Kurup continues to lead PBRS

Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, whose parliamentary seat of Pensiangan was declared vacant by Kota Kinabalu Election Court on Sep 8, 2008, was returned unopposed as Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president at the party's election Tuesday.

The Federal Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister has been at the helm of the party since its formation in 1994.

Also returned unopposed is incumbent Deputy President Datuk Ellron Angin while elected Vice-Presidents are former minister Datuk Kadoh Agundong, Baharuddin Haji Nayan and Cyril Yansalang.

The 264 delegates from the party 17 divisions also voted the supreme council members - Francis Yantim, Paiman Lalimbu, Dr Florentius Epin Banik, Justin Majiun, Weils Magium, Fatimah Ibrahim, Johari Bohontong, Alfian Tun Koroh, Taulani Haji Ismail, Jaiping Minsu and Jailin Lian.

Thanking the delegates for their faith in his leadership, Kurup told them:" The next three years will not be plain sailing but full of challenges. However, I will not be walking alone."

All eyes will be on the Federal Court who will decide on Jan 6, 2009 whether or not to grant Kurup's appeal against the Election Court's decision to declare his win unopposed in the March 8, 2008 general elections.

MP Gobalakrishnan is Jugan Jugah, an Iban

The Sarawak's Borneo Post On Line today carried a story that I like to share with my regular readers. This story is about an MP from Peninsula Malaysia who is said to be a local as he had been adopted by an Iban family.

KUCHING: The opposition’s claim that Padang Serai MP N Gobalakrishnan is a local by virtue of an Iban traditional adoption ceremony he had under-gone has been described as “a mockery of Iban customs”.
“It’s rather unusual for a grown up man to be legally adopted by an Iban family. I would love to see the adoption papers,” Land Development Minister Dato Sri Dr James Masing said when contacted yesterday.
“I hope this MP isn’t trying to pull a fast one on my community,” Masing, who is also Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president and Baleh assemblyman, said, adding that for any adoption to be legally recognised, the adoption must be registered at any of the state’s district offices.
“If the PKR man is pulling a fast one on the community, then his act is a mockery of Iban customs,” Masing said
Masing, who is also an anthropologist by training, said the supposed Iban traditional adoption ceremony that Gobalakrishnan had undergone could have been a welcoming gesture held by the headman’s family for any visitor to their longhouse.
Masing said it was highly likely that Gobalakrishnan, being a stranger to the Iban community, did not quite understand what had actually transpired and may have mistaken the fatherly act of his host who addressed him as ‘anak’ (son), a common way of addressing younger strangers.
“A real adoption process is more than just words of the mouth (during the ceremony),” he said when asked to comment on a Malaysiakini’s report which quoted a Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leader as saying that Gobalakrishnan, an MP from Kedah, was a local of this state as he was adopted by an Iban headman in Kapit.
According to that report, PKR Hulu Rajang division chief Frankie Manjah Bedindang told Malaysiakini that Gobalakrishnan went through a ritual – including a miring ceremony – where he was supposedly adopted by the longhouse chief.
Manjah told Malaysiakini that Gobalakrishnan was subsequently given the name, Jugan Jugah, at the June 16 ceremony which was conducted in Tuai Rumah Jugah longhouse in Ulu Sut, witnessed by the residents of the 30-door community.
Gobalakrishnan, who is also PKR supreme council member, was barred from entering Sarawak on Christmas Eve by the immigration authorities at the Kuching International Airport.
The PKR parliamentarian who had been to Sarawak numerous times claimed that he was prevented from entering the State last Wednesday by immigration officials carrying out a directive from the State Secretariat.
It was also reported in Malaysiakini that Gobalakrishnan had vowed to go to court to challenge the entry ban.
Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman, in response to the ban, was quoted on Saturday as saying that Sarawak government generally allowed people to enter the State even if they were personalities like Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Democratic Action Party advisor Lim Kit Siang.
“We practise an open policy. Generally we allow people to enter Sarawak. We do not stop them from entering Sarawak. We let them in because we are not afraid of the opposition. We have even allowed Anwar and Lim Kit Siang to enter,” Daud was reported as saying.

