Changing scene of Sarawak politics

26 Responses to “Changing scene of Sarawak politics”

1. Philip Golingai on July 22nd, 2011 2:26 am

   sir, what’s your email or mobile number? need to contact you with regard to a story i’m planning to write. thanks.
   philip.

2. NCC on July 22nd, 2011 2:46 am

   Dr John Brain, the people wants jobs, security and freedom of media. Once the governemnt take control of the media, we cannot trust anything about it.
   The police and army should be used to protect Malaysian and should not be use as dogs to attack Malaysian.

3. Dayak Mudah Lupa on July 22nd, 2011 10:07 am

   Let’s not forget that DCC and DAP both very influential to the Dayak’s future. Here’s why and how:

   DCC means “Dayak Can Change”.
   DAP means 1) “Dayak Anang Paloi” and, 2) “Dayak Anang Palau”.

   Yes what DAP trying to tell is that Dayak Can Change for the better if Dayak willing to:
   1) Study hard, Education focus aka. “Dayak Anang Paloi”
   2) Work hard, drink less aka. “Dayak Anang Palau”.

   Meanwhile Dayak must kick out things that keep the Dayak Palau, Paloi and eventually Poor By Design, forever trapped inside poverty cycle:
   1) Laziness attitude
   2) Subsidy mentality
   3) And all the bullcrap, corrupt culture false hopes by BN UMNO

   So you choose lah Dayak:
   1) DAP + DCC = Dayak Freedom Forever!
   or
   2) Dayak Poverty = BN Fixed Deposit = Dayak BN Fixed Slaves!
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   Israeli innovators build new ‘Silicon Valley’
   By Katia Dolmadjian, AFP News, Tue, Jun 28, 2011

   With a concentration of start-ups just behind that of Silicon Valley and an impressive pool of engineers, Israel is becoming the new standard for high-tech, with a unique business model.

   Internet-related activities contributed 9 billion euros (12.6 billion dollars) to the Israeli economy in 2009, representing 6.5 percent of GDP, according to a report from management consultancy McKinsey.

   The sector is worth more than the construction industry (5.4 percent of GDP) and almost as much as health (6.8 percent).

   The web economy has also created a total of 120,000 jobs, accounting for 4 percent of the country’s workforce, McKinsey says.

   From Microsoft to Intel through Google, IBM and Philips, almost all the giants of the Internet and technology have set up important research and development centres in Israel, spawning products and systems used worldwide.

   “Israel is the country with the most engineers in its population, and it ranks second behind the United States in the number of companies listed on Nasdaq,” said David Kadouch, product manager at Google Israel, which opened its R&D operation in 2007 and currently has 200 employees.

   “It’s really a second Silicon Valley. Besides the multinationals, all the major American investment funds are present,” he said.

   “The scientific community is very active, there is plenty of manpower and especially an entrepreneurial culture. There is a huge ecosystem around high tech, and what is fundamental is that here we think global.”

   Some 500 start-ups are created every year in the country of 7.7 million people, which grew by 4.7 percent last year according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development against an average of 2.8 for its member countries.

   The OECD forecast for Israel in 2011 is 5.4 percent.

   Israel’s higher education institutions, particularly the Technion, the prestigious technological university in the northern city of Haifa, must take a large share of the credit for this creativity.

   “All the groups have set up subsidiaries here because of the proximity of the talents of the Technion university where there are (people with) excellent CVs,” said Yoel Maarek, president of Yahoo Research Israel, which employs about 50 people.

   “I myself have studied at the school of bridge engineering in France but when IBM hired me it was thanks to my degree from the Technion,” he said.

   The huge Technion campus comprising 19 schools for 12,000 students trained 70 percent of the country’s current engineers and 80 percent of the executives of Israeli companies listed on Nasdaq.

   “Many students… are already snapped up by large foreign companies,” said Ilan Marek, professor of chemistry at the Technion.

   “In the early 2000s, we broke down the barriers between the four classical branches of science, allowing the students to move between fields and have a more global vision,” he said.

   “The key to the development of a country is to train leaders in science.”

   Saul Singer, co-author with Dan Senor of the book “Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle,” believes the often maverick nature of many Israelis also plays a role.

   “The lack of respect for authority is typical in Israel, it’s a cultural thing, in line with start-up creating. There is no authority, it is very informal. There are two big factors, drive and determination, and taking risks. We have a very exciting business model,” he said.

   “In Israel there is a constant struggle with all kinds of adversity,” he added. “These adversities are a source of creation and energy. Israel is a country with a purpose, a mission.”
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   Taib praises Foochow spirit
   The Star, Sunday November 21, 2004

   KUCHING: Foochows can play a meaningful role in the globalised world because of their pioneering spirit, co-operation and goodwill towards others, Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said.

   He said the Foochows were well-known for their pioneering spirit in turning difficult situations into opportunities for success.

   “This was the spirit of the 1,118 Foochows who came to Sibu one century ago under Wong Nai Siong. I hope this spirit will never be lost among the younger generation because it is a great asset,” he said when opening the eighth convention of the World Federation of Fuzhou Associations here yesterday.

   TOKEN OF THANKS: Organising chairman Ling Beng Hui (left) presenting a souvenir to Taib during the World Federation of Fuzhou Associations convention in Kuching yesterday.
   The community, he said, were resourceful, willing to face challenges and prepared to put in all their effort in order to succeed.

   Moreover, the Foochows had learned to maintain values of charity and goodwill towards others, he said.

   Taib said the Foochows’ active participation in business and trade served as an example for others in Asia to follow suit.

   The federation’s president Datuk Seri Burhan Uray said Foochows were known to be hardworking, dedicated and result-oriented.

