5 August 2024
On Today Show
— Gereng Jadum, Residents of Penan Metalun, Murum – Broken Promises and Layoffs: The Penan's Battle for Fair Treatment
— Barnie Lasimbang, Founder of Tonibung, environmental activist – Controversial Carbon Deal in Sabah: NGOs Take Legal Action
— Anyi Lah from Long Tebangan – Baram Residents Face Risky Journeys After Log Bridge Collapse
Topik Pada Hari Ini
— Gereng Jadum, Penduduk Penan Metalun, Murum – Janji Yang Dilanggar dan Pembuangan Kerja: Pertarungan Penan untuk Layanan Adil
— Barnie Lasimbang, Pengasas Tonibung, aktivis alam sekitar – Perjanjian Karbon Kontroversi di Sabah: NGO Ambil Tindakan Undang-Undang
— Anyi Lah dari Long Tebangan – Penduduk Baram Menghadapi Perjalanan Berisiko Selepas Jambatan Balak Roboh
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Special Randau
1. 126 Penan Murum workers working with the Danum Sinar plantation company were dismissed without notice. Companies replace them by employing Indonesian foreign workers without valid work permits. That's according to Gereng Jadum - the spokesman for the Murum Penan tribe who set up the blockade on July 28, 2024. A period of 3 weeks was requested from Danum Sinar to resolve the problem regarding the Penan people who were laid off.2. Sarawak will send a delegation to Australia to study the conservation and management of crocodiles in that country - said Sarawak Premier Johari Openg. "it seems that the Sarawak river is full of crocodiles, so I decided that a team should be sent to Australia to do research to control the crocodile population". He said this while inaugurating the 10th World Herpetology Conference at BCCK-Kuching. There must be a right way to control the crocodile population, not by building cascading dams as claimed by Premier Johari Openg all this time.
-------------------------Gereng Jadum, Residents of Penan Metalun, Murum
Broken Promises and Layoffs: The Penan's Battle for Fair Treatment
Since the Penan were moved to the Tegulang and Metalun settlements in 2013 to make way for the construction of the Murum Dam, they have expected a better life than in their original place. However, after four years in the new Murum settlement, the monthly subsistence allowance of RM850 per family was stopped. The government had initially promised to continue providing subsistence assistance until the Penan people became independent and had their own income. Unfortunately, on May 28, 2024, 126 Penan Murum employees were laid off by the Danum Sinar company, where they worked as manual laborers in the company's oil palm plantations.
On July 28, 2024, these 126 Penan set up a blockade, dissatisfied with being fired without notice. On July 31, 2024, Danum Sinar requested a period of three weeks to resolve the problem after the labor department and the police became involved. Now, the 126 laid-off workers are hoping for success in negotiations led by their lawyers. The Penan people are demanding compensation for being laid off and are also demanding that the Kelayan and Lakin Estates be given to them so they can manage the two farms themselves. In total, Danum Sinar owns six oil palm estates in Murum.
When asked why their demand is rational, Gereng explained that the palm oil estates were opened on their land, so they have the right to them. They have already established their own company to manage the farm. Although Gereng is still working with Danum Sinar, he feels compelled to speak up on behalf of his dismissed colleagues. "I'm not afraid of being fired. I still speak up for my friends who were fired without notice," he said. Gereng also revealed that the Indonesian workers employed to replace the dismissed Penan do not have valid work permits.
-------------------------Barnie Lasimbang, Founder of Tonibung, environmental activist
*Controversial Carbon Deal in Sabah: NGOs Take Legal Action*The NCA agreement signed by the Sabah government with an unknown Singapore-based company, Hock Standard, has sparked significant controversy and legal action. Upon conducting research, Barnie Lasimbang discovered that Hock Standard has no experience in handling conservation or carbon marketing. The NCA agreement granted exclusive rights to Hock Standard to manage and carry out carbon marketing on 2,000,000 hectares of protected Sabah forests for a hundred years. This revelation was particularly shocking because the agreement was hidden from public knowledge until it was published by an international portal during COP25 in Glasgow.
Due to the lack of transparency and numerous arising questions, Barnie and several NGOs in Sabah filed an Originating Summons in 2022 to identify and produce documents related to the NCA. In December 2022, Barnie and his team were granted a court order, and in January 2023, they received copies of the original documents for review. They found that the agreement was highly one-sided and included a shocking term stating that the agreement was irrevocable and above the law. Consequently, Barnie and his team lodged a complaint with the United Nations, citing several violations of UN standards.
Later, the Sabah Attorney General stated that the NCA could not be implemented. However, in August 2023, Sabah Chief Minister Dato Sri Hajiji announced that Sabah would proceed with the NCA agreement with some amendments to certain clauses. This announcement came as a shock to Barnie and his team. Another press release by Jeffrey Kitingan revealed that 600,000 hectares had been allocated for the initial project under the NCA in Nuluhon Terusmadi, raising further concerns. All these approvals were made in violation of the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) of the affected communities.
In October 2023, a Judicial Review was filed, and the court started the process with written submissions from both parties via their respective counsel. The hearing of the case finally took place on July 31, in open court, where Jubili Anilik was appointed as Watching Brief on behalf of the CSOs. The counsel for the respondents argued that the Judicial Review was invalid for not being filed within the 60-day timeframe from the date the issue was known. However, Barnie and his team believed that the NCA could not be implemented as stated by the Attorney General.
-------------------------Anyi Lah from Long Tebangan
Baram Residents Face Risky Journeys After Log Bridge Collapse
Anyi Lah confirmed that a log bridge has collapsed, affecting the movement of residents from four villages who rely on this road as their main route. This is the fate of the Orang Ulu when timber becomes scarce, and logging companies abandon the bridges they built. The people often urge their representative, Dennis Ngau, to request the government to build a bridge using steel. Unfortunately, the representative only says he will discuss it with the logging companies, leading to increasingly risky journeys for villagers who must cross the deteriorating log bridge.
Despite 61 years of independence, Baram remains underdeveloped, even though Sarawak is considered a high-income state according to the World Bank. Why does Baram still have dilapidated schools and insufficient clinics? Every week, Anyi delivers food supplies to remote schools and is saddened by the poor condition of schools in Ulu Baram.
In the 61 years of the state government, only 10-20% of development goals for Baram have been achieved, which is not commensurate with Sarawak's independence.