A Football Purist said to audie61 at breakfast,”.Did you watch Ghana”s penalty kick at extra time..??” Gyan had the whole of Africa’s shoulder on his back and with virtually the last kick of extra time,he hit the crossbar of all places. Sebastian with the last kick in the penalty shootout had the nerve to score the most ‘Cheekiest Penalty” to win it for Uruguay. This is the Drive,Inspiration and Motivation they need going into the the semifinals of the World Cup to face Holland.
Todays English tabloid had Mawan President of SPDP questioning SNAP on the reason of going for only seven(7) seats. On the same breakfast table the political analyst said,” You see Mawan’s timing PERFECT. This statement unknowlingly of the results of last nights game drives the message clearly to SNAP.
They SNAP are now harping on being a partner of the Pakatan4 and are in fact strong in the grassroots.They could even stand in Bandar Kuching area abastion for SUPP where the late Lo Foo Kee Assemblyman for Padungan and later Appointed Assistant Minister won. Why they only target certain areas especially {SPDP areas} while they could gain more to build the party up.
What Mawan meant was as an Opposition party if you win more seats you will be a “FORCE” again and its absolutely a NUMBERS GAME in politics. He is not diverting the force of SNAP away from SPDP.
SNAP a powerful party at its peak has indeed fallen badly into a “DILAPIDATED FORCE” It has been given a lifeline no doubt but the struggle to rebuild the party will take time. It will provide some sort of resistance to the BN parties in walking away without breaking into sweat. It takes more than PAST GLORIES to reenter into the new political picture in Sarawak.
Times have changed,technology has advanced ,people are exposed to the borderless world and SNAP will need to build a NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS to succeed. No question it takes TIME to rebuild. They do not have the TIME. They need to act fast and hope for the bests.
IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH..??
Gyan the Ghanaian striker if he had scored the goal he would have been a National Hero and walked into any eating establishment in Ghana without paying. Will SNAP be the toast of Sarawakians again? They have seen their bests days but if they are serious about giving BN4 a run for their money they need to look at themselves first.
In this instance Mawan is correct and he does not need to mince his words as he knows the situation and political climate has changed in Sarawak. He has the feel of the ground and his political acumen and knowledge are all but provided by his true,trusted and loyal liuetenants and party faithful.
DAP will provide SUPP with more than a headache,PKR will engage PRS in former PBDS areas, PBB will have to contain with PAS/PKR in the malay/melanau areas while SNAP feels that their grassroots at their former strongholds of SPDP areas are there for the taking. This is the Pakatans Hope and their message is clear and simple,”
TO YOU,THE GREAT SILENT MAJORITY OF SARAWAKIANS,WE PAKATAN 4 SEEK YOUR SUPPORT.”
SNAP will want to return to proven ways not because they are old but they think they are true. However they need to,must and shall need to revitalise the party into a running entity again. Without that it will be WEAK IN ITS SEAMS and only STRONG IN SPIRIT. Seriously,this State elections will come too soon for SNAP to wrestle back the SPDP seats.
It might just be a “BRIDGE TOO FAR” for now says the political analyst and SNAP has to rebuild from its sorry state of affairs to be THE NEW FORCE. The football purists said,”
Audie61's Weblog 
So Mawan you know the goal posts .Who tonight. germany or Argentina..?? Hehehe
Dont underestimate the People Power though! it will come back to haunt SPDP if they are not prepared for the fight as now SNAP has the other partners in PKR,DAP and PAS. United we succeed and divided we fall. Complacency will be BN4s downfall.
Mawan is faced with internal struggle and he knwos that he doesnt need SNAP to give him more troubles. SPDP needs all the resources and manppwer more than ever now. No one must be left behind in this fight to the end.,
Mawan knows, his boss is the worse enemy of SPDP..
How many of those SPDPs has left him, 5? Well, soon PBB will grow from within the BN S’wak i.e. the plan to defend 35 state seats to 40+! Hmm, where that 5+ come from.
