Sarawak must build political consensus to move forward

As one Human capitaldevelopment consultant rightly puts it every society needs minimum consensus,more so in a developing state like Sarawakwith its diverse ethnic and religious groups and other different backgrounds.Sarawak, unlike Semenanjung Malaysia,has about 30 ethnic groups, each with its own custom and tradition andreligious belief; none of them can form a majority without working together. 

This was amplydemonstrated in Sarawak’s first indirectelections or three-tier system elections in the early 60s. Although PartiBerjasa secured biggest number of councilors but the party could not producethe majority in the State legislative Assembly. In other words, the party, withthe biggest number of councilors, could not translate them into a majority inthe State Legislative Assembly and form an independent state government.  

Worse, some moreestablished parties tried to secure the majority using their own ways ofinterpreting the Constitution and situation; the state was plunged into crisisbecause of that.  

Obviously, thepolitical system then was not good enough for Sarawakto necessitate leaders in Party Berjasa and Party Negara to start talking aboutthe merger with the realization that they could never deliver the promises thatthey had made to the people on their own. The results of the elections did not give a clear voice.

Then Party Negarawas influential in First and Second divisions, now Kuching and Samarahandivisions and Sri Aman and Betong divisions respectively and Parti Berjasa inthe rest of Sarawak.   After three years of discussions, Berjasaand Parti Negara merged to become one party called Party Bumiputra.  That heralded the beginning of a new era inthe arduous task to translate the traditional goodwill and harmony of thepeople to become political consensus which later gave birth to Sarawak’s first coalition government, which was also thefirst in the country. 

Dr. R. Palan, aFellow of the British Institute of Learning and Development, says the consensusis breaking down in most countries in Europe and in the Middle East.  But it is thriving inSarawak. This is being reinforced by thephilosophy of the Chief Minister, Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib of building politicalconsensus through his politics of development. 

Dr. Phalan recentlyco-authored a book entitled People Development: A leader’s journey in theTransformation of Sarawak – Taib Mahmud, with Dr. Sabariah Putit, ChiefExecutive Officer of the Centre for Modern Management (CMM).  He believes civil servants can playapolitical advocacy roles in promoting consensus in the society. 

Newly merged PartiBumiputra also tried to merge with SNAP but the gap between them was quitewide. Sarawak’s third Chief Minister, DatoHaji Abdul Rahman Ya’kub (now Tun Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Rahman Ya’kub) wasappointed on July 7, 1970 following the inconclusive results of the Stateelections. His appointment came about following the agreement between PartiBumiputra to form the first Coalition government with SUPP, then viewed as theChinese - based party.  

The formation of thecoalition government between Parti Bumiputra, which represented 2/3 of theMalays and Ibans, Bidayuhs and Orang Ulu, with SUPP represented about 80% ofChinese, provided a working mechanism for the government in the services of thepeople, State and country. 

Then Sarawak was inthe backwater lane of development and facing internal threats in the form ofarmed communist insurgencies from local Communists organization and externalthreat from Sukarno’s Konfrontasi (the late President Sukarno’s crush Malaysiacampaign).  

Undoubtedly, thethreats of armed communist insurgencies also created consciousness amongpolitical leaders and the people to work together to solve the securityproblems and more importantly to bring development to the people. In otherwords, they agreed that they could still work together without necessarilyunifying the parties through the policy of unification. 

Meanwhile, DatoAbdul Rahman, as Secretary - General of Parti Bumiputra, worked tirelessly withthe late Tun Jugah ( then Tan Sri Jugah) who was the President of Parti Pesakato merge Parti Bumiputra with Parti Pesaka. The merger gave birth to PartiPesaka Bumiputra Bersatu Sarawak (PBB) after three years. Since then, it hasemerged as the strongest and most organized party that provides the backbone ofBarisan Nasional in Sarawak.  

Chief Minister,Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud, in his recent speech during a dialogue withlocal heads of departments, says the government must work with at least theminimum of consensus in order to deliver what it has promised to the people.The Bumiputras still believe in having consensus among them while leaders ofthe non Bumiputras must endeavor to promote and strengthen links with thepeople on the ground in order to build greater consensus among them.   

He says theintroduction of the politics of development was his desire to consolidate thegood nature and goodwill of the people comprising of various ethnic andreligious groups in the state.  The bestway to succeed is to build consensus in politics.  That explains why community development underhis leadership started with the words politics of development. It could beanything else like Sarawak’s strategy for development or the economic policyfor social development in Sarawak. 

But he decided toadopt the politics of development as the philosophy of socio-economic andpolitical development with the belief that the best way to succeed was todevelop consensus among the people as the basis to develop consensus inpolitics in order to succeed in the transformation from a developing to adeveloped state by the year 2020 and beyond. 

He considers himselfquite fortunate because he became a politician first as nominated member; hedid not have to fight his way up like chopping other people down.  He was asked by the consensus of the Malaycommunity, which had lost quite heavily in the indirect elections, to representthe community. He agreed to do it for five years; now he does not know why hehas been staying for quite some time. Initially, he did not want to stay beyondfive years.  

