Penan Maidens - Are you subjects of the "Signal Detection Theory"?

If ever the rapists exist, then they should be brought to book and punished by the law severely. There is every reason to believe that the numerous reports made on Penan girls being raped in the Baram are true. Circumstances in the remote areas would make it not impossible for rapes to be carried out. Jungles are the best of places.

Much have been said, politicized and given publicity internationally, all at the great expense of this defenseless group we know as the nomadic tribe of Sarawak called the Penans. Groups championing their cause in this particular matter better do it right and get to the roots of things.This is not about logging and felling of trees but disgusting rapes of innocent girls.

Politicians especially from the BN party should just keep their big mouths shut on such issues and not try to cover up the offenders. Let the law take its course. The Police and other investigators from the welfare and NGO bodies should perform their duties well and protect the rights of these poor maidens of the jungle. Could some already be mothers now? Hence it demands immediate real action from all those in authority.

No matter what one thinks, even if it borders on the "signal detection theory", the cases reported are unlikely to be false. I do not think so. Such social matters should never be swept under the carpet by the BN government.That would be a mistake, a big mistake.

The POISONS in Sarawak's Politics

It amazes me why Sarawakians are so keen in forming new political parties of late. Are they not satisfied with the present State Government led by the old man Taib? Are they fed up with corruption within the State BN Government? What are their motives? Aren’t they enough political parties already around in Sarawak to demand yet the formation of more parties? Is this going to be the trend in Sarawak which at one time was also happening in Sabah? And finally, will such action destabilize the supposedly calm political scenario in Sarawak and make the BN State Government more vulnerable to losing power?

The General Elections in the state should be just round the corner so these aspirants of change may want to give it a go, all claiming that they will fight for the rakyat in their own style. The irony is they know that standing as independents will not get them far. A political platform is what they are looking for, to start somewhere somehow. Win or lose is another thing.

Having said all that, one thing is for sure and that is, everyone in Sarawak knows that the time for the Chief Minister to step down as Chief Minister is overdue and very much overdue. The old man Taib is unperturbed so it seems of the “slander” and controversy thrown at him lately. The controversy is of course on the amount of assets he has overseas. To put it simply, how did he and his family become so rich when we know that he came not from a millionaire background. Has he now been cornered with people talking about his "ill gotten" wealth? For those reading this and wanting to find out more about the so called wealth accumulated by the Chief Minister, they could easily log in to Sarawak Report.org. I stumbled upon the website recently and found it to be interesting. It holds water.

Today, I read the papers about our Iban leaders politically fascinating themselves by shooting poison arrows at one another. This is typical longhouse politics. None are so outstanding that they can be called heroes. Many people and men of their blood have jibed at them as traitors. They are just lucky to be where they are, circumstances played into their hands and they became leaders. They are perhaps not traitors but opportunists in their own rights. Say one thing and do another.

Divide and Rule - An OLD Game Plan

Secrets are to be kept but one can’t stop another from fouling the game of secrecy especially when it involves political moves and the Chief Minister of Sarawak. There was a big BN retreat to the Mulu National Park a couple of days back and the hot topic was about the coming elections in Sarawak, it must be held by June at the latest, of 2011.

As is the case always, these big BN meetings in Sarawak will be a closed door affair, the doors locked from the inside. Everything discussed then will be “classified” and leaders would be reminded to keep their mouths shut. But human beings are creatures that have a mind to tell tales. Being such, what's told will then be untold. It means what transpired would soon be talked and the news would then be unceremoniously splashed with special "add-on" by individuals who are really loaded flamboyant BN political rumour mongers. These will eventually spilled over to those in the opposition who as foes are only too glad to hear the “good” news or loathe the bad ones. For the old withering guy, the game of "DIVIDE and RULE" is again a hidden agenda which can never be proven.