Anwar heads Sabah PKR

Press Statement By
DATUK DR JEFFREY G. KITINGAN
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Vice President
Dec 29th, 2008

SUPPORT FOR ANWAR AS SABAH PKR CHIEF (Dr Jeffrey's first public reaction on Anwar's appointment as Sabah PKR chief)


Since Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ia also our (PKR) Ketua Umum, it is a privilege for Sabah to have him as our (Sabah) Pengerusi Perhubungan Negeri (State PKR Liaison Chairman).

I would have objected if it was just any other leader.

This means we, in Sabah, can discuss and have direct access to the head of the National Opposition who is also the Prime Minister-in-waiting!

I view this as something positive. In other words Sabah's and Sarawak's status have been upgraded! Isn't this what we have been looking for?

Of course in the long term, we will assist him to ease his burden by proposing an alternative appointment for the Borneo States.

Thank you.

DATUK DR JEFFREY G. KITINGAN
at 019-8505005

Issued through KG Publicist at 016-8460018, free media & publicity consultancy
- Truth is our signature -

My Say:

It will be interesting to hear what the other PKR leaders in Sabah have to say on Anwar's appointment as the party chief for Sabah and Sarawak. With this latest development, Haji Ansari Abdullah had been ousted as Sabah PKR chief.

Kurup lost a PBRS founder leader

Former Bingkor Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) divisional deputy chief Alizan Majid yesterday announced his resignation from the Party. PBRS is headed by Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, whose seat in Parliament for Pensiangan was declared vacant by Kota Kinabalu Election Court on Sept 8, 2008.

“I have lost confidence in the party leadership as its struggle has no true direction,” he said in a statement to the Press Sunday.

“The struggle of the party leadership for the people is not professional and it is not ready to change and accept changes,” alleged Alizan.

“The party leadership is always afraid of its own shadow and is not ready to hear ideas, opinions and advices for the good of the party and members,” he added.

Alizan also expressed disappointment over what he described as the lack of cooperation during elections, especially on the selection of candidates who were not accepted by the people.

He also claimed that there was no application made by the leadership for additional seats during the last general election.

“I urge the state and national Barisan Nasional leaderships to make a smart decision to select and pick the best candidate for the Pensiangan parliamentary by-election, one who can truly contribute to the BN victory."

“I am proposing to the BN leadership to take back former MP Datuk Bernard S Maraat as the BN candidate if BN wants to retain the Pensiangan seat,” he said. PBRS dropped Maraat from defending Pensiangan in the March 8, general election to pave way for Kurup to contest.

Maraat had since quit PBRS to join Parti Bersatu Sabah headed by Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan and is now the party's chief ror the Liawan Division.

Alizan said even though he had quit from PBRS, he still supported the BN struggle under the leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. “I will consider to join to any of the BN component parties or re-join PBRS if there are changes to its leadership,” he added.

PBRS Congress/Election

Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) or United Sabah People's Party will hold its congress at the Perkasa Hotel, Keningau beginning Monday (Dec 29, 2008) with the Youth and Women movements meeting. On Tuesday the party president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup will be opening the main congress.

Election for the party's supreme council members will also be held Tuesday but Kurup is expected to be returned unopposed.

The congress was scheduled to be held in August but had to be postponed as Kurup was facing an election petition and that the party had expected that a by-election would have to be held for Pensiangan.

The Kota Kinabalu Election Court had on Sept 8, 2008 declared null and void Kurup's victory unopposed as Pensiangan member of Parliament in the March 8, 2008 general election. Kurup had appeal against the decision which will be heard by the Federal Court on Jan 7, 2009.

PBRS is a minor political party based in Sabah, East Malaysia. Beside Kurup, the party has only one Elected Representative Datuk Ellron Alfred Angin, the Assemblyman for Sook.

It was formed by former leaders and members of the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) on 11 March 1994. On 10 June 1994, it was officially accepted as one of the component parties in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

