Anembiak Latong Rebak Baru

Tabi Basa ngagai semua temuai..... Aku siko ari anembiak dayak rebak baru, ti deka mai semua dayak kemaia ari berunding bakani cara kitai dayak ulih sama taraf enggau bangsa bukai. Kediatu anang kitai silap, bangsa dayak agi tinggal laban bangsa bukai (Cina & Melayu). Ukai salah cina ukai salah laut, laban sida iya maju tegal tuai sida iya perihatin, tegal tuai sida bisi tanggung jawap nyadi pemimpin bangsa sida. Anang nyima ati meda sida maju, tang meh tau nyadi ke chuan teladan kitai dayak ngambi ke kitai "move forward" lalu ulih sama penuduk enggau sida. Piak mega tuai kitai dayak patut berunding bakani cara deka ngangkat ke martabat bangsa diri ari segi ekonomi, kelebih agi ba bangsa dayak dalam bidang "PERTANIAN" enggau cara komersial ti tau ngenatai ke hasil ngagai bangsa dayak tiap bulan. Awak ke bangsa dayak enda suntuk, ulih nyengula ke anak sampai ke peringkat ke tinggi. Ukai enggau mai kompeni besai ngereja tanah dayak enggau tuju "DEVELOPMENT" tauka "PEMANSANG". Nadai maioh dayak untung laban pemansang ti bakanya, laban aku kala meda penyampau terima sida. Kemanah agi tulung dayak ngepun ke dagang sida enggau cara bekebun cara komersial, nya baru project @ pemansang ke amat-amat ulih nulung bangsa iban menua pesisir. Arap ke bala kitai ke anembiak baru ulih enchelak enda agi tinggal penemu terpawah runding baka sida ke tuai kelia. Ukai mai nanah ke pembangkang tauka perintah, ukai mai ngelaban pembangkang tauka perintah. Tang meh mai ngiga jalai mansut ke dayak ari belenggu "KEMISKINAN" tauka ari penyuntuk. Udah kitai dayak ulih niri, negi ke ladang tauka kebun cara komersial ila baru kitai sedar nama reti project atap zink, project jelatung, project nyemin luar jalai rumah. Ukai mantah project, mai kita semua berati ke iya. Lalu kepenudi iya, aram meh kitai dayak rebak baru bela seati. Bela narit bala kitai dayak keluar ari belenggu penyuntuk ngambi ke ulih sama penuduk enggau bangsa bukai. Anembiak Latong Rebak Baru stanleymethew@yahoo.com +60198397752

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Pemansang Di Menua Machan Bai BN - Utusan Borneo


Tabi bala temuai ke bisi sangkai dalam blog aku "Anembiak Latong Rebak Baru".
Nyadi pagi tadi nyau ke puas duduk di kedai kopi di Machan datai siko kaban mai surat khabar "UTUSAN BORNEO" ke bisi ngelansa senentang pemansang di Menua Machan. Lama aku berunding nama tuju YB Gramong Juna ngenatai ke buah penemu ke bakatu madah ke bisi pemansang di Menua Machan.

Enda salah madah ke pemansang ti iya amat bisi tang anang kelalu ngumbai bai perintah BN. Ti jalai, agi pegai parti Dayak suba sigi udah meh bisi jalai. Enda patut orang BN aja mayar road tax kereta orang pembangkang enda.Ti nadai jalai enda ga orang Machan meli kereta kurang ga siti area kena nambah ke dagang BN (proton).Pia mega iya bisi ngelansa pemansang ba tali kangau @ handphone. Kati ko telefon ke dikemisi orang di Machan beri BN? Kredit telefon BN top up? Tower telefon kebisi di Machan nya siti ari dagang, kati ko enda pia deh sari berapa orang ke ngena line telefon, berapa juta untung telekom?

Ke amat-amat ti ka meda pemansang serta meda rakyat menua Machan mansang bantu sida ari segi utai ke tau ngenatai ke hasil @ sumber pendapatan ngagai dayak. Bantu sida nubuh ke ladang ba tanah NCR @ NCL anang meri tanah nya ngagai bala company besai, company cina. Nyadi bangsa dayak ulih bulih income tetap tiap bulan, ulih untung maioh. Ari bisi duit nya meh iban tauka dayak ulih mansang sebaka enggau bangsa bukai. Ukai ari project atap zink, project anak manuk, project beras serta macam-macam ago project ti ngasuh iban maju @ mansang.