   “I hope future generations of Foochows will continue to possess these qualities,” he said.

   He added that the convention was an opportunity for Foochows around the world to make contacts and create strong networks among themselves.

   Nearly 3,000 Foochows from 16 countries attended the three-day convention which began on Friday.
   ___________________

   Hard work, good planning key to speedy project completion: Ting
   Jan 12, 2008

   KUCHING: Tan Sri Datuk Ting Pek Khiing is known for his speed in completing projects in the construction industry in the country.

   But he says he is neither a magician nor a superman. He attributes his success to hard work, good planning and ‘less sleep’.

   Ting adds success does not appear overnight, adding one has to work for it over the years.

   “Nothing is easy. You have to work hard and spend less time sleeping because you can do more work when you’re awake.

   “I sleep five hours a day,” he told reporter here yesterday when asked for his advice for aspiring young businessman.

   Ting who is Global Upline Sdn Bhd advisor conceded that there were many established contractors in the country.

   He felt it was insufficient to deliver a good job on time, adding one must also strive to complete a project well ahead of schedule.

   As such, he said good planning encompassing all aspects including workers, equipment and technology would determine whether a project would be completed half a year or a year before the deadline.

   “I’ve been in the construction business for 45 years now. Success doesn’t come in one day,” he said, adding that he believed in keeping his workers comfortable and happy so that they would give their best to the job instead of worrying about making ends meet.

   On projects here for 2008, he said this year would see the completion of a four-star hotel – Sheraton Hotel – in August and the Jalan Song flyover by the end of the year.

   Both developments would be a boost to city dwellers as the hotel would provide job opportunities while the flyover would allow for smoother traffic flow, he said.

   Ting said Global Upline Sdn Bhd would be completing a range of big and small projects comprising airports, highways and flyovers in the country valued at about RM5 billion in the next two years. In the past few years, the company had completed projects amounting to more than RM3 billion, he added.

   Asked if he would venture out of Malaysia in the near future, Ting said: “I’d stick to Malaysia. I love Malaysia.”
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   Asian operators emerge – Managing a flight department in Malaysia
   By Grant McLaren, Professional Pilot Magazine January 1996

   “How much do you want for that Falcon?” Tan Sri Ting Pek Khiing asked Dassault representatives during the Langkawi Airshow of December 1993. He was given a list price on the Falcon 900B demonstrator that had brought company executives down to the Malaysian airshow.

   “No, you don’t understand — I want your best cash price for taking the airplane with me right now.”

   The chairman of Kuala Lumpur-based Ekran Berhad got his Falcon 900B, Serge and Olivier Dassault returned to France by airline and the trijet launched into a 330-day annual travel schedule racking up close to 1000 hours the first year. Managing Capt. James Hanafin together with Captain Pat O’Donahue, who had been operating Ting’s Hawker 800, were dispatched to Falcon school right after the purchase and have scarcely had a day off since.

   “Aircraft are our chairman’s basic means of transport. He works all the time, there’s no fixed schedule in his life and we never know where we’ll be flying next,” says Hanafin who has boarded everything on the Falcon from Thai Royal family members to case lots of glass blocks, hinges and bedding required to keep a hotel development on deadline.

   Typhoon Ting

   Tan Sri Ting, 51, leads a life focused on speed. He’s become famous in Malaysia for building projects in record time and for taking on seemingly impossible tasks. Ting made the Guinness book of records building the 300-room Langkawi Delima resort in just 52 days and the 267-room Sheraton Langkawi in just 100 days. These record times include everything from swimming pool construction right down to landscaping and interior decor details. Ekran’s current projects include a 6000-residence marina development on the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi, a $560 million office plaza in Kuala Lumpur and a $6 billion hydroelectric project in the jungles of Malaysian Borneo slated for completion in just six years. Meanwhile, Ting is busy developing an airport in Bakun Sarawak, complete with a terminal, to support his new regional carrier — Saeaga Airlines — which will operate four Canadair CRJs and four de Havilland Dash 8s by the end of 1996.

   “Wasting time is wasting money,” says Ting. “With a private jet I can keep all my projects on time. It gives me a competitive edge and better control over my businesses. I never have to make the excuse that I can’t attend a meeting and I arrive at my construction sites even before the workers do.”

   Ting runs a 12,000 employee organization in timber, construction, hydroelectric dam building and hotel development. A hands-on tycoon, Ting holds his diverse business empire together with the benefit of corporate jets. While his current Falcon 900B will make London one stop out of Malaysia its real forte is in handling typical 1.1 hour missions within Southeast Asia from fields as short at 4000 ft. Ting lives in Kuching, East Malaysia while many of his business activities and offices are based 600 miles to the west across the South China Sea in Kuala Lumpur. Business jets fit right into Ting’s management.

   “If you’re in charge you must exercise hands-on control,” advises Ting. “Staying away and issuing orders from afar while you disappear for two months at a stretch is no recipe for success.”

   Ting uses his Falcon 900B as some might use a car. He’ll usually depart at 6 am and make up to eight or nine stops a day visiting construction sites and attending meetings. Pilots here fly a minimum of 70 hours a month, average at least 15 RONs and typically don’t know their schedule from one day to the next.

   “After the last stop in the evening he’ll usually tell us where he wants to go at 6 am the next morning,” says Hanafin. “We carry handphones and pagers and we always pack clothes for at least four days. It’s rare to have an entire day off — we’re always on call.”

   New Asian flight departments

   Tan Sri Ting is an example of a new breed of Asian business leaders who have come to realize the efficiencies and unique advantages of business aviation. As individual wealth in the region blossoms more and more flight departments are being established. This is particularly true in Southeast Asia where governments generally support corporate aviation. They desire the technology involved in the bizjet industry and want to attract maintenance and support facilities to the region. Airports, and airport improvements, bring in maintenance, support and repair activity and give local people technological training.

