4 September 2023
Topik Pada Hari Ini
> Iswardy Morni, Penganalisis Politik dari Sarawak – PRN13 Sarawak: GPS mahu Singkirkan PH Sarawak daripada Kuasa
> Mahmud Epah, PKR Asajaya – GPS Perlulah Memikirkan Semula Pekerjaan Pemuda
> Robert, Aktivis Sosial dari Bintulu – Daripada Menekankan Pembangunan Luar Bandar, Menteri Harus Melawat Pedalaman Untuk Menilai Sentimen Awam
> Fatimah of Fatimah of Ulu Tingkayu Lahad Datu– Mahkamah Rayuan Memihak kepada Syarikat: Masyarakat Sabah Rayuan ke Mahkamah Persekutuan
On Today Show
> Iswardy Morni, Political Analyst from Sarawak – PRN13 Sarawak: GPS want to Oust PH Sarawak from Power
> Mahmud Epah, PKR Asajaya – Rethinking Youth Employment: A Critique of Sarawak's Approach
> Robert, Social Activist from Bintulu – Instead of Emphasizing Rural Development, Minister Should Visit the Interior to Assess Public Sentiment
> Fatimah of Fatimah of Ulu Tingkayu Lahad Datu– Appeals Court Favoring the Company: Sabah Community to Appeal to the Federal Court
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Special Randau
1) Zahid Hamidi was released without being acquitted of all 47 charges of corruption, breach of trust, and money laundering involving funds from the Akalbudi Foundation. Who released Zahid? Anwar or the court?
2) In the Pulai parliamentary by-election, the PN Chairman urges voters to support the PN candidate to deny PMX's current two-thirds majority in Parliament. If the government implements a redelineation of electoral constituencies, it may disadvantage the Malay community. Muhyiddin Yassin holds an excessively ethnocentric view. Redelineation should benefit the entire population.
3) Sarawak Issues: 1. GPS will contest 82 seats in PRN13. Petronas has paid SST to Sarawak totaling 13 billion ringgit until August, and the Carbon Trading Bill will be brought to the Sarawak State Assembly in November 2023
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Iswardy Morni, Political Analyst from Sarawak
*PRN13 Sarawak: GPS want to Oust PH Sarawak from Power*
Iswardy give his opinion on 3 issues related to the Sarawak GPS government. That is, Sarawak Premier Abang Johari stated that in PRN13 Sarawak which is expected in 2026 or at the latest on April 15, 2027. GPS will not compromise to give state assembly seats to friends in the unity government. Because not a member of the coalition at the state government level. For Iswardy - this open statement by the Premier of Sarawak gives a clear indication that GPS wants absolute power at the state level at the same time this will strengthen their dominance at the parliamentary level. With that strength will allow GPS to have enough bargaining power. This means that PH Sarawak can criticize the wrongdoing of the GPS administration in Sarawak and PH Sarawak's preparations for the state election should start from now.
Petronas group president/chief executive Tan sri Muhammad Taufik revealed that until August 2023, Petronas has paid SST- RM13 billion to Sarawak and RM8 billion to Sabah. This payment is made monthly. According to Iswardy, money is not a problem for Sarawak. On the other hand, the big problem for Sarawak is efficient management, good governance and priorities. Many mega projects are implemented not for the people. But implemented to benefit cronies. Therefore, according to Iswardy, the upcoming PRN13 Sarawak is an important moment to get rid of the capitalists/taukeh who control the movement and behavior of GPS politicians in Sarawak. The people of Sarawak have a great responsibility to make changes. At the federal level, the government led by Anwar Ibrahim is doing it and PRN13 is an opportunity for the people of Sarawak to kick out the big taukehs who have controlled all the state's revenue all this time
GPS in November 2023, will present the carbon trading and land affairs bill. Will it benefit the people of Sarawak? Iswardy thinks that the number of opposition in the Sarawak State Assembly is too small, so that GPS can do anything. All laws passed by GPS are for the benefit of the capitalists who have financed their election campaigns all this time. The people of Sarawak must unite to get rid of GPS.
