SUPP still stuck at square one

KUCHING: Is reconciliation, as instructed by the top Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership, the solution to end the bitter internal squabbles in SUPP?

SUPP Sibu chairman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, who heads one faction, said it was no longer a practical option, but the party’s secretary-general Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian, from the other camp, said reconciling was “part and parcel of politics” and it should be pursued.

Wong, who is also Second Finance Minister, told The Borneo Post yesterday that as much as his faction wanted to adhere to the BN top leadership instructions to reconcile, they had given up on the idea.

He said his faction, which comprises six assemblymen including him, had tried their best to patch up, but all initiatives failed as there was no sincerity from the faction headed by party president Tan Sri Peter Chin.

Wong, who is also Bawang Assan assemblyman and Minister of Local Government and Community Development, said he had in fact spoken to Chin on two occasions, during which they had more or less compromised to end the impasse, but claimed Chin messed it up in the end.

Read more: HERE

Cabinet decides no rise in cooking oil price

PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet yesterday decided that there will be no increase in the price of cooking oil, said Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Urging consumers to refrain from panic buying, he said this dismissed allegations by certain quarters that the price would rise before the Chinese New Year, which falls on Feb 3 and 4.

He said panic buying would cause consumers to be at the losing end and benefit unscrupulous distributors, wholesalers and shopkeepers.

Some places are experiencing shortage of cooking oil after one company stopped selling 4,000 metric tons of cooking oil last month while irregularities occurred in the wholesaling and repacking activities, he told a news conference after the Cabinet meeting here.

Ismail Sabri said following discussions with the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, it was decided that cooking oil supply would be increased by 14,000 tonnes, bringing the total production to 84,000 metric tonnes this month to offset the shortage.

Meanwhile, the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry in collaboration with the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption

Commission and the Inland Revenue Board has established a task force to solve the artificial cooking oil shortage.

Ismail Sabri said the task force would take action and investigate irregularities in the production, repackaging and distribution of cooking oil.

He denied a claim by the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia that the shortage of cooking oil in several states was due to lack of coordination among various ministries and agencies.

“It is not true. Since early December, when one or two shops did not get cooking oil supply, the ministry immediately convened a meeting with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board and the Plantation Industries and

Commodities Ministry to solve the problem. We have met six times until today,” he said.

On the increase in the prices of RON97 petrol and kerosene by 10 sen respectively effective yesterday, he said the price hike was not announced by the government as they were dependent on the world’s crude oil price unlike RON95 petrol price which was a price-controlled item.

The Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia announced on Tuesday that RON97 petrol would now cost RM2.40 per litre while kerosene RM2.50 per litre. — Bernama

Source : Borneo Post Online

Govt to act on high price of imported mutton

KUALA LUMPUR:  The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry is to meet wholesalers today on the high price of imported Australian mutton which retails at RM19 per kg, RM2 above the ceiling price.

Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said yesterday the ministry might review the ceiling retail price of RM17 in view of the high wholesale price for the product.

“Due to the high wholesale price, retailers are forced to sell imported Australian mutton at RM19 per kg,” he told reporters after a visit to the Sentul market here to ensure that controlled items were being sold at the set prices for Deepavali which falls on Friday.

Ismail Sabri expressed satisfaction with the prices of the 14 other controlled items set for 10 days from today in view of the Deepavali festive season.

These items include chicken, local bone-in mutton, chicken eggs, red chillies, tomatoes, Indian small red onions, imported potatoes and Australian dhall.

“We impose price control during festive seasons because traders are likely to raise prices due to the higher demand then.

“I believe the demand for dhall will rise (during the Deepavali season), so we impose the price control,” he said.

Ismail Sabri said 1,600 monitoring officers and 2,000 enforcement officers had been deployed to check on the prices of the controlled items nationwide for the 10 days.

He also reminded traders to display the pink tags for the prices of the controlled items to enable consumers differentiate them from the ordinary goods, saying that offenders would be prosecuted.