Pehin Sri Abdul Taibsays the idea of democracy was not understood by the people in the early yearsafter Merdeka. It must be linked with the idea to do things in more concertedmanner and the ability to unite the people and share sound and meaningful ideaswith them. The greatest link in all these things was to stay in touch and sharecommon aim with the people.  

He says the thingthat binds him together with the people in all his long years in politics is toknow how best to serve and help them. He must know how poor people can becomebetter or illiterate people can get good education. Obviously, the spirit of politicalprocess must be kept alive among people, young people, who are yet to be testedof their knowledge with the reality of the situation, in particular. 

He says he hasconsultations with the people in his house, after prayers. The people tell himthings happenings on the ground.  Theprocess of consultation is very important especially with young people, whobelieve they know more about the economy, finance and management than thegenerations before them. They want to be consulted on socio-economic and politicaldevelopment of the state and country. Besides, the process of consultation isalso to give opportunities for the people to come and see him. 

He is happy that thepeople remain united in spite of attempts by certain groups to createdissension among them.  The people havebeen able to reject the negative propaganda being spread by the opposition intheir attempts to discredit the leadership and the government. Obviously, thepeople are determined to preserve a more positive situation and environment forthemselves and reject the negative one that does not have proper direction butjust a political foray of the opposition.  

Pehin Sri Abdul Taibsays the new generation, who are equipped with knowledge and good education,must be motivated to develop positive attitude and outlook in the future of thestate and country. For example, they must appreciate that when the people areinter-dependent of each other, it is in their own interests to be absorbed inthe development of the growing economy towards the year 2020 and beyond. 

He says he hascovered more than 80% of more than 5,000 settlements comprising of traditionalvillages, longhouses, small towns and bazaars, some of them repeatedly,throughout the State. He covered more than 50% of them during the early yearsimmediately after Merdeka.

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 *Source:

Penerangan Photo

Sarawakians working with foreigners to discredit own country are traitors

By and large,Malaysians in Sarawak do not really bother the website and the online radio,which are very critical of  BarisanNasional-led State government of Sarawak run by Clare Rewcastle Brown, whoclaims to be an investigate journalist. 

Generally, thearticles in the website are full of half-truths or outright lies that contain insinuationsand innuendoes against the state government or leaders in the government. Thewebsite, which does not believe in objectivity in reporting, is a classicexample of the abuse of the cyberspace. Obviously, they can mislead foreignersand give very negative image of Sarawak, butthey have no impact on the local population. 

Initially, theonline radio, once being operated clandestinely like those being operated bythe Communists in 50s and 60s, created a bit of stir but the people no longertalk about it the moment identities of those behind it are unmasked. Papa OrangUtan started his career in radio as a DJ in a small shopping mall. 

Mulu Pinnacles and Mulu Complex

The fact that theState Barisan Nasional was returned with more than a two-third majority in theApril 2011 was a sharp rebuff to Clare’s efforts to discredit Barisan Nasionaland the leadership. But she is doing it again in anticipation of the Generalelections, the Parliamentary elections for Sarawak.She will be rebuffed again because her works have no credibility. Her recentposting in the website alleges that the Chief Minister is not used tocriticisms and stamps like an angry child in the face of them” is a typicalexample of her lies.

Her insertion andcredibility as a journalist, who is obliged to give fair and just reports tothe reading public, is questionable by the fact that the Chief Minister has beentolerant of her sharp criticisms that smack lies and falsehood being spread byher website against him. 

Obviously, she isnot a fair minded person but more inclined toward bias and viciousness; she isincapable of giving fair and correct reports on Sarawak.  For example, she alleges that Sarawak has been deforested and that it is left with 3%of forests land only. That is a total lie. The fact remains, according to theofficial record of Forests Department,  forests cover  9.24 million hectares (92,400 km sq) or 74.2%of Sarawak, with a total area 12.4million hectares (124,000 km sq).

Orang Utan at Sememggoh Wildlife Centre

US Ambassador to Malaysia Paul W. Jones (fifth right) takes a group photo with the SFC team during his visit to Sememggoh Wildlife Centre near Kuching on February, 2011 (http://www.theborneopost.com)

Out of the total 500,000 hectares(5,000 km sq) are primary forests and   3 million hectares (30,000 km sq) or 24% of Sarawak, Secondaryforests. Sarawak’s environment is stillquite clean and healthy.  This isattributable to the decision of the State government to adopt the policy of sustainablemanagement of forests that provides a clear guideline for Sarawakto move towards a clean and friendly environment. In this regard, thedevelopment of industries, the gigantic ones in particular should be developedwith greater usage of research findings and employment of better qualifiedpeople.

The State has gazette a total of six million hectares ofland as permanent Forest Estates comprising of five million hectares as naturalrainforests or sustainable timber production areas. The State has also gazetteone million hectares of land as totally protected areas inclusive of 206,344 hawater bodies. The remaining 5.4 million hectares are for agricultural and otherland uses.

Besides, the Statehas converted about 53% of permanent forests to be planted with quick growingspecies of trees that will make the natural resources to be permanent andsustainable in nature. The trees will be able to yield five times more logsthan those from the indigenous forests. In other words, the outputs from thepermanent forests will not only be more but rich in verities of trees for thefuture timber industry.  

