Saturday 30 June 2007

Kadazandusuns = Dayaks

A friend of mine told me and I quote "Kadazans, once a political force in Sabah, are now impotent. Same as the Dayaks in Sarawak.The reason the same. They are very vulnerable and like to self-destruct."

My Say:

Initially is was UNKO and Pasok Momogun then it became UPKO but was dissolved and all its leaders joined its rival USNO. Subsequently, emerged Berjaya. Then PBS was born that went on to produce siblings PDS, PBRS and SAPP. PDS had since became new UPKO.

UNKO, Pasok Momogun, UPKO, PBS,PDS (UPKO) and PBRS all all Kadazandusun-based mulit-racial. All these parties came about for the same reason as my friend had rightfully said `self-destruction.' I am also a son of the soil of the Kadazandusun group, I am also at liberty to form my own party for the leaders of my community like to be `President'. Can I be called as a `self-destruct' agent.

The deads among us

He is a local, has a good job and happy family. But record in the National Registration Department shows he had passed away on Oct 27, 2001 in Ulu Langsat, Selangor. Until recenlty, he was not aware of his `position in this world' and that he had casted his vote during the 2004 general elections. H had never set foot to the place where he was supposed to have died.The NRD even gave him his death certificate folio number but he is still among us, living, healthy and kicking.

My Say:

We can't take thing for granted now with all these strange happening. Who knows, yours truely might also been listed as `dead' as I had also voted in the last general elections.

In this matter, can we call the poor gay a phantom voter, for in his case eventhough he was `dead' it was himself who turned up to vote. A similer case, in the reverse, happened in the election for the Kawang seat some years ago. In an election petition, one of the reasons given seeking a declaration to nullify the result was that a dead voter was recorded to have voted. Evidence adduced later that this voter had actually passed away but his name was still listed in the Election Commission's voters list. And still the `dead' came to vote, of course, `represented' by another living unknown person.

Friday 29 June 2007

Gangster and illegal logging

Sarawak Chief Minister Pehin Seri Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Taib Mahmud had admitted (http://www.bernama.com.my) that illegal loggers in the Land of Hornbill were/are employing gangsters as a shield from the authorities. This admission days after report that a Deputy Minister and veteran politician were being probed for involvement in gangsterism in their logging activites in Sarawak.

My Say:

Will we hear this in Sabah? So far only a handful of `mosquitos' had been dragged and charged in court for trespassing into forest reserve. And there is this story of Forestry Department workers brrning down houses belonging to natives because they were built on Forest Reserve. The department's director had admitted this but qualified that burning houses was provided for in ther law. So can we do the same to squatters houses build in aver nooks and corner of land available in urban areas. They are not even natives.

Sunset view

This is a sunset view from my kitchen. Photograph taken with my Nokia 6600 mobile phone

Tip of the iceberg

Out of the blue a signboard was put in place at a road junction in Tenom. It is to inform the people that construction of the four-kilometres Kampung Langsat - Kampung Mas road had been completed on June 22, this year.

According to the signboard, the construction of the road was carried out by the Rural Development Ministry and the Tenom District Office.

However, no Ministry nor District Office officers seem to know about the road project. And to add to the insult of the intelligent of people in the area, Public Works Department confirmed that construction of road had actually been completed 10, yes, 10 years ago.

A village development and security committee head confirmed that the signboard was put up on June 25.

Of course, the standard answer from the Ministry and DO office, "We will investigate."

My Say:

I dare say that this is just a tip of the iceberg. There are many such signboards, particulary, in the rural areas. A case of false claim in the making? Signboard put up on June 25 telling the people that the project was completed on June 22. Even Tan Sri Ting Pik Khing would not be able to do this. Can't the Anti-Corruption smell something?

Osu Sukam Failed Again

Ex-Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Osu Sukam on Thursday failed in his application for leave to appeal to the Federal Court against a decision of the Court of Appeal in allowing the appeal of Landon-based Ritz Casino to register a default judgement obtained in London to recover RM7,142,859.98 gambling debt.

The Federal Court, which sat in Kuching, made the ruling after hearing submissions from Osu's counsel Sugumar Balakrishnan and Colin Lau for the Casino. The three judges held that their court was not the correct forum for Osu to apply for leave. The English Court is.

Kota Kinabalu High Court Judge Datuk Ian Chin had on July 5, 2005 dismissed an application by the Casino to register a London Court order for Osu to pay up his gambling debth. Justice Chin had held that it would be against public policy to enforce the default judgement as irt was a gambling debt.

The Court of Appeal, however, reversed the High Court judgment and ordered the default judgement to be registered.

Osu then applied to the Federal Court for leave to appeal. The rest is history.