Sarawak lawyer's murderer to hang

KUCHING: The man who assassinated lawyer Fabian Lim Ann Hoaw in 2005 was yesterday sentenced to death by hanging.
High Court judge Datuk Clement Allan Skinner, in finding the accused Ling Kiang Chai guilty as charged, said Ling, in his defence, had failed to cast doubt on the prosecution’s case.
Ling, the sole defence witness, was convicted under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
Ling, who has a previous murder conviction in another case that occurred in Sibu in 1992, was defended by assigned counsel Sapuan Ahmad while Senior Federal Counsel in Sarawak, DPP Fazillah Begum Abdul Ghani, prosecuted.
The prosecution called 35 witnesses to testify against the accused.
Skinner said he did not accept Ling’s ‘defence’ that the hitman was a person known as Ah Bee and that Ling was just the rider of the motorcycle used in the murder.
Skinner said Ling was involved in the murder even though the other accused was still at large as both had a common intention to murder Lim at 6.15pm on Feb 18, 2005 in front of a food centre in Jalan Rubber – roughly about 200 metres from Lim’s legal office here.
Even though he may not be the hitman, Ling still had that common intention with the person still at large to commit murder.
Lim succumbed to gunshot wounds on the neck. He was shot at point-blank while reversing his car just after he had a meal with his wife Lennie Chin.
The court also found that Ling received a package containing RM64,000 from a person in Taman Malihah after the hit. He then paid another man and his creditor with some of that money.
Police investigators revealed that the hitman used a semi-automatic pistol with bullets of the 0.45mm type commonly found in other Asean countries like the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.
Investigators, too, did not rule out revenge and works-related litigation cases that Lim had handled as possible motives of the murder.
Ling was arrested at a house in Ulu Sungai Merah in Sibu at 6am on March 2, 2005 following the arrests of several other persons in Sibu and here.
During the tragic incident Chin, 53, was slightly injured on the right arm due to shattered glass splinters.
Lim was 56 when he was fatally shot. He left behind Chin and their three children.
Lim, a litigation lawyer and co-partner of Lim and Lim Advocates, was laid to rest at the Nirvana Memorial Park in Bau on Feb 22 2005.
On Nov 20 last year, the Federal Court upheld a High Court decision in finding Ling guilty of raping and killing a 14-year-old girl Heu Li Poh in 1992. He committed the Sibu rape and murder together with three other men.
In upholding the conviction, the Federal Court reversed a 2003 Court of Appeal decision to discharge and acquit Ling. This story from HERE

Rizalman refuses to accept defeat

Former Tenom Member of Parliament Datuk Rizalman Abdullah is not accepting defeat in the Tenom Umno divisional election last Saturday held at the Chung Hwa Primary School's hall in Tenom.

He polled 133 and lost the division's chief post, which he had held for 17 years to Kemabong Assemblyman Datuk Rubin Balang who garnered 189 votes.

Rizalman alleged that he lost due to money politics and outside intervention to the poll and had lodged reports with the Anti-Corruption Agency.

He also claimed that about 100 delegates, who were his supporters, were given money and was asked to spend the weekend at a resort in Tuaran, near Kota Kinabalu

Tough Years Ahead

Press Statement by
DATUK DR JEFFREY G. KITINGAN
PKR Vice President
PKR State Steering Committee Chairman, cum
Chairman, Borneo Heritage Foundation (BHF)


KOTA KINABALU: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)'s Vice President Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, said tough years are awaiting Sabahans, and if their leaders failed to understand and respond to issues in time, as always, their next generations risk losing all opportunities meant for them.
"The current government is not serious in resolving perennial problems like the presence of illegal immigrants and monopoly of power. Obviously the government had failed, and it does not care to resolve these issues. They have the power to act but they just ignore our views and our rights.
"Because of this, now we have many explosive issues in this country that will be very difficult to handle in the future," he said in a statement issued here today.
Dr Jeffrey further said the fact is that Sabahans are unsure who is foreigner because foreigners could come and leave as they like, they are in possession of Malaysian identity card, can vote and many Federal agencies are already regarding them as either melayu or bumiputera.
"I agree completely with Tan Sri Simon Sipaun who raised that only a miracle could solve the problems of overflowing illegal immigrants and also poverty in Sabah, the richest in natural resources but somehow the poorest state of the country.
"We are really in a mess. I wonder what our ruling leaders are doing. Are they as blind as the Federal politicians?
"As New Year approaches, I call upon our state leaders to ponder for a moment, reflect and search their conscience as what is going to happen to this state if we continue in this position…" he said.


DATUK DR JEFFREY G. KITINGAN
Mobile: 019-8505005

Merry Christmas & Best Wishes For The New Year 2009

Rubin new Tenom Umno chief

Former Assistant Minister Datuk Rubin Balang won the Tenom Umno divisional chief post after garnering 189 votes, defeating incumbent former Tenom Member of Parliament Datuk Rizalman Abdullah who polled 133 votes.

