunaan di Gereja penerbitan tersebut oleh orang yang menganut agama Kristian di seluruh Malaysia".

Ketagihan Kesakitan yang bernama Malaya (Bahasa)

                         Ketagihan Kesakitan yang bernama Malaya

                                               Abdul Rahman Jugah Barieng Alexander Nanta Linggi

"Tidak ada yang salah jika hendak bekerja dengan Umno atau pihak lain. Malah, DAP juga mempunyai idea untuk bekerjasama dengan pihak lain untuk menggantikan pemerintahan Muhyiddin.” …..petikan daripada  Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, Setiausaha Agung GPS dan PBB.

https://www.theborneopost.com/2021/03/04/nanta-nothing-wrong-with-gps-working-with-umno-other-parties-to-form-govt/

Kerana mahukan kata atau istilah yang lebih baik untuk memberi gambaran yang tepat mengenai daya tarikan dan ketagihan GPS (dahulunya BN Sarawak) kepada UMNO dan semua perkara di Tanah Melayu, istilah psiko - perubatan ‘sadomasochism disorder’ sepertinya sesuai. Sebelum kita meneruskannya, mari kita ingat dahulu apa yang dikatakan oleh ketua Iban terpenting, Tun Jugah Barieng mengenai Sarawak yang bergabung dengan negeri-negeri persekutuan Tanah Melayu, Borneo Utara (Sabah) dan Singapura untuk membentuk Malaysia pada awal tahun 1962. Beliau direkodkan telah mengatakan “anang baka tebu, manis ba pun tang tabar ba ujung” yang dalam bahasa Inggeris  bermaksud tidak seperti tebu, manis pada awalnya tetapi tidak terasa pada akhirnya. Mendiang Tun Jugah secara kebetulan juga adalah datuk kepada Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tun+jugah+on+sarawak+in+malaysia+anang+baka+tebu%2C+manis+ba+pun+tabal+ban+hujung&oq=&aqs=chrome.1.69i59i450l8.1296440j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Sebilangan besar rakyat Sarawak tidak dapat memahami mengapa pemimpin kerajaan GPS Sarawak (dahulunya BN Sarawak) begitu terpikat dengan pemimpin Tanah Melayu, terutama pemimpin Tanah Melayu dalam UMNO, yang merugikan Sarawak. Kata-kata dari Alexander Nanta yang menyuarakan sentimen pelik lebih membingungkan kerana kata-kata ramalan oleh datuknya terbukti  berlaku.

Perjalanan kesakitan sudah terlalu lama, iaitu selama 57 tahun. Ia bermula pada 16 September 1963. Dari tarikh itu, sehingga hari ini, sudah sekian lama terjadinya pengkhianatan dan diskriminasi terhadap Sarawak.

Perkongsian Kuasa Di Parlimen Malaysia

Malaysia dibentuk berdasarkan persefahaman bahawa ia akan menjadi rakan setaraf dengan negeri-negeri Melayu bersekutu (Tanah Melayu), Borneo Utara (sekarang Sabah) dan Singapura. Pada tahun 1964, parlimen Malaysia mempunyai 159 kerusi atau kawasan pilihan raya. Sarawak (diperuntukkan 24 kerusi), Sabah (diperuntukkan 16 kerusi) dan Singapura (diperuntukkan 15 kerusi) mempunyai gabungan keseluruhan 55 kerusi dan Tanah Melayu gabungan diperuntukkan 104 kerusi. Berdasarkan tegas pada prinsip perkongsian yang setara, Sarawak seharusnya diperuntukkan sekurang-kurangnya 39 kerusi. Kehilangan rasa manis dari tebu telah bermula, hampir 1 tahun selepas pembentukan Malaysia. Oleh itu, jelas bagi kebanyakan pemimpin Sarawak bahawa Tunku Abdul Rahman, perdana menteri pertama Malaysia tidak pernah bermaksud untuk berlaku adil dan saksama kepada Sarawak.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Malaysian_general_election