Mawan knows, taib’s plan is to consolidate his power within PBB and win the election standing on PBB alone, a simple majority. Reason being, so that taib cannot be held to ransom by SUPP, PRS and SPDP.
But first, Mawan knows, taib needed to tear SUPP, PRS and SPDP up so the strays will end up ‘joining’ PBB!
SUPP has few seats held by bumis, the SPDP 5 and PRS probably has a few that will stab machine in the back..
so lets do the math, potentially with the 35 PBB, plus 5 SPDP, say 2 from SUPP and not sure how many in PRS but lets say 3, total is 45!
45 is a simple majority! 45 PBB, who cares what remaining SUPP, PRS or SPDP does right but of cos being the old smart fox that he is, he will destroy these stragglers first because one or two seats to PBB may not be much but a lot to the opposition, PR.
Well, that the plan anyhow.
As for Mawan’s comments on SNAP, all PR need for SNAP to do is get a few seats, 4-5 is still significant!
SUPP 11 will collaspe, which should be going to DAP, that makes 6+11= 17 for DAP.
PKR will likely take close to 10 or more and PAS will take 4-5 e.g santubong etc Malay areas.
So lets do the math once again, 17+10+5+4= 36!
Should this prediction be true, the few PRS or SPDP will surely come in handy to PR wont it!
But taib already knows, some within PBB are already preparing to save their own skin just in case! Look out for those in PBB which will be sacrificed by him and moved to weak seats to lose in the next state elections.
The state election will be with the General elections and will be soon after Hari Raya, thats the prediction!
UMNO controlled BN is sinking in Putrajaya and in Petrajaya. Najib wanted to call for a snap election together with Sarawak state election but Taib Mahmud was not in favour because Taib fears that the mountain of national issues will be one such strong tsunami that will DESTROY BN Sarawak and his empire!
Taib does not care a shit about PBB, SPDP, SUPP and PRS and all his soldiers. He just want to save his empire and himself from being persecuted for all the ill gotten wealth he possessed and owned.
I have many relatives and friends living in Miri and Kuching (last count was 21). I was so encouraged to know that all of them will vote for DAP and or any Pakatan component candidate in their areas.
Convince your parents, relatives and friends to vote for Change. We need to vote out BN and vote for Pakatan to witness a total political reforms and put corruptions, abuse of power, racial segregation and total eradication of both urban and rural poverty.
Sarawak4Change, Sarwak4Change….Malaysia4Change. VOTE PAKATAN
A vote for DAP, PAS, PKR and SNAP (Pakatan Rakyat) is a vote against Taib Mahmud, a vote against UMNO hegemony,a vote against the useless PDRM, Judicial,MACC and a massive vote against CORRUPTIONS and POWER OF ABUSE.
Lee Hui, keep up your good work and convince more friends and relatives. I am motivated by you too and will work harder to convince all my friends and relatives to kick out the Thief Minister and all his thieves.
Yes..Sarawak4Change..Malaysia4Change…Vote ..Vote Pakatan. Vote Pakatan.
Totally agree with you Aris and for your info. many of us have been encouraging friends and family to register to vote. We have been doing that for the past 2 years.
Happy to report, i myself has managed to get more than 30+ new registration.
But note this, whenever you bring someone, make sure you ask the SPR these questions i) wheres the polling station and ii) how long before you can check online. Also, make sure the address on your IC is your current address if that’s where you want to vote.
Have noticed whenever they use this excuse i.e. computer is down, we will fill in form first and they will key in data later. Often, it will take 3 months before your data can be checked online but was told each time it only takes one month! i wonder why.
When ask wheres the polling station, the person often allocate say out of the way polling station, had to correct them and tell them theres one just down the road from the address, why can’t that be the polling station. SPR you call this encouraging people to vote?
From my personal experience, whatever i read in the papers by SPR on encouraging people to register as voters is just a truck load of bull shit!
