国阵拒承认统考文凭及拨款独中 人联应退出国阵

针对副首相慕尤丁否决国内七大华团要求承认独中统考文凭及拨款资助独中发展的建议，民主行动党深感遗憾。

华文独中多年来为我国教育的贡献及我国培育许多人才是有目共睹的，然而，国阵政府却无视华文独中的贡献，拒绝承认统考文凭及拨款资助独中，令华社感到无比痛心。

令人感到遗憾的是，期盼政府承认统考文凭及拨款资助独中乃全国华社多年来的心愿，然而，作为国阵政府第二把交椅的副首相在粉粹了华社心愿后，却还声称华团领袖似乎认同政府的这项立场。

这显示了国阵政府根本不知道华社和华团到底需要什么，而且也抹煞了华文独中多年来对我国的贡献。

这种把华文独中教育排挤在我国教育主流之外的做法，也显示了首相纳吉的“一个马来西亚”的理念其实不过是一项空谈。

人联党向来都强调参政的重要，然而，今次副首相当面否决了华团的这两项要求，再次显示了人联党在国阵中只是参政不参权。

我们挑战人联党就有关事件退出国阵，以示人联党向来强调与华社同在的真诚。

显然的，国阵政府再次伤害了华社的心。人联党既然声称与华社同在，就应该勇敢的退出国阵，给华社一个明确的交代。

Durian Party

Over the weekend, I had a fun time with my comrades in West Malaysia. We had a durian session at YB Teresa's home.

Our state chairman, Ho Leng likes durian a lot. He insisted that we must have durian after our heavy dinner at the Palace of the Golden Horse. To be frank, I am a durian fan too.

Never in my life to have the accompany of the Chief Minister while enjoying durian. Yummmm............

My Speech in DUN - Compassionate Aid Fund for Flood Victims

Tuan Speaker,

Flood victims，despite the dry weather， is still reeling from the losses they suffered. Due to endless bureaucracy and red tape, the meager amount as promised by the BN government was still not received by a number of victims. Out of the total of 43 families who have yet to receive the monetary aid, 23 families are from Kampung Desa Ria (Lorong 3 of Desa Wira), 17 families from Desa Wira Resettlement Scheme, 1 family each from Taman Lovelyland, Jalan Sg. Tapang and Batu Kawa Resettlement Scheme. All the names list have been duly submitted to the Resident Office, the State Welfare Department and Kuching District Office. I had also extended a copy of the name list to the State Secretary Office.

Despite my numerous letters on matter relating to compassionate aid funds for the flood victims addressed to the Resident Office Kuching, the State Welfare department and Kuching District Office, I do not receive any reply from the three departments. I am disappointed with such attitude of the government departments. It appears that government departments seldom or seems reluctant to reply queries made either by opposition or individual. Is it because we are not in the government so we are seen to be transparent and there is no need to accord us with basic courtesy? Such attitude makes me wonder if the recent new branding of the state civil service with a new motto “An Honour to Serve” is only an empty slogan put up for show to satisfy own ego.

I however, received replies from the State Secretary Office and although I am not satisfied with the contents, at least I know where the flood victims stand.


Tuan Speaker,

It is the government who should provide the aid to the flood victims. The ruling party’s responsibility is to take care of the people’s welfare as best as it can while the opposition ensures a ‘check and balance’ for the people. This is a universal understanding. So, when the Chief Minister made a sweeping statement that Opposition prefers to lookand see and then make criticisms instead of lending a helping hand,” that was totally uncalled for.

This is also disheartening that the Chief Minister who is in control of all the government resources to expect the opposition party to hand out money to the people when it is the ruling party’s job. “If we DAP and PKR are in power today in Sarawak, then I will say it is our duty to ensure that substantial amount of financial aid will be given to not only flood victims but to improve their lives of all the poor.”
Welfare for the people of Sarawak including the recent flood victims should not be brushed aside and to be told that opposition could only criticize. This is surely a statement made by a rookie politician and certainly should not from the chief minister himself who had been in the governing party for decades.

Look at some of the flood victims whose only properties like houses, values which were destroyed by flood, were given a meager RM300 or RM500 and still the money was delayed until today. Why should the flood money be turned into a political stunt by the BN? The people need help. There is no need to announce the money a few times and then delay it when the people need it most. What a mockery of the government delivery system.