Pada bulan Ogos 1965, Singapura meninggalkan persekutuan dan menjadi sebuah negara berdaulat yang bebas. Pada pilihan raya umum 1969 (dari 10/05/1969 - 04/07/1970) terdapat 144 kerusi untuk direbut. Peruntukan Sarawak adalah 24 kerusi. Pada pilihan raya umum ke-4 pada tahun 1974, terdapat 154 kerusi untuk bertanding. Peruntukan Sarawak kekal di 24 kerusi apabila sepatutnya sekurang-kurangnya 51 berdasarkan prinsip status yang sama. Antara alasan yang diberikan untuk perbezaan tersebut adalah, Sarawak kekurangan penduduk berbanding dengan jumlah tanah. Hasil akhir dari perbezaan ini, telah mewujudkan ketidakseimbangan kepada rakyat Sarawak. Mereka dilucutkan kuasa di parlimen dan tidak sepenuhnya berkuasa atas urusan mereka sendiri.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Members_of_the_Dewan_Rakyat,_4th_Malaysian_Parliament

Pejabat Ketua Menteri Sarawak dan krisis perlembagaan tahun 1966

Krisis perlembagaan tahun 1966 adalah antara masa yang paling gelap dalam sejarah di “Sarawak Fairland “

“The Edge” melaporkan krisis ini pada Februari 2009 dengan laporan yang mengatakan : Ketua Menteri Iban pertama di Sarawak, Stephen Kalong Ningkan memulakan undang-undang reformasi tanah untuk memberikan hak penduduk asli di pedalaman untuk memperoleh hak penuh kepada Tanah Adat Asli, yang akan memungkinkan mereka menjual hak tanah mereka kepada sesiapa yang mereka kehendaki. Undang-undang, jika disahkan, juga memungkinkan mereka mendapatkan hak atas sebidang tanah hutan berharga yang besar. Ini mengakibatkan beberapa ADUN, yang dipercayai mendapat sokongan dari Kerajaan Persekutuan, mengeluarkan pernyataan yang tidak menyatakan kepercayaan terhadap Ningkan. Ini mendorong Perdana Menteri Tunku Abdul Rahman untuk menuntut pengunduran dirinya. Ningkan menolak, dan disingkirkan oleh Gabenor. Dia membawa kes itu ke Mahkamah Tinggi Borneo dan dilantik semula sebagai Menteri Besar kerana mahkamah memutuskan bahawa setelah dilantik, seorang Ketua Menteri tidak boleh digulingkan oleh Gabenor kecuali jika dewan undangan negeri meloloskan usul tidak percaya terhadapnya. Ningkan telah merancang untuk mengadakan pemilihan cepat setelah ia dilantik semula, tetapi sebelum dia dapat melakukannya, Kerajaan Persekutuan memberlakukan keadaan darurat di Sarawak dengan alasan kekacauan di negeri itu.

Ningkan, Ketua Menteri Dayak Iban yang pertama telah dipecat secara tidak sengaja dalam gerakan yang diatur oleh Tunku Abdul Rahman. Rasa sakit kerana tidak dapat mengawal sepenuhnya urusan kita sekarang menjadi semakin parah  lagi bagi rakyat Sarawak.

Akta Pembangunan Petroleum 1974 (PDA74)

PDA74 adalah landasan lanskap minyak dan gas Malaysia dan ia mewujudkan satu-satunya syarikat Fortune 500 di Malaysia. Bagi rakyat Sarawak, 1 Okt 1974 bagaimanapun menandakan hari pertama yang diterajui oleh Tanah Melayu dan kerajaan persekutuan yang digerakkan oleh UMNO secara 'sah' telah mencuri hak Sarawak atas sumber semula jadi. Keseluruhan sumber minyak dan gas Sarawak dinasionalisasi melalui PDA74 dengan adanya Ketua Menteri ke-3 Sarawak Tun Abdul Rahman Ya'kub. Sehingga hari ini, perjuangan (jika anda boleh menyebutnya begitu) untuk pemulihan hak Sarawak tidak menghasilkan apa-apa yang ketara.

