20 March 2024
On Today Show
— Ngang Kuja, Residents of Penan Long Tanyit – Lost Contact for 8 Days Due to Road Broken, Rescued by NGO, Not Government Authorities
— Danesh Prakash, Director of TINDAK Malaysia – Tindak Malaysia Advocates for Fair Electoral Boundaries in Sarawak
— Diog Dios, retired teacher from Puncak Borneo – Calls for GPS Government to Prioritize School Infrastructure
— Chong Yee Shan, central committee of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) – Peaceful Assembly Rights Under Scrutiny: A Call for Police Accountability
Topik Pada HariIni
- Penduduk Penan Long Tanyit, Ngang Kuja – Hilang Hubungan Selama 8 Hari Kerana Jalan Rosak, Diselamatkan oleh NGO, Bukan Pihak Berkuasa Kerajaan
- Danesh Prakash, Pengarah TINDAK Malaysia – TINDAK Malaysia Membangkitkan Isu Persempadanan kawasan pilihanraya Adil di Sarawak
- Diog Dios, guru bersara dari Puncak Borneo – Seruan kepada Kerajaan GPS Untuk Mementingkan Infrastruktur Sekolah
- Chong Yee Shan, jawatankuasa pusat Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) – Hak Perhimpunan Aman Dalam Tumpuan: Seruan Untuk Pertanggungjawaban Polis
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*Special Randau*
1. redelineation of the Sarawak state assembly constituencies. Action Malaysia proposes the addition of 11 new state assembly seats, making the total number of seats 93. For now, GPS is still silent and has not proposed anything to the EC. TIndak Malaysia provides a google form for the public to jointly propose a new demarcation area. The last time the Sarawak state assembly area was demarcated was in 2015.
2. Landslide to the penan settlement area in Sungai Linau, Belaga. After 8 days GPS failed to help. An NGO called "ASAP MOTOR" came to help and was able to reconnect the collapsed part of the road. Why does GPS refuse to help and why do all the logging companies around the Linau river refuse to help?
3. DAP MPs call for an RCI to be established to investigate the one-sided 1MDB-Goldman Sachs settlement agreement.
4. 10 civil servants suspected of corruption remanded for 4 days by MACC.
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Ngang Kuja, Residents of Penan Long Tanyit
*Lost Contact for 8 Days Due to Road Broken, Rescued by NGO, Not Government Authorities*
Ngang Kuja reported that today marks 8 days since the Penan people in the Linau River (Murum State Assembly) have lost contact with the outside world - due to landslides, the road to the 5 Penan settlements in the Linau Belaga River is impassable.
The penan settlements affected are Lusong Laku, Long Kajang, Long Lidem, Long Abit and Long Tanyit. More than 1000 Penan residents live in this area. In this area there is also a school and a health clinic.
Ngang Kuja was wondering why there is no road repair work by the government. Thankfully today the road can be passed, and it is not from government and YBs, but was repaired by an NGO- ASAP MOTOR. This is a four-wheel drive vehicle club based in Bakun Sungai Asap.
He said that, the big problem for them penan in linau is the road of communication. The log road they use now is a log road built by Samling. This road has been abandoned because the logs have run out. The Shin Yang logging company operates in the upper reaches of the Linau river, but not through the penan village.
Ngang appeal to PMX and Premier Abang Johari, most importantly, give them paved roads, electricity supply, clean water and telecommunication. After this everything is there, provide them modern agriculture, clinics and schools. As now they are fully dependent on helicopter services when land roads are impassable. When he spoke to this RFS over 10 times the call was disconnected. In the afternoon - the Sarawak state wifi that they use will have no signal at all.
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Danesh Prakash, Director of TINDAK Malaysia
*Tindak Malaysia Advocates for Fair Electoral Boundaries in Sarawak*
Tindak Malaysia is an NGO that promotes democracy and fair and clean elections. The last delimitation of the Sarawak state assembly constituency was done in August 2015. The constitution requires that a new delimitation can be done after 8 years, which means that the delimitation of the Sarawak state assembly can be done since August 2023. However, until now, the state government has not submitted any proposal for the redelineation of electoral areas to the EC.
The question arises: how many state assembly seats are ideal for Sarawak? Logically, to achieve administrative efficiency, one parliamentary area can be divided into 3 state assembly areas. Currently, the numbers are uneven, with some parliamentary constituencies having 2 state assembly constituencies and some having 3. This suggests that if one parliamentary constituency has 3 state assembly constituencies, Sarawak is proposed to increase the number of DUN areas to 93.
Political reality also points in that direction. The merger of PSB with PDP has made it possible for GPS to need new state assembly constituencies to accommodate their candidates and former candidates who lost in the last election. Considering the current situation, the Sarawak government and EC have a very short time to complete this process, as this gazetting requires at least 2 years. Danesh Prakash commented that we are already in 2024, and the state election is expected to be held in 2026. What preparations are the Sarawakians making for the delimitation of electoral areas in Sarawak? Three parties can participate in this demarcation: the Sarawak government, local authorities, and 100 registered voters in an area. For that purpose, Tindak Malaysia has prepared a Google Form for the public to give suggestions and recommendations. Visit the Facebook page "Tindak Malaysia" for further developments.
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Diog Dios, retired teacher from Puncak Borneo
*Calls for GPS Government to Prioritize School Infrastructure*
Mstar reported on March 13 that a parent was shocked to see the poor condition of mattresses and pillows when accompanying his two sons to the boarding house at a hostel of a school in Serian. Despite Tebedu assemblyman Simon Sinang later stating that these were damaged mattresses and pillows to be discarded, not intended for student use, the issue of poor school facilities in Sarawak, especially in rural areas, is not new.
Retired teacher Diog Dios stated that there are many poorly equipped schools in Sarawak, lacking in both facilities and teaching materials. This is known to the GPS government, and it is on their list, but they always wait for federal government funding, or if they have the funding, the repair work is often delayed.
He said that education can change the future of children, especially in inland areas. Having a good school environment can provide children with a comfortable learning space, but these are not the concerns of the GPS government. Schools report to the State Education Department about the lack of teaching materials or facilities on campus, or the need for repairs. If the GPS government is unaware, it is the school's negligence, endangering students' future. However, if they are aware, it hinders students' learning and progress, acting as a stumbling block to education.
He urged the GPS government to pay attention to the situation of schools in the state and to make good use of available resources to help schools and children.
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Chong Yee Shan, central committee of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)
*Peaceful Assembly Rights Under Scrutiny: A Call for Police Accountability*
Chong Yee Shan is one of four individuals who were summoned to the Dang Wangi Police Station on March 18 in relation to a peaceful assembly rally held in conjunction with International Women's Day on March 9.
Chong expressed dissatisfaction with the way the police handled their situation, stating that they encountered multiple obstacles from the day they submitted the notice to the police. The police refused to accept the notice, citing numerous excuses, which, in Chong's opinion, indicated that the police were unwilling to allow the rally. However, according to the Assembly Act, anyone wishing to organize a public assembly is only required to submit a notice to the police five days prior to the event, a requirement that Chong and her team complied with. Despite this, the police continued to insist that such assemblies required a permit, which is incorrect according to the Act. This was extremely frustrating for Chong.
There were over 200 people at the rally, and in addition to being investigated under the Peaceful Assembly Act, the police also investigated them under minor offensive acts. The police claimed that the placards brought by the participants were sensitive.
Chong felt that the investigation was a waste of time and that the police should focus more on real criminal issues, as crime in the country is becoming increasingly serious.