He advised the people to lodge reports on any misconduct by traders via the hotline 1-800-88-6800 or email eaduan@kpdnkk.gov.my. — Bernama

Source : BorneoPost Online

Ghostly apparition blamed for car crash

KUCHING: A man claimed he saw a ghostly apparition, which caused him to lose control of his car and crashed along Jalan Puncak Borneo, near here early yesterday.

According to an unnamed relative, the 31-year-old man was heading back to his village around 4.15am when a ‘white figure’ appeared from nowhere and ‘dashed’ across the dark road in front of him.

The sight of the apparition shocked him to the point where he lost control of his Perodua Viva, which overturned on the road and caused the unfortunate driver to sustain serious injuries to his right arm.

Local villagers who heard the crash called for an ambulance to take the victim to the Sarawak General Hospital.

In an unrelated accident, a foreign college student sustained minor injuries to his head and leg following a two-car collision at a traffic light junction along Jalan Song on Tuesday night.

The victim was a passenger in a Perodua Kenari driven by a fellow student when they crashed into the side of a Honda CRV driven by a man around 10.30pm.

According to a witness, the latter vehicle was making a turn from Jalan Song into Taman BDC, while the students were travelling straight along the main road.

The two drivers were not injured in the incident.

District traffic police personnel was present at the scene to investigate the collision and later recorded the statement of both drivers when they lodged a report.

Source : BorneoPost Online

Beluru-Lapok Road to be upgraded before state election — Sagan

LONG PELUTAN: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak gave an assurance that upgrading works on Beluru-Lapok Road would be implemented before the next election.

“The Prime Minister wants to make sure that the project is carried out before year-end or before the next election. He doesn’t want this project to be called an election gimmick by people and some parties particularly the opposition,” said International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan during his working visit to his constituency yesterday.

The 42-kilometre-long bone-jarring road has for decades been the subject of colourful expletives among many road users travelling between Baram and Miri.

The road condition is so bad that motorists have to dig deep into their pockets for regular vehicle maintenance.

Najib, during his visit to Long Banga on July 22, had announced an allocation of RM100 million for the project, which raised the people’s confidence that the road would finally be built.

The people applauded when Sagan made the announcement during the ‘1Malaysia Together with Leaders’ gathering organised by Special Affairs Department (Jasa) in collaboration with Kampung Daleh Long Pelutan’s Village Development and Security Committee.

“I had a meeting with the Prime Minister in Kuala Lumpur recently and he wants to make sure that the project will start as soon as possible and before the next election,” said Sagan.

According to Sagan, the contractors for the project will bring their equipment and machinery to the project site in the next couple of weeks.

Sagan applauded the formation of ‘Komiti Besar Adet & Tanah’ (Customary and Land Main Committee) which will look into the development of native customary rights (NCR) lands in his constituency.

In this context, he urged the people to cooperate and work together with the main committee to determine their land boundaries and ensure that there will be no disputes in the future. The committee will act as a body to administer and manage the development of the land.

Source : BorneoPost Online

Govt to alienate 24,000 hectares for Penans

KUCHING: The government will alienate some 24,000 hectares of land in upper Murum for the Penans, revealed Land Development Minister Dato Sri Dr James Jemut Masing.

He said the land would be alienated for the Penans even after the Murum hydroelectric power (HEP) Dam is completed.

Masing added that the government would not allocate the land for the Penan reservation as the concept has been proven a failure in the developed countries.

“In the long run we want them to change. Now, most of the Penan children wear Levi’s Jeans and dye their hair. Do you think they will follow their fathers’ footstep?

“No, but we have to give them time to change. So the next 25 years is critical for them,” Masing told reporters at his residence here yesterday.

He said currently, there are some 1,000 Penans living in the Upper Murum Dam project area.

“Currently there is a legal logging activity in the area. So we hope the enforcement agencies will keep their eyes open so that the loggers will not over harvest the timbers but cut the trees based on ‘selected logging’,” said Masing.

In a related issue, he admitted that the government had made mistakes in the past and that it was in the process of rectifying the issue especially in the implementation of the Bakun Dam project.

“I don’t want to lie to the foreigners as they can always ‘google’ the area and see for themselves.