   The Asian Bizjet market is growing steadily, if not quickly, observes Hanafin. With more and more regional investments in Vietnam, China and the developing economies of Africa business people are beginning to appreciate the flexibility and control advantages of operating their own aircraft. A number of Falcon 900s, GVs and Global Expresses have been sold into the region lately while midsized to light corporate jets continue to move well.

   Cash price, please

   Ting bought his first aircraft, a Hawker 800, at the Langkawi airshow in 1991 and operated it close to 900 hours a year with Hanafin and O’Donahue at the helm. The Hawker flew to Australia, China and Europe and sold its owner on the benefits of corporate aviation. When the Falcon 900B was acquired two years later it offered not only better performance but a more comfortable cabin. Recently, Ting purchased a second Falcon 900B which he leases to a retired government official. “Tan Sri Ting prefers the 900′s proportions,” says Hanafin who, himself, now has the baggage capacity to carry crew golf clubs. At this year’s Langkawi show, December 5 – 10, Ting is considering an upgrade to either a Falcon 900EX, a Gulfstream V or a Global Express.

   “He is a man who buys what he likes and he’s used to taking a purchase away with him,” observes Hanafin. “He prefers to pay cash and until a couple of years ago didn’t even have a credit card.”

   When Ting walked into a Rolls-Royce dealership in London recently asking, “How much,” a salesman gave him the list price of a basic model. “No, you don’t understand,” said Ting. “I want a cash price for all the cars in the showroom.” A manager quickly appeared and a take-away price was worked out for all seven showroom models. Ting had the vehicles crated and shipped back home to East Malaysia. “Why should I waste time,” says Ting.

   Selecting an aircraft

   “Now, all the salesmen come to me,” Ting says. “I’ve been happy with my Falcon 900B over the past two years but now I’ll look at the 900EX, the GV and the Global Express and then I will choose.”

   A number of aircraft could meet the majority of his mission requirements. “Although a Falcon 2000 would suit most of our missions we often need 14 seats when carrying VIPs who travel with entourages of secretaries and bodyguards,” says Hanafin. “A 900EX would give us the same capacity we have now with the added benefit of getting to altitude faster. At full gross out of Kuching to either Dubai or Tokyo the EX will go straight to FL410 while the 900B will only make FL370 directly. A 900EX, with new Dash 60 engines, would also be cheaper to operate.”

   Before Ting strikes a deal on a new aircraft he depends on input from his professional pilots.

   “I serve as a go-between and run around in the background between Ting and the manufacturers — we try to give him all the information, operating data and advice he may need,” says Hanafin. “We look at various aircraft types and advise on performance. He’s generally very definite about the price he will pay and sticks to that price. Typically, he will want the aircraft immediately.”

   Setting up an Asian flight department

   Hanafin envisions strong corporate aviation growth in Southeast Asia — particularly in the area of smaller two-person operations. “That’s the way people like it down here — low key, low profile and very individual. You just get on with the job and if you need someone or something you just try to contract it out.”

   Setting up a two-person flight department will cost you between $70,000 and $80,000 (plus accommodation allowances and transport) per ex-pat captain. However, it can be difficult finding type-rated contract pilots to cover a crew on vacations. Attractions for pilots based in this part of Asia include a pleasant living environment, white sand beaches, cheap golf fees and a low cost of living.

   Managing an Asian-based flight department has both its challenges and pleasures according to Hanafin. You don’t have the benefit of a US-style FBO network, training facilities are usually far afield and you’ll wait longer for parts. However, once you get south of the slot-controlled Japanese and Hong Kong airports operations are generally less restricted than in either the US or Europe. Flight departments here are typically less formally organized than their Western counterparts.

   “You don’t see the type of big-style flight departments profiled in Pro Pilot down here,” says Hanafin. “It’s more typical to operate from a hotel room or out of the trunk of a car — we generally have to be very flexible and able to adapt to last minute flight schedules. Dealing with the authorities around here can be as much an art as a science — everything is less structured. There are no slots and the only speed control in this region is into Singapore — you can basically do what you like within reason.”

   O’Donahue observes that managing and running an aircraft is a more self-service affair in Southeast Asia and you have to develop your own local connections. Both pilots keep digital diaries filled with phone and fax numbers of ATC centers and other local contacts.

   “The tower tells you were to park and that’s it — you’re on your own. Instead of having a lounge you’re either sitting in the aircraft or running around the airport doing everything yourself.”

   Ting’s flight department is a true two-person operation. The Falcon shares hangar space in Kuching with state-owned aircraft. Maintenance is handled out of Singapore by Hawker Pacific Ltd and Universal Weather & Aviation’s Singapore Station Manager, Dave Richards, takes care of most international handling and permit arrangements.

   A rigorous schedule

   Hanafin and O’Donahue’s flight duty is far from dull and they seldom languish days on end in hotel rooms between flights. With a wide range of destination possibilities within the region the crew may spend one night in a five star hotel in Singapore and the next in cramped and windowless rooms in a remote corner of Malaysian Borneo. Flying internationally within Asia has it’s own particular challenges. “China can still be difficult to operate into, Indonesia is generally OK and Vietnam is developing a great attitude toward corporate aviation,” observes Hanafin.

   One recent day for Hanafin and O’Donahue involved six sectors and 10 hours of flying. The crew departed Kuching at 6 am for Miri (45 min) and then to Singapore ( 1 hr 45 min) followed by a stage to Kota Kinabalu ( 2 hrs) and on to Kuala Lumpur (2 hrs). From Kuala Lumpur the crew flew back to Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia (2 hrs) and then home to Kuching (1 hr 15 min) for a few hours rest before a 6 am departure the next morning to Bangkok.