Tales can also be told about the once largest and strongest party in Sarawak - the Sarawak National Party formed by the late Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan. Sarawak sees a new chapter today when the oldest party around regained some of its pride with the announcement on the setting aside of its deregistration by the Court of Appeals. Many die hard SNAP members in their 70s must be happy to hear such news. Dundang, their stylish President living in Miri should be pleased and happy too. However, it will not put SNAP in any better position in Sarawak because the Party has hardly done anything for the people of Sarawak in the last 10 years. Internal squabbles amongst party leaders have not been trashed out and the party looked doomed alright, not until today. This should give them a new lease of life and at the least, some new political bearing to fight on their cause.

But alas, it is going to split the Ibans once again making it so much easier for the old man to divide and rule, perhaps for another term.The vicious cycle goes on.

Get rid of Subsidies = A New State Government

When subsidies are lifted even in any small way, the hardest hit will be the low income earners. As it is now, life is already hard for many Sarawakians regardless of their race. They can be the Iban family in the longhouse, the elderly Malay kampong couple or the Chinese guy who does his trade on a street corner from dawn to dusk to feed his family. These are the people who will carry the burden and feel the pinch if prices of the basic commodities go up upon lifting of government subsidies of essential items.

Surely our smart BN leaders either at Federal or State levels realize that such announcement which can become a reality will inflict great sufferings to the poor in the country. But they the BN Ybs and Ministers are well-off and many are stuck-ups. Money to them, either ill gotten or otherwise is NOT a problem so they couldn't careless for the poor. The poor can be described as those whose income is hardly enough to buy food and other essential household needs to enjoy life as a Malaysian. The poor is the mother who may have only one single meal a day when Ministers lavish on sumptuous dinners every night. The poor is the stressful father who works overtime to feed hungry mouths at home while children of the rich have laptops to play their favourite games. The poor is the child who can’t afford to buy a new pair of school shoes for the new term. The poor is the family who dreams of a simple water filter which for health reasons is a must for households in Sarawak.

The worry for the poor is already beginning and thoughts are tormenting many in Sarawak who are also now angry with the BN government. In fact the "subsidy issue" has hit the public and private sectors here in the state like a Tsunami, dreaded by the majority. Perhaps this is the beginning of a new chapter, the ending episode of BN’s rule in the land of the hornbills. Idris Jala is playing his role pretty brilliantly in Najib’s government. He's not an idiot to make such an announcement without realising the consequences. The question is, did he not too, inadvertently unlocked some doors for PR in Sarawak to enter? His bouquet we accept, nice of him!

CORRUPTION Camouflaged

Money can be gotten in many ways and one way is to abuse the tendering system. In Malaysia and Sarawak, contractors who are nobody today can be somebody the next day after securing just one big government project which may run up to hundreds of millions. Road construction is where most of the money is. Stories of the “nobody” who made millions from just one deal, catapulting him or her to be “somebody” are always told in the coffee shops. They are all true. Such deals would normally involve the PKK Class “A” or CIDB G7 contractors.

It is quite normal for projects to be “sold” to a second party at 2/3 of the cost which is surely an indication of the price having been inflated in the first place. How does it work and how do they do it have always been interestingly asked by the rakyat. Unless you are familiar with procedures involved in tendering, you will never know how they are being manipulated to favour only cronies of the BN government. Of course politics has a hand. Sarawakians are not that foolish not to know at least what is happening in the award of these big tenders. Days of the 1980s are gone!

SCORE which is known by many as Project Ketua Menteri will see many millionaires becoming multi millionaires in Sarawak soon. You can safely bet that BN activists with some family members of the Ketua Menteri will grab a bigger piece of the cake. Others in the inner circles like state ministers from the component parties will scramble for what is left.

The whole cycle is vicious and smelly. If such unwarranted activities are not checked and checked quick by the Najib government, it can lead to the downfall of BN in Sarawak. Just watch!

