Zulhaidah bt Suboh

The opposition here wants the Taib Mahmud-led government to ?take ownership? of the education system to ensure that all Sarawakians achieve a level of education that they can be proud of.

Raising this concern at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly sitting yesterday, Ba?Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian said given the confusion at the federal level over education policies it was best that Sarawak took charge of its future.

?I believe the standard of education has dropped tremendously over the last two or three decades.

?Even the Education Minister (Muhyiddin Yassin) is not sure exactly how good or bad the educational system is.

?In April, he was reported to have claimed that Malaysia?s education is ?one of the best in the world and that it is better than that being provided in the United States, Germany and also the United Kingdom?.

?However, in (last) Sunday?s papers, he was reported to have said that the government?s 10 to 15-year target to achieve an education system on par with, or better than those of developed countries, was realistic.

?Given the confusion at federal level, and the constant changing of goalposts to achieve an acceptable percentage of passes perhaps for public consumption or perhaps for political reason, I propose that Sarawak takes ownership of our education system again and strive to achieve the level of education which we once made us proud,? Bian said while debating of the Governor?s address.

Bian said despite 50 years of independence, Sarawak had little to celebrate in relation to its ties with the Federation of Malaysia.

He said the rights of Sarawak as stated in the 18-points agreement have been ?slowly and insidiously eroded without anyone realizing it.

?In this regard it is time we take heed of what is rightfully ours,? he said drawing attention to several points under the 18-Points Agreement for the state government to look into.

Among the key issues Bian addressed in his debate were education, official language and religion.

?Official? language, religion?
Bian, who is also Sarawak PKR chief, said the 18-point Malaysia Agreement was specific in its safeguards and questioned the reasoning behind the state government gazette which stated that Malay was the official language.

Said Bian: ?The 18-point agreement preserves for us the use of the English language as one of the official languages of the state for all purposes, state or federal, without limitation of time.

?This right is further safeguarded in Article 161 in Part XIIA of the Federal Constitution.

?I was disappointed to read in page 2 of the State Planning Unit?s Sarawak Facts and Figures 2010 that Malay is the official language.

?Again, I would like to get clarification from the Chief Minister (Taib Mahmud) as to whether there is an official language for the Sarawak, which we are unaware of.?

Bian also pointed out to Taib that Sarawak is ?perhaps the only State Assembly in Malaysia? which allowed any language spoken in Sarawak to be used in the August house.

?On that premise, there cannot be an official language for Sarawak,? Bian said adding that another issue of concern was the ?official? religion of Sarawak.

He said the same government gazette had stated that Sarawak?s official religion was Islam.

He said it was imperative that Sarawakians being of a different ethnic composition from Peninsular Malaysia, ?jealousy safeguard? their uniqueness.

?It was agreed (in the agreement) that ?while there was no objection to Islam being the national religion of Malaysia there should be no state religion in Sarawak, and the provisions relating to Islam in the present Constitution of Malaya should not apply to Sarawak?.

?The absence of a state religion is a hallmark of Sarawak agreeing to join in the formation Malaysia in 1963, due to the wisdom of our forefathers who acknowledged that Sarawak is a land for all creeds or beliefs to mutually prosper and grow with respect for each others? rights and freedom.

?It however disturbs me greatly to note that in its latest publication entitled Sarawak Facts and Figures 2010, the State Planning Unit of the Chief Minister?s Department states clearly on page 2 that Islam is the official religion of Sarawak.

?I respectfully ask for a clarification on this matter from the Chief Minister and I hope for a reassurance that this most fundamental agreement has not been amended or taken away subtly from us,? Bian said.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak?s speech to overseas Malaysians at a get-together in London last night was interrupted by repeated chants of ?Bersih! Bersih!? from the floor.

The chanting started when Najib took to the stage, and it continued when he began his speech.

According to a footage uploaded on Internet, after some 25 seconds into his speech, Najib was clearly annoyed by the chanting; he raised his right hand and told the protesters to stop it.

?Can you please stop it? Can you stop it, please?? he said, to some inaudible reply from the floor.

?I know, I know, but can you stop it? You can meet with me later, okay? Please, can you stop it?? Najib tried to defuse the anger.

?I want to vote…Why you don?t allow me to vote…,? a participant shouted as the chanting continued.

?No, no, no, okay… alright, alright, you… no, no, you wait for me,? Najib responded.

