25 January 2024
On Today Show
— Gereng Jadum, Penan from Metalun resettlement area, Murum`- GPS, Where Are the Promises? Unraveling the Crisis of Infant Mortality in Murum Penan due Insufficient Medical Facilities
— Tangah from Upper Bengoh – Opting Out of Dams: Alternative Energies Transform Upper Bengoh Living
— Abun Sui, Senator of PKR Sarawak –Abang Jo Claims Approval for Dam Construction, Who are they? Demands Names for Further Discussion
— Nicholas Mujah, the Secretary-General of SADIA HQ in Kuching – Land Surveying in Private Hands: Unpacking Allegations of Cronyism
Topik Pada Hari Ini:
— Gereng Jadum, Penan dari Metalun, Murum-GPS, Di Mana Janji-janji? Membongkar Krisis Kematian Bayi dalam Kalangan Penan Murum akibat Fasiliti Perubatan yang Tidak lengkap
— Tangah dari Upper Bengoh – Memilih untuk Tidak Membina Empangan: Tenaga Alternatif Mengubah Cara Hidup di Upper Bengoh
— Abun Sui, Senator PKR Sarawak – Tuntutan Nama yang Memberi Kelulusan untuk Pembinaan Empangan oleh Abang Jo, Siapakah Mereka? Menuntut Nama-nama untuk Perbincangan Lanjut
— Nicholas Mujah, Setiausaha Agung SADIA HQ di Kuching – Pengukuran Tanah di Tangan Persendirian: Membongkar Dakwaan Nepotisme
-
*Special Randau*
1. Cases of newborn deaths among the Penan people in Sarawak can be overcome by providing complete health facilities. According to Gereng Jadum, there is no clinic in our settlement, to get to the hospital you have to go through the log road that is operating and we don't have money to wait a long time at the hospital. We have to work every day to earn money to eat. The government should find a quick way to overcome the problem of the Penan people in Sarawak. The old way after 60 years failed to overcome the problem of the Penan people. The problems of the Penan include student dropouts, lack of people and health problems.
2. The director of the documentary film Man On The Run, Cassius Micheal Kim- curious suddenly Najib Razak submitted a petition to ban the film Man On The Run. For a long time after the interview in April 2022 and the release of the film in cinemas in Oct 2023 - no objections. But twice in a week, Najib and his line of lawyers claimed that this documentary film was sub judice against the ongoing trial. However, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil left it to the court to determine whether the file can still be shown or not.
------------------------------
Gereng Jadum, Penan from Metalun resettlement area, Murum`
*GPS, Where Are the Promises? Unraveling the Crisis of Infant Mortality in Murum Penan due Insufficient Medical Facilities*
Gereng confirmed that the road to Penan Lusong Laku Settlement has been cut off and impassable since a week ago. This makes it difficult for the Penan people to move. Because all Penan settlements in Murum and Linau can only be reached through logging roads. There is no paved road to the Penan settlement.
Gereng was asked to comment on the death of a baby from the Lusong Laku settlement area (Linau) last week. The health department did not have time to save the baby because the road was completely cut off. Bad weather for 2 consecutive days caused the helicopter to be unable to land.
According to Gereng. The incident of a mother giving birth in the middle of the road (on the way to the Bintulu hospital) is not unusual for the Penan people.
According to Gereng, last year several such cases occurred. This is due to the settlement of the Penan people far interior, no good road connections and no health clinics in the Penan settlement.
He urged the government, build a health clinic in their place and build a paved road to their longhouse. If this cannot be built immediately. Give enough expenses to mothers who want to give birth.
Many outsiders criticize the Penan people for not coming a week or 2 weeks earlier to the hospital before giving birth. But Gereng said, they are the poorest race group in Malaysia. If they don't work every day, they won't eat, They will not be able to come early to the hospital if there is not enough money. To overcome this problem, the penan communities appeal to the government, Give sufficient financial assistance to mothers who go to the hospital for childbirth.
