14 October 2024
On Today Show
— Nick Kelesau- Spokesperson for the Penan Keruan Organization – Penan Community Threatened Amid UBFA Logging Controversy
— Abun Sui, Senator of PKR Sarawak – Call for Protection of Penan NCR Land in Lusong Laku to Prevent Loss to Outsiders
Topik Pada Hari Ini
— Nick Kelesau - Jurucakap untuk Organisasi Penan Keruan - Komuniti Penan Diancam di Tengah-Tengah Kontroversi Pembalakan UBFA
— Abun Sui, Senator PKR Sarawak - Seruan untuk Melindungi Tanah NCR Penan di Lusong Laku bagi Mengelakkan Kehilangan kepada Orang Luar
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Special Randau
1. The parliamentary session starts today. The 3rd meeting, 3rd term, 15th parliament starts today until 12 December 2024. On Friday 18 October 2024. PMX will present the Malaysian budget for 2025.
2. MACC raided an apartment in Kuala Lumpur and found a sum of cash in Singaporean currency amounting to RM5 million ringgit. It is believed to belong to an influential opposition politician. It is also understood that the politician is being investigated in relation to a multi-million ringgit corruption scandal allegedly related to a sand mining concession in the state of Selangor. In a separate report, MACC said it would summon the politician for investigation in the near future.
3. The incident that happened at Ba Data Bila should not be used as a reason for the forest department and Sarawak state government to cancel cooperation in UBFA. - said Nick Kelesau. There are indeed many obstacles and challenges - but we focus on the goal of sustainable forest care - said Nick. The Borneoland Timber Logging Company supported by Penan community leaders was prevented by a group of others from logging in the Ba Data Bila area.
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Nick Kelesau- Spokesperson for the Penan Keruan Organization
Penan Community Threatened Amid UBFA Logging Controversy
Nick Kelesau stated that the application by Sarawak Forest Department Director Datuk Hamden Mohammad to cancel or terminate the UBFA project is a one-sided statement. He emphasized that even if the project is cancelled, some NGOs and the local Penan community, including his side, will still continue their efforts. Nick highlighted the importance of separating political affairs from environmental matters.
Referring to the incident of logging in Ba Data Bila, Nick mentioned that several penghulu (village heads) and Pemanca (community leaders) met with Sarawak Premier Johari Openg to report that Borneoland Timber Sdn. Bhd., the company logging in the Ba Data Bila area, possessed a valid logging license. The company promised to build roads, bridges, and houses for the Penan people. However, it was later proven that the company employed foreign workers without valid work permits and conducted logging activities in the Ba Data Bila area, which is prohibited because it falls within the UBFA area.
Nick pointed out that Borneoland gained the support of some penghulu, Pemanca, and Penan residents by offering monetary incentives. He expressed hope that the incident at Ba Data Bila would not be used as a reason to cancel the UBFA project. Instead, he called for all stakeholders to make a unanimous decision that benefits forest conservation in the UBFA in the long term. Nick stressed that logging in the UBFA area should be entirely prohibited and should receive full support from the Sarawak government and the Forest Department. He condemned the actions of Borneoland and urged the authorities to take severe action against the company.
Additionally, Nick revealed that the Penan people were threatened with losing the opportunity to be appointed as tribal leaders, penghulu, Pemanca, or village heads if they cooperated with NGOs involved in the UBFA project. He condemned such political threats, labeling them as unhealthy and detrimental to the collective effort to protect the environment.
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Abun Sui, Senator of PKR Sarawak
*Call for Protection of Penan NCR Land in Lusong Laku to Prevent Loss to Outsiders*Senator Abun Sui Anyit has urged the Sarawak government to gazette Native Customary Rights (NCR) land in Lusong Laku to protect the Penan community from losing their land to outsiders. He raised concerns about the increasing trend of land being sold to non-locals, leaving the Penan at risk of becoming squatters in their own village. Abun emphasized that gazetting the land would safeguard the Penan’s rights while enabling sustainable development, including promoting tourism through sites like the Pejik Waterfall. This awareness arose after learning that outsiders had begun occupying the land, claiming to have bought it from the indigenous people there. Some individuals are selling their private NCR land because they are in dire need of money, leading them to sell their land. This must not be allowed, as the Penan people will lose their rights if their NCR land is not granted titles, leaving it vulnerable to exploitation by irresponsible parties seeking profit. Lusong Laku has the potential to become a future tourist destination.