22 September 2023
Topik Pada Hari Ini
> Siri Abang, Penduduk Long Liwok Baram Penan – Penan Adik-Beradik Dilepaskan Selepas Konfrontasi Halangan dengan Syarikat Pembalakan Shin Yang
> Violet Yong, Adun Pending – Projek Pengeluaran Padi Sarawak: Ke Manakah 'Jelapang Padi' Rancangan Ini?
> Voon Lee Shan, Presiden Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) – Yuran Pengiktirafan Orang Asal Sarawak: Beban atau Keperluan?
> Agnes Padan, aktivis sosial dari Lawas – Identiti Terhilang: Masalah Kewarganegaraan di Sarawak
On Today Show
> Siri Abang, Residents of Penan Long Liwok Baram – Penan Siblings Released After Blockade Standoff with Shin Yang Logging Company
> Violet Yong, the assemblywoman for Pending – Sarawak's Rice Production Project: Where Does 'Jelapang Padi' Stand Today?
> Voon Lee Shan, President of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) – Sarawak's Native Recognition Fee: A Burden or a Necessity?
> Agnes Padan, a social activist from Lawas – Lost Identities: The Citizenship Problem in Sarawak
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Siri Abang, Residents of Penan Long Liwok Baram
*Penan Siblings Released After Blockade Standoff with Shin Yang Logging Company*
Four siblings (1 female and 3 male) from Long Liwok Baram village were locked up for 4 days in Marudi prison for allegedly setting up a blockade to prevent the operation of the Shin Yang logging company. They were accused in court under section 341 of the penal code. But they were successfully released by human rights lawyer and customary land lawyer Roland Engan. According to Siri (the youngest) the accusations against them are purely fabricated. They set up a blockade after dozens of their requests for Shin Yang's company to repair the road to their village were ignored. Finally we set up the Blockade. But Shin Yang's side took the opportunity to charge us with accusations designed to intimidate us. But we will not succumb to all this pressure. And we will continue to fight. The logging company should have prepared the road to our village after they made millions of ringgit in profit. Similarly, the government should build a permanent road (not a log road) to our village. We want logging to stop or have to comply with the proper FMU. We thank Roland Engan and Radio Free Sarawak for supporting and carrying our voice.
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Violet Yong, the assemblywoman for Pending
*Sarawak's Rice Production Project: Where Does 'Jelapang Padi' Stand Today?*
Violet has called on the Sarawak government to provide an update on the 'Jelapang Padi' project, which was initiated in the Batang Lupar area a decade ago. The project was initially aimed at reducing the state's dependence on imported rice. Yong expressed concern about the current situation, as Sarawak continues to heavily rely on rice imports.
She emphasized the need for transparency regarding the status of the 'Jelapang Padi' project, which had generated high expectations in 2013 when it was announced. At that time, then deputy chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang had stated that the project, covering 5,100 hectares in Batang Lupar, Sri Aman, would mark Sarawak's entry into rice production.
Yong noted that despite the initial optimism, there has been a lack of updates on the project's progress. She believes that it is crucial for the Sarawak government to inform the public about the project's status, especially considering the significant price difference between rice in Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.
Furthermore, Yong pointed out that various factors, including logistical challenges, have prevented Sarawakians from enjoying locally produced white rice at the subsidized prices available in the peninsula (RM2.60 per kg or RM26 per 10kg bag). To address this issue, she suggested that Food Industry, Commodity, and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Stephen Rundi Utom represent the state government in discussions with the federal government to standardize rice prices.
Yong stressed the importance of collaboration between the Sarawak and federal governments to find a solution that ensures fair and consistent rice prices for all Malaysians. She believes that such an approach can benefit Sarawakians and promote price equity in rice consumption across the nation.
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Voon Lee Shan, President of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK)
*Sarawak's Native Recognition Fee: A Burden or a Necessity?*
Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, the Deputy Minister in Sarawak's Premier Department, announced that from November 1, 2023, people can apply for native recognition at any district office in Sarawak. She mentioned a RM100 application fee and eligibility criteria aligned with the Interpretation (Amendment) Ordinance 2022.
Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) has requested the Sarawak government to reconsider and remove the RM100 fee for native recognition applications. PBK President Voon Lee Shan argued that there's no need for this fee, as the law already recognizes these individuals as natives.
Voon Lee Shan highlighted the challenges faced by natives in remote areas who may have to travel long distances to initiate recognition applications, incurring additional expenses and sometimes requiring overnight stays in town. Additionally, he pointed out the inconvenience of having to make a second trip to collect necessary documentation after approval.
Voon Lee Shan expressed concerns about the speed and certainty of approval and suggested that the fee might indicate a lack of government sincerity in helping natives. He also mentioned that many children born to Sarawak natives lack proper recognition due to the absence of necessary documents like identity cards or birth certificates.
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Agnes Padan, a social activist from Lawas,
*Lost Identities: The Citizenship Problem in Sarawak*
Agnes Padan has highlighted significant issues in Sarawak, starting with citizenship and native recognition problems. She specifically mentions elderly Lawas residents who served as wartime border scouts but now lack proper identification documents. This is troubling, considering Sarawak's long history as an independent state.
Agnes also points out the subpar healthcare facilities in the region. The local health clinic, built in 1969, is still in use today, indicating that the benefits of Sarawak's independence haven't fully reached the people of Lawas.
Additionally, Agnes emphasizes the poor state of road infrastructure. Existing roads from remote areas to cities are little more than logging roads, making them unsafe and impractical. Despite Sarawak's international image as developed, the reality is quite different, with persistent poverty.
In emergencies, patients from remote areas must navigate dangerous logging roads to reach Lawas Hospital. However, when they arrive, they often face a lack of essential medical resources. These issues raise questions about Sarawak's progress and priorities, casting doubt on the true extent of its independence and the well-being of its people.