The result was announced about 9pm last night after both leaders requested for recount of votes. All in all the votes were counted 10 times.

During the series of recount, there were times when Rubin, who is Kemabong Assemblyman, lost to Rizalman by one vote and Rizalman lost to Rubin by 2 votes. The conference and election was attended by 325 delegates.

This election was the second when the first one in October, where Rizalman was declared winning the post uncontested, was declared void.

Suhaili Guraman was elected deputy chief.

Meanwhile, the division nominated Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as the party's president and International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as deputy president.

For the three vice president seats, it nominated Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar and former Melaka Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik.

All eyes on Tenom Umno election today

The Tenom Umno Division is now holding its delegates conference and later in the day election for the divisional chief.

Incumbent chief Datuk Rizalman Abdullah is being challenged by Kemabong Assemblyman Datuk Rubin Balang. The is the second time around that the meeting and election is being held, the first one being declared null and void by the party headquarters.

In the first meeting, Rizalman had declared himself of winning the post unopposed, and action challenged by Rubin. Rubin made a representation to the party's leadership and after an `investigation', the last meeting and election was annulled.

The election result is expected to be know late evening.

Meanwhile, during the Wanita meeting yesterday, incumbent chief Datin Rahmajan Sulaiman Khan retained her post after polling 241 votes. Her contender Hasnah Rithaudeen obtained 134 votes.

Wanita Umno Tenom also nominated Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and Tourism Minister Datuk Azalina Othman to contest the movement national chief and vice-chief, respectively.

Sabahan Blogger on RTM1's Blog Programme

A little known blogger from Sabah will be on RTM1's Blog Programme scheduled 8.30pm Sunday.

Jawan not the first Iban High Commissioner

Almost all the newspapers in Sabah and Sarawak today carried a story about career diplomat Kennedy Jawan's appointment as the new Malaysian High Commissioner to South Africa. He started work on Wednesday in Pretoria.

The story by Bernama stated that Jawan created history as the first Iban in the country to be appointed High Commissioner, to head a foreign mission.

I had reservation of the claim of being the first as I remembered that there were Ibans before who had been Malaysia's High Commissioner in foreign countries. My curiosity was confirmed on consultation with my friends in Kuching.

Datuk Amar Dunstan Endawie was the first Iban to be High Commissioner (New Zealand and not Australia as earlier stated) and the second was Datuk Amar Daniel Tajem (New Zealand).

Anyway, congratulation to Jawan on his promotion. The Ibans should be proud of him. Sabah, particularly the Native by the way, as of today has no one to be proud of like Jawan.

Below is the full story carried by the local newspapers today.

By Caroline Jackson

KUCHING, (Dec 18) -- Kennedy Jawan's growing years at a sleepy hollow in Sarawak were hardly an indication that the Sibu-born would one day be globe-trotting as a career diplomat.

The 47-year-old Sibu-born whose roots are in Sungai Assan, a village across Batang Rajang, is the newly-appointed Malaysian High Commissioner to South Africa.

He creates history with the appointment as it makes him the country's first Iban to be appointed head of a foreign mission.

Jawan, who assumed his duties in Pretoria on Wednesday, said it would be a challenging task, especially since currently, there were not many diplomats from Sarawak and Sabah working in the foreign service.

"My roots are in Sungai Assan, a kampung across the Batang Rajang, and even when I was attending university (in the United States), it never crossed my mind that one day, I would be promoting bilateral ties between Malaysia and South Africa," he told Bernama in an interview here recently.

Jawan, who was here to pay a courtesy call on Yang Dipertua Negeri Sarawak Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng, said his priority was to obtain updates on Sarawak.

This, he said, would enable Sarawak to be promoted to potential investors in South Africa, as well as five other African nations - Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique and Madagascar.

Having been posted to Tokyo, Yangon and Washington in various capacities, he was serving as the foreign ministry's under-secretary for development in Putrajaya prior to his current appointment.

"Of course, I started as a junior officer and while assigned to Japan, we (Malaysian embassy) took part in the process of initiating the overseas development association loan from Japan for the construction of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

"It is something that we remember," recalled Jawan.Another interesting experience for the diplomat was during his tenure as the first secretary, based in Myanmar between December 1995 and July 1999.