Nyadi pesan aku ngagai anembiak rebak baru, berunding meh kitai ke nama utai tau ngasuh kitai mansang enda tinggal ari bangsa bukai. Anang ngiga pengari ke bago, iya ke iso giga pengari ke nemu bejako.


Nya aja.

Thank & Regards,
ALRB

Monday, March 21, 2011

Sarawak National Party (SNAP)

Sarawak National Party (SNAP)

Diatu meh Maia kitai dayak pulai ngagai Parti Asal Bansa Sarawak.


Arevered "elder" in Sarawak politics has made a clarion call to the Dayak community to return to the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) fold and help the party reclaim its right.
In making the call, lawyer and former diplomat Dato Seri Daniel Tajem urged Dayaks "not to wait" until their "individual right whittle to nothingness".
Tajem, who was also the former president of the now defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), urged all Dayaks, especially the ex-PBDS members in Sarawak, to join SNAP which is now undergoing a rebranding exercise.

"the policy, principle and the objective of SNAP are similar to those of the defunct PBDS.


So what are you waiting for? Are you waiting for all our native customary right (NCR) land to be taken away to be made as estates of certain Barisan National leaders and their cronies and family members with little pittance given to the landowner?
Do you wait until your individual rights whittle down to nothingness? Tajem asked.

Tajem, who was also former deputy chief minister, said that SNAP was the right avenue for the people to support.
"We want to play an important part in the machine of politics that will churn the wheel and I can see that with the death of PBDS, we have no alternative but support SNAP," he said.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

BRUNO MANSER FUND, BASEL / SWITZERLAND – For immediate release

EXCLUSIVE: Report slams Malaysian timber tycoons' global culture of corruption and abuse
BRUNO MANSER FUND, BASEL / SWITZERLAND – For immediate release

A new report by the Bruno Manser Fund sheds light on the Sarawak timber sector's corruption and abuses, its close links with the Taib government and its leading role in the destruction of the world's forest environments


BASEL (SWITZERLAND). A new report released today by the Swiss Bruno Manser Fund exposes the Sarawak timber industry’s complex structure and its intimate links to Abdul Taib Mahmud (“Taib”) who has been Chief Minister (head of government) of the Malaysian state on Borneo since 26 March 1981. The study entitled “Development of global timber tycoons in Sarawak, East Malaysia – History and company profiles” examines the Sarawak tropical timber industry’s development during the past three decades and shows its leading role in the cutting down of the world’s forests, and particularly the tropical rainforests in South East Asia. The report is authored by researcher Daniel Faeh of the University of Bern’s Economic Geography Group.

Sarawak’s timber industry a cause of global concern

Sarawak and its timber industry became a key focus of environmental groups and human rights groups in the late 1980s when the Malaysian state of Sarawak experienced one of the most rapid log clearances in the South East Asia region. Thanks to windfall profits accumulated from destructive logging on their home turf, timber groups from Sarawak such as Samling, Rimbunan Hijau, WTK, KTS, Shin Yang and Ta Ann accumulated capital which allowed them to expand their business operations all over the globe. They are now operating not only in South East Asia but also in Australia, Africa, Central and South America, Russia and the Pacific. “Their track records of diversification and internationalization, however, go hand in hand with the violation of human rights, political patronage and the destruction of the environment in their home country and many other parts of the world”, the study states.

Regulatory body abused to form a politician-controlled timber conglomerate

“When it comes to land allocation, land tenure and native customary rights, the state of Sarawak still lacks a great deal of transparency and legitimacy”, the author says. The study identifies “the specific politico-economic situation in Sarawak” as the main driver behind the state’s rapid deforestation, particularly the fact that Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud (who is also Minister of Planning and Resource Management) “has absolute control over the allocation of timber licences and logging concessions to himself, his allies, friends and family. As a result, it is not surprising that the land claims of local indigenous groups have been systematically neglected.”