Why is SPR playing politics?
Many of us will vote whomever that runs against BN even if the opposition has a real monkey there! It’s largely not the individual that we are voting for but the flag they are running under.
People do not buy ” only Bn government is the only government that delivers” any more. A vote for Pakatan is also a vote to vindicate the poor rural Dayaks.
My vote and that of my families are for Pakatan Rakyat.
Orang Asli have awoken and defending their rights and hope the rural Dayaks will stand their ground and wont allow themselves to be “bought” by BN Dayak YBs again.
Taib has everything and rural Dayaks have nothing. Maybe Wanita Chief of SPDP who is the daughter of William Mawan could lavishly spent RM30,000 for her birthday bash at the Hilton while more than 500,000 Ibans are living in poverty in both urban and rural areas.
Vote for Pakatan now. Yes sarwak4Change. get all friends and relatives to vote for Pakatan.
I’m Malaysian and will be proud to vote for Pakatan Rakyat..
Say No To Racism..
Vote For Pakatan Rakyat..
SNAP, you will never walk alone for as long as you are committed to Pakatan to fight racism, corruption, leakages, wastages and for reforms.
Sarawak will never be Taib’s playground again. Natives of Sarawak will regain their dignity under Pakatan Rakyat.
Calling all Dayaks women to take the lead for change in our own community. How can we allow BN government to intimidate us into voting BN in exchange for piped water, electricity, community halls, roofing materials or generator sets. Our Tuai Rumah and Penghulu should be ashamed of themselves for allowing our our Dayak Ybs to make us slaves of Taib Mahmud.
We must wake up now and vote for a new government. We must vote for Pakatan.Can you imagine the wanita chief of SPDP who is the daughter of William Mawan spending lavishingly in celebrating her birthday in Hilton Hotel when many of us cannot even afford to pay RM80 for sending our kids to tuition?
Wake up and vote Pakatan.
I will convince all my relatives living in Sri Aman, Selangau and Balai Ringin and all friends to vote for Pakatan Rakyat. We Dayaks are not the slaves of Taib Mahmud and BN government.
Dayaks4change. Malaysia4change.
Vote Pakatan Rakyat.
Prayer Alert (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Title: Sarawak ShareThis
Description: FYI #80
Sarawak
Government: BN
Capital: Kuching
Yang di-Pertua Negeri: Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng
Chief Minister: Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud
Statistics (Malaysia Statistics Dept., 2007)
Population: 2,404,500 (2007) – Indigenous peoples/Dayaks (48.2%), Chinese (25.5%), Malays (22%), others (0.4%), non-citizens (3.7%).
Religious breakdown (2000): Christianity 42.6%; Islam 31.3%; Buddhism 12%; Tribal 5.2%; No Religion 3.9%; Taoism/Confucianism 2.6%; Others 1.3%; Hinduism 0.1%; Unknown 1.0%
Known as Bumi Kenyalang (‘Land of the Hornbills’), Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia. Kuching is the state capital while Miri, known as the oil capital of the state, has recently been declared the state’s first resort city.
History and political development in brief
Sarawak was loosely under the control of the Brunei Sultanate in the early 19th century. During the reign of Rajah Indera Mahkota in the 19th century, Sarawak was in chaos. In 1839, the Sultan of Brunei, ordered Rajah Muda Hashim to restore order. During this time James Brooke arrived in Sarawak for the first time. On his second visit in 1841, Brooke agreed to help Rajah Muda Hashim to maintain social order. A treaty was signed and Sarawak surrendered to Brooke. On 24 September 1841, Brooke was bestowed the title Governor and effectively became the Rajah of Sarawak, setting up his capital in Kuching. The dynasty of ‘White Rajah’ was thus established, ruling Sarawak until the Second World War.
In 1888, Sarawak, under Charles Anthony Johnson Brooke, became a British Protectorate until 1946 when the third ruler Charles Vyner Brooke ceded his rights to the United Kingdom.