It was when the ministry was also involved in constructive engagement for the military junta-controlled country to be admitted to the Asean regional grouping, despite tremendous opposition.

While serving as the Malaysian embassy's counsellor in Washington between October 2002 and August 2005, he handled visiting journalists covering the official trips of Malaysian leaders as he was dealing with information.

"I had the opportunity to go to the Oval Office. It was very exciting because not everyone gets to go there," he said, adding that on that particular occasion, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi met with US President George W.

Bush at the latter's formal workspace which was used to confer with heads of state, diplomats, his staff and other dignitaries.Malaysia was viewed as a modern and progressive Islamic country, said Jawan, of the general feedback received during his stay in Washington.

Since joining the foreign service 20 years ago, it had been an enriching experience for the father of three as his children had also adapted well, from their exposure to different cultures.

"There are many opportunities (in the foreign service). We tend to want to be close to home and less adventurous but there should not be any inhibition for Sarawakians to carve a successful career as full-fledged diplomats," he said, adding that he would always find time to return to his hometown, Sibu.

For Jawan, it is equally challenging to measure up to the state's first career diplomat, former Malaysian ambassador to Venezuela Datuk John Tenewi Nuek, a Bidayuh from Bau.

He said Nuek did a splendid job, adding that his fellow Sarawakian would serve as a benchmark for his passion for the job.

Jawan said South Africa, as a major economic power, could enhance bilateral ties, especially in trade relations.In the last 15 years, Malaysia had established full diplomatic ties with South Africa.

Before 1992, there was not much diplomatic relations due to South Africa's then apartheid policy.

Wanita 18 for Shahrizat, 7 for Rafidah in Sabah

Eighteen of the 25 Wanita Umno divisions in Sabah had nominated the movement's vice chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil for the top post.
These include four divisions which had a change of mind after initially supporting Wanita chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and then aligning themselves to Shahrizat because they do not agree with the June transition of power.
Sabah Wanita Umno chief Senator Datuk Armani Mahiruddin said four divisions were Keningau, Kimanis, Tuaran and Semporna. These divisions had initially declared their full supports to Rafidah.

Ex-Minister convicted

The Kota Kinabalu High Court today convicted Sabah Ex-Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Conrad Mojuntin and nephew David Mojuntin of the two criminal charges which the Magistrate's Court on March 31, this year gave them a discharged and acquittal.

Judicial Commissioner Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli in allowing the appeal by public prosecutor against the acquittal of both the Mojuntins, held that the magistrate had seriously misdirected himself when he ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

“I, therefore, set aside his (magistrate) order of acquittal and substitute it with an order of conviction on both charges against the first respondent and on the joint charge against the first and second respondents, “ he said.

Abdul Rahman, however, deferred sentencing to Jan 2, 2009.

Conrad, 60, was charged with criminally intimidating businessman Doughty Disimon, 30, outside the SJD Café and Sports at 3.30am on Oct 23, 2005 behind the Public Bank, Donggongon Penampang.

The offence under Section 506 of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to two years or fine or both on conviction.

The ex-minister was also jointly charged with David, 44, for voluntarily causing hurt to Chee Hee Fatt, 45, at 4am on Oct 23, 2005, also at the same place.

The offence under Section 323 of the Penal Code read with Section 34 of the same Code provides a jail term of up to one year of both.

The prosecution had appealed to the High Court against the Mojuntins' acquittal on March 31, 2008.

In mitigation, Zahir Hussein Ahmad Shah, submitted that the fact of the case clearly showed that the offences were not meditated and prayed that the court to only impose fine on both respondents on ground that imprisonment would not reflect the circumstances of the case.

Zahir added that both respondents had no previous conviction and prayed the court justice of mercy in passing sentence.

Earlier, in the morning session, Senior Federal Counsel Salim Soib Hamid submitted, among others, that he had received the respondents’ written submission which cited several decided case in the Court of Appeal, that did not disturb the decision of lower courts.

However, he said there were exemption when a mistake of finding of facts took place as had happened in the present case.

“This Court can alter the finding of facts decision made by the learned magistrate,” Salim said, adding that the defence submission by the respondent was very fragile.

Salim prayed for the court to dismiss the decision made by the Magistrate’s Court, saying that there was a major mistake in the magistrate’s judgement. He urged the court to substitute it with a suitable judgement.