masterwordsmith-unplugged

Just yesterday, my Sarawakian friends were lamenting to me about the gross difference in allocations for them as compared to that given to the Chinese for the Sibu by-election. They pointed me to this article HERE which said:

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today announced government allocations totalling RM926,200 for various community development projects in Iban majority areas in Bawang Assan here.

He said the allocations, which had been approved by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, included RM500,000 to upgrade plankwalks in 29 longhouses and financial assistance of RM600 for each of the 527 Iban families living in them.

Besides these, an allocation of RM60,000 was approved for repairing a badminton hall and RM50,000 for a Methodist Church located near Rumah Baseh, a longhouse in Bawang Assan, about 32 kilometres from here.
......
Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said a kindergarten would also be set up at the longhouse and that his ministry would train locals there to become the pre-school teachers.

He said the allocations reflected the ability of the Barisan Nasional government to fulfill the needs of the people, particularly those living in the rural areas. Read more HERE.

My friends were understandably upset that they would only get a kindergarten in contrast to the amount given to Chinese schools.

Free Malaysia Today reported HERE:

Cabbie Randi was angry. “RM18 million for Chinese schools? They don’t need it, they are rich and they don’t care,” he spewed, adding that the Iban loyalty had never been valued as much.

“We have 110 longhouses, most don’t have piped water or electricity. Giving them RM18 million would guarantee a lifetime of loyalty,“ said Randi in reference to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s announcement on Wednesday of financial aid for 67 schools in the Sibu parliamentary constituency.

They included RM10 million for 60 national-type Chinese schools, RM5 million for five private Chinese secondary schools, RM2 million for Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sacred Heart and RM1 million for Sekolah Kebangsaan St Mary.

An Iban from Kanowit, Randi is both amazed and angry at Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat’s obsession with gaining Chinese votes.

“I cannot understand this obsession. Even from (late) Robert Lau’s days, he only won because of the Malay and Iban support.

“SUPP (Sarawak United People’s Party) and DAP knows this. They have admitted this,” said Randi, a father of four and a former farmer.

The Chinese make up 66.7 percent of Sibu's 54,695 voting population. The Malay/Melanaus, Iban, Bidayuhs and Orang Ulus make up the rest.

While the Dayaks (collective word for Ibans, Bidayuhs ands Orang Ulus) have been touted as kingmakers, their worth in the eyes of the political leaders pale in comparison to the Chinese here.

“If we are the deciders than all SUPP and DAP need to do is look after us well.. Both they don’t. Elections come and go but we don’t exist,” added Randi.

“Some Ibans are very, very poor compared to the Chinese, yet they don’t see us,“ he said adding that he did not expect Najib’s visit to the RH Sebastian Onggoh’s longhouse in Rejang valley yesterday to bring any immediate change.

I read the rants of my friends as they lamented the backwardness of their people and how the plundering of resources never went back to the Sarawakians.

I always believe that aid should be given on a basis of NEEDS rather than other factors. What is the point of dishing out $$$ when it does not trickle to those who need it most?

Many of my church friends have been to Sarawak on mission trips and came back with wonderful testimonies about how lovely are the Ibans and how close-knitted they are in their longhouses. At the same time, I felt very saddened to see photographs of their living conditions and how many drop out of school.

While I am sad that the $$$ did not go to the Ibans and other groups, the rainbow behind this folly is that they can see the discrimination in the amount being disbursed by those who have the moolah!

It is a well-known fact that Sarawak is the richest state in Malaysia and yet its people are amongst the poorest.

I have visited that beautiful state once and hope to do so again with my boy to see my girlfriend and her son in Kuching at the end of the year. Whilst the state may be developed in some areas, the truth is, many have been deprived of enjoying their state's resources by the system.

Read about it at the following links HERE and HERE (MUST READ!!!).

Excerpt from HERE:

Thousands of families in Sarawak have been forced from their homes and lands to make way for dams like Bakun, Batang Ai and now Murum. Worse, the promises of compensation and prosperity made to them by the BN state government of Abdul Taib Mahmud have proved worthless. The compensation, when it has been paid, has not been enough even to pay for their new homes, leaving most of these people in debt and unable to afford promised water and electricity. Often the compensation has not even been paid at all! Read more HERE.

Timber from the vast areas of Sarawak’s unique rainforests have been destroyed to make way for the dams. None of this profit has been returned to the indigenous people who rightfully owned the land.

And this is likely to continue if the status quo is maintained.

Despite the announcement HERE that the federal government, with the collaboration of the Sarawak government, is in the process of finalising a mechanism on how to solve the issue of native customary rights (NCR) land in the state, as announced by Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok yesterday, many are skeptical and believe nothing much can materialize.

So how can things get better? Only via ONE way.

Obviously, there needs to be a state government that treats its people fairly with no discrimination. The fruit of the land must be returned to the people of that land. No two ways about it. If funds are to be given, give fairly!

DAP politicians and their team MUST reach out to the Iban community and other groups fairly and work hard to bring development to their community at all times, not just during by-elections or general elections. Their needs have to be met.

Sibu voters, the time has come to bring about change for the whole state so that every single Sarawakian can enjoy the wealth of its resources FAIRLY, EQUITABLY and FREELY. My heart goes out to those in the interior who do not have net access and are unaware of the true state of affairs.

Sibu voters, you have a very important role to play in effecting change for your state. VOTE WISELY! Vote for DAP!!! Give them a chance to offset change rather than letting the rot continue.