23 October 2024
On Today Show
> Madeline Jok, Retired Teacher from Long Panai, Baram and Willie Kajan, Resident of Tering Long Terawan – Flooding and Destruction: Baram Villagers Eye Legal Action Against Timber Giants
> Mr. Jimmy from Miri – 5000 Hectares for Rice? Doubts Arise Over Sarawak’s Mega Agriculture Plan
Topik Pada Hari Ini
> Madeline Jok, Guru Bersara dari Long Panai, Baram dan Willie Kajan, Penduduk Tering Long Terawan – Banjir dan Kemusnahan: Penduduk Baram Timbang Tindakan Undang-Undang Terhadap Syarikat Pembalakan
> Encik Jimmy dari Miri – 5000 Hektar untuk Padi? Keraguan Timbul Terhadap Rancangan Pertanian Mega di Sarawak
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Special Randau
1. The Bengoh Dam will also be used as a hydro-electric dam in addition to continuing to supply clean water. This was stated by Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg- while speaking at the 2024 Borneo International Water and Wastewater Conference and Exhibition at BCCK Kuching.
2. Maggie Mee aid was sent to the residents of Long Panai after being hit by floods twice this October. Residents began thinking of moving to higher ground. Residents' lives are disrupted due to frequent floods.
3. Every time a big flood submerges the longhouses of Baram residents - the residents can sue and claim damages from logging and plantation companies - said Willie Kajan.
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Madeline Jok, Retired Teacher from Long Panai, Baram and Willie Kajan, Resident of Tering Long Terawan
Flooding and Destruction: Baram Villagers Eye Legal Action Against Timber Giants
After being hit by floods twice in October 2024, finally the residents of Long Panai were given help by the Sarawak government in the form of 2 bags of 5kg rice, 2 pcs maggie noodles, 2 pcs cooking oil, 2 pcs wheat flour, 2 pcs salt, 2 pcs sugar, 2 pcs of tea and 2 pcs of biscuits. We call this help maggie mee. Just to release a cough on the stairs only. Our real loss is that our lives are disrupted and our crops and livestock die. We have planned to move to higher ground. But this all comes at a high cost. Leveling house sites, building roads to new longhouses and buying new house building equipment. Whichever logging company caused us to move must be responsible for helping us. We are thinking of moving because we have been flooded too often and our daily life has been disrupted. Asked if the villagers know, why there are always big floods?. According to Cikgu Medeline all residents know that it is caused by uncontrolled logging and palm oil plantation activities. However, Willie Kajan from Long Terawan, Mulu- is of the opinion that the time has come for the people of Baram to dare to sue the logging and plantation companies that are the cause of these frequent floods. Willie also hopes that YB GPS together with the residents will sue the timber companies that make millions of ringgit but cause hardship to the rural residents in the long term. Baram residents can sue and claim damages - Willie Kajan said.
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Mr. Jimmy from Miri
5000 Hectares for Rice? Doubts Arise Over Sarawak’s Mega Agriculture Plan
Jimmy shared his views regarding the RM500 million allocated for a rice planting project covering 5,000 hectares of land in Sarawak. According to Jimmy, the purpose of the project is indeed good for Sarawak’s economy, but the issue is whether the allocation will actually go towards the rice planting project.
In the past, there was a rice bowl project in Sri Aman, specifically in Lingga, but until now, there has been no further news about it. The 5,000 hectares of land is vast, but the real question is whether the people’s NCR (Native Customary Rights) land has been recognized under Section 18 of the land code.
Let’s not allow the allocation to benefit only certain individuals while the actual rice planting project never happens. Often, funds from the federal government are used for personal gain, leading to the opening of plantations rather than rice planting. Also, we hope that there won’t be many land disputes arising if the rice planting project is to proceed.
There are many examples of agricultural projects in Sarawak that have yielded no results, and instead, what happened was the seizure of NCR land.