?You have to respect… (inaudible),? the man replied.

Fortunately the chanting died down soon after that and Najib was able to continue his speech.

The event dubbed ?An Evening with the Prime Minister? was organised by the Malaysian High Commission at the prestigious 02 Arena in the UK capital, which can accommodate about 2,000 people.

According to Malaysia?s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Zakaria Sulong, the event was to enable Malaysians in London to interact in an informal manner with the prime minister.

The O2 Arena is well-known for the staging of pop concerts and prestigious events.

The building which features most uniquely on the European city?s skyline is one among the many venues chosen for the 2012 London Olympics. It was also on the itinerary for the late pop legend Michael Jackson?s final tour which never happened.

The PM?s gathering raises the question whether the lavish event was funded by public funds.

Some 40 Sarawak natives started camping outside Wisma Pelita in the state capital of Kuching yesterday, protesting the continued inaction of the state authority on their complaints of encroachment into their native customary rights (NCR) land.

They started their protest at 12.30pm yesterday against temporary leases to their land that the state issued to a local company.

Wisma Pelita houses the Sarawak Land and Survey Office.

Sri Aman DAP chief Leon Jimat Donald, when contacted, said the natives at the ?Occupy Wisma Pelita? were from Malikin, Balai Ringin and Serian.

“The tractors of the company have moved into their land and bulldozed their rubber trees and paddy fields, without even consulting them.

“But the Land Office keeps saying that it is investigating their complaint,” he said.

This protest, Donald said, is the fourth since the matter was raised in October last year.

Which was why, he added, the natives have, for the first time, decided to camp outside the Land Office since all their previous appeals have fallen on deaf ears.

“Our lie-in here will continue for as long as it takes, until the Land Office addresses this problem,” he said.

A first for Orang Asal
The land, Donald said, were given to a company owned by a politician linked to the ruling PBB for relinquishing his position as a state assemblyperson during the last Sarawak election.

The ?lie-in? is being held in conjunction with the state assembly sitting which began yesterday, in order to apply pressure on the Sarawak government.

According to Donald, Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen, who is also Kota Sentosa assemblyperson, will table an emergency motion in the House today on the plight of the natives.

?We’re using this opportunity, since the state assembly is sitting, to pressure Chief Minister Taib Mahmud to take action,? he said.

The encampment, a first for natives of East Malaysia, coincides with the one-month anniversary of Occupy Dataran Merdeka by democracy activists in Kuala Lumpur.

It is important that the state does not fall into the opposition?s hands even if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) managed to take over Putrajaya after the general election, said Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman Lo Khere Chiang.

This is to avoid an influx of peninsula-based companies coming over to manage the state?s resources and depriving locals their share of wealth, he opined.

How? As you read Mr Lo’s Speech, we should ensure State fall to the opposition as many NCR Land have been alienated and given to Taib’s cronys and family members which in turn was sold to Malayan Investors … not only that some were sold to foreigners!!!

To add insult to injury, we all kow half of Taib’s family members are foreigners!

Highlighting the situation in neighbouring Sabah where an enormous amount of its resources was managed by peninsula-based companies, he added that the same situation could happen in the state if it falls under PR rule.

?In the upcoming 13th general election, the people must ensure that Barisan Nasional (BN) retains Sarawak even if the peninsula is lost to the opposition Pakatan Rakyat.

?We do not want giant companies and opposition leaders to come in and manage our resources. The state should be developed by Sarawakians,? he said in his speech yesterday at Kampung Desa Wira Phase III ?gotong-royong? at Batu Kawah near here.

Also present were Deputy Works Minister and Stampin MP Datuk Yong Khoon Seng, village head Baie Aba and Pemanca John Tambie Awat.

Earlier, Lo explained the situation in the northern East Malaysia state where Sabah Electricity Board had been taken over by Peninsula-based Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB). In addition, numerous palm oil development initiatives were bought over by peninsula-based companies.

Land belonging to locals was sold to peninsula-based companies and these are the examples that he hoped would not happen in the state.

?The governance here would enable us to have the upper say when discussing terms and conditions if peninsula and foreign based companies were to come in. We would be able to control our resources to protect locals,? continued Lo.

However, it is interesting to note that Sabah had always been governed by the federal backed government since the days of late Tun Fuad Stephens under the Alliance in 1963.

Apart from the period of 1985-1986 and 1990-1994 where Sabah fell to the then opposition Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) led by Tan Sri Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan, the 13th Malaysia state has always been governed by BN.

