By and large,
Malaysians in Sarawak do not really bother the website and the online radio,
which are very critical of Barisan
Nasional-led State government of Sarawak run by Clare Rewcastle Brown, who
claims to be an investigate journalist.
Generally, the
articles in the website are full of half-truths or outright lies that contain insinuations
and innuendoes against the state government or leaders in the government. The
website, which does not believe in objectivity in reporting, is a classic
example of the abuse of the cyberspace. Obviously, they can mislead foreigners
and give very negative image of Sarawak, but
they have no impact on the local population.
Initially, the
online radio, once being operated clandestinely like those being operated by
the Communists in 50s and 60s, created a bit of stir but the people no longer
talk about it the moment identities of those behind it are unmasked. Papa Orang
Utan started his career in radio as a DJ in a small shopping mall.
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| Mulu Pinnacles and Mulu Complex |
The fact that the
State Barisan Nasional was returned with more than a two-third majority in the
April 2011 was a sharp rebuff to Clare’s efforts to discredit Barisan Nasional
and the leadership. But she is doing it again in anticipation of the General
elections, the Parliamentary elections for Sarawak.
She will be rebuffed again because her works have no credibility. Her recent
posting in the website alleges that the Chief Minister is not used to
criticisms and stamps like an angry child in the face of them” is a typical
example of her lies.
Her insertion and
credibility as a journalist, who is obliged to give fair and just reports to
the reading public, is questionable by the fact that the Chief Minister has been
tolerant of her sharp criticisms that smack lies and falsehood being spread by
her website against him.
Obviously,
she is
not a fair minded person but more inclined toward bias and viciousness;
she is
incapable 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 the
official record of Forests Department, forests
cover 9.24 million hectares (92,400 km sq) or 74.2%
of Sarawak, with a total area 12.4
million 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, Secondary
forests. Sarawak’s environment is still
quite clean and healthy. This is
attributable to the decision of the State government to adopt the policy of sustainable
management of forests that provides a clear guideline for Sarawak
to move towards a clean and friendly environment. In this regard, the
development of industries, the gigantic ones in particular should be developed
with greater usage of research findings and employment of better qualified
people.
The State has gazette a total of six million hectares of
land as permanent Forest Estates comprising of five million hectares as natural
rainforests or sustainable timber production areas. The State has also gazette
one million hectares of land as totally protected areas inclusive of 206,344 ha
water bodies. The remaining 5.4 million hectares are for agricultural and other
land uses.
Besides, the State
has converted about 53% of permanent forests to be planted with quick growing
species of trees that will make the natural resources to be permanent and
sustainable in nature. The trees will be able to yield five times more logs
than those from the indigenous forests. In other words, the outputs from the
permanent forests will not only be more but rich in verities of trees for the
future timber industry.
Clare’s credibility
as 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 childhood
dream to stay in England.
He is doing so right now, not on his own accord but being employed by
mercenaries to discredit his own country, his own state in particular. He has
no 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 one
wife.
Nobody will prevent
him from coming back but it is entirely his own decision to stay in England to
fulfill his childhood dream to drink beer, whisky or brandy in the company of white
ladies. 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 for
the Opposition does not help her in projecting herself as a credible writer. Generally,
Malaysians in Sarawak do not trust Anwar
Ibrahim and PKR. He has made many promises which he has no qualm to break or
forget. He has made numerous promises that until today remain promises
unfulfilled.
The State Assemblyman (lawmaker) for Tarat, Roland Sagah Wee Inn, in his
recent speech during the sittings of the State Legislative Assembly, condemns
attempts
by foreigners to interfere with the internal affairs of Sarawak with the evil
intention to destabilize the State government
and undermine the leadership that have been duly elected through the democratic
process in accordance with the
Federal Constitution and election laws.
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| Batang Ai Hydro Dam and its lake |
He
refers in particular to foreign bodies like the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) and a
British Reporter, Ms Claire Rewcastle. These
people are not Sarawakians and neither do they have the mandate to speak for
the people of Sarawak. They are self-appointed
persons whose agenda is to disrupt the prevailing peace, stability and progress
in Sarawak. Obviously, they are envious of the State’s development and
economic progress, which have changed by leaps and bounds as compared with the
100 years of rule by British colonialists. They have persisted in making outrageous
and false allegations against the State and government leaders. Actually, their
activities are tantamount to foreign interferences and attacks on the State’s sovereignty.
They are mercenaries out to belittle the capabilities of State leaders to conduct
and manage our own affairs as an independent state.
Roland, now Dato
Roland 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 by
foreigners merely to become their mouth-pieces and stooges in their evil
campaign to destabilize the State, which is renowned for the unity and harmony
of the people in spite of vast ethnic and religious differences.
He
calls 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, Sarawak
in particular.
Roland says their motive to remain active in working as stooges and mouth-pieces of foreigners, who have never
done anything beneficial for Sarawak, is
despicable. They are serving foreigners who have evil intention towards Sarawak either to destroy or perhaps to re-colonize it. The
people must stand up strongly against all interferences including those by
opposition politicians from Peninsular Malaysia in the affairs of Sarawak. The authorities must take action against all
those who collaborate with foreigners in smearing the reputation of Sarawak, the State government and the democratically
elected leadership. Their activities are detrimental to the peace, harmony and progress of Sarawak.
He says the victory of Barisan
Nasional in having won more than two thirds majority of seats in the
State Legislative Assembly is remarkable with determined efforts by the
opposite to discredit it. To be exact the victory is 77% but it can be over 80%
with the independents known to be Barisan
Nasional friendly. Despite the opposition's
big guns and spin doctors from Semenanjung Malaysia campaigning with all
tricks of their trade they were not able to win even one third of the seats in the
State Legislative Assembly, let alone to form the state government, which they
have been dreaming of.
Personally,
he feels honored with Anwar Ibrahim and several Selangor
Chinese Assemblywomen and men taking a lot of their time to campaign against
him in his State Constituency of Tarat. Besides, the Indians from Semenanjung Malaysia far
outnumbered 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 the
opposition uses very dirty tactics to sway
voters by sending misleading messages through SMS. Some polling stations closed by mid day others at 5 pm. But before
mid day there were already many SMS received with the message that
several Barisan Nasional leaders had already lost their seats. Obviously, this
was done to sway voters to vote for the opposition with the belief that it would form the next State Government.
He
calls on the Election Commission to study these phenomena and find ways to
prevent recurrences in future elections. Obviously,
the Opposition was prepared to go at extra length to mislead the people to vote
for its candidates in the April 2011 elections. Hence, the people must be aware
of such dirty tricks in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.
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