My Say:

When Osu's gambling debt first surfaced, many did not believe with some quarters claiming that it was politically motivated, especially when the RM7.1 million gambling debts incurred while he was Sabah Chief Minister. Osu will now have fight it out in London. Are we going to see more of such cases involving our leaders?

Thursday 28 June 2007

Rakan oh Rakan

We have Rakan Muda, Rakan Cop and shortly we will have Rakan Immigration. Wonder what is next? Like Rakan Cop, the function of Rakan Immigration, amongst others, a centre for members of the public to channel information of illegal immigrants presence in our own backyard, individuals or companies harbouring them. The objectives are many but it will centred on assisting other enforcement authorities in flushing out illegal immigrants of this beautiful State of ours Land Below The Wind.

My Say:

This look like adding to the many red tapes we have to encounter when making reports. There is sure confusion to which Rakan to refer. Remember 911, 941, 999 and the the other 9s for emergency cases. There had been cases of people reporting fire only to be told that they got the number for hospital. Now it been centred to just 999 for all emergencies cases. Just how many Rakan will emerged, eventually I Say it will be back to a single entity. One thing good to all of us is that we like to experiment..............

Beware Punjabi man

A police report had been made by Malaysia Indian Congress head of the Libaran branch in Sandakan that an 48-year-old Punjabi is on the look for victim to part with their money. The man married and has five children by left all of them in Keningau is a conman having tricked several people to give him money to be invested with a promise of hig return. But that the last time the victim see their money.

My Say:

Beware also to this kind of people who will come uninvited to house of office introducing as educated foreigners and able to tell what lies ahead of you. They will asked their victim to do all sort of things, and in the end will be asked to give them money as payment. A victim myself several years ago, the man play a simple trick that make me give him money easily. When I realised I had been conned, the man was nowhere to be seen again.

Foreign GROs

Walk into any entertainment outlets in Kota Kinabalu City and other major towns of Sabah, you will feel like patronising `watering holes' in other countries as was found out during a raid by police earlier this week.

City police chief ACP Ku Chin Wah led a raid at one outlet and was found to have hired 15 foreigner GROs comprising 13 Chinese national and the remaining two Filipinos. Outlets in Sabah are also known to operate into the wee hours of the morning, up to 5am.

Consumers Association of Sabah and Labuan (Cash) president Datuk Patrick Sindu is now calling all the relevant authorities - City Hall, Police, Immigration Department, Anti-Corruption Agency and Local authorities - to take action.

Sindu also revealed informations reaching him that senior enforcement officers fromPeninsula Malaysia were/are regulars at these outlets.

Quoting Sindu,`It will not come as a surprise if ACA stumbles upon senior officers from the agency being regulars at the entertainment outlets."

Sindu also want City Mayor to check why City Hall enforcement officers never conducted surprise checks at entertainment outlet in the City when they were well known to operate up to 5am.

My Say:
Sound like the tape recorder is `being rewinded and replayed' over and over again. Who is to be blamed is anybody's guess. I rest my case.

Wednesday 27 June 2007

University Campus at Mt Trus Madi?

Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan had came out with an idea - calling the authorites concerned to set up branch campus of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) at the foot of Mt Trus Madi, the second highest mountain in Sabah (second to Mt Kinabalu) in a far flung area of the interior Keningau.

My Say:

I dare say not a bad idea afterall, as all the Universities now have disciplines dedicated to forest and the wilds that live within. Or is this another idea/proposal that will die a natural death as a proposal years ago to construct a road up Mt Kinabalu.

Saham Amanah Sabah

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said no need for a Government White Paper to explain why Saham Amanah Sabah is now hovering around 20 cent per unit when investors, majority Bumiputera lower income group, boughtthem for RM1.

My Say:

My heart to all investors and I am one of them. Imagine having invested RM10,000 which now only worth RM2,000. I do not know what to do, either to laugh or cry.

Killer identified

City Police chief ACP Ku Chin Wah Tuesday confirmed to the Press that a suspect believed to be a foreigner had been identified responsible in inflicting injuries that resulted the death of Dusun singer Enggu Sam in Menggatal on Monday.
A good job by the City Police and let hope the suspect and accomplices will be nabbed soonest possible.
Lawmaker respresenting Sepanggar, Eric Majimbun had told Parliament in the last session that certain areas in Telipok, Menggatal and Inanam, the locals are out numbered by foreigners.
My Say:
Just go for a walk at the market area specially established for the locals in Inanam Town. Majority of the hawkers are foreigners. The market is officially named `Tamu Tradisi Inanam' (Inanam Tradiational Market) specially for the local people. Who and where are the locals here?

