Open letter to Dr. James from SKY

From Sim Kwan Yang Blog Hornbill Unleashed April 2, 2009
An open letter to James Masing

By SKY (Sim Kwang Yang) ( Kenyalang578@hotmail.com)

Dear James,

You have been reported by the Borneo Post online (31.3.2009) as blaming Jawa Garang for the lack of development in Batang Ai, because Jawa did not lobby for projects during his five terms as MP.

This sort of political narrative from a personal friend of 25 years astonishes me. Surely a person with such academic credential and long record in politics like you can say something more inspiring?

Development projects are a right to be enjoyed by tax payers, and not candies to be dangled by the ruling parties in any election to fish for votes.

Ibans are tax-payers too

The poor Ibans in Batang Ai may not pay much in income tax, because they are so poor in cash income. But for everything they buy, such as daily necessities, farm tools, fertilizers, fuel, machinery, construction materials, food, clothing, seeds, and everything they need, they pay the excise tax, sales tax, and the import tax already hidden in the retail price.

The only tax-free things they enjoy are the air they breathe. As tax-paying citizens, they have the basic human right to development in basic infrastructure.

Social Contract

Then there is the social contract. I do not mean the silly social contract that UMNO refers to. I mean the one proposed by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau, whom you must have read in your pursuit of a Ph. D.

That contract is a theoretical construct, but its does offer the ground for the legitimacy of government.

There, a government is legitimate morally as long as it looks after the personal security, the prosperity, and the natural rights of citizens. When that government fails in its duty to the governed, then the people have the right to change the government – by a revolution even according to Locke.

Therefore, it is the duty of the federal and state government to provide basic development to the people of Batang Ai, even without the MP lobbying for it! That is what a government for the people, by the people, and of the people is supposed to do.

No money?

You may offer the lame excuse that Sarawak is too vast, with over 5000 villagers spread in isolation. It is too expensive to provide basic infrastructure to all poor Sarawakians in the rural area.

How about the money generated from the timber wealth? How can they be channelled to the people rather than a few connected individuals? How about the profit generated by land use for plantation purposes? These are within the jurisdiction of the Sarawak state government after all.

How about the fantastic wealth generated by Sarawak’s indigenous oil and gas? Since you and your state government are so good at lobbying, why have you not lobbied for 20% royalty from the black gold beneath our feet?

Look at the West

In West Malaysia, electricity supply has reached 95% of the population. I think clean water and road access are about that figure. I do not like UMNO, but let’s give them credit for making some real change in rural Malaya. In the Klang Valley, the per capita income is something like RM 5000 per month! Lim Guan Eng has just announced that there are no longer cases of hard-core poverty in Penang State. Somehow, some of the money used in developing Malaya must have come from revenue from Sarawak oil and gas?

In contrast, 80% of the Ibans probably make less than RM 1000 per year.

Since you and your colleagues in the Sarawak BN are such effective lobbyists, can you please get some more funds from UMNO to eradicate poverty in Sarawak?

You and Sarawak BN have a powerful bargaining chip. You can threaten to withdraw support for the BN at the federal level, and help Pakatan Rakyat form the next federal government. After all, UMNO now depends on you guys to hold on to power in Putrajaya!

Many years ago, you told me in a private conversation that the Dayaks cannot be in the opposition. When I started in politics in 1978 in Bandar Kuching, many Chinese voters told me the same thing too.

This is where we disagree. The Dayaks can be in an opposition that can take power to become the government for the sake, not only of the Dayaks, but also for justice for all Sarawakians and all Malaysians.

I am now a private citizen and a pensioner. The Borneo Post would probably not print my letter. So I have to print it here, in cyberspace. I hope one of the readers will send it directly to you

If you choose to reply, please send it to my email below. I promise you it will be published here in full and without censorship. Then we can have a frank debate between two fellow Anak Sarawak, just as we did about two decades ago in the media on the Bakun Dam.

Good health to you and your family,

Yours truly,

Sim Kwang Yang

(Kenyalang578@hotmail.com)

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April 2, 2009 · Filed Under General

Comments

10 Responses to “Open letter to Dr. James from SKY”

Nendak lemai on April 2nd, 2009 4:02 pm

Thanks Mr. Sky
I agreed with you, let pour out more water to his face including Jabu also. We young dayak is not like in the old days. What is the use to have a vision 2020 if we dayak peoples still left behind all the time. Pls, help our dayak leaders especially who is our wakil rayat not called YB. may be what they have in their mind politic is always raw.
Pls. give us a support to win Batang Ai by election.