A New Chapter for Sarawak

What are up the sleeves of BN now that they have lost Sibu to DAP? Are they going to honour every ringgit they have promised the Sibu people? That is left to be seen. Election promises in Sarawak were seldom kept and after 40 years Sarawakians may not be too optimistic this time around too.

One can bet that a thorough post mortem will be done by SUPP pretty soon. Is George Chan going to blame the BN Foochow leaders in Sibu again? Will the hornet’s nest be stirred up once more from within the Chinese based BN party? Let’s ask ourselves as to “Why” BN lost the Election? According to Najib, BN failed to make good and proper use of its powerful machinery and relied too much on the old ways of campaigning. This is a lame excuse because everyone in Sibu knows that BN had their whole machinery and arsenal laid out in the Foochow town. They had bombarded the system left right and centre, so how could it be that BN had failed to make use of its power on the ground.

Let’s get straight to the point; BN has lost Sibu to DAP for many reasons which fundamentally affect the Chinese. The Urban Chinese voters in Sarawak want equality, equal rights to land, equal rights to licenses, equal rights to higher Education equal rights to joining the civil service, all of which they know they are being deprived of at the moment. And I would think that SUPP is losing support from the Chinese in Sarawak and becoming irrelevant to them for the same reasons. SUPP is seen by the Sarawak Chinese as ineffective when fighting for such rights.

Recapping, I thought there were glaringly hitches in making a due and quick announcement on the results last night. One can be sure that reasons given will always be biased and against the opposition so let’s not talk about that.

The fact that Sibu is a Foochow town and now controlled by the Sarawak DAP leader will leave many BN activists angry, SUPP for one, is embarrassed and upset. Don’t tell me they are not.

When a Win may not be a REAL Win

It was big time gambling in Sibu when BN throws their money around in trying to win votes or hearts, I am not too sure. But I am sure that BN (at time of writing) is about as desperate as ever to win Sibu for SUPP, not so much for the people of Sarawak. This is because SUPP is the pillar of the Chinese for BN in Sarawak, like what MCA is in West Malaysia.

BN has promised millions to the parliamentary constituency and the people of Sibu and cash were handed out like it had never been done before. Najib has made history in Sarawak to Taib's chagrin. One BN leader told me that the Najib government should come to their senses because from now onwards, all the other towns are expecting similar deals like that being rendered in Sibu and the Sibu folks. Anything less or short will see BN lose many seats in the next GE. Nice comment and holds water.

The result tomorrow would be interesting for us to analyze on the political stance of the Chinese voters in Sarawak as well as the sentiments of the people towards the popularity of the opposition in the state. Should BN win, then anything less than 2000 votes majority is nothing special, that will be indicative of the winds of change in Sarawak. If BN loses the seat, then Taib has to step aside and make way for someone more energetic and less corrupted.

Winning Elections isn't easy. It's always a GAMBLE. If you do it the wrong way, you may be digging your own grave.

BN's Old Tune Replayed in Sibu

You feel like vomiting listening to our BN political leaders defending their stance just because they want to win Sibu. They are throwing everything they have got to save SUPP from embarrassment. All of a sudden, Sibu is their pet topic. Of course, it’s all about promises, promises and more promises, the old outdated rhetoric replayed. When you hear the same tune over and over again, it makes you sick.

Are we going to be taken in by all these goodies that Najib’s government is promising to the Sibu people? To me, it’s just like telling a 7 year old to sing, dance and be merry because there are chocolates and toys waiting for him.

You can bet that internet savvy Foochows in their 20s will not be hoodwinked by BN’s sweet promises because the news today has no boundaries and the inquisitive mind can be smarter than any Datuk or BN professor out there appearing on tv as proxies of BN. The Sarawak Datuk appearing on TV1 tonight was to me, technically stupid and out of tempo when trying to defend BN achievements in rural Sarawak.

Time has changed and gone are the days when SUPP rules the Sarawak Chinese electorates, their “mafia” days and ways are a thing of the past, ineffective in today’s world.