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/cover-story-why-sarawak-questions-petroleum-development-act

Berkaitan dengan keuntungan yang telah dinikmati oleh Tanah Melayu selama 46 tahun kebelakangan ini, keuntungan dari perjanjian penyelesaian komersial antara Sarawak dan Petronas, yang melibatkan cukai penjualan produk O&G dan hak perlombongan, dapat digambarkan sebagai serpihan yang jatuh dari lubang besar. Semasa Tanah Melayu maju, mereka menikmati infrastruktur yang menyaingi negara-negara maju di dunia, orang Sarawak yang berpusat di luar bandar terus bergantung pada mod pengangkutan sungai dan yang terbaik, jalan jiwa murni. Lawak yang berlaku hari ini ialah jiwa yang murni tidak dapat dilihat di jalan jiwa murni. Warga Sarawak masih menunggu jalan raya Pan Borneo, hospital di Sri Aman dan Petra Jaya siap serta sekolah-sekolah usang yang akan dibaiki sepenuhnya dan selamat untuk pelajar dan guru.

The Territorial Sea Act tahun 2012, yang menurunkan status Sarawak dari wilayah ke negeri pada tahun 1976, semua ini berfungsi untuk memperkuatkan pegangan Tanah Melayu terhadap sumber-sumber Sarawak. Syarikat perladangan yang berpusat di Tanah Melayu seperti kumpulan Felda. Kumpulan Felcra, kumpulan Sime Darby, kumpulan IOI, kumpulan Boustead, Tabung Haji, kumpulan Tradewind dan banyak lagi menguasai ratusan ribu hektar tanah Sarawak dengan ratusan kes menceroboh adat asli Dayak (NCR). Kuota diskriminasi untuk kemasukan ke universiti awam dan institusi latihan guru menyebabkan Sarawak ketinggalan jauh dalam hampir semua bidang kehidupan rakyat Malaysia kerana kesan berlakunya amalan diskriminasi ini.

Mengetahui semua tindakan yang ditimbulkan oleh kerajaan persekutuan yang didorong oleh Tanah Melayu terhadap Sarawak, apa yang mendorong para pemimpin Sarawak dalam GPS (dahulunya BN Sarawak) untuk terus memberi peluang kepada parti-parti yang berpusat di Tanah Melayu untuk menimbulkan lebih banyak kesakitan kepada Sarawak.

Warga Sarawak, marilah kita menghentikan kegilaan ini. Mari kita tunjukkan pintu keluar ke GPS pada PRN akan datang.

BRIEF PARAGRAPH REGARDING LINGGI’S STATEMENT FOR TIMBER INDUSTRY REFORM

BRIEF PARAGRAPH REGARDING LINGGI’S STATEMENT FOR TIMBER INDUSTRY REFORM

In 1976, a 25 years timber license (T/0537) covering 49,996 hectares was issued to Keresa Timber Corporation S/B and on August 15th 1979, another larger timber concession under timber license (T/3024) for 25 years was issued to Rajang Wood S/B covering a virgin forest area of 309,575 hectares.

These two companies issued with a total of nearly 360,000 hectares are all owned and controlled by the famous well-endowed and politically connected Linggi family.

The Linggi family also owns Keresa Plantations Sdn Bhd which owns 8,551 hectares of oil palm plantation land in the Labang District some 66KM from Bintulu along the Bintulu-Bakun Road and another 5 oil palm plantations land of 24,622 hecatares situated within the Bintulu / Miri regions, owned by Asia Plantation S/B (APSB). APSB, until it was sold to FGV, was mostly owned by Linggi through Keresa Plantations Sdn Bhd and other means.