And yet, The Resident office, The District office and the Welfare department demanded for names and details of the flood victims to be filled up for verification so that alms will be given to them. What a waste of time for these folks who has to go through the hassle but ended up waiting for months. Is helping the needy such a tedious job that reimbursing a few hundred ringgits need months to handle? I think it is time the government should realize that the government money is actually the people’s money. Please give back to the people what they deserved now and should not use everything as a political mileage for the BN.

My Speech in DUN - Illegal Logging

Tuan Speaker,

At the previous sitting of this august House in November 2008, I raised the issue of the Indonesian Government’s complaints of that country’s illegal timber being smuggled across the border from West Kalimantan into Sarawak through Sematan port.

Earlier in March 2008 Indonesia Metro TV produced a three-part series, based on interviews and on-the-spot filming, on the illegal timber trade which could be watched on YouTube in a programme called ‘Illegal Logging in Ketapang, Kalbar (West Kalimantan). The well-documented reports implicated Harwood Timber, a Sarawak government agency-owned company, as well as a top Sarawak Government leader.

The following month, in April of last year, an Indonesian blogspot Batak Monarchies in an article under the heading ‘Fight Against Illegal Logging! Fight for The Truth!’ again the same top Sarawak Government leader’s name was implicated in the illegal Indonesian timber trade across the border.

The West Kalimantan daily Tribune Pontianak followed it up with its own investigative report published on the front page of its August 14, 2008 edition, highlighting the same problems of illegal Indonesian timber being smuggled into Sarawak. It traced the route the illegal trade took from the protected forests in Katapang to Sematan by boats and again mentioned Harwood Timber’s name. This time, it also implicated the name of ‘Gubernur Sarawak Taib Mahmud.’ Taib Mahmud is, of course, the name of the YAB Chief Minister of Sarawak.

The report further said the Indonesian illegal timber was exported to Sarawak for the purpose of re-export to North Asian countries as legal timber from Sarawak. This implies that Sarawak was being used as a conduit for the export of illegal and/or smuggled timber from a third country, and in this case Indonesia. It was and is a serious allegation that must be answered by the authorities in Sarawak.

Tuan Speaker,

I raised this issue in the first place due to several concerns for Sarawak. First, the Indonesian media reports had implicated the names of a Sarawak government agency-owned company, namely Harwood Timber. Also, the name and reputation of our Chief Minister had been dragged into this somewhat unsavoury state of affairs. Secondly, if no action was taken to explain or clarify the matter, it could and would harm the good name and reputation of Sarawak timber overseas, particularly among the European Union countries which are now gravely concerned about timber coming from illegal sources (which includes logging areas where the rights of indigenous groups have been violated).

Unfortunately, despite all such negative reporting overseas, the Second Minister of Resource Planning and Management, chose to shut his eyes to these reportings. In his winding-up speech on November 10, 2008, he had this to say and I quote:-

“ ….However, let me say, categorically, the State Government has never received any official complaint from the Indonesian authorities pertaining to alleged export of illegal timber from Indonesian to Sarawak. As such we ought not to accept what had been alleged in the Indonesian newspaper to be true. “

I have in possession a copy of a letter dated October 29, 2008 from the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia addressed to the General Manager Len Talif Salleh of the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC), making an official complaint about illegal Indonesian timber called batak timbers being supplied to Sematan port without any valid legal documents and seeking the Sarawak Government’s co-operation to put an end to such activities. Is this not official complaint?

The letter was copied to the Minister who is also Chairman of STIDC as well as to Tan Sri Datuk Amar Bujang Nor, the Executive Chairman of Harwood Timber Sdn Bhd and was dated October 29, 2008, almost a fortnight before his winding-up speech in this August House. Was that not official complaint from Indonesian Authorities? Apart from extending letter, I was also told that there was meeting held with STIDC before the last Dewan Sitting to discuss on the issue.

Tuan Speaker,

According to the Indonesian Consulate General, the smuggling of batak timbers had become a matter of ‘serious concern’ as there were still on-going activities of supplying Indonesian illegal timber to Sematan port that is under Harwood Timber management.

The illegal timber, cut in the form of squares (batak), was supplied by several small boats/ships from Indonesia region of Sambas (Paloh and Temajuk) to the Sematan port, namely by KM Citra, KM Mahkota, KM Mustika, KM Hatadi, KM Ciitra Usaha, KM Pantai Mas, KM Putra Darma, KM Sinar Fajar, KM Sri Mulya, KM Impian Lindo, and KM Marcopolo.