“And also we cannot afford to make mistakes anymore as we will seek foreign investors for both our future projects such as land development and for Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE),” he added.

Masing admitted that he felt bad as if he was lying to   some NGOs while in London recently.

“Actually I did not realise the actual fact,” he said.

As such, Masing said the relevant government agencies would have to plant both commercial timber as well as hybrid sago for the Penans when the logging activities cease in future.

“As the Penans are known for being good weavers, rattan should also be replanted.

“The concept that we must maintain is for the environment to remain pristine at the upper Murum Dam to prevent silting,” he added.


Source : BorneoPost Online

Former Telang Usan assemblyman may contest in next election

MARUDI: Former Telang Usan assemblyman Kebing Wan looks set to contest against the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate in the constituency during the coming state election.

This is because he was often seen moving around to various Iban and Kayan longhouses in the constituency.

Just last Friday night, he was accompanied by Sarawak National Party (SNAP) president Edwin Dundang Bugak on a visit to Rumah Lansam, Sg Dabai about five km  from  here where  they  held  a  dialogue, purportedly well-attended by the longhouse folks.

On Saturday night, Kebing visited and held a meeting with the people of Long Panai in Tutoh Region.

He also claimed to have received encouraging response when visiting several longhouses in Upper Baram and Lio Mato.

Kebing, a well-known figure in this constituency, served as a political secretary to the Chief Minister for about 16 years and a chairman of PBB Telang Usan before joining the opposition. In the 2006 state election, he stood on a SNAP ticket but lost to BN candidate and incumbent Lihan Jok in a three-cornered fight for the seat. He managed to garner 1,822 votes while Lihan obtained 4,593 votes. The other contender, Independent candidate Lidam Janang managed only 144 votes.

Known for his never-say-die attitude even though defeated in previous elections, Kebing won the Telang Usan seat when he defeated political secretary to the Chief Minister Robert Laing Anyie in the 1998 state election.

Besides Kebing, there are rumours that another Orang Ulu businessman will join the fray. Reliable sources said the coming state election will see a keen fight in Telang Usan.

Source : BorneoPost Online

Kijan, Angeline, Sih, Tengku dilantik Setiausaha Politik KM

KUCHING: Kaunselor Kijan Toynbee @ Ipang, Angeline Umih Tujoh, Sih Hua Tong dan Tengku Gruna semalam dilantik sebagai Setiausaha Politik kepada Ketua Menteri.

Majlis angkat sumpah dan menandatangani surat rahsia serta penyampaian watikah pelantikan kepada Kijan, Angeline, Sih dan Tengku semalam disaksikan oleh Timbalan Ketua Menteri Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang.

Upacara tersebut diadakan di Wisma Bapa Malaysia, Petra Jaya di sini, semalam.

Kijan berusia 54 tahun, berasal dari Bario dan berbangsa Kelabit.

Beliau berkhidmat sebagai kaunselor bandar Miri selama 15 tahun.

Beliau juga merupakan naib pengerusi Wanita Parti Progresif Demokratik Sarawak (SPDP) Pusat.

Selain itu, beliau juga memegang jawatan pengerusi Wanita SPDP Piasau Miri dan pengerusi Wanita Persekutuan Persatuan Orang Ulu Malaysia.

Manakala Angelina daripada Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) merupakan ahli Majlis Ter- tinggi Wanita PRS.

Sih, 46, merupakan Ketua Pemuda Parti Rakyat Bersatu Sarawak (SUPP).

Manakala Tengku, 50, berasal dari Song merupakan  Juruaudit Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Bahagian Song.

Sementara itu, Ketua Setiausaha Politik Ketua Menteri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah berkata pelantikan empat muka baru itu diyakini akan mengukuhkan lagi kestabilan politik di negeri ini.

Keyakinan beliau itu disuara-kan ekoran pengalaman luas mereka dalam bidang masing-masing.

“Saya sangat gembira dengan pelantikan setiausaha politik Ketua Menteri yang baru, yang menjadikan jumlah kesemuanya ialah 23 orang terma-suk 19 muka lama.

