10 November 2023
Topik Pada Hari Ini
> Ukau Lupong, Ketua Kampung Penan Long Iman, Mulu. Baram - Kuasa kepada Rakyat: Penentangan Penan terhadap Ancaman Empangan terhadap Warisan Mereka
> Jeffridin Baudi, Wakil Penduduk Taman Perumahan SFI (Sabah Forest Industry) - Tanpa Kuasa dan Terbiar: Penduduk Taman Perumahan SFI Sabah Memerlukan Bantuan dengan Desperasi
> Oscar Ling, MP DAP Sibu - Oscar Ling Amaran Awam untuk Mengelak Jatuh Mangsa Tipu Daya Pekerjaan
> Fatirah dari Muda Sarawak - Memastikan Kesamarataan Kewarganegaraan: Pertubuhan Bukan Kerajaan Menantang Pindaan yang Regresif
On Today Show
> Ukau Lupong, Head of Long Iman Penan Village, Mulu. Baram – Power to the People: Penan's Rejection of Dam Threats to Their Heritage
> Jeffridin Baudi, Resident Representative of SFI (Sabah Forest Industry) Housing Park – Powerless and Abandoned: Sabah's SFI Housing Estate Residents Desperate for Assistance
> Oscar Ling, DAP MP of Sibu – Oscar Ling Warns Public Against Falling Prey to Job Scams
> Fatirah of Muda Sarawak – Ensuring Citizenship Equality: NGOs Challenge Regressive Amendments
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*Special Randau*
1. Lim Guan Eng has initiated legal action against PAS Member of Parliament Siti Mastura Muhammad, who accused him of having familial ties to Chin Peng, the leader of the Malayan Communist Party, and Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime Minister of Singapore.
2. Muhyiddin Yassin urges the government to review the anti-party hopping act due to its numerous weaknesses. This follows the declaration of independence by four GRS Sabah parliamentarians (from PPBM), who remain valid members of parliament, and the recent declaration of support for PMX by four more members of parliament from Bersatu/PPBM.
3. Ukau Lupong, the head of Penan Long Iman village in Baram, expresses concerns over the construction of the Tutoh dam. "We disagree with the dam," he says, as it has affected the sentiments of the Penan community.
4. Taib Mahmud's children want their father to be the third defendant in the civil lawsuit against their stepmother, Ragad Kurdi Taib.
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Ukau Lupong, Head of Long Iman Penan Village, Mulu. Baram
*Power to the People: Penan's Rejection of Dam Threats to Their Heritage*
Ukau Lupong stated that when the communities learned about the Sarawak Premier's plans to construct a dam in the Tutoh area, they strongly disagreed and regretted the blockade. The dam construction poses a threat to their lives, as the Tutoh River has been a vital source of sustenance for a considerable period. The Sarawak government's plan to build the dam is placing immense pressure on their livelihoods. There is a genuine fear that the dam could collapse, resulting in fatalities. Additionally, they are opposed to the idea of their village being flooded and their land destroyed.
Ukau Lupong criticized the Premier of Sarawak for acting recklessly without seeking their opinions, deeming it an irresponsible act. The community is now appealing for the halting of the Tutoh dam construction plan, or they will resort to blocking it. Their primary request is for basic infrastructure such as roads, telephones, and electricity. While the Mulu Resort has electricity, the Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) has not extended the electricity supply to their village. The community emphasizes the need for essential infrastructure rather than mega dams. Ukau Lupong boldly asserts that he is not afraid of the Premier of Sarawak and stresses that the Penan people vehemently disagree with the government's decision to build a dam in their area. The plea is clear: stop the construction and avoid intimidating the Penan people.
