19 October 2023
Topik Pada Hari Ini
> Baru Bian, Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Bakelalan Sarawak - Kerajaan Sarawak tak mahu memberi hak milik tanah kepada Rakyat Sarawak
> Ngunggang dari Long Liam Baram - Memelihara Kehidupan Kampung: Memastikan Subsidi Sampai kepada yang Berhak
> Tijah Yok Chopil, Pengerusi Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia - Suara Orang Asli: Membentuk Dasar Pembangunan
On Today Show
> Baru Bian, Member of the Bakelalan State Legislative Assembly Sarawak – The Sarawak government does not want to give land ownership rights to the people of Sarawak
> Ngunggang from Long Liam Baram – Safeguarding Rural Livelihoods: Ensuring Subsidies Reach the Right Hands
> Tijah Yok Chopil, Chairman of Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia – The Orang Asli Voice: Shaping Development Policies
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*Special Randau*
1. The Malaysian Ringgit has fallen to its lowest level in 25 years, partly due to the impact of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
2. There is no allocation for measuring Native Customary Rights (NCR) land in the 2024 Budget. The Member of Parliament for Sri Aman is appealing to the Prime Minister to allocate funds for surveying NCR land, as it is critically needed by the people of Sarawak. He presented this request during the discussion of the 2024 budget in Parliament today.
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Baru Bian, Member of the Bakelalan State Legislative Assembly- Sarawak
*The Sarawak government does not want to give land ownership rights to the people of Sarawak*
Baru Bian gave a response regarding the request of Sri Aman MP (Doris Sophia Brodie) - asking that in the 2024 budget be allocated to measure NCR land in Sarawak. According to Baru Bian, land matters are the jurisdiction of the state. The Federation is not responsible for land measurement matters. But if allocated, that's a bonus. However, according to Baru Bian, some political games by GPS caused land surveying in Sarawak to be unsuccessful until now. First, the people request that their NCR land be measured under sec 18 of the Sarawak land code. This makes the land privately owned and owned forever. However, the state government's policy so far has only been to measure land under sec 6. The NCR land is reclassified as government land and the government gives the land to be lent for use for a certain period of time to those who apply. This is why the majority of NCR land owners in Sarawak do not want their land to be measured. Because their land automatically becomes government property when measured.
According to Baru Bian- the Sarawak government has the ability to carry out NCR land surveying in Sarawak, without waiting for allocations from the federal government. The Sarawak government has strong finances. What needs to be done is to provide sufficient and continuous allocation through the state budget to measure NCR land. The reality of what is happening now is that the Sarawak government does not want to give land ownership rights to the people of Sarawak. On the other hand, through the speech of the Sri Aman MP in Parliament, it seems that PMX is acting tyrannically against NCR land owners in Sarawak. In fact, GPS is the worst.
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Ngunggang from Long Liam Baram
*Safeguarding Rural Livelihoods: Ensuring Subsidies Reach the Right Hands*
On Monday, Anwar Ibrahim announced the 2024 budget, a significant portion of which was allocated to provide subsidies to rural residents. Of particular note was the RM225 million set aside to finance the transportation costs of essential food items to rural areas in Sabah and Sarawak. This development has captured the attention of the people in the interior regions of Sarawak.
RFS has been reporting on this issue for two consecutive days, highlighting the growing demand from the public to actively participate in supervising the proper utilization of this budget by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government.
Ngunggang from Long Liam Baram, who has direct experience with the transportation of goods eligible for these subsidies into the interior, believes that the government's initiative to provide transportation allowances for goods to remote areas with challenging road conditions is commendable. However, he has observed a concerning trend. According to his knowledge, the prices of these essential goods remain the same as those in urban areas. However, once the operators arrange for their delivery to the interior, the prices are being hiked up without any apparent oversight by relevant authorities.
Ngunggang clarified that he is merely a hired driver responsible for transporting goods into the interior and is not privy to the exact amounts of allowances received by these distributors. Nevertheless, he strongly emphasized the necessity for the government to establish a dedicated unit responsible for monitoring and ensuring the proper utilization of these subsidies. This, he believes, would empower the people to oversee the process and lodge complaints if necessary. Without effective oversight, regardless of the number of allowances provided, the burden on the residents of the interior areas may not be alleviated, potentially exacerbating their already challenging livelihoods.
In conclusion, there is growing public concern and a call for transparency and accountability in the allocation and use of subsidies intended to support rural communities, especially in remote areas like Sarawak. The key question remains how these funds can be effectively utilized to benefit the intended recipients while avoiding price manipulation and ensuring fair access to essential goods.
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Tijah Yok Chopil, Chairman of Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia
*The Orang Asli Voice: Shaping Development Policies*
The dialogue with the Department of Orang Asli Development (JAKOA) aimed to discuss the draft and obtain approval from the minister regarding resolutions or development policies for the Orang Asli community. However, it was noted that not all Orang Asli ethnic groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were invited to participate in the discussions. As a result, it was suggested that the dialogue be postponed until all Orang Asli communities and representatives from the respective ethnic groups could be present.
Furthermore, it was recognized that an older version of the policy was no longer relevant and required revision. Tijah, in her opinion, emphasized the importance of conducting a comprehensive consultation process before submitting the revised policy to the minister. She stressed the need for the Orang Asli to actively participate in the policy-making process, as they are the ones who best understand what should be included in the draft. This includes addressing issues related to their culture, land rights, livelihoods, and other relevant concerns. In essence, the Orang Asli community should have a significant role in shaping the development policies that directly impact their lives and well-being.