5 June 2024
On Today Show
— Gabriel Atong, Resident of Punan Ba, Belaga – Grassroots Struggles: Abuse of Power in Village Leadership Appointments
— Michael Kong Feng Nian, Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth Kuching chief – Strengthening Democracy: Inclusion of Opposition in Sarawak Committees
— Arveent Kathirtchelvan, PSM of Gombak Selangor – Forgotten Families: The Housing Crisis in Gombak's Kampung Sri Makmur
Topik Pada Hari Ini
- Gabriel Atong, Penduduk Punan Ba, Belaga - Perjuangan Akar Rumput: Penyalahgunaan Kuasa dalam Penamaan Pemimpin Kampung
- Michael Kong Feng Nian, Ketua Pemuda Parti Tindakan Demokratik Sosialis Kuching - Memperkukuh Demokrasi: Penyertaan Pembangkang dalam Jawatankuasa Sarawak
- Arveent Kathirtchelvan, PSM Gombak Selangor - Keluarga Terlupakan: Krisis Perumahan di Kampung Sri Makmur, Gombak
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*Special Randau*
1. Muhammad Faisal Hamzah, son of the Secretary-General of Parti BERSATU, Hamzah Zainuddin, was charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today for allegedly receiving a RM100,000 bribe. Muhammad Faisal is accused of receiving the bribe from Azmir Abd Hamid as payment for Heitech PADU to appoint Rimba Merpati Sdn.Bhd and Per MY Solution as marketing consultants.
2. The Kuala Lumpur High Court has set July 3 to decide whether to allow Najib Razak to proceed with a judicial review regarding the alleged directive addendum permitting Najib to serve the remaining six years of his sentence at home.
3. Tiong King Sing has warned all parties in Sarawak not to interfere in the appointment of village heads/tuai rumah, or else face an SPRM investigation. Tiong should suggest to GPS and the Premier of Sarawak to ensure that no politicians are involved in the appointment panel for community leaders. Has Tiong just realized that GPS's policy has been wrong all along?
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Gabriel Atong, Resident of Punan Ba, Belaga
*Grassroots Struggles: Abuse of Power in Village Leadership Appointments*
The Borneo Post today reported the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Tiong King Sing, who is also the president of the PDP Party (GPS), warned that there should be no political interference in the appointment of village leaders and community leaders, or they will face a MACC investigation. Tiong said that he received many complaints that certain individuals interfered in the appointment of village heads. There are certain triggers that veto the decisions of longhouse residents.
Tiong also informed that he had discussed the issue with the deputy premier of Sarawak, and they agreed that no political party should interfere in the appointment of village heads or tribal heads. Due to the interference of certain people, 83 letters appointing village heads in Sibu have not yet been handed over. If this situation continues, the people below will suffer because of the struggle for political power. According to Tiong, anyone who has the ability, is trusted, and has the support of the people can be appointed as village head.
Gabriel very much agrees with Tiong's suggestion, even though he is from GPS. But Gabriel pointed out that a member of the Tiong party, Marudi Peguang Manggil assemblyman, some time ago, in a video clip that went viral, threatened not to re-appoint the village chief who fought or did not vote for him in the election.
"I don't just agree with the SPRM investigation because of political interference and abuse of power. In fact, I want any village head who breaks trust and misuses village money to be investigated by MACC. We at the grassroots have been satisfied with reporting cases of abuse of power and misappropriation of village money. But because the heads of these villages are supported by YB/GPS assemblymen, they are immune from investigation and action by the police."
Meanwhile, Sarawak Justice Chairman Roland Engan gave a brief response to Tiong's statement by suggesting three things:
1. The process of appointing village heads and community heads should be returned to the villagers or longhouses themselves.
2. The panel appointing village heads and community leaders should not have politicians (YB area) as it is now.
3. The 2004 Clan Head and Community Leader Ordinance should be repealed immediately.
Rumah Panjang Punan Ba was split in two because one side did not agree with their village chief, who cooperated and handed over the Punan Ba NCR land to Samling for logging and oil palm plantation. They are led by Gabriel Atong, who is trying to build his own longhouse, but there is still no letter of appointment of the village head from the District Office.
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Michael Kong Feng Nian, Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth Kuching chief
*Strengthening Democracy: Inclusion of Opposition in Sarawak Committees*
Michael Kong, also special assistant to Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen, has urged the Sarawak government to include opposition members in various committees to enhance governance quality. He expressed disappointment over the exclusion of opposition representatives in the recently announced committees: the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), House Committee, Public Petition Committee, and Committee of Privileges.
Kong highlighted that during Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) tenure, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) had representation in the federal parliamentary PAC, demonstrating a tradition of opposition participation in governance. He noted that opposition members previously served in the Sarawak PAC, with DAP’s Chiew Chiu Sing contributing.
Kong stressed that past PAC findings on state project management underscored the need for diverse perspectives to ensure accountability and transparency. He argued that opposition members provide essential checks and balances, fostering thorough oversight and preventing mismanagement.
By including opposition voices in committees, Sarawak can strive for more transparent, accountable, and democratic governance, benefiting all citizens.
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Arveent Kathirtchelvan, PSM of Gombak Selangor
*Forgotten Families: The Housing Crisis in Gombak's Kampung Sri Makmur*
Arveent Kathirtchelvan has raised concerns about the housing situation in Kampung Sri Makmur, Gombak, Selangor, where 9 out of 23 families have not been offered housing under the new scheme. Kampung Sri Makmur is situated on land owned by the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS), which is now being developed for condominiums through a joint venture with a private developer. This development has led to the demolition of the village.
The Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) has been involved in this issue since 2020, but the main parties include the Menteri Besar, PKNS, and the developer. There are two groups of residents on this land: one group chose to remain, while another group of 23 families agreed to move out in 2020.
Arveent emphasized that forced evictions of urban settlers should not occur and that replacement housing must be provided. Out of the 23 families ready to relocate, 14 were offered houses by the Selangor government, while the remaining 9 were not given any offers. The process for the 14 families to obtain keys to their new homes is still ongoing. Meanwhile, all 23 families had their homes demolished and are now camping under a bridge near their former village.
These families have occupied the land since 1986. Arveent advocates for these families to be given the chance to acquire homes under the Rumah Selangorku (RSKU) scheme at affordable prices, with some settlers even eligible for free housing. He stresses that proper housing solutions must be provided to ensure these families do not continue to suffer from displacement and homelessness.