Surprisingly, the report identifies the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC), an official body headed by the top-political elites of the state, as “Sarawak’s seventh major timber group” which makes STIDC unable to exercise its regulatory role. “The independent controlling functions of STIDC (e.g. illegal logging, import and export duties) can be very much questioned on account of its conflicting business interests (timber concessions, logging and manufacturing activities).”
Sarawak’s six logging giants

In terms of their size, the report ranks the Sarawak timber groups according to the size of their timber concessions in their home state. Samling (over 1.3 million hectares) and Rimbunan Hijau (over 1 million hectares) rank first, followed by WTK group (850,000 hectares) and the Ta Ann group (over 557,000 hectares) Two other major players, the KTS group and the Shin Yang group cannot be ranked due to insufficient transparency with regard to the concessions held by them. All these timber groups also hold major oil palm plantation land banks. At least four timber tycoons rank among Malaysia’s top thirty richest people. Tiong Hiew King of Rimbunan Hijau, Yaw Teck Seng and Yaw Chee Ming of Samling Group, as well as Ta Ann’s chairman Abdul Hamed Sepawi, who happens to be the first cousin of Sarawak’s Chief Minister Abndul Taib Mahmud.

Logging giants closely linked to politicians and the Taib family

A closer look at the individual companies shows that the Samling group, which has recently been blacklisted by the Norwegian Government, has a long track record of illegal logging and severe environmental damage in Cambodia, Guyana, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Sarawak. Samling is controlled by the Malaysian Yaw family. Other significant shareholders of Samling are Ahmad Bin Su’ut, who is the spiritual healer ("bomoh") of Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, as well as Hamed Sepawi, Taib’s first cousin and chairman of the Ta Ann group.

Rimbunan Hijau group is notorious for human rights abuse, the violation of indigenous peoples’ rights and severe environmental damage in a number of countries, including Malaysia (Sarawak), Papua New Guinea and Russia. Its controlling owner, Tiong Hiew King, and his family members have diversified from timber into the media sector, banking, property development and shipping. Tiong controls four Chinese newspapers in Malaysia with a combined circulation of approximately 2.6 million, as well as newspapers in Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, Canada and the US. Rimbunan Hijau’s board of directors comprises the former chief of the Malaysian army, Abdul Rahman Bin Abdul Ahmid, and the former Sarawak Commissioner of Police, Talib Bin Haji Jamal.

The WTK group, which is controlled by the Wong brothers, is involved in large-scale forestry operations in Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. It was also formerly active in the Republic of Central Africa and Brazil where it was accused of illegally logging indigenous peoples’ lands in the Amazon. WTK has become a key player in the Sarawak oil palm industry and has diversified into land devlopment, trading, manufacturing and the food industry. One of its directors, Abdul Manap bin Ibrahim, is the former Deputy Chief of Army of the Malaysian Armed Forces.

The Ta Ann group is controlled by Hamed Sepawi, Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s first cousin, and Wahab bin Haji Dolah, a member of the Malaysian parliament who represents Taib’s party PBB in Kuala Lumpur. Besides its logging and plantations operations in Sarawak, Ta Ann is also involved in the highly controversial logging of old-growth temperate rainforests in the Australian state of Tasmania.

The Lau-family owned KTS timber and plantation group has invested extensively in the media sector and owns The Borneo Post, Sarawak’s main English-speaking newspaper that successfully distorts and suppresses local concerns over the Sarawak timber and plantation industry in a Pravda-like manner. Abdillah bin Wan Hamid, the former General Manager of the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation, holds 20 % of KTS’ shares.

The Shin Yang group is run and owned by the Ling family, whereby Pelita Holdings, an official body controlled by Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, holds 26% of its shares. Gerald Rentap Jabu, son of Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu, is a member of Shin Yang’s board of directors. Shin Yang is strongly involved in logging and shipping and is also aggressively venturing into the oil palm sector. The group holds a 30% share in the Malaysian stock exchange listed Sarawak Oil Palms (SOP). In 2009, Shin Yang was strongly criticized by Malaysia’s Human Rights Commission SUHAKAM for its dealings with Sarawak’s native communities.

The outcome of a patronage-based development model

The report concludes that Sarawak’s patronage-based development model has resulted in severe environmental destruction and a very unequal distribution of wealth and economic opportunities. “Right up to the present, the system of political patronage is still fueling the destruction of the rainforest in Sarawak, and local indigenous groups like the Penan are still fighting for nothing more than their legitimate rights to their land. The outcome of these past decades of timber industry development is huge timber tycoons, who now not only dominate the timber industry in Malaysia but also control many other important industries in Sarawak, including oilm palm, construction, property development, shipping, trade, tourism and media.”