The Consulate General believed that the batak timbers that have been supplied to Sematan Port were illegal timbers without any valid legal documents and thus sought the co-operation of the authorities in Sarawak to assist the Indonesian Government ‘to fight the illegal timber activities by not receiving any more the illegal timber into Sarawak’ and to ‘discourage and slow down the illegal timber trade activities between Indonesia and Sarawak.’

Tuan Speaker,

I wonder why the Honourable Minister claimed that there is no official complaint from the Indonesian authorities?

With the letter as clear proof and evidence of the Indonesian government’s official complaint to the Sarawak government about the smuggling of illegal Indonesian timber into Sarawak, how is the Minister going to explain to the Indonesian authorities now? How will the Minister justify the answer that he gave us in this August House in the last November, 2008 sitting?

Was the Minister hoping that by denying there was any smuggling of illegal Indonesian timber into Sarawak the matter would eventually die down and be forgotten? I do not think it is that simple because this involves a foreign country.

The Barisan Nasional State Government and the STIDC and the subsidiary company Harwood Timber Sdn. Bhd. have brought shame and embarrassment to Sarawak and they are not even bothered by the widespread allegations made in the Indonesian and foreign media about their alleged involvement in the illegal timber trade.

Tuan Speaker,

The BN State Government has always pride itself as being a government with far vision and a macro perspective of things. Why is such a vision not present in the timber field? In the short term, our state may benefit from such illegal timber smuggling activities, but in the long term we will lose out:-

1) Firstly, we are not qualified for EU certification. And I believe, soon Japan which is one of the largest importers of our timber products will likely to follow suit. If this happen, it will be disastrous to our state’s timber industry.

2) Secondly, illegal timber smuggling activities breed gangsterism. With the thriving of such activities, gangsterism will surely be more rampant.

3) Thirdly, the excessive illegal logging activities in Indonesia will have a negative environmental impact on our State. The whole world is moving towards preserving rainforests and here, our state government’s agency is seen to become a culprit in destroying rainforest by encouraging illegal logging.

4) Fourthly, I believe such illegal smuggling authority will strain the relationship between our state and Indonesia and we might be seen as unco-operative neighbours or worse.

Tuan Speaker,

We must come down hard on the smugglers on both sides of Indonesia and Malaysia.
The BN state government must assure the world publicly that we no longer condone or tolerate such activities in the future through action rather than empty talks only.
4.Wholesale Market

Tuan Speaker,

Vegetable wholesalers in Kuching which was deprived of a proper trading place for the last two decades yearned for a proper and permanent shelter so that they could trade with dignity and peace. Previously, they traded at Gambier Street and is now housed temporarily at the open car park lots at MBK Stutong Community Market.

During the rainy season, this group of wholesaler can forget about doing business as not only would be they soaked through the skin, there would hardly be any customer who would want to shop in raining open space.

I wanted to remind the State government that despite promises made to build a wholesaler market at Mile 6, Kuching Serian Road, the market has yet to see the light of day. Is this another BN government promise made during election and later to be broken after the election is over?

In my view, the requests from the vegetable wholesalers are not over demanding. And yet, their needs and demands have not been taken seriously by the BN Government. To put it bluntly, the BN government are hopeless, insincere, selfish and uncaring towards the grouses and needs of the people.

Tuan Speaker,

Due to rapid urbanization of Kuching city, it is imperative now for the BN state government to build a reasonable size of wholesale market. Why does the BN government always give empty promises? Do you think that the people can be easily fooled around by the sweet talks of the BN leaders? As the saying goes, “You can fool some people some of the time but you cannot fool all the people all the time”.

The only request from the wholesalers is to have a proper and decent place to trade. Life is hard already and it is the duty and the responsibility of the Government to help these groups of people to earn a decent living in decent condition. Bearing in mind, the wholesalers do not have the same golden rice bowl like all of you sitting in here.

I hope that the BN government could be sincere in their promises. The BN government should seriously put their promises into action by coming out with the detailed plan to build wholesale markets in all major cities in Sarawak without further delay. Do not make the people wait in vain. I hope that the relevant ministry in charge could enlighten this August house on the status of progress of the project in the ministerial winding up speech.