“Tahniah kepada semua mereka atas pelantikan dan saya berharap mereka akan memberi komitmen terbaik kepada kerjaya baru,” katanya ketika dihubungi semalam.


Bagi muka lama yang dilantik semula, beliau mahu mereka terus komited kepada tugas dan pada masa sama menjalinkan kerjasama baik dengan muka-muka baru dalam barisan jawatan tersebut.

Sumber : BorneoPost Online

Tsunami anak luar nikah

KUCHING: Berdasarkan kajian, seorang bayi luar nikah dilahirkan setiap 17 minit di negara ini, kata Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Senator Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim.

Menurutnya, negara sekarang dilanda satu bentuk tsunami apabila didapati terdapat kira-kira 250,000 anak luar nikah yang tidak didaftarkan setiap tahun.

“Kita mendapati terdapat kirakira 250,000 anak luar nikah yang tidak didaftarkan dan jika kita pecahkan kepada bulan angkanya adalah 80,000 atau bersamaan dengan seorang bayi untuk setiap 17 minit.

“Angka ini kalau kita amati adalah sangat menakutkan dan jumlah ini adalah yang kita dapat kenal pasti dan tidak termasuk kes yang tidak kita ketahui,” jelasnya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika berucap dalam Program Sesi Bersama Pemimpin: Perpaduan 1Malaysia di sini, semalam.

Menurutnya, gejala negatif tersebut serta kes pembuangan bayi yang semakin berleluasa adalah disebabkan faktor tidak mampu mengawal nafsu terutamanya di kalangan remaja.

Sehubungan itu menurutnya, hubungan seks dilakukan secara berleluasa yang akhirnya menjurus kepada kelahiran anak luar nikah.

“Hubungan seks kini bukan sekadar berlaku di peringkat pelajar sekolah menengah tetapi apa yang memeranjatkan adalah ia turut berlaku di kalangan murid sekolah rendah.

“Namun yang paling menyedihkan adalah sesetengahnya sempat merakam perbuatan tidak senonoh tersebut dan diedarkan kepada rakanrakan,” katanya.

Menurutnya lagi, antara faktor yang menyebabkan remaja semakin cenderung untuk melakukan aktiviti seksual adalah disebabkan pengaruh internet.

Menurutnya, berbeza dengan zaman dahulu, ibu bapa boleh menghela nafas lega jika anak-anak berada di dalam bilik.

Namun apa yang berlaku pada zaman sekarang adalah hanya jasad anakanak berada di dalam bilik tetapi minda mereka meneroka dunia global melalui internet yang penuh dengan gejala-gejala negatif seperti video lucah tambahnya.

Oleh itu, untuk membendung gejala ini, beliau menggesa agar ibu bapa menanam satu perasaan malu di dalam diri anak masing-masing.

“Kalau dahulu orang Melayu kita kalau mandi pun berkemban kerana perasaan malu yang tinggi dan kita berharap perasaan malu ini dapat ditanam di dalam anak-anak untuk mengelak berlakunya maksiat yang berleluasa,” katanya.

Dalam ucapan yang sama beliau turut menyentuh mengenai perpaduan di mana beliau menasihatkan agar perpaduan dimulakan secara kecil iaitu bermula daripada institusi rumah tangga.

Menurutnya juga, amalan berkongsi adalah asas kepada terciptanya toleransi yang menjurus kepada perpaduan.

Hadir sama semalam adalah Menteri di Pejabat Ketua Menteri Datin Fatimah Abdullah, Mufti Sarawak Ustaz Kipli Yassin dan Pengarah Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) Cawangan Sarawak Nawi Abu Bakar.

Sumber : BorneoPost Online

RM100 juta untuk Jalan Lapok

LONG BANGA, Miri: Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak semalam mengumumkan peruntukan RM100 juta bagi menaik taraf Jalan Beluru-Lapok sekali gus menamatkan penderitaan ribuan penduduk Baram yang sekian lama menunggu.

Penduduk di Baram yang telah menunggu lebih 50 tahun untuk melihat jalan berkenaan tidak lagi berdebu ketika panas dan becak ketika hujan pastinya boleh tersenyum, justeru pengumuman oleh Perdana Menteri semalam telah disambut tepukan gemuruh oleh lebih3,000 rakyat di Ulu Baram yang hadir untuk majlis pemimpin bersama rakyat di Long Banga.