In December 1941, Japan invaded Sarawak and established military administration which provided new opportunities for Iban advancement as police and native officers. Meanwhile, Vyner, who was visiting Australia, was unable to return to Sarawak until its liberation in 1945 by the Australian Army. The state then came under Allied military administration. An orchestrated vote in the Council Negeri approved the cession of Sarawak to the British crown. In July 1946, Sarawak became one of the British colonies and civil administration was restored. However, anti-cession movement became intense. In 1949, the first British governor was assassinated. As a result, four conspirators were hanged and seven given long prison sentences, and the rifts created took many years to heal.
Sarawak was one of the areas where Indonesian Confrontation took place (1962 – 1966). On 16 September 1963, it joined the federation of Malaysia despite initial opposition from certain quarters. In negotiating the Malaysia Agreement, Sarawakians insisted on autonomy in four areas – the civil service, local government, land and immigration. Sarawak has the right to refuse entry of Malaysians from the peninsula.
In 1965, the first chief minister Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan, an Iban himself, put together a coalition, but it was unstable. Barisan Nasional (BN), the rival coalition led by UMNO, threatened to motion a vote of no confidence. A legal dispute occurred, a state of emergency was declared, and Ningkan was finally removed. From 1970 onwards, Sarawak was governed by BN under two Muslim chief ministers of Melanau descent – Abdul Rahman Yakub (1970–1981) and his nephew, Abdul Taib Mahmud (1981–present). UMNO, however, has not been able to make inroads into the state. Taib, a member of Parti Bumiputera Bersatu (a component party of BN), is also the state First Finance Minister and state Minister for Planning and Resources Management.
Two state electoral revolts shook the BN state government:
1. In 1974, the then opposition Sarawak National Action Party (SNAP) won 48 per cent of the popular vote, taking 18 of the 48 seats in the State Assembly.
2. The 2006 state elections saw the combined opposition parties taking 33% of the popular vote. The decline in the support for BN was attributed to lacklustre economic development and a significant level of unhappiness among the urban Sarawakians.
Nonetheless, there is no competitive opposition outside of Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri. There is hardly any in the rural areas. One of the reasons, according to certain analysts, may be due to the politics of fear of deprivation and the politics of disempowerment in the rural areas. Such politics have successfully convinced the rural voters of their total dependence on the government. For example in the 2006 state elections, the people in the highlands of Ba’Kelalan and Long Semadoh region were afraid that if they didn’t vote for the BN candidate, the project to build roads to the highlands would be withdrawn.
Sarawak contributed 21% to BN’s simple majority victory in the Parliament in the March 2008 general elections.
Ethnic groups & religions
It is said that Sarawak has more than 40 sub-ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language, culture and lifestyle. Dayak is the loose term for these indigenous peoples who form nearly half of the Sarawak population.
The Ibans make up some 30% of the total population; the majority of them practise Christianity. Most Bidayuhs are Christians and they make up about 10% of the Christian population in the state. Most Melanaus are Muslims; their lifestyle and practices are similar to the Malays’. They form some 5% of the population.
The phrase Orang Ulu is a term used to collectively describe the numerous tribes that live upriver in Sarawak’s vast interior. They include Kayan, Kenyah, Kajang, Kejaman, Punan, Ukit, Penan, Lun Bawang, Murut, Berawan, Saban and Kelabits. They together make up roughly 5.5% of Sarawak’s population and majority of them are Christians.
However, regardless of their religious background, many continue to practise traditional rituals and beliefs. Under the Federal Constitution, they are the natives (Bumiputeras) who enjoy special privileges similar to that of the Malays.
The Chinese form the second largest ethnic group after the Ibans, while the Malays third. While Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, it is not a state religion of Sarawak. In fact, Sarawak is the only state without a state religion. There are no state provisions or penalty for converting out of Islam.
