28 April 2023

Topik Pada Hari Ini

> Randau Khas - Sekiranya penduduk kampung menemui mana-mana syarikat kayu balak yang merosakkan hutan, mereka boleh memberitahu RFS

> Dr. Elie Luhat, Bekas Pekerja Sarawak Timber Development Corporation (STIDC) - Isu pekerja dalam industri kayu balak telah berterusan

> Dennis Along, Ketua maklumat PKR Baram - PKR Baram kini mengumpul nama mangsa Mykad dan membantu mereka untuk mendapatkan Mykad

> Sevan Doraisamy, Pengarah Eksekutif SUARAM - Anwar bukanlah orang asing dalam reformasi, dan UMNO tidak sepatutnya menjadi halangan untuk reformasi

> Thomas Jalong, Aktivis alam sekitar dari Baram - Pembalakan secara langsung berkaitan dengan perubahan iklim, oleh itu EUDR diperlukan untuk memerangi pemusnahan hutan.


On Today Show
> Special Randau – If any villagers discover any logging companies encroaching on the forest, they can notify the RFS
> Dr. Elie Luhat, Former Employee of Sarawak Timber Development Corporation (STIDC) – The issue of workers in the logging industry has been ongoing
> Dennis Along, head of information PKR Baram – PKR Baram is currently collecting the names of Mykad victims and helps them to get Mykad
> Sevan Doraisamy, Executive Director of SUARAM – Anwar is no stranger to reformasi, and UMNO should not be an obstacle to reformasi
> Thomas Jalong, environmental activist from Baram – Deforestation is directly related to climate change, which is why EUDR to combat forest destruction

  • Dr. Elie Luhat, Former Employee of Sarawak Timber Development Corporation (STIDC)

    *The issue of workers in the logging industry has been ongoing*

    Apolinar Tolentino, the Asia Pacific Representative for International Workers, stated that vulnerabilities in the MTCS scheme let timber companies get away with withholding foreign workers' passports and paying wages below the minimum wage.

    Dr Elie Luhat admitted that this was an issue he faced decades ago while serving as a member of the "task force for Sarawak manpower" while working with STIDC. He did not expect that these problems still remain unaddressed. He hopes that the new Prime Minister of Malaysia will choose an experienced person to find a solution to this problem. If it is not resolved quickly, it will affect the country's image and the Prime Minister's reputation. He is willing to volunteer if asked to do so.

    Ngang Kuja from Long Tanyit-Linau stated that he has worked with Shin Yang Logging Company for more than 10 years, but the salary offered is only RM1300. Due to the recent implementation of FMU, his salary has increased slightly to RM1500. However, with the increase in the price of goods, RM1500 is not enough. According to Ngang, Shin Yang has started to reduce the hiring of foreign workers to meet FMU requirements. When asked if foreign workers' passports are kept by the employer, he is not sure. However, according to him, foreign workers are free to quit their jobs if they do not agree with the offered salary.

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    Dennis Along, head of information PKR Baram

    *PKR Baram is currently collecting the names of Mykad victims and helps them to get Mykad*
    Lawas cancer patient Lina Samuel, who made headlines after she was stripped of her MyKad, died on Tuesday, Earlier this month, Lina’s concern about getting follow-up cancer treatment in Miri because her MyKad had been seized by the National Registration Department (JPN) in Lawas last November made the rounds on social media.

    Lina, 65, caught the attention of the Indonesian consulate when her story made headlines in the news last month, after she alleged that JPN in Lawas had confiscated her MyKad in November last year.

    Dennis expressed his regret and anger that Lina did not receive her MyKad before she passed away, despite being a Malaysian citizen she was treated as an Indonesian citizen. He pointed out that there are many cases of MyKad issues in the interior regions, and PKR Baram is currently collecting a list of names and application forms for those who do not have a MyKad to be submitted to the relevant authorities for processing. He emphasized that this is not a singular issue, and the Sarawak government should pay attention to the MyKad problems faced by the interior people instead of repeatedly causing difficulties for them.

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    Sevan Doraisamy, Executive Director of SUARAM
    *Anwar is no stranger to reformasi, and UMNO should not be an obstacle to reformasi*
    If measured by the standards of the United Nations and international human rights, Malaysia is regressing in its efforts to uphold human rights. Laws that violate human rights, such as the Peaceful Assembly Act and the Sedition Act, still exist, and the government has not taken any action to remove or amend them.

    Sevan has stated that previous prime ministers have not spoken up for human rights and have been embroiled in corruption cases. However, the tenth prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has been defending human rights for the past 20 years as an opposition party member, and therefore has the potential to be a reformist prime minister. If he fails to make progress, he will be seen as a failed prime minister

    Anwar is no stranger to reformasi, so if he finds the right approach, he can initiate reforms, including freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, which are responsibilities of the coalition government. In the past few decades, they have also been victims of human rights violations while they were in the opposition party.

    Reforms are also needed in other areas such as the judiciary and the Anti-Corruption Commission. This is not just a problem for Prime Minister Anwar but also for his ministers. For example, the Minister of Home Affairs was once a member of the opposition party, but now he says that he needs to study the laws that need to be amended or repealed (such as the Universities and University Colleges Act). However, NGOs have been studying this issue for decades, and now it is time to put it into practice.
    He emphasized that if ministers or the prime minister feel pressure, they should not be in government. UMNO should not be an obstacle to the reformasi issue.

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    Thomas Jalong, environmental activist from Baram

    *Deforestation is directly related to climate change, which is why EUDR to combat forest destruction*

    The EU parliament approved the EU Timber Regulation (EUDR) because it believes that one of the reasons why climate change is becoming increasingly serious globally is due to deforestation. However, the details of the regulations are yet to be known. Large-scale deforestation is also contributing to climate change, which is why the EU has taken the initiative to reduce the cutting down or destruction of forests, particularly tropical forests. An international resolution has also been made by the United Nations, which outlines actions to be taken by countries related to forests.

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