1. Keresa Timber Corporation S/B        49,996 ha

2. Rajang Wood S/B                 309,575 ha

3. Keresa Plantations S/B         8,551 ha

4. Asia Plantations S/B         24,622 ha

       Total                 392,744 ha 

https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2014/08/30/fgv-buys-asian-plantations-this-has-strengthened-its-position-as-worlds-thirdlargest-plantation-oper

The Linggi family is not only famous but politically well endowed. The grandfather of YB Alex Linggi was none other than Tun Jugah, who was the paramount leader of the Dayak when Sarawak agree to form Malaysia in 1963.

In 1962, Tun Jugah founded a political party called Parti Pesaka Sarawak representing the Sarawak Bumiputra. But in 1973, Tun Rahman Yacoob convinced Tun Jugah to merge Pesaka with Parti Bumiputra in order to, amongst others, protect and guarantee the future rights of bumiputera and to develop the bumiputera, specifically, Malaysians, generally, in the educational, economic, social, and cultural spheres.

Another new party PBB. 

The formation was based on the structure that PBB has two divisions, one Pesaka and one Bumiputra. Of course cleverly, Bumiputra was and still the majority in this new entity.

In return for the Linggi family agreeing to merge Pesaka with Bumiputra, the Linggi family were given positions in PBB and of course large forest concession areas and sizeable oil palm agriculture land with ridiculously low payment of to the Sarawak Government. Keresa Plantations Sdn Bhd for example paid a mere RM44,640.00 for 8551 hectares of palm oil land.

https://www.sarawakreport.org/2013/05/dirty-dayak-datuks-bns-crony-candidates/

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

The two timber licenses were not renewed because firstly Linggi did not contribute political funds to PBB in spite of high profit, estimated to be in excess of RM886.3 million; and secondly, both Rajang Wood and Keresa never carried out any value adding investment but instead just sit and collect high timber premiums.

When the two timber licenses were not renewed, Tan Sri Linggi Jugah turned against Tun Taib who was then the CM and President of PBB. Instead of supporting Adenan Satem, adopted by Tun Taib to be the deputy president of PBB in the election against Abang Jo, Tan Sri Linggi Juggah supported Abang Jo and gave full financial resources to Abang Jo during the party elections and Abang Jo won the deputy President post against Adenan  in spite of Adenan’s party status and seniority and also endorsed by Tun Taib to be his eventual successor as CM of Sarawak. The rest is history.

The relationship between Linggi family and Abang Jo was sealed and blossomed and Alex Linggi, the son of Tan Sri Linggi Juggah was awarded the position of Secretary General in PBB replacing Dr Rundi.

Not only that, Alex Linggi was offered the Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs in the backdoor MY Government.

Now, with YB Alex Linggi speaking on reviewing Sarawak’s timber policy and claiming that “certain people” who became very rich from it over the years are now unfriendly to the ruling GPS party, is he implying that these instead should be granted to “friendly” parties and only those who support the GPS? This could even be seen as a threat and in case he doesn’t know, this is corruption and cronyism at its very best. Also, funny that this should come from him too, whose family has benefited so much to be enriched by such policies he so very much suggests to be reviewed.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/10/03/time-to-review-who-gets-best-cut-of-sarawak-timber-pbb-sec-gen-tells-chief/1909237

So what happened to the large land given by the Sarawak Government for timber extraction and oil palm plantation to the Linggi family?

Among the various favours given by Abang Jo, just the sale of oil palm land of 24,622 hectares under Asia Plantation S/B to UMNO related Felda Global Ventures (FGV) for a whopping RM 1,016,000,000.00 (RM 1.016 Billion) shows how much YB Alex Linggi’s family pocketed.

BTW, the sale of Asia Plantation land to FGV is now a subject of investigation according to a  report by The Edge dated Apr 2015.

How did the Linggi family manage to sell the 24,622 hectare land to FGV with such a high, overpriced value is anybody’s guess and beyond our imagination.

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.

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.