On the road again

 

Year of the Dragon ala Dayak Politics

2012 CNY brings plenty to ponder upon, but what tickles me the most is the presence of 3 Senior Dayak leaders sitting together. But before that, I’d like to say congratulation to Doris Brodie for her latest appointment as Senate Deputy President.

 

Recently, Sarawak Senior Minister James Masing is “testing the waters with his own call for a United Dayak Front (UDF).” [Read: It’s time for a United Dayak Front

Hornbill Unleashed | January 7, 2012 by Joseph Tawie]

Speaking to FMT recently he said: “I am very serious about forming a united Dayak front, but we have people who may feel uneasy of such a Dayak front. Why? I can’t understand it.

Achieving this is a tall order, knowing that its formation entails the three of them to sit together and have a serious talk [Segulai, Sejalai]. Thus, it is a surprise albeit ticklish to see them together [pic below] during CNY visits in Sibu [by Jane Moh, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 26, 2012, Thursday]

　

FOR THE ALBUM: (Seated from left) Mawan, Masing, Jabu, Wong, Taib, Ragad, Wong’s wife Datin Sri Leong Poh Ling, Jabu’s wife Puan Sri Empiang, Fatimah and Dr Jerip at Soon Koh’s residence.

Back to the United Dayak Front agenda, I just wonder whether Masing (since he is the one who mooted that idea) gets to talk to Mawan, notwithstanding the present animosity between them regarding Rentap or the SPDP 5.

Just to recap, Mawan was not in the best of mood recently [Masing’s merger idea irks Mawan - Joseph Tawie | January 10, 2012]

“KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president James Masing’s call for a merger of all Dayak based parties including currently ‘party-less’ elected representatives has rattled its Barisan Nasional coalition partner Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).”

Mawan even said further “Their (political frogs’) presence is worrying because they are thriving within the BN fold. It is difficult for me to contain it.”

Mawan did not name the new breed of ‘political frogs’ but it is obvious he was referring to some leaders and supporters of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) which is led by senior state minister, James Masing.

There is no love lost between Mawan and Masing. Both are fighting to win over the confidence of the Dayak community.

So it’s not a surprise that Masing’s call last Thursday for Dayaks to unite to form a United Dayak Front has upset SPDP president William Mawan and his supporters.

As for Masing and Jabu, plenty had been said about their (not so close) relationship….. from Jathropa issue to ‘Jabu’s men’ issue.

Powerful’ Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president James Masing is flexing his political muscles. And it’s obvious that Masing is bent on putting deputy chief minister Alfred Jabu in his place.

This “no-love-lost” triad is singing a different tune. A very interesting, perhaps intriguing development worth looking out for in the near future.

On hindsight, this idea of UDF is not bad and worth a thought.

Happy CNY to all Chinese friends.

　

　

　

　

　

Theory: Malaysia (and Singapore) are too rich NOT to democratise?

This is a most economistic theory about democratisation that I had come across-that democratisation come with economic growth-as though it work by clock works! By this theory Malaysia (and Singapore, Brunei) would have democratised because it had surpassed Taiwan and Korea when they started to democratise decades ago! Read it for whatever it is worth!

 

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/01/why-east-asia-including-china-is-about-to-turn-democratic/251824/?single_page=true

Why East Asia—Including China—Will Turn Democratic Within a Generation
By Larry Diamond
Jan 24 2012, 7:15 AM ET

Why a wave of democratization will likely turn most or all of the region within a generation

If there is going to be a big new lift to global democratic prospects in this decade, the region from which it will emanate is most likely to be East Asia.

With the eruption of mass movements for democratic change throughout the Arab world in 2011, hopeful analysts of global democratic prospects have focused attention on the Middle East. Three Arab autocracies (Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya) have fallen in the past year. At least two more (Yemen and Syria) also seem destined for demise soon, and pressures for real democratic change figure to mount in Morocco, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and perhaps Kuwait, and to persist in Bahrain. Yet among these and other countries in the Middle East (including Iraq and Iran), only Tunisia has a good chance of becoming a democracy in the relatively near future. Aspirations for more democratic and account- able government run deep throughout the Middle East, and for years to come the region will be a lively and contested terrain of possibilities for regime evolution. But if a new regional wave of transitions to democracy unfolds in the next five to ten years, it is more likely to come from East Asia–a region that has been strangely neglected in recent thinking about the near-term prospects for expansion of democracy. And East Asia is also better positioned to increase the number of liberal and sustainable democracies.

Resettlement buildings for Bengoh residents only approved now-is it an afterthought?

At the last state election the voters at the 4 affected villages voted against BN by more than 23% compared to previously. That was not enough to topple the sitting state assembly representative from BN-but perhaps enough for him to work hard to avoid similar fate at the coming general election? could this be the real reason why the fund for the resettlement was approved by the state government cabinet only recently-so the building of the houses can proceed from now? One would think that building houses to house the affected residents would be a priority when the dam was built-not after the dam was finished!
Houses for re-settlers priority

by Peter Sibon reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 20, 2012, Friday

RM20m approved to build Rumah Mesra houses for those affected by Bengoh Dam

Did Bersih2 not heard the `music’ already?

In a move meant to warn the pro-free election group Bersih the de-facto Minister of law said that Bersih will `face the music’ if they take to the street again. The news is strange: didn’t Bersih 2 on July 9th given that treatment already? What is new here? After the `Freedom of Assembly’ bill a minister is refuting it in action by objecting to a citizen group trying to test the `freedom of assembly’ ! Or was it really a `Ban on assembly’ bill? ANyway the interesting thing from his speech was: he claimed to have more support from the voters than the NGO that brought tens of thousands of citizens-who risj `facing the music’ -to speak out for free poll. Is it true? The anti-free poll group tried to rally their supporters to rival Bersih rally. They didn’t succeed-whether from the UMNO Youth group or Perkasa. So: what is he talking about? If citizens can’t assemble to express their opinions peacefully is it not prove enough that there is no free poll in the country? How can a party go about spreading its ideas if they can’t assemble their supporters? May be this is the point: they just don’t want to allow free contest of ideas/policies -so they stop anyone other than themselves to hold public assemblies.