The time for change may be getting nearer in Sarawak. The opposition DAP leader has mildly put it that the league will start with Sibu.

"Corruption" veiled - Is Sarawak excluded?

Sarawakians are not excluded from Corruption and Sarawakians are not stupid people to blindly follow bad governance. You will find many ordinary members in the BN skeptical of all the sweet talks thrown at them lately by their leaders.

It is often said that many simple minded folks in Sarawak would passively follow the government of the day because their "periuk Nasi" comes first. There is a lot of truth in this, a good portion of them don't belong to any political organization. They are the ordinary citizens, the majority are in the low income bracket.

Yet with others who are fence sitters but not fence sitters, "fear" engulfs them that they keep their mouths shut. It's simple as that, the fear of retribution if they go against the powerful system controlled by the BN government has forced them to "artificially" place allegiance to BN. This is dangerous and very much a probable "cause" of swing votes during elections.

Those in the opposition camp who have pressed for political change want "real changes", many know that merely to say change but with corruption still going on will not transform or change anything.The chanting of "Reformasi" from PKR means changes must be made to the system with a change in government so that justice and fairness will be enjoyed by all the people and NOT ONLY by a collective few or groups of the already rich lot.

The membership of the opposition in Sarawak comprising the Malays in PKR and PAS, the Chinese in DAP and Dayaks is growing by the day. They have quietly increased their numbers of late because Sarawakians are attracted to join them for a myriad of reasons. The main reasons are justice, equality and of course corruption in the BN administration. They are in effect unhappy over bad governance, of how the system is flouted by direct tendering, etc. They are fed-up with leaders who are corrupted and make bad decisions.

We can all be quite sure that Najib’s government is aware of the poor people’s plight especially in Sarawak and they have talked about changes too which shall be brought about under 1Malaysia. That sounds pretty convincing but on the ground, people in Sarawak know that CORRUPTION will be interestingly veiled by the system of his government.

The biggest known “scandal” completely veiled in front of our eyes was the 500 million Ringgit so called COMMISSION paid for the submarine deal. This file is closed, as we understand it.

Gambling in the Semua Boleh Land

People in Sarawak do gamble and they don’t care two hoots about the Malays gambling. You see Sarawak Malay punters freely in the 4-D and Toto joints, people just don’t care. Well, it’s bad habit to gamble, everyone knows that, even a seasoned gambler would agree to it. No Sarawakian will say it's good.

The fact that gambling is made legal in Sarawak or for that matter in Malaysia is somewhat a blessing for those who seek some excitement and thrill playing with their money. Losing their bets is secondary because one must have money in the first place to be able to bet. If the lure to money is what that spurs people to enjoy the game, it is greed of it that will destroy the beauty of a clean gamble.

The apple pie of gambling will soon be manifested in Malaysia when the World Cup starts to kick up dust and make the civil servants lag behind in their work. Interestingly, some have predicted that Najib’s KPI will drop these couple of months, starting with the Thomas Cup debut.

In Sarawak, the Ibans are accustomed to their "cock fight" bets. That is embedded in their culture, there is nothing you can do about it, except to rope them in when things go out of hand. The Sibu By Election will definitely see a lot of gambling especially amongst the Chinese groups, it's unstoppable. The police will be too busy anyway to snoop around on the bookies' backyard.

Malaysia is land of many contradictions, you can when you can’t and you can't but you can. Rightly too, we have 1Malaysia to support us with Gambling in the Semua Boleh land, a land where you can go breaking rules and get away with.

Najib's Sifu - Idris Jala

When you see things beyond the average intellect, it may get dangerously irrelevant to the common men in the street. I watched Idris Jala on tv3 last night. The guy has tremendous memory and possesses extraordinary skills in management. First, he’s a natural talker, second he smiles a lot, and third he has experience. Those are his qualities besides being a top scholar of his time.

