Batang Ai By Election

To ensure PKR's victory in Batang Ai by election, a group of over 100 DAP Sarawak boys and girls made our trip to Lubok Antu on nomination day to give our biggest support.

As I see it, the coming Batang Ai by election on 7.4.2009 is not an ordinary by-election. This by-election will be the 1st election after Sarawak State Election 2006 and also the 8th March 2008 general election tsunami. It will be an election that determines the future of Sarawak. The result of this by election would be seen as a yardstick whether CHANGE in the state government will happen in 10th Sarawak state election.

The crave for change can be strongly felt during my trip in LA over the weekend. If the Dayak community can break through the BN curses this round, a new chapter of Sarawak polictics shall begin whereby the people's spell successfully dispel "Pek Mo's" black magic that has brought sufferings and disasters to the Sarawak people all these years under his leadership.

I have faith in Batang Ai voters and believe that the people there will perform miracle and write history in this coming by election. Batang Ai voters must understand that the people's fate lies in their hands.

Please vote wisely. Remember to take the BN money and vote for PKR candidate Jawah Gerang! Do not feel guilty in taking the BN money, that is people's money anyway!!

Dayak Arise, make the change!

Happy International Women Day, Violet

All parties should work together to ensure that women were not neglected by society in time of suffering especially those in domestic violence and living in a poverty state, said DAP State Assemblywoman for Pending.

Yong said today’s women contributed vastly towards nation building in all forms besides having to bear the burden of being a wife and a mother. They should be appreciated and recognized for their hard work and suffering.

In conjunction with International Woman’s Day on Sunday, Yong make it a point to show her appreciation by giving each a stalk of rose to all women she met at the Stutong market.

Speaking to reporters earlier, she expressed concern about the escalating divorce rate in the country and the high percentage of men who default in their maintenance payment. Yong revealed that 60% of men defaulted in payment to their ex-spouses causing more suffering and anguish.

“It is known that most of the custody of children went to the mothers and having to work besides taking care of their children the best it was an extra burden to them. Besides, with men who refused to pay up, the women would be at their mercy when they were deprived of their rights,” she pointed out.

Yong hoped that an independent body under the government would be set up to ensure that the women were paid accordingly. She said she had gathered a number of laws from various countries which would be efficient to make the men paid. Besides using Immigration laws, Road Transport and income of the ex-husbands to pay up, she lauded the other agencies for ensuring that the men paid on time and in full.

“Like in Canada, even the men could be trace through their driving licence which could be impounded if they refused to pay,” she gave a suggestion. Divorce cases are escalating and something should be done now to avoid more pain and confusing for women in the future.

三月八日，送花祝贺妇女节

SUPP Sentosa copycat opposition, DAP

Source: www.sarawakupdate.com.my

Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Sentosa branch and the BDC community committee had now resorted to play the role of the opposition as what was portrayed in a Chinese paper on March 4.

DAP Pending State Assemblywoman, Violet Yong said it was pathetic to see the two group holding banners opposing the setting up of telecommunication tower in Stampin Resettlement scheme.

“I am amazed at their tactic as they (SUPP) is part of the BN component party and instead of holding meetings to discuss such issues, they have resorted to use banners to get their message forward which they always condemn the opposition of doing,” said Yong.

An amused Yong said SUPP Sentosa should know that such telecommunication issue was under SACOFA and state government.

“SUPP Sentosa should whisper to their leaders why they agreed to such policy in the first place. As they are in the BN, they should have a platform to voice their disagreement before endorsing everything proposed,” she said.

This, she added, showed that SUPP is losing grip in the BN and has no say in whatever decision was made.

She also lamented that the SACOFA should meet with the residents in areas where they wanted to set up their towers. “It seems that each time, they bulldozed their way in without explaining to meeting the people there,” she added.

Yong said despite no scientific proof of damages or side effect caused to resident staying near such towers, she pointed out that it was better to be safe than sorry.

Turtle Eggs served at Official Dinner

To my shocking, turtle eggs have been served on dinner table during an official function at Batu Kawa Kuching last Saturday Night. What an illegal delicacy!!

From the front page report in the Borneo Posts published on 2.3.2009, I counted the eggs placed on a single plate, a least 10 eggs were served. I do not know how many plates with turtle eggs were placed on each table. The photo also shows that some of the turtle eggs had been consumed. The incident happened prove that the relevant department government officers have no respect to the law at all. This is the attitude of many BN Government officers. In their eyes, the laws only apply to the ordinary people like you and me. To them, there is no law. They can do whatever they wish in this Malaysia Bolehland.

Eating turtle eggs during government official function has indeed tarnished our country image when Malaysia is a signatory to the Memorandum of Understanding on Asean Sea Turtle Conservation and Protection.To the best of my knowledge, all marine turtle species are categorised as Totally Protected Animals under the Wildlife Protection Ordinance, 1998.

It has been many days since the incident happened. However, the police has been extremely quiet and has still not taken any action against the people involved. I would say very strange! There is photos showing clearly who are the persons attending the function, yet no one is charged in Court for the matter. I am wondering whether some fishy things are going on respecting the case? In order not to let the police to make an excuse saying that no police report has been lodged against the incident, I together with other DAP supporters went to Simpang Tiga One Stop Police Station to lodge the report.

There is no use for the Director of Sarawak Forestry Corporation, Datuk Len Latiff to cite all the laws pertaining to the preservation of sea turtle without any enforcement action taken. The law must be enforced. The existence of the law is not of any use if the law is not enforced. I hope that the matter will not be swipped under the carpet! The police must investigate the matter impartially. There should not be double standard applies when it comes to investigate the police report lodged by the oppossition. The people involved must be charged to court as such irresponsible act must be condemned and stopped.

Below is the news extracted from http://www.sarawakupdate.com.my/.

Turtle egg : DAP lodge police report

State Assemblywoman for Pending, Violet Yong lodged a police report at the One Stop centre at Simpang Tiga police station over the disclosure of a formal government function where turtle eggs were served. The news was highlighted in a local newspaper with combo pictures shown on Monday.

Expressing shock over the incident, Yong said it posed as a bad image to Sarawak as all marine turtle species worldwide are protected internationally and in Sarawak, they are categorized under the Totally Protected Animals of the Wildlife Ordinance.

“This show the department had blatantly disregard the law and has no respect for the law of the country,” she said.

Yong said it was already a few days and the police had been keeping quiet and not taking any action against those involved.

She added that she lodged a police report as she did not want the police to make an excuse that there was no report lodged.

“No one is above the law, the government, the police or army. Whoever break a law must face it like any other of us civilian,” she said.

Asking the police to carry out a thorough investigation, Yong said the people involved must face the music and be charged like any other person who broke the law. The police, she said must also calculate how many turtle eggs were consumed that night during the dinner.

Calling to Director of Sarawak Forestry Corporation, Datuk Len Latiff to resign in which the turtle was under its jurisdiction, Yong said as a responsible head, he should ensure that such turtle eggs should not be stolen out in the first place.She said Len owed the public an apology in failing to protect a Protected species which was under his jurisdiction.

Accompanying Yong to lodge the police report was State Assemblywoman for Meradong, Ting Tze Fui and other DAP supporters.