Para pemilik kenderaan juga sudah boleh menarik nafas lega kerana sebelum ini mereka terpaksa mengeluarkan kos yang tinggi untuk menyelenggara dan memperbaiki kenderaan kerana keadaan jalan yang kritikal.

“Saya akan pastikan projek ini akan dilaksanakan dalam masa terdekat. Kerajaan memahami kesukaran yang dihadapi oleh penduduk Baram berikutan keadaan jalan yang terlalu teruk,” kata Najib ketika mengumumkan khabar gembira itu di Long Banga, Ulu Baram kira-kira 10 jam perjalanan dari Miri melalui jalan balak.

Jalan Lapok sepanjang 42 kilometer antara Beluru dan pekan Lapok itu merupakan satu-satunya jalan yang menghubungkan lebih 1,000 penempatan etnik Orang Ulu, Iban dan Penan.

Menurut Najib langkah untuk menaik taraf Jalan Lapok ini sejajar dengan semangat 1Malaysia iaitu ‘Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan.’

Pada majlis yang sama, Najib yang juga Menteri Kewangan mengumumkan peruntukan RM7.5 juta bagi menjalankan projek hidro mini (RM6 juta) dan akses jalan ke padang terbang (RM1 juta) dan RM500,000 lagi untuk Projek Klinik Bergerak Long Jekitan.

Beliau turut mengumumkan bantuan kewangan di bawah Skim Penanaman Semula Getah di Sarawak yang turut dinaikkan ke RM14,000 berbanding sekarang RM10,000.

“Semua peruntukan ini adalah sebahagian usaha berterusan kerajaan untuk memastikan rakyat di pedalaman tidak terus terpinggir dan sama-sama mengecapi pembangunan seperti di bandar,” katanya.

Terdahulu, ketibaan Najib serta rombongan menggunakan pesawat Black Hawk telah disambut dengan penuh tradisi komuniti Orang Ulu diketuai oleh Timbalan Ketua Menteri Datuk Patinggi Alfred Jabu.

Sebaik sahaja tiba di Long Banga, Najib dibawa merasmikan Jambatan Sungai Puak dan seterusnya menghadiri sesi pemimpin bersama rakyat.

Terdahulu, Jabu dalam ucapannya memuji Najib yang telah begitu rendah hati untuk turun ke kawasan Ulu Baram bagi bertemu rakyat di situ.

Beliau turut mengecam tindakan parti pembangkang yang cuba menjejaskan imej kerajaan menggunakan pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) bagi mengembargemburkan isu Penan.

Hadir sama Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein, Menteri Kemajuan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, Menteri Sumber Asli dan Aalam Sekitar Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas dan Menteri Tenaga, Teknologi Hijau dan Air Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui serta dif-dif kenamaan lain.

Sumber : BorneoPost Online

Bayi lelaki dijumpai masih selamat di belakang rumah kedai

KUCHING: Seorang bayi lelaki yang baru berusia dua hari dijumpai di belakang rumah kedai di Taman Beverly, Batu 13, Jalan Kuching-Serian di sini, semalam.

Bayi tersebut yang masih hidup dijumpai oleh seorang wanita warga emas pada jam 11.30 pagi.

Wanita berusia 60 tahun itu menghampiri tempat bayi tersebut dibuang apabila ternampak bebe-rapa ekor anjing mengerumuni satu bungkusan kain putih.

Apabila mengesyaki sesuatu, dia menghubungi polis. Setibanya di tempat kejadian, polis mendapati bungkusan tersebut mengandungi bayi yang masih bernyawa.

Polis kemudian membawa bayi tersebut ke Balai Polis Siburan.

Bayi itu kemudiannya dibawa ke Hospital Umum Sarawak (HUS) untuk menjalani pemeriksaan kesihatan.

Ketua Polis Kuching ACP Mun Kock Keong mengesahkan laporan dibuat di Balai Polis Siburan.

Sumber : BorneoPost Online