He was asked about solving the Pudu Raya Bus terminal congestion in KL and he brilliantly gave some solid answers that would put Samy Vellu to shame. And I told myself that here was a humble Kelabit guy from Sarawak who had his days spent learning the skills from SHELL and using that same instrument to oversee a government machinery now. Ironically, where have all the Malay professors gone?

Idris spoke about Sarawak’s rural infrastructure which he agreed should be given due attention, only that he never uttered the word “neglected” which if he did, would see him sidelined by the cabinet. But surely, a brilliant guy like him knows deep down in his heart that our rural sector has indeed been neglected by the BN state government of Taib.

Idris praised the police force for a job well done basing his argument on crime statistics from the data collected over the last few months. His comparison on the rate of crime to that in the UK was not realistic and weak. We can't compare apples to rambutans. I thought he would at least talked about immigration and the “imported” crimes committed by foreigners in the country, which he didn’t.

I particularly liked his asking the civil service to run and run fast to catch up with time and the word "efficiency". That's good so as to wake up all the lazy bums in the service in Sarawak.

Let's not push it too hard Idris, lest you become a social outcast in Sarawak.

Becoming CM - He'd rather Self Destruct

Politics hit its lowest level yesterday in Sarawak when it was suggested that Alfred Jabu is the able man to become the next Ketua Menteri. His nemesis Dundang of SNAP supported the idea together with a few prominent Dayaks who gave their approval too.

The Iban Jabu isn’t happy at all. He has asked that such nonsense be stopped immediately. And according to Jabu himself, he just wanted to keep his role as team player. That was no excuse but to please his Boss. Surely we all know that Jabu will self destruct because he dare not lift any fingers at his boss, Taib. How could he offend the man he loved so much.

I thought for once that BN has run out of ideas to suggest old man Jabu to lead Sarawakians. It gives me the giggle.

SCORE = Patronage Politics

Will SCORE be underscored and bring more fortune to those who already display extreme wealth in Sarawak?

For some cynical reasons, people have labeled it Project Ketua Menteri. This statement cannot be wrong when a dictator is not a dictator. After all, the Ketua Menteri controls the State Government and almost all the major businesses in Sarawak or at least his family does.

What we know as the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy has been set to bring all the goodies to the people of Sarawak. That’s what the website says. While you may accept it positively as a step in the right direction which it must be otherwise it will make the government looks stupid, I take it with a pinch of salt.

Let’s focus on what we understand as “patronage politics”. It is when tenders will only be awarded to a selected few within one’s group. With SCORE, it has to be those who have already displayed extreme wealth in the BN group. This is to allow the flow of funds into the bureau to seal BN’s power in the state. Millions and millions of ringgit will then be embezzled legally. To achieve this, the whole system will be in “reverse gear”, that is to say, money will be the instrument to get things done. Everything will then have an “artificial” fee capped to it. Mismanagement sets in, the circle becomes vicious and corruption persists.

When the propagation of a capitalistic environment becomes wider, we shall get a situation where the selected few who controlled the market becoming extremely wealthier.

Some questions that need to be asked are: Will matters get worst in Sarawak? Will it only benefit the privileged few? Will it end up like the "AP" case that benefit only Bumi entrepreneurs? Will workers once again be grossly exploited, underpaid?

Sarawak smelled like Kasam Ikan - Sibu By Elections

This is politics. BN is a veteran and so are Taib Mahmud and his gang of elders comprising George Chan, Alfred Jabu , James Masing and William Mawan. They will do whatever it takes to win the Sibu by election. By hook or by crook, they must win this so called “challenge” by DAP and ironically Najib. Najib meant business and “no main main” attitude could be tolerated. Even by elections has a KPI.

Taib and his gang know that losing Sibu will be like an iron ball hitting their head. They would go all out to make sure the iron ball stuff would never materialized. They want to show Najib that they are still very much in control in Sarawak although Najib knows that many things in the land of the hornbills smelled like “kasam ikan”.