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Jeffridin Baudi, Resident Representative of SFI (Sabah Forest Industry) Housing Park
*Powerless and Abandoned: Sabah's SFI Housing Estate Residents Desperate for Assistance*
On May 2, 2023, the electricity supply to Taman Perumahan SFI was cut off because residents failed to pay their electricity bill arrears. Residents have no money because they no longer work at the SFI paper mill. They were given unpaid leave while waiting for a new company to take over the management of the company. It's been 6 months since the population went dark - affecting 647 families or more than 2000 residents. Residents are willing to pay 85% of the arrears and request the intervention of the chief minister of Sabah to launch electricity connection matters. But after several months of waiting. The Chief Minister of Sabah has still failed to help the residents of the SFI Housing Estate. Some of us have worked here 25 and some have worked for 30 years. We contribute to the productivity of the country. Why no one wants to help us. When we are in trouble, asked Jeffridin. We request PMX Anwar Ibrahim to help us. We request all YBYB in Malaysia to help us. We are ordinary people, Malaysians who need protection. Finally I concluded that the Sabah government actually wants us to run away from this housing. But, where do we want to go? We have no land and no house. This is the place we have depended on for life. We only ask for one thing, please connect the electricity supply to us.
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Oscar Ling, DAP MP of Sibu
*Oscar Ling Warns Public Against Falling Prey to Job Scams*
Deputy Foreign Minister Mohamad Alamin informed the Dewan Rakyat that the government is actively identifying and assisting 26 Malaysian citizens who fell victim to job scams in Laukkaing, Myanmar. As of November 3, 2023, 518 individuals have been successfully brought back to Malaysia. Upon their return, the victims will be interviewed by the Royal Malaysia Police to aid in ongoing investigations. Mohamad Alamin emphasized the importance of Malaysians being cautious about job offers from dubious sources on social media platforms. This response came during a question and answer session in the Dewan Rakyat, addressing concerns raised by Oscar Ling Chai Yew regarding the government's actions to aid victims of employment scams in Cambodia and Myanmar.
Oscar Ling share to RFS, stated that there are cases in Sibu where young people are deceived by high-paying job offers, leading them to be trapped in foreign countries for fraudulent work, unable to return home. He mentioned that numerous family members have reported such incidents, indicating a growing severity of the situation. Ling pointed out that many individuals fall victim to deception due to the allure of high salaries, resulting in their inability to return home. He earnestly urged the public to discern the authenticity of job recruitment content and to avoid falling prey to such schemes.
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Fatirah of Muda Sarawak
*Ensuring Citizenship Equality: NGOs Challenge Regressive Amendments*
A coalition of NGOs vehemently opposing proposed changes to citizenship provisions under the Federal Constitution is set to submit a memorandum of protest to both the National Palace and the Cabinet. The coalition is urging the government to reconsider the regressive amendments and opt for a more progressive approach to address citizenship-related issues.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) is anticipated to uphold and present all eight proposed amendments regarding citizenship in the Dewan Rakyat. Minister of Home Affairs Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who previously defended these amendments, clarified that he has provided explanations to stakeholders regarding the concerns raised. According to Saifuddin, there are alternative pathways for individuals without citizenship to attain that status. The amendments, he emphasized, shift the method from a "force of law" approach to a "registration" process. Additionally, Saifuddin did not dismiss the possibility of citizenship law amendments extending beyond constitutional changes.
In a collaborative effort, MUDA, along with several NGOs, will submit a memorandum to both the Palace and the Cabinet, opposing the proposed citizenship amendments that, in their view, regressively impact the citizenship process. The concern is that such regressive amendments may lead to a surge in statelessness among children, posing significant challenges. While these amendments might address specific issues in the short term, there is a growing apprehension that they could give rise to a larger problem, potentially resulting in a significant population in Malaysia living without citizenship. This, in turn, could lead to severe consequences, including a denial of access to education and healthcare.
In the opinion of Fatirah, consideration must be given to the implications of these amendments. They argue that these proposed changes are not merely intended to address gaps in the Constitution but are designed to grant extraordinary powers to the Minister of Home Affairs and the National Registration Department (JPN). This, in their view, could create a situation where finding a solution for those whose citizenship applications are rejected becomes nearly impossible. These amendments, according to Fatirah, seem to legitimize procedural barriers that have been arbitrarily employed by authorities, some of which have been deemed by the courts as contradictory to the Constitution and violations of human rights.