------------------------------
Abun Sui, Senator of PKR Sarawak
*Abang Jo Claims Approval for Dam Construction, Who are they? Demands Names for Further Discussion*
Belaga assemblyman Liwan Ligang is confident that the state government will engage with the people first in the constituency if there is a plan to build a cascading dam at Belaga River, and that the Sarawak government would not bulldoze its way.
Abun Sui recently represented digital complainants, questioning the GPS about who gave Chief Minister Abang Jo the green light to build the dam, and he requests the name. He emphasizes that the villagers have not refused, but they first want to know who gave the approval.
He expresses agreement with Liwan Ligang's statement, not wanting the people to be bulldozed at that time, but now, if Abang Jo claims that someone has given the green light for the government to build the dam, then let the community know who permitted it.
Many promises related to Bakun and Murum dams remain unfulfilled. The government should not turn a blind eye; otherwise, the people will continue to face difficulties, and there will be no trust in the government's promises.
He says that although a cascading dam is not a giant dam, once flooding occurs, it can still lead to the inundation of villages.
He emphasizes that the most important thing is to improve infrastructure, including building wider roads, healthcare, and education facilities, providing water and electricity supply. Once these are improved, there will be no need for the dam.
------------------------------
Tangah from Upper Bengoh
*Opting Out of Dams: Alternative Energies Transform Upper Bengoh Living*
Tangah stands out as one of the few youths in Upper Bengoh who has chosen to remain in the village despite the challenges it faces. Upper Bengoh comprises four villages, with Kg Nyegol being one of them. Unfortunately, three out of these four villages were submerged by the Bengoh Dam in 2014.
Tangah is among the villagers who resisted relocation to the Bengoh Resettlement Scheme (BRS), where each family is allocated only 3 acres of less fertile land. Despite the drawbacks, Tangah, along with the Nyegol community, has chosen to face the challenges of their changed circumstances.
Nyegol serves as the new settlement for the community of Kg Rejoi, which was submerged. Currently, nine families in Nyegol rely on micro hydro systems for electricity during the rainy season, switching to small solar setups during the dry season. Tangah holds the perspective that having electricity from the dam, which runs 24 hours, would be a preferable alternative.
In Nyegol, two micro hydro systems have been installed with the assistance of NGOs. Despite the challenges posed by the dam, the community still enjoys expansive areas of land above the waterline. This land allows them to cultivate various cash crops, including pepper, rubber, ginger, lemongrass, and more. The produce is then sold weekly, providing a source of income for the community.
Tangah's decision to stay in the village reflects a commitment to preserving their way of life, even in the face of significant changes brought about by the dam. The use of alternative energy sources like micro hydro and solar power showcases the community's resilience and adaptability in the wake of the Bengoh Dam project.
------------------------------
Nicholas Mujah, the Secretary-General of SADIA HQ in Kuching
*Land Surveying in Private Hands: Unpacking Allegations of Cronyism*
Sarawak Dayak Oil Palm Planters Association (Doppa) members say they are willing to pay for Native Customary Rights (NCR) land surveys to expedite the state government’s efforts and enable the early issuance of perpetuity land titles.
Nicholas Mujah, when comment on this statement, he agrees if DOPPA helps in paying for the NCR land survey.
However, according to Nicholas Mujah, he mentioned whether DOPPA has conducted a detailed study with the Land and Survey Department.
Nicholas Mujah, being experienced in this matter, stated that before conducting the NCR land survey, one should examine the 1958 Master Map available at the Land and Survey Department. DOPPA should not have prematurely issued statements in the media if DOPPA has not thoroughly outlined the procedures required when utilizing the private concept for land surveying through Land and Survey. The process must adhere to existing legal protocols so that the NCR land survey declared by DOPPA is valid and cannot be disrupted by so-called cronies. This is crucial for DOPPA to explain to the public the procedures to be considered because the land surveying process is challenging and time-consuming, contrary to what DOPPA has stated in the newspapers.
It is important to know if the conditions imposed by government agencies such as Land and Survey are not in line with the expectations of the people, as in Section 18. A thorough investigation into the land supposedly owned by the people reveals that provisional leases have already been granted to any property development company.