My Speech in DUN - Turtle Eggs

Tuan Speaker,

I would like to bring to your attention that despite lodging a police report on March 4, 2009 at the Simpang Tiga One Stop police station on law enforcers from Bukit Aman and Sarawak police taking forbidden turtle eggs, nothing was being done about the issue.

“This matter is of international interest as law enforcers from both Bukit Aman and Sarawak police were caught with their pants down serving an illegal delicacy, turtle eggs, during one of their official dinner functions on February 28, 2009 at Batu Kawa. So far, there has been an eerie silence on the issue, both from the police and Sarawak Forestry Corporation, (SFC), the keeper of Wildlife protection on the matter.

Tuan Speaker,

What irks me most is “Not only was I approached a couple of times by so-call friends of the police to keep the matter on the lid, I was even asked if I want to meet the police to discuss the matter. This was done maybe to induce me or to threaten me to zip my lips”.

“One of them said he is a friend of the police and that he wanted to arrange for me to meet the police concerned to put an end to the issue. I was even told that the whole issue was the work of some police who wanted to bring down the host of the dinner by planting the turtle eggs on the table that night. And that some officers from West Malaysia did not even know that what was being served were turtle eggs. It just gets more and more ridiculous after each excuses”.

“Keep quiet, I will not. Why should there be a double standard for the very institution that is tasked to protect and uphold the law. Whenever the public was caught with turtle eggs by the police, they were expediently charged. But here, we have the senior officers from Bukit Aman and the Sarawak police seen with hard evidence which showed turtle eggs on each table during the dinner as splashed out in the Borneo Post on March 2 with pictures too and yet, there is no action taken.”

Police eating turtle eggs was then the talk of the town but as expected, there was an eerie silence from both the police and the SFC. I have waited a few days for the police or the SFC to take action but with no forth coming action, I lodged a police report and even after that, there was still silence until today.

“Is it because Bukit Aman Director of Internal Security and Public Order, Dato’ Husin Ismail, Sarawak General Operation Force commander, SAC 11 Dato’ Law Hong Soon, Sarawak Commissioner of Police, DCP Dato’ Mohmad Salleh, Head of Sections, Officer-in-charge of police stations and senior police were at the dinner, so they can be excused and immune from law?”

Tuan Speaker

“Silence is not golden in this case. I want answers, not only for me but for the people too who felt that the authorities are playing favouritism. Why is the law not being enforced just because the culprits are from the uniformed body? Why is it that every time the enforcers did something wrong, things are conveniently swept under the carpet hoping that time would make the people forget.”

I did not expect much from SFC Controller Len Talif Salleh. He said the case would be investigated and I bet he hoped that by saying that, the whole episode will die a natural death like so many issues before. It is pointless for Len Talif Salleh to cite all the laws pertaining to the preservation of sea turtle, if no enforcement actions are taken against those breaking the law.

I believe, the Controller of SFC, Dato’ Len Talif Salleh should resign in shame. Did he not realise that the issue has tarnishvestigation? If a simple case like this cannot be solved, what about complicated ones like murder or ed his department and the state of Sarawak world wide? He even said that the turtle eggs could be from Indonesia. So does it matter the turtle eggs were from Indonesia or anywhere else, it is still protected species. What a hopeless bunch of people in SFC!

Again, why are the police not helping with the investigation? Why are the Bukit Aman police not here to do an independent investigation then if Sarawak police could not get statements from their own officers? Is the case so difficult to solve simply because the turtle eggs are seen in front of senior officers? Or dare I say the police don’t know where to start with the inrobbery? No wonder, the crime rate in Sarawak is so high. Or is there a set of rules for the uniformed body that you do not investigate your own people!!!

I am ashamed. Ashamed of this lackadaisical attitude of the government agencies. This is an international issue as Malaysia is a signatory to the MOU on Asean Sea Turtle Conservation and Protection that promotes the protection, conservation, replenishing and recovery of sea turtles. Again we are in the world map for all the wrong reasons. There are a lot of environmentalists in other countries who are following the situation. And if no action is taken, the outside world is going to think the worst of us, again.

“I want this August House to know that those in authority who swept every wrongdoing under the carpet hoping that it would go away are wrong. The people involved must be brought to court to face charges as such irresponsible act must be condemned and stopped. Justice not served would in the end result in unwanted issues, at times very explosive and too difficult and too late to contain.

“It now seems such a waste of effort and taxpayers’ money to have sea turtle protection program when the enforcer itself failed to protect what should be protected.”