Voters are just as smart today, the Sibu ones comprising mainly of Foochows can get what they want if they play their cards right. And of course the Foochows are known for their smart ways. I am sure they have by now, planned to ask for the “sky” if they could have their wish. This is the time BN will whitewash everything and “turut saja”. Just give the Sibu people what they asked for. Losing to DAP in Sibu will be like a pancake thrown on George Chan’s face. He cannot afford to see his party lose.

BN Drains in Sarawak

Look into any drains in Sarawak and you will see filth and the hap hazard manner that they are constructed, if at all they are made of concrete, they have been poorly constructed. Many are in a dilapidated state full of debris and glaringly neglected by local councils. Of course these councils are all run by BN appointed councillors, many of whom are "balls' polishers". Yes, funds are utilized, the budget is there but due to the hanky-panky culture of the system, projects implemented are no more than a mere fulfillment.

In Sarawak, many drains are actually ditches and trenches quickly dug out on the sides of roads and highways. During heavy downpours, motorists have to take extra care not to end up in those ditches. Moreover, they are the NO.1 areas for mosquito breeding when water clogged. Don’t blame the mosquitoes for the rampant spread of the H1N1 virus, blame the government. I may be generalizing here but such is the condition of the drains in the State, one cannot hide the fact no more. And for that matter, to complement what I have said here, you can ask any Sarawakian about the drainage system in our towns or 2 cities of Kuching and Miri, I bet you will get a not so good answer.

Drainage and sewers cannot be ruled out in any development infrastructure. The State government never cared too much about the bad effects of drainage if it is not done to plan. They have been busy planning, sometimes for the wrong thing. Or did they plan for the right thing where it is easier to “siphon” off the cash?

Fighting for your Rights - NCR Land

The NCR Land Issue in Sarawak will once again be in the limelight in Kuala Lumpur when Lawyer Baru Bian takes to the stage. My question is this - Why do the native people of Sarawak have to be burdened with this unnecessary process of fighting for what is actually theirs?

The following is a report from Malaysian Mirror:

KUALA LUMPUR - Well-known Sarawak lawyer Baru Bian will speak on the controversial Native Customery Rights (NCR) land issue in Sarawak this coming Saturday.

The talk, sponsored by the Human Rights Committee of the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, will take place at its premise in Jalan Maharaja at 12 noon.

Baru has handled more than 100 NCR lawsuits against the Sarawak government over the past decade.

He is expected to provide an insider's view of the legal process surrounding the NCR land issue. In the past decade, Sarawak natives have accused the Sarawak state government of grabbing their land and not recognising their NCR land.

This has led to several confrontation between NCR owners and plantation operators. At present, more than one million hectares of plantation land is under NCR dispute.

Sibu here we GO

The By Elections in Hulu Selangor concluded with an expected result predicted by the BN camp. BN did not win convincingly and very much short of their focused 6,000 vote majority they believed they could garner. This was a seat BN had held for many years and this win is actually getting back what they thought must be theirs for keeps. They got it back and MIC is happy.

The question now is, will the win be of any impact to the upcoming Sibu By Election. It could because high morale can result in the BN work force giving it their best. Although the Sibu scenario is a whole lot different from that in Hulu Selangor, BN is expected to perform well and retain the seat. In Sarawak, many would agree that BN will find its way to win "by hook or by crook". GOD has always been watching how money politics have been brought into play in the rural areas. This is something that cannot be denied in Sarawak.

DAP is known for their unexpected moves and they could well pull a surprise if their ground work has been laid well. These are urban voters in Sibu made up of predominantly Chinese Foochow people who have in the last general election, voted for the credibility of Candidates rather than the Party.

I see it as a big tussle between a BN newcomer and a seasoned politician from DAP. BN’s strength, like that of Hulu Selangor’s, could well be the deciding factor that could tip the scale in their favour. I am sure, like a Bulldog, DAP will fight SUPP to the end.