The report underlines the fact that Sarawak is one of the resource-richest states in Malaysia and earns billions of US dollars a year from timber and timber products plus the same amount again from crude oil, natural gas and palm oil. “However, the government and the political elites have not only ignored the rights of local indigenous groups, they have also failed to distribute the timber wealth and revenues equally to the people of Sarawak.”

After 30 years, Taib's rule of corruption and environmental destruction must end

By publishing this report, the Bruno Manser Fund wishes to internationally highlight the fact that there is something seriously rotten in the state of Sarawak. Two weeks ahead of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s 30th anniversary in power, the international public needs to be alerted to the negative effects of Taib’s rule not only for Sarawak but for the international community as a whole. Taib’s culture of corruption and environmental destruction has not only undermined the economy and political culture of this resource-rich Malaysian state but is also spreading its tentacles to other countries across the globe. After 30 years of Taib rule, Sarawak is ready for change, and the international community should carefully monitor Sarawak’s upcoming state elections and support the civil-society calls for political change, the return to the rule of law and the formation of a new, legitimate government.


The full report can be downloaded at www.stop-timber-corruption.org/resources

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

NCR land: Court sets historic precedent

NCR land: Court sets historic precedent
-Patrick Lee
Federal Court grants leave to challenge Sarawak government over its 'usurping' of native customary rights land

PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court today set a momentous precedent when it granted leave to lawyers to challenge the Sarawak state government’s aquisition of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land.

Human rights lawyers Sulaiman Abdullah and Baru Bian argued that native customary rights were akin to ‘the right of life’ under Article 5 of the Federal Constitution and that methods employed by the Sarawak state government to acquire NCR land were unconstitutional.

They named the Sarawak state government as the respondents.

Chief Justice Zaki Azmi and Justices Zulkifli Ahmad Makinudin and Raus Sharif presided over the hearing.

Bian said that the leave granted was a historic precedent. “The power of the state government to extinguish NCR over land in Sarawak is challenged,” he said.

Bian said that Sarawak Land Code Section 5(3) and 5(4) allowed the state government to usurp NCR land after paying compensation.

Bian, who claimed he was currently handling over 100 NCR cases, said that the state government was guilty of taking indigenous land without informing Sarawakian natives first.

The state government was also accused of paying these natives a pittance for their ancestral land, before selling it off to private companies.

JC Fong, the Sarawak government’s legal counsel, argued that Native Customary Rights over land could be “extinguished” so long as compensation to affected natives were paid.

Unreasonable offer

Bintulu resident, Jaili Sulaiman said that his father-in-law’s 122-hectare land in Tatau was seized by the Sarawak government, only to be given to a paper-making company.

Jaili said the government had offered to compensate him for RM4,000 a hectare. He turned it down, calling it an unreasonable offer.

“The government took our land and sold it to a company called Borneo Pulp and Paper,” said Jalili, adding that gangsters were hired by the government to chase out residents staying in the area.

“When we make a police report, they pretend not to hear. But when the gangsters make a report, there’s an investigation in 24 hours!” added Jaili.

Another Sarawakian native, Bato Bagi, 74, told FMT that his own village was affected by the construction of the Bakun hydroelectric dam.

In return, the Sarawak government offered his family three acres of land and a place at the Sungai Asap resettlement housing scheme.

Bato flatly refused but was forced to move upstream to other NCR areas after his village was flooded by the dam.

He was also angry with Sarawak legal counsel JC Fong for claiming that Bato and his kin had been resettled by the state government.

“I never went to the resettlement,” said an angry Bato after the hearing. “He (JC Fong) doesn’t know what he’s saying. He only hears what other people say. When did we go to Sungai Asap?”

The case will resume on April 28, 9am at the Putrajaya Federal Court.

London Protesters

London protesters want Taib's assets frozen
Some 20 protesters comprising Malaysians and foreigners have staged a 'Stop Timber Corruption' demonstration in the British capital to highlight alleged abuses of long-serving Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

The demonstration, organised yesterday by NGO Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), was held outside a property company controlled by the Taib family, Ridgeford Properties Ltd, in central London.

It was led by Clare Rewcastle Brown, the sister-in-law of former British premier Gordon Brown, and Sarawak native Peter John Jaban.

Rewcastle Brown is the founder of the critical website Sarawak Report, which has been exposing Taib's alleged corruption and global business empire.


Peter is the DJ of Radio Free Sarawak, an independent short-wave radio station broadcasting from London. It focuses on Sarawak activists and communities defending their land rights and opposing abuses by Taib.