However, Sarawak faces some restrictions (from the federal government, the Home Ministry in particular) in the distribution of Malay-language Christian materials. In April 2003, the Iban-language Bible, Bup Kudus, was banned because it contained the word ‘Allah’ (in the phrase Allah Taala) used exclusively by Muslims. Prior to this, Bup Kudus, had not faced any problem in the last 15 years of its existence. A few weeks later, the then acting Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Badawi (now Prime Minister) lifted the ban after a public outcry.
Nevertheless, Sarawak has the least number of disputes relating to religion compared with other Malaysian states.
Two Major Concerns
Regional imbalances, discrimination in federal policies and implementation
Blessed with the abundance of natural resources, Sarawak by right should be one of the wealthiest states in Malaysia. It has one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants in Bintulu and is a major producer in crude oil from its offshore wells in Miri.
However, for decades, the state’s economy has been behind the urban centres in Peninsular Malaysia. Like Sabah, it is only given 5% oil and gas royalties.
The New Economic Policy (NEP), designed in the 1970s to improve or elevate the economic status of Bumiputeras, did not seem to have done so for many Sarawakian natives. Figures show that at least one minority group remains deprived of basic needs. The Asian Strategic and Leadership Institute (Asli) in a report prepared for the Ninth Malaysia Plan says that some 12,000 Penan in the interiors are lagging behind in terms of income, education and health.
In 2006, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein promised to tackle the lack of basic and physical facilities in the rural and remote school in Sabah and Sarawak. However, little physical improvement has been seen thus far. In May 2008, he said the ministry had planned to review its priorities in the National Education Blueprint to give priority to schools in Sabah and Sarawak. On allegations that the ministry had not started education projects in Sarawak, Hishammuddin said the claims were baseless as Sarawak had been given RM3.01bil for 2,187 projects.
Meanwhile, the PM assured the people that the government gives equal focus to all in this country and said that the development corridor in Sarawak would bring opportunities to the people, notably to the younger generation. The rural development would be given due attention, particularly on basic infrastructure, water and power supply and the building of road (The Star, 11/6/2008). He also said that the evidence could be seen in the decline of poverty rate from 7.5% in 2004 to 4.2% in 2007. However, the reduction in poverty rate is far from convincing, especially with the recent petrol hike and rising cost of living due to inflation.
The unfortunate facts are: feelings of marginalisation and deprivation are prevalent among the Dayak community despite the special rights and privileges enshrined in the Federal Constitution; the Sarawakians for years have received only 30% treated water; regional imbalances have yet to be corrected; and a fair distribution with regard to the control, management and ownership of the modern economy has yet to be seen. The Dayaks continue to feel that some government agencies involved in implementing government policies do not seem to carry out the policies fairly.
The Economic Planning Unit’s Development Composite Index placed Sarawak 11th among the 14 states in the country (NST, 8/9/07).
Native Customary Land (NCL)
Sarawak’s rainforests, the homeland of the natives even before the formation of Malaysia, have been gradually depleted by indiscriminate logging and land clearance for palm oil plantations. Incidents of peaceful protests and timber blockades are not uncommon. In Sarawak, any land occupied by indigenous groups before 1 January 1958 can be regarded as theirs under Native Customary Rights (NCR).
In March 2005, at a seminar on NCR sponsored by SUHAKAM, the Dayaks highlighted their plight. Among them were:
1. The encroachment on native customary lands violates and disregards the native law, culture and traditions;
2. Arbitrary issuance of provisional lease and timber licensed to private companies by the state government;
3. Compensation received the State government covers only property and fruits (i.e. value of the land not included) and does not match the market value; and
4. Logging activities have caused environmental pollution, jeopardising source of drinking water, and destruction of crops and property.
According to the Borneo Resources Institute Malaysia (Brimas) Sarawak, indigenous people’s NCR are often violated by the government and authorities: “Government alienate the customary land of Dayaks to private companies without prior consent from the community, resulting in them becoming squatters on land that they have been staying on for generations.”