PR for Filipinos in Sabah

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Yahya Hussin Tuesday said the Sabah Government has not been officially been informed by the Federal Government about any long-term plan to give Permanent Residence status to Filipino refugees holding IMM13 (temporary pass issued by the Immigration Department) holders in Sabah.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz had on Monday told Parliament that Filipinos having IMM13 will eventually made PR.

In another development, Minister in the Sabah Chief Minister's Department Datuk Seri Haji Nasir Tun Sakaran refuted claimed that the on-going re-examining and verification of IMM13 held by Filipinos had connection with what Nazri had said in Parliament.

Nasir said the exercise, which will continue until end of the year, was to verify the IMM13 and those genuine holders wouold eventually be accorded PR status by the relevant authorities.

And yet in another development, contrary to what had been fed to the people of the Land Below the Wind, there are actually 34 settlement schemes for Filipino refugees in Sabah and Labuan of which three of them are within the Kota Kinabalu City, one at neighbouring Kinarut.

There are 11 within the Sandakan municipality, Tawau municipility (four), Semporna (four) and Lahad Datu (four).

There are seven such scheme in the Federal Territory of Labuan.

These are based on a 2002 report from the Federal Task Force for Sabah and Labuan obtained by Professor Dr Azizah Kassim and was reported to Parliament by its lawmaker from Tuaran Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau on June 20, 2007.

My Say:

Yes, so many coincidences/confusion but as always five and five togather made a ten.

Tuesday 26 June 2007

Police Reports

Two seperate reports were lodged at the Kota Kinabalu City Police Headquarters in Karamunsing Tuesday afternoon.

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) a member of the country national coalition governing party (BN) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee made a report asking the police to investigate Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) deputy president Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai and a senior aide over several reports in the various local Chinese newspapers.

The Press reports purportedly made by Yee's group allegedly pointed finger to Yong of being involved in the Saham Amanah Sabah's business to crumble. SAS which was opened RM1 per unit is now only worth about 25 cents.

Yong denied involvement.

The other police report made almost the same time at the same police station was made by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) national vice-president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan. He wanted police to investigate a certain senior police officer and a retired army officer for allegedly taking away land from the poor in the east coast of Sabah.

My Say:
Will we be seeing more such reports as a prelude of the incoming general elections?

Welcome

To those who are visiting for the first time to this new blog, I says `Kotohuadan/Kounsikou/Thank You/Terima Kasih'

Welcome to you Mr Sulok Tawi of Kuching.

Dusun singer sudden death

Enggu Sam, 45, dies on the way to Queen Elizabeth Hospital after slased on the left shoulder with a parang by a group on unidentified armed assailants on Monday. Police said this happened when Enggu and other siblings were resting at his house in Kampung Liou Laut, Tebobon in Menggatal.

My Say:
If my recollection is not failing me, the Late Enggu was one of the Dusun pioneer singer in the class on the Late John Gaisah. Enggu's songs (oldies) are still favourates of the Dusun and always being aired by Sabah FM/Dusun. My condolance to his family.

Sandakan MP seat

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and MCA are `fighting' to get nomination to contest in the Sandakan MP seat in the general elections expected to be held anytime from now and before the year end.

All are BN component party members. The seat is now warmed by Independent Chong Hon Min who defeated a BN-LDP candidate in the last election. LDP accused SAPP of having supported Chong. SAPP now claiming the seat on ground that before LDP, Sandakan belong to SAPP.

My Say:

SAPP, LDP and MCA are fighting the seat. A compromise will be to give the seat to Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) after all the Pairin-led party is now back to BN's stable and was long before SAPP, been representing the Sandakan Parliamentary constituency in Dewan Rakaat.

Filipino Refugees to get PR

Filipinos refugees holding IMM13 in Sabah will eventually be given Permanent Resident status in Malaysia, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz told Parliament on Monday.
He said this was part of of the long-term plan of the Government that in the end Filipino refugees holding genuine IMM13 documents would become PRs in Malaysia.
According to the Minister, there are about 15,000 IMM13 holders in Sabah but there are those who are holders of a census cards.
The Minister also said that the Government aknowledged that these refugees do cause problems in Sabah but `a lot of Malaysians who are genuinely citizens of the country who are also causing a lot of problems.'
In relation to this, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, also on Monday, said he would get details from the State Secretary of Filipinos turning up at Menara Tun Mustapha (Yayasan Sabah Building) to apply for temporary visit passes.
My Say:
Just what will these latest move affact the livelihood of the people in Sabah. Will those turning up at Menara Tun Mustapha be eventually absorbed into the `IMM13' group of Filipinos. We knew about Filipinos and Indonesians listed as voters in the electoral rolls and had voted in elections. Will we see mote phantom voters? I am inclined to believe that, as Datuk Seri Musa had indicated, the general elections will be held before the year end.