   “We work hard but our chairman works even harder,” says Hanafin. “His typical workday begins at 4 am and often ends at 11pm when the runway closes at Kuching. He’s able to make use the aircraft to relax and recharge his batteries between meetings.”

   Both Hanafin and O’Donahue agree that this is a great job if you like to fly and don’t have a family.

   “You get the equivalent of five years experience here in less than two years and it’s on a new type of aircraft,” says Hanafin. “It gives you a great resume and as we average 20 takeoffs a week we’re always current.”

   Ting’s crew flew 120 hours the first month the Falcon was in service and this dropped to between 90 and 100 hours the following six months. Over the past year 9M-BAN flew 840 hours with just over 700 sectors. The crew carries local Jeps as well as those for the Pacific and China. Trip kits are ordered for all missions further afield and into Europe.

   Aircraft ops

   All-up costs on the Falcon 900 are running $1650 an hour, according to Hanafin, with an average fuel burn of 2300 lbs an hour over a typical 1.1 hour sector. Range on the Falcon 900B is 10.5 hours and 4100 nm at MTOW. However, even when operating out of a 4000 ft strip the Falcon still features a 4.5- 5 hour range capability. This short field performance gives the Dassault product an edge over other large cabin offerings allowing tankering of fuel on multihop regional missions. One recent flight out of Kuching into Indonesia involved nine hours of flying an six sectors with no enroute requirement to refuel.

   In the maintenance arena the five-year-old 900B has been virtually trouble-free. The trijet is on a progressive maintenance program and whenever it overnights in Singapore a portion of an inspection is often accomplished. In two years of operation Ting’s Falcon has been down only eight days for unscheduled maintenance. Hanafin advises that advance maintenance planning is important in the region.

   “You end up changing components early to avoid grounding the aircraft later for a number of days,” says Hanafin. “You’ve got to be able to fly every day and it makes it even more challenging when your maintenance base is 400 miles away from home base.”

   Ting and his pilots will have plenty of flying to look forward to over the next several years. Ekran Berhard’s chairman plans to continue trading up corporate aircraft every other year at the Langkawi airshow, which is held in the Ekran-built Langkawi convention center. Ting’s idea of the ultimate business transport is to have the first corporate configured Boeing 777 in Asia.

   “At first I was in doubt about buying a private jet,” recalls Ting. “But, now I am able to do much more business and I can do things faster.”
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   Chinese praised for emphasis on education
   Borneo Post, Tuesday, August 14, 2001

   KUCHING – The Chinese community today won praise from the Chief Minister for their resolve in wanting to educate their young.

   He saluted them for going to great lengths to put up schools wherever they went so that their children could have a better future.

   “Because of the strong Chinese emphasis on education, the community would struggle to build schools wherever they go to give opportunities to their children to acquire education,” said Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud.

   He was reacting to the community’s effort to raise RM1 million to build the recently completed SJK Chung Hua Asajaya.

   Taib who officially opened the school today said former students had chipped in generously, adding it was no mean feat in a small place like Asajaya.

   Towards this end the Chief Minister urged former students of schools to contribute to their alma mater for the benefit of the younger generation.

   Taib who also laid the foundation stone for a multi-purpose centre in Asajaya said every effort should be made at preparing schoolchildren for the borderless economy, both in terms of technology and language skills.

   In rural areas, for instance, it is becoming increasingly imperative for students to acquire information and communication technology skills so that they can work as fast and as efficient as their counterparts in Kuching, he said.

   “As the world changes, their proficiency in several languages and adeptness in ICT would be able to assist them to easily establish trade with many countries, particularly China which will become the greatest economic giant in Asia,” he added.

   In the same vein the Chief Minister said the development of new products in the State, like computer chips, would require traders with better qualifications and higher competency levels.

   To face these challenges, people in the State, regardless whether they are Bumiputras or non- Bumiputras, have to cooperate and work together as ‘anak Sarawak’ to achieve success, he said.

   At the function Taib also presented a State government donation of RM50,000 for the school to upgrade its computer facilities.

   Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr George Chan called on the Chinese community in Asajaya to continue supporting the present leadership in the State.
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   Education is top priority: Moggie
   The Borneo Post, Monda 23 April 2001

   KUCHING – Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) will take drastic action to raise up the education level of the Dayak community, including effecting a change in the culture of the people if needed be.

   The party is putting education as a top priority for its activities in the next two to three years in order to ensure that the community is not left behind in the k-based economy. Party President Datuk Amar Leo Moggie said efforts were being made in trying to get the community, the parents in particular to understand the need to change their attitude and concept towards education. If the culture of the people was found to be a main factor behind the Dayak’s current attitude towards education, then it must change, he said to reporters after officiating the opening of an Educational Motivation Seminar at Kpg Entinggan, Samarahan today.

   “The performance of the Dayaks and Bumiputeras in particular in education is not as good as compared to the Chinese for instance. Why is that so? Maybe it is the cultural background. If so, what we need to do is to change that,” he said.

   In its seriousness to address this issue, the party had at September last year set up the PBDS Education Committee. Starting next month, a research would be conducted to obtain systematic data as to why the Dayaks were not performing satisfactorily at the school and university level, Moggie who is also the Minister of Energy, Telecommunications and Multimedia said.

   The research would be carried out separately under the supervision of lecturers by University Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi MARA with the PBDS Education Committee as the main body overseeing it. Showing concern as to the level of education performance especially in rural schools, he said the trend of the quality of passes for the past few years had not been that satisfactorily. The research would be professionally carried out and the results obtained would hopefully give the party some idea on what was needed to be done to improve the situation.

