Reasons for latest speculation on state elections-are they good enough?

The latest speculation on the imminent state elections in Sarawak is: dissolution of State Assembly by end of March and polling in April. Reasons:

1. PM & DPM will converge in Sarawak this Saturday-rare but reflect the imminence of elections; But these 2 VIPs have been criss-crossing Sarawak for a while already-actually since last year! If anyone were just to monitor the mainstream media reports you can more than confirm this;

2. Taib reportedly met the Governor today; Normally the CM will meet the Governor after the dissolution of the State Assembly; so: there is a doubt if the meeting with the Governor is really on the dissolution; May be it is about delaying it?

3. James Masing said Taib dropped `strong hint’ on April election because Taib asked them to prepare for state elections in the State Cabinet meeting; Not sure if there was a Cabinet meeting where Taib did not ask the parties to get ready for elections?

For all the inconclusive reasons we can refer to the last state elections:

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Mingat survived beating by logger to tell the horror story in his own words

Many people were probably shocked to read about Mingat Ak Yakin who was beaten into a pulp last month by a logging company who encroached into his ancestral land near Sarikei. He recovered but not his voice. In a hoarse voice he tell his own story in a video here. This kind of violence has been tolerated by the state government for a long time-let’s see if the voters will do the same this time at the imminent state elections. Mingat(right in the picture above) will be telling his story to a West Malaysian audience tomorrow night at KLSCAH assembly hall.

In any case the election in Sarikei was a close fight between DAP and SUPP, where SUPP won due to split opposition candidates.

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Taib wants`better understanding’ of NCR laws to make it easier for `development’

Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud repeat his wish to simplify the NCR laws to make it easier to `develop’ the NCR lands. It will involve changing the laws to extinguish NCR rights and convert the NCR lands into commercial `land banks’ which can be more easily bought and sold. What he never quite clarify is: why after decades of the operation of the `development’ of the NCR lands the natives said to be the beneficiary of such development are still left behind in the `modern’ Sarawak? Worst: he never explain why only 1 family of the natives got rich of all these development ie he and his family!

Tuesday March 15, 2011

Taib: Know native law

By SHARON LING
sharonling@thestar.com.my
Photo by ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE

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