Read more: Borneopost

This Photos is meant to COLLECT and hopefully, help us IDENTIFY suspected SB’s, Provocateurs as well as any members of UMNO and its related NGO’s such as PERKASA, PEKIDA, WARIS MALAYA, Putera UMNO or Pemuda UMNO who were “IN” Bersih 3.0 Shir…ts pretendingt to be PART of the Crowd meant to ‘sabotage’ the peaceful assembly.

Mursyidul Am PAS, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat berkata keputusan Muzakarah Jawatankuasa Fatwa Majlis Kebangsaan yang mengharamkan perhimpunan yang menurut majlis itu bertujuan tidak baik sepertimana yang berlaku dalam perhimpunan 28 April lalu, dibuat hanya menggunakan “sebelah mata”.

Mengulas kenyataan pengerusi Majlis Fatwa Kebangsan, Prof Tan Sri Dr Abdul Shukor Hussin mengenai perkara itu, Nik Aziz berkata, beliau setuju bahawa perhimpunan yang bertujuan untuk mencetuskan huru hara dan merosakkan harta benda adalah haram.

“Bagaimanapun, apabila dikaitkan dengan himpunan BERSIH 3.0 yang dikatakan menimbulkan huru-hara, saya berpandangan bahawa kenyataan tersebut dikeluarkan dengan hanya menggunakan sebelah mata.

“Mata yang digunakan pula adalah kabur dengan cermin mata yang telahpun rosak,” katanya sambil menambah beliau menghormati anggota Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan.

“Namun dalam hal ini saya amat berbeza dengan pendirian yang dikemukakan oleh Pengerusi Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan ini,” kata Nik Aziz dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Dr Abdul Shukor dilaporkan berkata Muzakarah Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan memutuskan haram untuk umat Islam menyertai perhimpunan atau demonstrasi yang bertujuan tidak baik, melanggar undang-undang dan kekacauan di dalam negara.

Mengulas lanjut, menteri besar Kelantan itu berkata perhimpunan BERSIH 3.0 bukannya bertujuan untuk mencetuskan huru-hara

Perhimpunan itu, tambahnya, menggariskan lapan tuntutan untuk membersihkan pilihan raya dan jauh sekali untuk mencetuskan huru-hara bagi menjatuhkan kerajaan melalui jalan raya.

“Jika dikatakan menggunakan cara beradab dibenarkan, maka suka saya bertanya, apakah jalan beradab yang lebih aman melainkan pergi dan duduk?

“Pernahkah Majlis Fatwa memandang dan memahami di sebalik lapan tuntutan yang dikemukakan oleh BERSIH untuk mengatasi isu pengundi hantu dan penipuan di dalam pilihan raya yang implikasinya lebih besar kepada negara?” soal Nik Aziz.

Sehubungan itu, beliau yakin bahawa fatwa tersebut hanya “laporan akhbar pro-kerajaan sahaja tanpa mendapat penjelasan dari penganjur BERSIH 3.0 sebelum membuat pertimbangan dibuat.

“Justeru, soalan saya ialah fatwa-kah namanya sekiranya tanpa penjelasan dari kedua-dua belah pihak, terus sahaja dijatuhkan hukuman?” kata Nik Aziz lagi.

Sebaliknya, kata menteri besar Kelantan itu, huru-hara tercetus jika ia dihalang.

“Andaikan himpunan di Gua Musang dan RTC, Kota Bharu ketika kedatangan Perdana Menteri baru-baru ini ke Kelantan dihalang dan disembur dengan air, tidak mustahil ia turut menjadi huru-hara.

“Jika BERSIH berhimpun dianggap haram, apa pula hukum perhimpunan Presiden Umno di Gua Musang dan RTC baru-baru ini yang tujuannya jelas mengajak rakyat menukar kerajaan Kelantan?

“Justeru cukuplah saya mengatakan, jangan berjalan sebelah kaki, nanti pincang mengatur langkah. Salam hormat saya buat Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan,” tambahnya.

Sarawak is a significant state to capture in the upcoming 13th Malaysian General Elections.

To do so, we need to inform and capture the hearts and minds of the rural Dayak in the interior of Sarawak.

If you are determined to see democratic progress and know in your heart that Malaysia is ready for a new future, support the campaign and share this page with your friends!

For more details, please jump in here (Free Sarawak Webpage).