Malay 1st, Malaysian 2nd - What is your opinion?

I am Muslim and I am an Iban. That doesn’t sound right to many who are non muslims. Many Iban Christians will condemn me. But what if I say I am a Malaysian, an Iban and a muslim. That sounds ok to many. So the word “Malaysian” is clearly a fundamental unifying factor. It is an identity which all Malaysians should be proud of. If really 1Malaysia is to make sense, it would also make real sense to call ourselves Malaysians first, then whatever as second and third.

For our Deputy Prime Minister, the respected Muhyiddin to say he’s Malay first and then Malaysian doesn’t jive with me certainly. That’s segregation politics, polarizing our sensitive racial ethnicity and confusing the minds of the layman. Has he helped to make us more patriotic as Malaysians? The answer is a big NO.

In Sarawak, things are not as bumpy because people here are laughing of this issue, they prefer to be known as Sarawakians first and then Malaysian. This also applies to the Chinese here. Many would prefer to be called a Sarawakian Chinese rather than a Malaysian Chinese. They really couldn’t give a damn to what DPM said.

What is your opinion? I have given mine.

Sarawak 's "Yes Men" in Parliament

What about this announcement on the revision in the maximum fine for traffic offences to punish us in Sarawak? It has been increased 3 times over from RM 300 to RM 1000 under a recent Bill passed by Parliament.

With all our Bumpy Roads around in Sarawak with their blatantly inadequate traffic signs, poor lighting, bad drainage and hap-hazard urban road system designed by corrupted councils, we are now subjected to the same law that our fellow West Malaysians will endure.

It is regrettable that our Sarawak BN Parliamentarians are sometimes forced into supporting Bills which may not be practicable to Sarawak. They are the "Yes Men" of Sarawak's politics. They support because they had to as one told me personally. We have no choice, according to him. This equates to the fact that they are being dictated by their UMNO masters, towing the line even when their conscience tells them it's wrong. When this is the case, Principles are immaterial, they are brushed aside and opinions become useless.

This was the very reason Zaid Ibrahim left UMNO to join PKR. He's a man of principles who refused to do what I called "political prostituting".

In the doldrums because People swallowed the BN bait

I travelled over the weekend talking to people in Sarawak. I kept my diary. I spoke to 10 people and 9 say BN will be shown the way out by the rakyat. I don’t know how to respond, I am surprised. Would I believe this? We really don’t know whether it will come through. But we do know that they were nearly shown the “Exit Door” during the last GE. MIC failed, Gerakan failed, MCA failed and UMNO had their biggest nightmare. They had been saved by the 2 backward states of Sabah and Sarawak. And UMNO, the controlling party and head of the government suddenly woke up to the fact that Sabah and Sarawak are their forte.

The most interesting issue is UMNO leaders only discovered that Sabah and Sarawak had all this while been left in the doldrums in terms of development. They assumed all had gone well, not until of late. This is the reason why Najib and his government are doing all it can now to close the wide gap between the “have” and “have not” in these 2 states. The poor in either Sabah or Sarawak are undoubtedly hardcore poor.

The reason for being so poor is simply that we have been dominated and neglected. We have been ruled by selfish BN leaders who raped the system for their own gains. We have for over 40 years been constantly indoctrinated with sweet talks under what they termed as “Politics of Development” by UMNO sanctioned leaders, a few generations of them.

People have swallowed the bait and support the State BN government without questioning any of their ulterior motives. BN was therefore able to win and kept on winning in Sarawak. As a result, only a handful would dare to speak out on things like corruption, the NCR land issue and misuse of funds by awarding contracts to proxies.

If the older generation of the natives are law abiding citizens who gave their support to BN to ensure BN victories all these years, the younger set are now realizing how backward Sabah and Sarawak really were in many areas of the economy and its infrastructure. Schools, clinics, roads and basic amenities in rural areas etc are way behind those in West Malaysia. Only a fool would say we are ahead.