   “This is a serious matter. It is a major challenge for us,” he stressed.

   He said the people had to know that while the government had been doing a lot to help, such as providing the support, building schools, giving education funds, loan schemes to pursue education at higher levels, the community must be willing to change their attitude too. A k-based society could only exist if the people were educated and had the necessary skills, he pointed out. “Parents must be reminded that they must give priority to education,” he said.
   ____________________

   Enter varsity on own merit, Dayaks told
   Bernama News, Monday, May 14, 2001

   SIBU: Dayak students in Sarawak were told that their bumiputra status alone will not open university doors for them.

   Dayak Cultural Foundation Education Committee chairman Datuk Gramong Juna said some Dayak students were still under the impression that they could enter any university based on their rights and privileges as bumiputras.

   “Such right alone is not enough. The opportunity is more based on merit and the better your result is, the more opportunity you will have for admission,” he said in his speech at the opening of the foundation’s tuition centre here.

   Gramong, who is State Assistant Minister of Rural and Land Development, said gaining a place in local universities was getting more and more competitive and those with outstanding results were the ones generally favoured.

   Denying allegations that the foundation’s tuition centres only catered for children of the elites in the community, Gramong said they were open to all Dayak and even non-Dayak students.

   “We planned them as a non-profit oriented community service to the urban Dayaks in Sibu and Kuching who are quite sizeable in numbers now,” he said.

   Gramong said the centres were heavily subsidised by the foundation and the fees charged were 30% lower than private centres.

   “However, this does not mean our centres are inferior as we have the same or even better facilities and the student-teacher ratio is kept low for the sake of greater individual attention,” he said.

   Gramong said the foundation would operate similar centres in Bintulu and Miri after the Gawai Dayak festival.–Bernama
   ________________

   Too many school dropouts in Sarawak, says Taib
   The Star, Friday, July 27, 2001

   SRI AMAN: The number of dropouts among primary and secondary students in Sarawak has reached an alarming rate, said Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

   He said 64,000 primary and 18,000 secondary students dropped out of school between 1991 and 1996.

   “This situation should be checked as it is a cause of concern to the government,” he said when launching the rural national science centre programme at the Civic Centre here on Wednesday.

   Taib said if the problem was not addressed, it would hamper the government’s efforts to develop the state.

   He said the state’s literacy rate was 83% and that 15.1% of the population did not receive any formal education. Only 9.3% had attained tertiary education.

   He said the younger generation should fully utilise the information and communication technology to acquire more knowledge in the globalisation era.

   “To create an awareness among rural community on the importance of science and technology, the state government will carry out more roadshows,” he said.

   Taib said the government would pick five students from Sri Aman division to visit the National Science Centre and Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur to encourage more students to take up science subjects.
   ________________

   Lessons from S. Korea on transforming from developing economy into high income economy
   The Star, Monday November 15, 2010,

   KAREN Lee is a part-time English translater with the South Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (Kotra) in Seoul. Although still a university student, she handles herself with maturity and professionalism and is among a rising number of South Koreans proficient in English.

   Kim Min Hae is a Japanese translater, with Kotra Seoul as well. She also speaks English and like many other South Koreans striving to improve and upgrade themselves, hopes to do her MBA soon.

   To Hank Ahn, the commissioner of Invest Korea, a Kotra unit, people like Karen and Kim are the embodiment of the qualities that built the South Korean economic miracle – hardwork and competition, underpinned by a strong education system.

   He noted that South Korea, which has limited natural resources,had to rely on its population to provide its most valuable resource – skilled workforce, especially in the areas of science and technology.

   “The most important factor for South Korea’s fast growth is our investment in human beings. In other words, education,” he told StarBiz recently on the sidelines of the Foreign Investment Week organised by Kotra.

   This people-based economic power has driven South Korea to become the 15th largest economy in the world, with a per capita income of over U$17,000 in 2009. Malaysia’s average per capita income is about US$7,000.

   South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves totalled US$289.8bil as of September this year, the fifth largest in the world.

   Its total foreign direct investments from 1998 to 2008 totalled US$124bil, five times as much of that from 1962 to 1997, according to South Korean government data.

   Nearly half of the global Fortune 500 companies have established a presence in South Korea.

   Ahn reckons that many resource-rich countries in Africa as well as Latin and South America have not made “a big progress” in their economic development due to their failure to invest in education in a big way for their people.

   “The important thing is that the majority of people should be well educated and trained,” he says, noting that 56% of young Koreans have a university degree. “It’s a big number.”

   According to Kotra data, the national illiteracy rate in South Korea for people between the ages of 20 and 40 is zero, while the overall literacy rate is 98.7%.

   Hahn notes that the average South Korean spends “big money” on their kids’ education, citing news reports that they fork out an average US$1,000 per month for after-class tuition. Such emphasis on education has driven South Korean parents to become “goose fathers and goose mothers.”

   “We call them goose fathers and goose mothers because they live apart. The father maybe here in South Korea while the mother is in the United States,” he says, explaining that South Korean parents live apart as a consequence of trying to be cost effective in their children’s education. As far as education is concerned, South Koreans are willing to do whatever (it takes).”

   Turning points

   South Koreans point to a few landmark events that have helped transform their economy from a developing economy into an advanced, high income economy.

   The first foundation was laid when the country decided to go into heavy industry sometime in the mid seventies.

   “We could not make our economy into an advanced economy without transforming from light to heavy industry,” says Ahn.

   The industrialisation programme gave birth to the country’s automotive, engineering, chemicals and electronics sectors, paving the way for South Korea to break into the global market with now established brand names such as Hyundai and Samsung.