Protesters unfurled posters with Taib's portrait that said 'Stop timber corruption in Sarawak' and 'Freeze Taib assets'.

Other posters read 'Chief Minister of Sawarak - 30 years is enough!', 'Stop illegal logging on native lands' and 'Respect natives' rights'.



A similar demonstration organised by BMF was held in downtown Ottawa, Canada, outside another property company controlled by Taib's family - Sakto Corporation.

Last week, BMF released a list of 49 companies located across four continents around the globe, which it claims are linked to Taib and his family.

The intention of the blacklist is to help anti-corruption and anti-money-laundering authorities in the countries listed, to identify and freeze allegedly illicit assets accumulated by Taib and his family, the Swiss-based BMF said.

Following the release of the list, BMF launched an online petition on its website, calling on the authorities in the respective countries to investigate Taib and his family's financial dealings and freeze their assets for subsequent restitution to the people of Sarawak.


Taken from Malaysiakini

James Jemut Masing Statement in Borneo Post Onlines

Masing: Settle Niah land dispute out of court
by Churchill Edward. Posted on March 1, 2011, Tuesday

KUCHING: The protracted land dispute between land developers and residents of Rumah Ranggong and Belilie in Ulu Niah should be settled out of court.

To determine land ownership would be tedious and long, Land Development Minister Dato Sri Dr James Masing said yesterday when responding to a public query on whether the court is the best venue to settle issues.

Masing, also Baleh assemblyman and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president, said he was not against the court or judiciary system resolving disputes.

“Justice is blind. That is why I have faith in our judiciary to impart justice. But it takes time (if through the court). So, wherever possible, settle problems outside the court,” he advised.

The issues in the present Ulu Niah case is such that what was originally thought NCR land by the parties concerned — developers (having 60 per cent equity), residents of the two longhouses (30 per cent) and trustee State Land Development Board (10 per cent) in 2001 — was later found to be state land by the State Land and Survey Department in 2002.

In 2008, the Land Development Ministry declared it state land and this ruling invalidated the joint venture agreement among the three parties, resulting in the longhouse folks losing their stakes in the venture since they never owned the land they used as their injection into it.

On top of that, the developers had already paid the residents upfront money totalling about RM1.2 million in two stages in 2001.

The payment was made in cash to SLDB for the residents of the two longhouses.

Yesterday, Masing said he hoped parties involved in the cases were really willing to solve the issue.


Anembiak Latong Rebak Baru: I don't understand what is JJM try to tell about.Why he said "Justice is blind" ? And why he prefer Ulu Niah resident to settle this case out of the court?

Baru Bian Cabar Taib Mahmud Berdebat (NCR Land Isu)

KENYATAAN AKHBAR UNTUK DIEDARKAN SERTA MERTA.
Oleh Baru Bian.

Pada hari Sabtu 26 Februari yang lalu, Pengerusi Pimpinan Negeri PKR Baru Bian mencabar Ketua Menteri Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud untuk berdebat mengenai isu NCR yang telah dikatakan “isu lapuk” oleh Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, Menteri Kedua Perancangan dan Pengurusan Sumber dan Menteri Kemudahan Awam.

Pada hari Isnin, 28 Februari, Ketua Menteri, seperti yang dilaporkan oleh akhbar Borneo Post, telah bersetuju untuk menyahut cabaran itu tetapi dengan syarat bukti-bukti perlu dikemukakan terlebih dahulu.

“Kami mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Ketua Menteri kerana menyahut cabaran kami untuk berdebat. Kami berharap kebenaran akan diketahui oleh umum menerusi debat seperti itu nanti,” kata Bian.

“Mengenai permintaan Ketua Menteri akan bukti-bukti, kami ingin memberitahu beliau bahawa segala-galanya sudah kami sediakan. Bukti-bukti itu tidak akan kami kemukakan sekarang kerana ianya akan menghambarkan tujuan sebenar berdebat. Namun, kami ingin menarik perhatiannya bahawa bukti-bukti yang amat banyak yang telah kami kemukakan ke mahkamah untuk lebih 200 kes NCR yang belum lagi didengar yang mana Attorney-General juga menyedarinya. Kami juga akan mengemukakan bukti-bukti tambahan kepada bukti-bukti yang ada di mahkamah, ke debat untuk menyokong kes kaum asli yang kehilangan tanah-tanah NCR mereka, dan isu ini bukanlah isu lapuk,” kata Bian.