Some examples are:
1. Orang Ulu villagers in Ulu Baram were promised economic benefits if they gave up their NCR land for oil palm plantations. They were given 30% equity in the project. So far they have not seen the promised profits, neither have they been paid for their contract works (malaysiakini.com, 12/3/07)
2. The Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) has called for pressure to be exerted on the state government to stop global logging giant Rimbunan Hijau from “discriminating, robbing and depriving the indigenous people of the natives’ customary land rights.” (10/11/07)
3. The Penans have been most affected. They complain of game depletion resulting in widespread hunger and loss of traditional medicines and forest products. Traditionally nomadic in culture, the Penans have been displaced for decades due to deforestation and subsequent conversion of land to oil palm estates, from which they receive no benefits (16/12/07).
4. Two companies – Dakar Wijaya and Stuyong Enterprise – have been given licences by the state authorities to plant oil palm. The Iban landowners claim that their NCR land are being taken over. “We have been toiling on the land for generations. Now, these plantation companies just come and destroy all our fruit and rubber trees, and pepper plantations.” The land, covering an estimated 9,880ha, falls within the boundary of the five villages (Kampung Temiang, Sg Raya, Keniong, Tembun and Lingkau) which are believed to be more than 200 years old (NST, 1/7/08).
5. The Kayan community in Long Panai, Ulu Baram has started a road blockade to prevent a reforestation and oil palm company from encroaching their NCR land (malaysiakini.com, 24/5/08)
On 27 June 2008, 138 Bidayuh families claimed initial victory over the state authorities in their struggle to prevent their NCR land from being taken away from them without any consultation and compensation. Kuching High Court granted an interim injunction to stop Naim Cendera Lapan Sdn Bhd, a quarry licence holder, from entering their farmland. The natives said that the stone quarry would cause damages to fruit trees and other crops in their NCR land which has existed for more than a century. The villagers depend on shifting cultivation for food crops and the harvesting of birds’ nests for their livelihood.
The PM has in recent months guaranteed the focus of fully developing Sarawak, reducing poverty and restoring regional balances. The Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) is expected to increase the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) by five times when it is fully realised in 2030 (The Star, 21/4/08).
PRAY
1. Honest and just state government to fairly and effectively eliminate poverty among the natives;
2. All state projects to prioritise public interests and no ethnic groups to be left behind;
3. Business community to help create job opportunities; the rich to empower the poor;
4. Effective implementation of laws to protect the natives and their NCR land;
5. Any discriminatory policies and actions to be removed;
6. Commitment of both federal and state governments in improving communication/transport links, health and education facilities and the provision of basic services in the rural areas; and
7. Church: united, vibrant and relevant (e.g. in social & ethical issues), effective youth discipleship, greater passion for the lost, more workers in rural areas; good support from the churches in the peninsula.
Ho :oops: Ho :oops: Ho :oops:
:arrow: This ‘pek mo’ taib know that he must call for an election ASAP before majority knows his terrible corruption to the core $$$$Billion ringgit property in overseas n thats why Sarawak dailies GAGGED http://bit.ly/94IS1t
:evil: Those goons win past election bcoz majority RAKYAT still IGNORANT n don’t know B-eNd sick evil trick n wrongdoing BUT not for long now bcoz MAJORITY RAKYAT have grown SMART n know what to do n votes for next GE :idea:
VOTE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE :lol: VOTE FOR PAKATAN RAKYAT
It’s too late for the dayaks and PR to do anything to overturn Taib regime in Sarawak.As long as the mindsets and mentality of Tuai Rumah never change,Taib will continue to be in power.It is sad to see that s’wak a state with most the resources become one the poorest state in Malaysia.Has s’wak and Sabah make the correct decisions before, they are on par with their Jiran Brunei which only produce oil and gas.Kasihan Sarawakians