   According to Kwon Pyung-Oh, the director-general for free economic zones under the Knowledge Economy Ministry, the seeds for South Korea’s transformation into a developed economy were planted in the late eighties.

   For Kwon, the spark that lit the transformation into an advanced economy came from the torch of the Olympic flame itself, specifically the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

   “The 1988 Olympics gave full confidence to the South Korean people, which would lead to South Korea’s membership in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) in 1996,” he says.

   The OECD is an international economic organisation of 33 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. According to Wikipedia, the group defines itself as a forum of countries committed to democracy and the market economy.

   Most OECD members are high income economies with a high human development index and are regarded as developed countries.

   Even so, South Koreans would regard the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis as the last great turning point before their economy became truly advanced and globally competitive.

   “Between 2001 and 2002, after (recovering) from the Asian Financial Crisis, I think that was the point when major economies would look at South Korea as an advanced economy,” Kwon said, adding that South Korea’s decision to implement tough International Monetary Fund (IMF) reforms and liberalisation of its economic sectors during the crisis years had turned out well for the country.

   Positioning for the future

   But even with advanced economy status, South Korea did not rest on its laurels. Its economy and people continued to evolve, getting ready for a new world economic order led by China.

   Ahn of Invest Korea noted that western scholars had already postulated a “global Asian era.”

   “The global Asian era has come already. To take advantage of (this new era), we have to sometimes cooperate with China, sometimes compete against China,” he said.

   The mechanism put in place by South Korea to both compete and cooperate with China, and to bring the country further up the economic value chain, was its six free economic zones (FEZs), led by the US$230bil Incheon FEZ, launched in 2003 and the first of the South Korean FEZs.

   “China has become the world’s factory. South Korean manufacturing will eventually become not cost effective compared with the Chinese. Japan has technology, which they can sustain, so where is South Korea?” Heekyung Jo Min, the director-general of the business opportunity bureau at Incheon FEZ told StarBiz when asked on what went behind the setting up of the Korean FEZs.

   “So we need to transform from simple manufacturing to a more technology and knowledged based industry to compete,” she said, adding that healthcare was one such industry targeted by the Incheon FEZ.

   Healthcare, together with education, remain the two major sectors untouched by IMF reforms in South Korea more than ten years ago.

   But in 2003, the South Korean government decided to allow foreign access to these two sectors, but limited only to the FEZs.

   Since then, the Incheon FEZ has attracted three foreign education providers to set up operations – Chadwick International, State University of New York at Stony Brook and Utah State University. It is also hoping to get John Hopkins Medical School to help run an international hospital.

   At the individual level, more South Koreans are adjusting to China’s rising global influence by learning Mandarin, apart from English.

   And what is a favourite destination for South Koreans to learn both Mandarin and English at the same time, and at a reasonable cost? According to some South Korean officials – Malaysia. And what’s the lesson to be learnt here?
   ___________________

   Malaysians embrace English
   By Baradan Kuppusamy, Asia Time, Aug 25, 2005

   TAMPIN, Malaysia – It’s 3 pm on a normal weekday in this small town, about 110 kilometers south of the national capital, and Hafsiah, 9, and her brother Badrul, 12, are tearing up the stairs of a three-story shop house to enter a room full of students eager to learn English.

   Many of the children are still in regular school uniforms and have not had time to change but they are ready for another session of learning in a scene commonplace these days in rural Malaysia, which is dominated by the country’s indigenous Malays.

   So keen are Hafsiah and her brother, as are many of the other students, that they have not returned to their homes in nearby villages for lunch but stayed on in Tampin with stomachs growling, so they do not miss their precious English language coaching session.

   English, once shunned as the language of colonialism, is now regarded as the passport to success in the modern world and is rapidly replacing Islamic studies and the sciences.

   “My parents say English is the key to the future and that we have to master it,” Hafsiah said after her session. “But [English] is so strange to the tongue.”

   Apparently, the difficulties that Malays have in competing in a rapidly globalizing world is being attributed by the older generation to their failure to master English, and even to turning their backs on the language in 1970 in a wave of nationalism.

   Malays form slightly more than 50% of Malaysia’s 23 million people. The economically dominant ethnic Chinese form 22% and are concentrated in the urban centers where the English language has survived better. Indians, who form another 7% of the population, are also largely urban.

   The frenzy to catch up with English in rural Malaysia is more than just palpable and nowadays second only to the craze for English football and the popular “Malaysian Idol” contest, a reality-type TV show.

   Signs of the frenzy are everywhere. Bookshops are stacked high with volumes of dry English grammar, and these include familiar reprints from the1960s when English had better status than in the intervening years.

   English tuition centers are mushrooming in shop houses, schools and homes – wherever space is available.

   Newspapers are promoting English by giving out free copies to schools and businesses are donating millions of dollars to adopt entire schools, picking up the tab so that students can have an English education.

   “We should not be shy to say English is a Malaysian language,” Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said recently while launching a new scholarship program that provides English language resources to 290 rural and semi-urban schools.

   English may have been the language of the colonial masters, Hussein said, “but it was also the language which our founding fathers acquired, took to London, and returned as masters of their own land”.

   “Forty-eight years on we should not be shy to say English is a Malaysian language,” he said, giving the all-important official cue for the drive to once again excel in a language that seems to have thrived globally rather than declined in the post-colonial phase.

   Earlier, when Malay nationalism was at a high and learning the Malay language considered sacrosanct, such a statement would have quickly ended the minister’s political career.

   “The standard of written and spoken English has deteriorated in the past 30 years,” said Ramasamy Palanisamy, professor of political science at the University Kebangsaan Malaysia. “After the 1969 race riots [between Malays and ethnic Chinese], Malaysia switched to the Malay stream for schools and university in 1971. From then on English as a language declined.”