“Kami berharap Ketua Menteri tidak akan berpura-pura jahil akan bukti-bukti itu sebagai alasan untuk mengelakkan debat itu,” kata Bian.

“Dengan kesanggupan Ketua Menteri untuk berdebat, kami ingin mencadangkan beberapa tarikh padanya: Sabtu 5 Mac, Ahad 6 Mac atau Khamis 10 Mac. Masa dan tempat adalah pilihan beliau. Ketua Menteri, sila pilih satu tarikh,” kata Bian.

“Kami juga ingin mencadangkan para akademik Sains Sosial UNIMAS yang begitu arif dan faham akan isu-isu NCR untuk mempengerusikan debat itu nanti. Kami seterusnya mencadangkan agar debat itu diadakan di tempat awam yang luas seperti Borneo Convention Center Kuching atau di Stadium Perpaduan di Petrajaya bagi memudahkan orang awam datang dan mendengar pandangan dan pendapat Ketua Menteri dan saya sendiri,” kata Bian.

Ketua Menteri juga dipetik sebagai berkata “Kita akan akur dengan sebarang keputusan mahkamah walaupun tidak memihak kepada kerajaan” semasa menghadiri Perhimpunan Agung Tahunan SPDP pada hari Ahad 27 Februari di Bintulu sebagaimana dilaporkan dalam portal Sarawak Update (Jumpa saya Atau ke Mahkamah).

“Sahutan kami adalah terang dan jelas: tarik balik semua rayuan semula Kerajaan ke atas kes-kes NCR yang telah dimenangi oleh orang-orang asal. Keputusan-keputusan mahkamah telah memihak kepada orang-orang asli itu, tetapi kerajaan tetap berdegil merayu untuk menentang kes-kes itu. Adakah Ketua Menteri akan mengarahkan Attorney-General untuk menarik balik semua rayuan itu serta-merta dan berpegang kepada kata-katanya itu, atau adakah kenyataannya sempena Perhimpunan Agung Tahunan SPDP itu bersifat retorik semata-mata untuk mengelirukan rakyat lagi?” tanya Bian.


Baru Bian says he is ready to debate with Taib
By Adib Zalkapli


KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — Sarawak PKR chairman Baru Bian (pic) said today he was prepared to present evidence of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land grabs by the state government during a public debate.

Bian said he thanked the Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud for his willingness to accept the debate challenge and asked for it to be held as early as next week.

“As for the Chief Minister’s request for proof and evidence, we would like to inform him that our evidence is ready. The evidence cannot be revealed now or else there would not be a need for a debate,” said Bian in a statement.

“However, we are happy to draw his attention to the overwhelming mountain of evidence already submitted in court for over 200 NCR cases still pending to date which the Attorney-General is fully aware of.

“We will also be bringing additional supplementary evidence on top of the evidence already submitted in court to the debate to further support our case about natives’ loss of NCR lands and that this is not an old issue,” he added.

Bian had originally issued the challenge last Saturday for a debate with the government on NCR land seizure allegations.

Taib who has been in power for 30 years, however, said yesterday that he was only willing to debate if Bian could offer evidence of the land grabs.

His willingness to debate on NCR land comes just five months before government’s mandate expires.

“We hope the Chief Minister is not pretending to be ignorant of the evidence as an excuse to avoid or evade the debate,” said Bian.

He also repeated the party’s stand for the state government to withdraw all its cases against the natives over the NCR land grab.

“Our response is loud and clear; withdraw all government appeals against NCR cases won by the natives immediately,” said Bian.

“The courts have decided in favour of NCR landowners but the government still insists on appealing against these cases,” he added.

A lawyer by profession, Bian has been representing Sarawak natives in their attempt to stop the state government from acquiring their NCR land.

In September last year, the Kuching High Court ruled in favour of residents in seven longhouses in rural Sarawak who were about to be evicted from their land to accommodate the government’s plans to declare some 27,500 hectares of land in Ulu Sebuyau as a national park.

Early this month, the Court of Appeal ruled against a timber company, the Forestry Department and the Sarawak government for encroaching into land classified as the Penans’ NCR.

The NCR was enshrined in the Sarawak Land Code 1958, which recognises the natives’ collective ownership of land around their settlements for agriculture and hunting purposes.


From The Malaysian Insider