Clare’s credibilityas journalist is seriously being impaired with total reliance on her sidekick,Peter Jaban, a junior school dropout, a semi-illiterate with huge ego. Rightly,he claims himself to be Apai Orang Utan ( Father of Apes) with a childhooddream to stay in England.He is doing so right now, not on his own accord but being employed bymercenaries to discredit his own country, his own state in particular. He hasno qualms of leaving a wife and four children, as reported by opposition websites,though most of his friends and former colleagues believe he has more than onewife. 

Nobody will preventhim from coming back but it is entirely his own decision to stay in England tofulfill his childhood dream to drink beer, whisky or brandy in the company of whiteladies. Of course, the people, even those in his former longhouse in Betong,rightly consider him a pariah, an outcast of his community. 

Clare’s support forthe Opposition does not help her in projecting herself as a credible writer. Generally,Malaysians in Sarawak do not trust AnwarIbrahim and PKR. He has made many promises which he has no qualm to break orforget. He has made numerous promises that until today remain promisesunfulfilled. 

The State Assemblyman (lawmaker) for Tarat, Roland Sagah Wee Inn, in hisrecent speech during the sittings of the State Legislative Assembly, condemnsattemptsby foreigners to interfere with the internal affairs of Sarawak with the evilintention to destabilize the State governmentand undermine the leadership that have been duly elected through the democraticprocess in accordance with theFederal Constitution and election laws. 

Batang Ai Hydro Dam and its lake

Herefers in particular to foreign bodies like the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) and aBritish Reporter, Ms Claire Rewcastle.  Thesepeople are not Sarawakians and neither do they have the mandate to speak forthe people of Sarawak. They are self-appointedpersons whose agenda is to disrupt the prevailing peace, stability and progressin Sarawak. Obviously, they are envious of the State’s development andeconomic progress, which have changed by leaps and bounds as compared with the100 years of rule by British colonialists.  They have persisted in making outrageousand false allegations against the State and government leaders. Actually, theiractivities are tantamount to foreign interferences and attacks on the State’s sovereignty.They are mercenaries out to belittle the capabilities of State leaders to conductand manage our own affairs as an independent state.

Roland, now DatoRoland Sagah, Deputy Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly, says some Sarawakians,who are actively collaborating with the mercenaries are doing do so without any mandate from the people.They are enjoying themselves on the hospitality and comfort being offered byforeigners merely to become their mouth-pieces and stooges in their evilcampaign to destabilize the State, which is renowned for the unity and harmonyof the people in spite of vast ethnic and religious differences.

Hecalls on his colleagues to join him in condemning some Sarawakians,who are working with foreigners to discredit their own country, the State of Sarawak in particular for their treacherous activities; these people are traitors to Malaysia, Sarawakin particular.

Roland says their motive to remain active in working as stooges and mouth-pieces of foreigners, who have neverdone anything beneficial for Sarawak, isdespicable. They are serving foreigners who have evil intention towards Sarawak either to destroy or perhaps to re-colonize it. Thepeople must stand up strongly against all interferences including those byopposition politicians from Peninsular Malaysia in the affairs of Sarawak. The authorities must take action against allthose who collaborate with foreigners in smearing the reputation of Sarawak, the State government and the democraticallyelected leadership. Their activities are detrimental to the peace, harmony and progress of Sarawak.

He says the victory of BarisanNasional in having won more than two thirds majority of seats in theState Legislative Assembly is remarkable with determined efforts by theopposite to discredit it. To be exact the victory is 77% but it can be over 80%with the independents known to be BarisanNasional friendly. Despite the opposition'sbig guns and spin doctors from Semenanjung Malaysia campaigning with alltricks of their trade they were not able to win even one third of the seats in theState Legislative Assembly, let alone to form the state government, which theyhave been dreaming of. 

Oil Palm Plantation (Sarawak Oil Palms Berhad - http://www.sop.com.my)

Personally,he feels honored with Anwar Ibrahim and several SelangorChinese Assemblywomen and men taking a lot of their time to campaign againsthim in his State Constituency of Tarat.  Besides, the Indians from Semenanjung Malaysia faroutnumbered the local ones in putting up the opposition banners and posters in his constituency in the run up to the elections.But the Rakyat reigned supreme.

He claims theopposition uses very dirty tactics to swayvoters by sending misleading messages through SMS. Some polling stations closed by mid day others at 5 pm. But beforemid day there were already many SMS received with the message thatseveral Barisan Nasional leaders had already lost their seats. Obviously, thiswas done to sway voters to vote for the opposition with the belief that it would form the next State Government.

Hecalls on the Election Commission to study these phenomena and find ways toprevent recurrences in future elections. Obviously,the Opposition was prepared to go at extra length to mislead the people to votefor its candidates in the April 2011 elections. Hence, the people must be awareof such dirty tricks in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

   

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 *Photos Source:

http://www.theborneopost.com

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sarawakmonitor.blogspot.vom

http://www.lubokantudo.sarawak.gov.my/ekonomi.html

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