If Bersih 3.0 takes to streets, they’ll face the music

Hazlan Zakaria
Should the pro-electoral reform group Bersih take to the streets yet again, it will face the music, de facto law minister Nazri Aziz warns.

EC’s to implement 7 of 10 PSC’s recomendations-PR or professionalism?

Before the PSC the EC reportedly were considering 30 recommendations to be introduced to Parliament for consideration. Now after PSC made 10 suggestions the EC only will implment a selected 7-so-what happened to the 30 before? The 30 recommendations were never published-but reportedly include considering extending the super-short nomination of 1 hour to 2 days-a recommendation that will drastically cut security cost on nominations days to a mere fraction of its current cost. Many other sensible recommendations were also raised. So: what happened? Again the EC was said to consider automatic registration ie use the NRD’s database to automatically register voters above 21 years old. That will also save millions spent on voter registration every year-besides freeing tremendous human resource wasted by EC all these years to perform a useless exercise which only serve to disenfranchise 4mil eligible citizens! : WHY INDEED the EC seize upon the PSC and do less than what it planned????
Seven PSC proposals accepted for 13th GE
January 19, 2012

The EC has agreed to implement seven out of 10 proposals, while the remaining three are still being studied.

MACC’s standard of corruption ignores realities!

MACC reportedly say that promises of development does not amount to corruptionsee report below)-however the promises could be made in the form of a ground breaking ceremony organised by a government agency with expenses shouldered by the public’s coffer during election period! If the MACC is serious about stopping corruption it should not turn the other ways when all and sundry can see with their own eyes that eg the UMNO president was promised government money to pay for flood mitigation projects in Rejang Park, Sibu during the by-election there! Multi-levels of corruption was committed-only if the MACC care to take it objectively!
Local
December 17, 2011
MACC: Be careful about ‘vote buying’

Candidates warned against handing out cash

ELECTION candidates must take care not to commit acts or make promises during campaigning that could be construed as vote-buying, said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdul said such acts included handing out small amounts of cash to potential voters during campaigning, even if the receivers were not expressly asked to vote for the candidate.

PSC on election reform: will mini-steps turned into a stampede?

The Election Commission is taking up mini-steps of reform from the PSC on election reform -but will the small steps adds up to a moderate leap? Many are watching the series of mini steps adopted: indelible ink, overseas citizens’ vote, early voting for police and military as option(rather than total replacement), faster updating of voters roll etc.While some steps actually move backward(eg abolishing the already short candidate objection period of 1 hour) overall the steps are moving forward. In themselves these are tiny steps -totally ignoring the great majority of the proposals by Bersih, for example. These come about due to citizens pressures-and the EC has declared its support for these steps ahead of the completion of the PSC inquiry. With Bersih 3 being discussed with greater intensity will these mini steps quicken to a moderate leap forward for Malaysian electoral reform-especially ahead of the 13th General Elections? Don’t hold your breath-do something about it!

 

EC gets rid of candidate objection period

UPDATED @ 04:34:56 PM 19-12-2011

By Yow Hong Chieh

December 19, 2011

Bengoh dam compensation not reaching villagers yet!

Unhappy villagers refuse to move to designated resettlement

Posted on December 5, 2011, Monday

Josib Kawin

KUCHING: Several families from Kampung Rejoi, who are dissatisfied with the Bengoh Dam compensation package, have set up a new settlement away from the village.

Rejoi’s village security and development committee (JKKK) deputy secretary Josib Kawin said there was nothing much that could be done to stop them because it was their personal decision to move there.

“They are not happy with what they are getting, so they decided to stay put and build a new settlement,” he said in an interview yesterday.

According to him, some 16 families are believed to be staying at the new settlement located on a hill not too far away from the original village.

Because of this, he hoped that the government and the developers of the Bengoh Dam would consider giving more compensation money, especially when most of them did not get a good deal.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/12/05/unhappy-villagers-refuse-to-move-to-designated-resettlement/#ixzz1fhSTgKJG

Fraudulent election in 2010 was precursor to Egytians’ Tahrir Square revolution!

How far can a government go by stealing elections? The Egyptian revolution offer a good example: fraudulent election was held in on 28th Nov 2010, and popular protest started from Tahrir Square forced the resignation of 3-decades long strongman Hosni Mubarak from power on Feb 11th 2011-a mere 75 days!   All dictatorial regimes should take note of this reality of people power that has been tagged `Arab Spring’ recently!

Hosni Mubarak’s game plan to steal elections have all the familiar ring to it in many similar countries-even Malaysia! Here are his tricks:

* maintain emergency laws which has outlived its original purpose; public’s civil liberty and human rights are curtailed-including detention without warrant and trial! Najib’s promise to repeal emergency laws has not been made with condition that the general elections will come only after the repeal of the laws!

* require publishing permit-so state or crony owned media are the only media in town!Malaysia has the printing press laws that do the similar tricks to muzzle the dissenters;

* restrict party registrations-so the Opposition parties had to run their candidates as independents; numerous parties had problems to get registration in Malaysia-is this purely coincidental?

Bengoh film set to bring visitors to Bengoh!

Bengoh film-viewing and download here!

Bengoh dam has become added burden on the back of villagers displaced!

The Bengoh film is finally available for on-line viewing and download:
1. You Tube
2. Engagemedia