16 April 2024
On Today Show
— Roland Engan, Customary Land and Human Rights Lawyer – Justice Delayed: Campaign to Repeal Land Code Section for NCR Resolution
— Jeffery Ngui, Chairman of MUDA Sarawak – Building Confidence: The Opposition's Role in Strengthening Sarawak
— Anyi Lah from Long Tebangan, Ulu Baram – Challenges of Remote Living: Bridge Collapse in Sarawak's Interior
Topik Pada Hari Ini
- Roland Engan, Peguam Tanah Adat dan Hak Asasi Manusia - Keadilan Terlambat: Kempen untuk Memansuhkan Bahagian Kod Tanah bagi Penyelesaian NCR
- Jeffery Ngui, Pengerusi MUDA Sarawak - Membangunkan Keyakinan: Peranan Pembangkang dalam Memperkukuhkan Sarawak
- Anyi Lah dari Long Tebangan, Ulu Baram - Cabaran Hidup Terpencil: Runtuhnya Jambatan di Pedalaman Sarawak
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*Special Randau*
1. Roland Engan challenges GPS to include dam construction projects in their state election manifesto to test the people's support. If GPS wins in areas where dams are proposed to be built, it would serve as a referendum on GPS's support for dam construction.
2. Describing Muslims who consume McDonald's fast food products as dogs is sinful, according to Abu Hafiz Salleh Hudin, a lecturer in the Department of Quran and Sunnah at UIA Malaysia. He made this statement when asked to comment on a viral poster that equated Muslims who eat McDonald's products with dogs.
3. A court case involving two former prime ministers, Najib and Muhyiddin Yassin, is ongoing. Najib will have the opportunity on August 20 to present oral arguments to disqualify Judge Colin Lawrence Sequerah from presiding over the 1MDB corruption trial. The Court of Appeal this morning set the date for this. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has requested for 5 Court of Appeal judges to hear his judicial review application to overturn the decision to release and acquit (DAA) in a case of abuse of power in the Wibawa program.
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Roland Engan, Customary Land and Human Rights Lawyer
*Justice Delayed: Campaign to Repeal Land Code Section for NCR Resolution*
Sarawak plans to construct 10 more dams in areas with strong river currents identified as potential sites for generating electricity. The Minister of Public Utilities and Telecommunications, Sarawak, Julaihi Narawi, announced that three areas - Tutoh, Belaga, and Gaat - have been approved for dam construction following agreement from the local residents.
However, Roland Engan expressed disappointment, stating, 'I am very disappointed by the repeated statements regarding the dam construction projects and the claims that the local communities have agreed to these projects.' He mentioned that he had personally surveyed the opinions of the communities and found that the majority disagreed with the construction of the dams. Many residents were unaware of the projects, and there had been no consultation or request for their opinions. This lack of consultation indicates a failure of the GPS government to respect the basic rights of the people and to acknowledge their rights to the land they inhabit.
Roland emphasized that in the proposed dam construction sites, there are 'custodians' whose rights must be respected. He stressed that any development project must adhere to the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) from the affected communities. Engan challenged the GPS to include the dam construction projects in their manifesto for the upcoming elections, allowing the people to evaluate and decide whether they support GPS's stance on dam development.
Furthermore, Roland is campaigning to repeal section 5(7) of the Sarawak Land Code 1958. He questions why the rights of the Bumiputra, who are the majority in Sarawak's administration, regarding land ownership are not respected. Section 5(7) of the Sarawak Land Code was inserted or amended during Taib Mahmud's administration, resulting in delays in resolving 3,000 NCR (Native Customary Rights) cases in the Sarawak Bumiputra Court. Engan believes that repealing this section will lead to the quick resolution of these cases and, most importantly, restore justice to the original landowners, as 'Justice delayed is injustice.'
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Jeffery Ngui, Chairman of MUDA Sarawak
*Building Confidence: The Opposition's Role in Strengthening Sarawak*
Jeffery Ngui believes that the merger of PSB and PDP will mainly impact Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) internally, without significantly altering the Sarawak political landscape. He noted that GPS has maintained a stronghold on power in Sarawak since Tun Taib Mahmud's administration, giving the opposition a long history of facing major disadvantages.
With the current unity government, the Premier of Sarawak can directly address local issues with the Prime Minister, further diminishing the opposition's standing in local politics. Ngui advised the opposition in Sarawak to focus on strengthening people's confidence in them, emphasizing that it is the opposition's responsibility to build this confidence.
Ngui highlighted that the challenge is not lack of political awareness among Sarawakians but rather what the opposition has done to convince them to support a change. He emphasized that MUDA, introduced in Sarawak in late 2022 and expanding from Kuching to Miri, is a symbol of the people's voice as a third force. MUDA faces challenges in Sarawak's multi-party system, particularly with GPS and BN holding the majority of seats in the DUN.
Despite being labeled as a small party, MUDA is expanding at the grassroots level and believes that unity, starting from the Sheraton Move, is crucial to forming an alternative bloc in Sarawak. Ngui expressed confidence in MUDA's ability to make a difference, especially with the support of other opposition parties like DAP, PH, and Amanah. He believes that the main hope for change in Sarawak lies with PH Sarawak and stressed the importance of unity in achieving this goal.
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Anyi Lah from Long Tebangan, Ulu Baram
*Challenges of Remote Living: Bridge Collapse in Sarawak's Interior*
On Sunday, heavy rain caused a bridge in the interior to collapse, leaving the villagers of Ba Abang, Long Tap, and Long Tebangan stranded. Coincidentally, the next day was the end of the school holiday, and the villagers had returned to the city for work and to send their children back to school. However, due to the bridge collapse, they were unable to cross.
Anyi said that the heavy trees weighing several tons could not be moved by manpower, and even four-wheel-drive vehicles could not pass through. The villagers had to wait for a logging company to come and repair the bridge. However, they were concerned that the logging company, having already depleted the resources of the interior forest, might not be willing or able to repair the bridge.
It wasn't until the next day that the logging company arranged for a slope road to be opened next to the broken bridge, allowing four-wheel-drive vehicles to cross the river. However, due to another rainstorm and the rising river water, vehicles could not easily pass, and the villagers had to stay in the village again.
Anyi said that logging activities in the interior have decreased now that the forest resources have been depleted. As a result, logging companies are less willing to take responsibility for repairing broken bridges promptly. Currently, many bridges in the interior of Ba'nan are at risk of damage and collapse, but logging companies have not carried out repairs.
Anyi emphasized that it is the responsibility of the logging companies and the government to repair the bridges. He hopes that the government will take this issue seriously and ensure that the bridges are repaired promptly to facilitate the villagers' passage.