Thanks Good Luck to you.
Joseph Alexander Renang on April 2nd, 2009 4:16 pm

I do hope that Masing will take up your challenge and explain to the people of Sarawak on what he has done for Sarawakians and the Ibans specially.
Gone are the days of political patronage and guided democracy for what we do have now is democracy by the people for the people. The rakyats especially the post-merdeka generation are matured electorate and they know what the BN government has done and has been doing all this while.
We seek social justice for all Sarawakians and we seek equitable distribution of wealth for all Sarawakians. BN’s politic of development which is mere rhetoric is not what we aspire to. The selective developments of Taib’s BN administration is what we are not happy about.
I often wonder are our Dayak BN leaders blind or they have eyes but blind to the reality of the problems facing their own people. Don’t they ever wonder why obscure places like Mukah, Samarahan, Tg. Manis are being developed, and why Kapit is still lagging behind? Dr. James, I guess you have the answer.
Anak Ulu Undop on April 2nd, 2009 4:58 pm

An open letter to James Masing.

Manah amai enti JJM bisi macha surat tu lalu belemati ka pengamat iya.
JJM Junior on April 2nd, 2009 5:04 pm

That’s nothing new to me. The ex and present YBs and most of the rakyat are aware of it even before the formation of Malaysia.

All dayak YBs who have the opportunity to talk about it at DUN & parliament were/ are blind and dumb about the real poor situation of public infrastructures/ amenities in dayaks inhabited areas. Dont blame Jabu & Jemut only.

What wonder me most is whoever had won on BN ticket could not see the problems but when they joined the oppositon, almost immediately they point fingers at their Master Uban. Why took him a quarter of a century to realise the situation?

Dayakbaru needs the young generation to change but why nominated someone who are slow to change?

This also remind me of (pantang memaluh) saying that, ” we cannot take the flesh but can drink the soup of the same meat”

On that principle I dont agree with Dayakbaru struggles. However, I have the confident in Anwar (vision) to change the politics of Sarawak- its wealth is for every Malaysian and not for the famous & rich only.
changop4540 on April 2nd, 2009 5:33 pm

There is no good Iban politician around. This is because the nature that Iban in the past are isolated in the interior and they don’t interested in politic, because to them whoever the government does not make any sense in their lives.They not even know who is the goverment and needless to know the names of the ministers.

Iban are always try to distance themselves even from their own tribes in the past.They don’t even bother to register themselves as the legal voters. They are totally shun from politic.

Even now our representative cannot lead us properly because lack of innovation. They cannot address the current issue facing their own people. every election they are harping in NCR land issues, project jalai, jambatan, api letrik, ai paip for almost every election.Don’t dwell on these micky mouse things anymore, we have enough of those.

No Iban leaders are fighting for scholarship quota, easy banking scheme, getting more high ranking officer in goverment sector, creating more CEO’s in private sector and GLC’s, getting promotion. Turning NCR land into plantation which is fully own, managed by the Dayak, creating more Dyak businessman thus creating Dayak billionaire.

It’s time for us to demand for these changes after 45 years been independent.
Engkala Midar on April 2nd, 2009 8:52 pm

Yes, good ideas unggal changop and 1 more thing plz do not talk to much about dayak. Why not change it to rakyat sarawak. Otherwise bangsa lain akan panggil kita dayak baru perkauman. Arap semua bala bak blog ditu merati ke jako diri empu. Anggap meh kitai empu bangsa bukai ti nemu jako iban maca jako kitai bak blog ditu. Enda ke orang ngumbai kitai ti perkauman. Asai bak aku uji tapis mimit meh jako kitai ke iban ditu.

Anang nganu unggal ti jako bisi kasar.. minta ampun.
changop4540 on April 2nd, 2009 9:16 pm

Unggal Engkala, those who fight for their race is not racist. Why are we racist and yet we don’t have any single racist iban/ Dayak political parties. We are not well represented.

Other races have MIC for the Indian, MIC for the Chinese, UMNO for the malays. All this parties formed to fight the rights of their race.

We want to be in par with them in every opportunities that are available in this nation. We are not ready to be call Bangsa Malaysia yet, and it will not happen unless we abolish all this race base party first.
bencuk on April 2nd, 2009 9:28 pm

Amat nya ucak Engkala. Nyangka UMNO kena sunami laban sida nyebut pasal Melayu aja aja.Meistimewakan Melayu lebih ari status bumiputra ke bukai.
Bujang Telajak on April 3rd, 2009 10:58 am

To me, Dr GameMustChange must change his game. He is check mate.

No matter how much he want to change, he can’t change.
Panjai Runding Panjai Ruai on April 3rd, 2009 12:26 pm

Surat ari SKY badas amat.JJM nadai ingat pasal SOCIAL CONTRACT agi.JJM semina ingat ka PERSONAL CONTRACT antara iya enggau BIG BOSS aja.