4 May 2023
Topik Pada Hari Ini:
> Randau Khas
> Adrian Pereira, Pengarah Eksekutif North South Initiative - Masalah pekerja asing yang tidak terselesaikan di Malaysia mungkin mempengaruhi persepsi korupsi dan reputasi buruh migran
> Bennett Bunyau, wartawan veteran dari Miri - Kelemahan Kebebasan Media: Penyalahgunaan oleh Ekstremis Agama untuk Menjalankan Agenda Mereka
> Michael Kong Feng Nian, Ketua DAPSY Kuching dan Pembantu Khas Chong Chieng Jen - 10 soalan bertulis untuk DUN memberikan notis awal kepada Abang Jo untuk menyediakan jawapan
> Kushairy Pangkas, Ketua Biro Sumber Manusia Sarawak PKR - Pekerja Tempatan Harus Diprioritikan untuk Projek Mana-mana
> Robinson dari Marudi - Komuniti bimbang tentang Kemungkinan Kelewatan Lanjutan ke Projek Jambatan Marudi.
On Today Show
> Special Randau
> Adrian Pereira, Executive Director at North South Initiative – Unresolved foreign worker problem in Malaysia may affect corruption perception and migrant labor reputation
> Bennett Bunyau, Veteran journalist from Miri – The Drawbacks of Media Freedom: Misuse by Religious Extremists to Pursue their Agendas
> Michael Kong Feng Nian, DAPSY Kuching chief cum Chong Chieng Jen’s Special Assistant – 10 written questions for DUN sitting give Abang Jo advance notice to prepare answers
> Kushairy Pangkas, the Head of Sarawak PKR Human Resources Bureau – Local Workers Should Be Prioritized for Any Projects
> Robninson from Marudi – Communities Worried About Possible Further Delays to Marudi Bridge Project
-
Special Randau
- Five officers attached to Human Resource Minister V Sivakumar had their services terminated with immediate effect, according to sources from the Prime Minister's Department. The move was part of the government's efforts to clean up the Human Resources Ministry after recent allegations of corruption and abuse of power linked to Sivakumar's officers.
----------------------
Adrian Pereira, Executive Director at North South Initiative
*Unresolved foreign worker problem in Malaysia may affect corruption perception and migrant labor reputation*
The Malaysian government announced the approval of 500,000 foreign workers' entry into Malaysia in January. However, problems arise when these foreign workers are not provided with work upon arrival, leading to their dumping in temporary detention depots. These foreign workers have to pay between RM 10,000 to RM 25,000 to agents to enter Malaysia, and the employer who employs them also pays almost the same amount to the agent.
Despite this, the problem of placing workers still persists. Pereira pointed out that every time the approval for foreign workers to work in Malaysia is opened, dozens of millionaires are born immediately. This is the main problem that needs to be investigated and resolved by the Malaysian government. Pereira also emphasized that if employers and workers work together, they can defeat agents who take advantage of foreign workers entering Malaysia. Furthermore, it should be noted that suppressing the wages of foreign workers also suppresses and affects the wages of local workers.
Pereira explained that in 2018, during the PH administration, a committee was established to investigate and find a solution to this problem. However, until now, the results of the investigation and findings of this committee have not been presented. If the problem of foreign workers in Malaysia remains unresolved, Malaysia's position in the corruption perception index, human trafficking, and migrant labor will continue to be questioned at the international level. Andrian urged the PMX administration to solve this problem as soon as possible and prosecute those involved in corruption and abuse of power in court.
----------------------
Michael Kong Feng Nian, DAPSY Kuching chief cum Chong Chieng Jen’s Special Assistant
*10 written questions for DUN sitting give Abang Jo advance notice to prepare answers*
Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen has submitted 10 written questions for the upcoming State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting that will be held from May 15 until May 24.
Chong Chieng Jen's special assistant, Michael Kong, said that one is about Sarawak's developments and economic growth. Also, there are questions on the average income of Sarawakians and what the state should do to increase it. Besides that, Chong also has some questions on strategies for Sarawak to increase the usage of EVs (electric vehicles), as Sarawak is a state that supplies a lot of electricity. Apart from that, Kong said Chong is also querying the Premier on the total costs for the construction of the proposed 600 telecommunication towers announced in 2019 and how many of these towers have yet to be rented by telecommunication companies for the installation of their transmitters.
Michael Kong commented that as usual, the GPS government is not going to answer all those questions. But since they raised the questions earlier, they have time to answer, or answer in the next DUN sitting, which is in December.
----------------------
Mr Robninson from Marudi
*Communities Worried About Possible Further Delays to Marudi Bridge Project
Mr. Robinson frequently travels between Marudi and Miri to inform people that the Marudi bridge project is under construction. However, the progress of the project seems to be slow, and nobody knows when it will be completed. The Marudi bridge project is very important for the people of Marudi, who currently rely solely on the ferry service.
Mr. Robinson became worried when a friend, who is an excavator operator, told him that he would be moved to another project. Therefore, Mr. Robinson thinks that there may be some problems with the Marudi bridge project, and it may be delayed again.
However, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas stated two days ago that the Marudi bridge project across Baram River is making good progress, with a two percent increase ahead of schedule from its previous 'sick project' status. The contractor, Pekerjaan Piasau Konkerit Senderian Berhad, has committed to completing the RM116.5 million project within two years. The 650-meter long two-lane single carriageway bridge is expected to be completed by October 2025.
----------------------
Mr Bennett Bunyau, Veteran journalist from Miri
*The Drawbacks of Media Freedom: Misuse by Religious Extremists to Pursue their Agendas*
Malaysia’s 73rd ranking on Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) World Press Freedom Index 2023 is a positive development which emphasises the commitment of the government in its assurance of press freedom, said Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
Veteran journalist Mr Bennett Bunyau stated that freedom of the media has its pros and cons. The good thing about it is that it provides space for media practitioners to speak up without fear, unlike during the era of the Internal Security Act. Only with this freedom of the media, people are more aware of human rights issues and can object to what they feel uncomfortable with the government's administration.
Mr Bennett was once expelled from a district for writing an article about NCR issues in a newspaper company, and he often received arrest threats for publishing articles about NCR issues. However, this kind of thing no longer happens recently, and Mr Bennett Bunyau is also actively selling a book about NCR written in English at the Gawai Bazaar in Miri.What are the drawbacks of media freedom?
Mr Bennett Bunyau said that the downside of media freedom is that it can be misused by religious extremists to pursue their religious agendas, as we have seen in the peninsula of Malaysia, where religious extremists have used media freedom to play on their religious sentiments.
----------------------
Kushairy Pangkas, the Head of Sarawak PKR Human Resources Burea
*Local Workers Should Be Prioritized for Any Projects*
Kushairy Pangkas has reported on the dumping of foreign workers from China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh at the Baleh dam project site in Kapit, Sarawak. He highlighted that this poses a threat to the opportunities of local workers and emphasized that priority should be given to local workers, and only if there are no qualified local workers, then foreign workers should be considered.
Kus also stressed that many local workers are skilled due to their experience working in the logging industry. He also criticized the Sarawak state government's plans for several previous mega-projects, where the government failed to train and provide a local workforce as early as 5 to 10 years before the implementation of these projects. Kus hopes that local workers will be trained and absorbed as permanent employees after the completion of mega-projects, which will improve the skills and socio-economic conditions of the people in Sarawak.
----------------------