   English continued to be taught as a second language in rural Malaysia but its quality declined because of official hostility, the rise of Islam and poor teaching resources.

   That climate has now reversed dramatically and the study of English is nowadays being actively promoted by officialdom and receiving a matching response as well.

   It all started in 2002 when some Japanese investors told former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad that many Malaysian graduates were so poor in English that they were simply unemployable. There were serious communication problems. While Japanese factory managers had learned English, Malaysian graduates had not.

   “You don’t expect us to learn Malay language to communicate with our workers,” one Japanese manager famously asked of government officials. “Even in China, the Chinese are rushing to learn English.”

   But that is a situation familiar across Asia where former British colonies such as India are competitively attracting international investors because of significant numbers of English-proficient professionals even with the shortcomings in terms of infrastructure and conducive business environment.

   In Malaysia, about 20,000 graduates are estimated to be unemployed because of poor communication skills and most of them are from rural backgrounds. The government is even spending millions of dollars to retrain them in various industrial skills.

   Rather than remain unemployed, many graduates have begun to hide their degree certificates and take lower-paying jobs for which they are considered overqualified – such as with the fire department.

   Mahathir realized that if the trend continued, Malaysia’s position as a vibrant, trading economy would be badly affected. So as a technocrat and a believer in social engineering, with a pro-Malay approach, he decided on a fast-track scheme to bring English to rural students.

   And without careful preparation and ignoring stiff, all-round opposition, he announced that from 2003 onward all schools must teach key subjects like science and mathematics in English.

   Opposition lawmakers, education experts as well as Chinese and Tamil language teachers warned that student performance would drop dramatically if a switch was made in such a sudden manner and without planning.

   They argued that teachers, who had been teaching science and mathematics in Malay, Mandarin and Tamil languages for more than 30 years, could not overnight begin to teach in English.

   Mahathir was both impatient and adamant. He said modern technology, use of the Internet and special teaching software would be employed to make the overnight switch work.

   “English has to be learned as a language, it can’t be acquired by learning science and mathematics in English,” said a school headmaster then who had opposed the scheme and asked not to be identified. “Mahathir’s scheme, now into its second year, is a mess.”

   As the experts had predicted, the performance of rural Malay students had dropped when they were forced to switch to English as the medium of instruction in science and mathematics. More Malays were not making the grade to enter colleges, polytechnics and universities largely because of the sudden switch.

   “It is an alien language and not easily learnt by rural Malay students – you cannot force people to learn,” said the headmaster. “It has got to be a gradual process.”

   The current campaign to learn English seeks to repair somewhat the damage caused by the earlier scheme, by helping students learn the language in gradual stages.

   The semi-official New Straits Times newspaper is leading the campaign under the telling slogan, “Build Tomorrow’s Malaysia, Learn English, Adopt a Student”.

   A downside of the infatuation is the arrival of foreigners, tourists and others pretending to be English language teaching experts.

   “Teach English on the colorful and exotic island of Borneo in Malaysia,” reads one Internet advertisement, inviting foreigners to head to Malaysia to teach English.

   It goes on to say: “The flamboyance of Malaysia is breathtaking. This is a country where the sun shines, the sea is crystal clear and there are endless coconut, banana and palm trees! No qualifications required. Before you go – you can enroll in a one-day intensive open teacher, training day [optional] to help you teach if you have no previous experience.”

   There seems little concern for nuances such as the all too-evident differences in American English and the British variety, with which this former crown colony is more familiar – though as a rapidly receding memory.

   For now it is a free for all and rural Malays are too busy learning “English as she is spoke” to worry about who is doing the teaching.
   __________________

   Mahathir criticises Malay community
   BBC, 16th June 2002

   The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, has launched a strong attack on the majority Malay community, saying it had failed to make real progress despite being given special privileges for more than 30 years.

   In a newspaper interview ahead of a five-day meeting of his party the United Malays National Organisation or Umno, Dr Mahathir criticised Malays for being too complacent and unwilling to work hard.

   He said that after more than 20 years in office he had failed to change what he called this culture of extravagance.

   Malays make up more than half of the 23 million population but receive special privileges because the Chinese minority is seen as having disproportionate wealth.
   _______________

   Mahathir warns Malays to brace for end to privileges
   Kyodo News International, 20th June 2002

   Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday defended his country’s affirmative action policy but warned ethnic Malays that their rights and privileges are ”far from being safe.”

   ”The Malays are clearly far from being safe. Do not think that the power of the Malays in the political arena is permanent, that it will guarantee the safety of the Malays forever,” the 76-year-old premier said in a two-hour speech to open the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) annual assembly.

   If the special status of the Malays, or ”bumiputeras” as they are also known, is challenged today, he said, Malays will not be able to survive.

   ”They are not prepared to face any competition at all. They are so afraid of the other communities. Without the experience of competing with others, if the protection is suddenly withdrawn, they will not be able to survive,” Mahathir, also UMNO president, said.

   As head of the party that deems itself the custodian of Malay culture, Mahathir put his newly gained political fortune on the line recently when he dared to pry open the three-decade-old New Economic Policy (NEP) to provide more opportunities for non-Malays, although only in education.

   The NEP, Malaysia’s affirmative action policy, guarantees Malays 30% corporate equity, easy credit, contracts and projects from the government and places in public universities.

   The policy, which came about following the 1969 clashes between the poorer, rural Malays and the economically more dominant ethnic Chinese, is now called the National Vision Policy.

   Recently Mahathir stirred up a controversy by changing the race-based quota system for university entrance to a merit-based one. Then he ordered 10% of places to be allocated to non-Malays in government-run colleges and that English, instead of the national language, Malay, be used to teach science and mathematics.