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Mahmud Epah, PKR Asajaya
*Rethinking Youth Employment: A Critique of Sarawak's Approach*
"Some 1.5 million jobs are expected to be created in Sarawak up to the year 2030," announced Deputy Premier Amar Douglas Uggah Embas. He further explained that these job opportunities would be the result of various programs and initiatives outlined in the state's Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030. One of the primary objectives of this strategy is to increase the income of the people of Sarawak. Out of the total projected job opportunities (1.5 million), approximately 200,000 of them will be in the technical or skilled sector.
However, Mahmud raises questions regarding GPS's approach, asking why they must wait until 2030 for these additional employment opportunities. He also asserts that GPS seems to lack a fundamental understanding of the challenges faced by young people. Mahmud contends that the issue goes beyond merely creating job opportunities; it also involves the necessity for skill development and avenues for personal and professional growth.
Mahmud emphasizes the importance of staying current with the times and argues that young people need to adapt to the new era by acquiring a diverse set of skills. He criticizes GPS for not adequately addressing this aspect. Instead, Mahmud believes that GPS is repeatedly presenting large figures (such as the promise of 1.5 million job opportunities) as a solution to the economic pressures faced by young people, which, in his view, falls short of addressing the underlying issues.
He strongly urges GPS to gain a better understanding of the realities and pressures experienced by young people and to create more opportunities for improvement and education among the youth.
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Fatimah of Ulu Tingkayu Lahad Datu
*Appeals Court Favoring the Company: Sabah Community to Appeal to the Federal Court*
The Sabah Court of Appeal, on August 29, 2023, dismissed the appeal made by Fatimah and others, who are smallholders of oil palm plantations. The case has its roots dating back to 2002 when Fatimah's late father, along with his friends and in-laws, cleared an area in Upper Tingkayu. They planted tapioca and oil palms in an area that was hours away from Lahad Datu in those days.
However, in 2020, they were confronted by a group of individuals acting as enforcers, seemingly on behalf of Mega Land oil palm plantation, who sought to forcibly remove them from the area. The community demanded an explanation from these enforcers, who had been ordered by Mega Land, and resisted their efforts. They lodged police reports and discovered that the land had been issued titles, even though the community had applied for titles for many years, facing various excuses from the Land and Survey Department.
Over the course of three months, the community faced intimidation, with even some villagers being assaulted. Initially, when unknown individuals entered their area, they believed it might have been a mistake. However, they later realized that land titles had only been issued in 2021.
In October 2021, the company presented land titles and ordered the villagers to vacate the area. The community was also surprised to receive a court letter, which they had never received before. In response, in 2021, Mega Land filed a summons against Fatimah and five others.
In total, there are 29 lots in that area, but only 21 of them fall within the area claimed by Mega Land oil palm plantation.
The community was unaware that the area had been surveyed. Following the Court of Appeal's decision in favor of the company, the community intends to pursue an appeal to the Federal Court.
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Robert, Social Activist from Bintulu
*Instead of Emphasizing Rural Development, Minister Should Visit the Interior to Assess Public Sentiment*
Len Talif Salleh, the Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development, has reaffirmed the importance of rural development as a top priority in Sarawak. He emphasized that the GPS led state government remains dedicated to prioritizing essential infrastructure projects and implementing comprehensive development initiatives that benefit all communities across Sarawak. Robert has highlighted that despite Malaysia celebrating its 60th anniversary, there are still numerous regions within Sarawak lacking essential infrastructure. He has called upon the government to impartially provide all Sarawakians with the welfare and rights they deserve.
Robert has made a specific request for Minister Len Talif Salleh to personally visit the interior regions and witness their conditions. As an illustrative example, he pointed to the situation in Ulu Sebau, which is a mere 40 kilometers away from Bintulu. Despite the proximity, students in Ulu Sebau must still rely on boats to reach their schools, as the GPS government has not constructed even basic bridges. This makes the journey to school exceptionally challenging, particularly during the rainy season when river levels rise, posing significant risks to the children's safety.
Robert's overarching argument is that despite Sarawak's 60-year membership in Malaysia, the GPS state government has not adequately addressed the infrastructure issues in the interior regions. Consequently, many residents in these areas continue to grapple with challenges related to accessing clean water, education, and communication facilities.