   Malay nationalists are up in arms crying treachery. But Mahathir is adamant, saying the NEP has made Malays ”lazy” and prone to rely on ”the easy way and the quick way.”

   ”Because of that, when licenses are given, they sell the licenses…No work is done other than to be close to people with influence and authority in order to get something because they are Malays,” he told the 2,000 delegates attending the three-day assembly.

   ”Truly I am ashamed to expose all these, especially in front of the other people, in front of the whole nation and the world. But they all already know all these. I am not exposing anything that they don’t know,” he said.

   Mahathir expressed his disappointment that after 21 years at the helm of the country he has failed to change the Malay mindset.

   ”Mostly I feel disappointed, disappointed because I achieved too little result from my principal task — the task of making my race a successful race, a race that is respected, a race that is honorable, a race that is highly regarded. I beg your pardon because I have failed,” he said.

   But despite his criticism of Malays and their over-dependence on government assistance, Mahathir defended the benefits of the NEP although he said it has slowed down national development.

   ”What slowed down the national development was because the government had to try and try again to balance the economy of the Malays against that of the non-Malays at all levels and in all fields,” he said.

   But the NEP, he said, has succeeded in closing the gap between the Malays and non-Malays.

   Those who condemned the NEP, he said, have ignored the fact that government scholarships and opportunities have allowed thousands of Malay children to enter universities.

   The government has also provided 3 billion ringgit as capital for the National Equity Corp. to initiate unit trusts which succeeded in making 7.28 million Malays shareholders in big corporations with investments totaling 34.89 billion ringgit.

   The shares allocated to the NEC were the result of the restructuring of new companies that are required by the NEP to provide 30% of their equity for bumiputera.

   ”In truth, without the NEP, the unit trusts and the governmental institutions which were managed on behalf of the Malays, today the NEP would achieve only 2% of the target,” Mahathir said.
   _______________

   The Malays in Singapore, no crutch mentality
   by Guntor Sadali, The Malaysian Insider, August 05, 2010

   It is a fact known to all that Malays in Singapore are a minority.

   However this minority is quite different from other minorities in the world.

   Similarly, to some, Singapore is just a red dot in this vast Asian region.

   But it is no ordinary red dot.

   It is a grave mistake to equate size with ability, just as it is wrong to assume that being small and in the minority is to be weak and insignificant.

   The recent World Cup proved this. While Spain may be the world champion, it was minnow Switzerland that became the only country in the tournament that was able to defeat Spain.

   Forty-five years have passed since Singapore left Malaysia, yet every now and then we still hear non-complimentary comments from across the Causeway about the Malay community here.

   The latest came from former Malaysian prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who casually reminded Malaysian Malays not to become like Singaporean Malays.

   He did not make it clear what he actually meant, but the comment was made in the context of the possibility of Malaysian Malays losing their power in Malaysia.

   Again he did not specify what type of power, but it could safely be interpreted as political power.

   Now, what could have happened to the Malays here in the last four decades?

   What could have driven Dr Mahathir to voice his concern and to caution the Malaysian Malays?

   I wonder.

   The Malay community in Singapore, of course, know what has become of us here.

   First and foremost, we have become a completely different community from what we were 45 years ago.

   We have developed our own identity and philosophy of life that are distinct from our relatives across the Causeway.

   We may wear the same clothes, eat the same food, speak the same language and practise the same culture.

   However, the similarities end there.

   We are now a society that upholds the philosophy of wanting to stand on our own feet, or what is known in Malay as “berdikari” or “berdiri atas kaki sendiri”.

   We do not believe in being spoon-fed or being too dependent on government help.

   In other words, we do not have a crutch mentality. We firmly believe that a community with such a crutch mentality will soon become a “two M” community — the first “M” stands for “manja” (spoilt), and the second for “malas” (lazy).

   We definitely do not want to be labelled as a pampered and lazy community.

   That is why our Malay community here constantly work hard to raise funds to build our own mosques, madrasahs and other buildings in expensive and land-scarce Singapore.

   Over the years we have raised millions of dollars to become proud owners of these buildings.

   Through our own efforts and with the help of other organisations, we have also helped the needy not only financially, but also in equipping them with new skills so that they can earn their living.

   For Dr Mahathir, however, all that we have done and achieved so far are not good enough.

   He takes a negative view of our changed attitudes and different mindset, and has therefore cautioned Malaysian Malays not to be like us.

   What about power? For Malays in Singapore, power is not about wielding the keris.

   For us, knowledge is power. In fact we believe that knowledge is THE real power.

   The constant emphasis by the community on the importance of education and acquiring knowledge has led to the formation of institutions such as Mendaki, Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP), the Prophet Mohamad Birthday Memorial Scholarship Board (LBKM) and many others.

   These self-help organisations not only provide financial help to needy students, but also strive to nuture our students to their full potential.

   At the same time, these organisations help to tackle various social ills faced by the community.

   Again, we do these all on our own. Malay children here attend the same schools as other Singaporeans with a shared aim — to obtain a holistic education and, of course, achieve good examination results.

   Yes, it is tough. Like all other children, our Malay students have no choice but to work hard.

   It is a reality of life in Singapore that we have come to accept — that there is certainly no short cut to success.

   We do not believe in getting any special treatment, because it would only reduce the value of our achievements and lower our dignity.

   The meritocratic system that we practise here is, without doubt, a tough system but it helps us to push ourselves and prevent us from becoming “manja” and “malas”.

   Still, Dr Mahathir and some Malay leaders across the Causeway do not like the way we do things here and have therefore warned Malaysian Malays not to be like us.

   On our part, there is certainly no turning back.

   Meritocracy has proven to be a good and fair system.

   It pushes us to work hard and makes us proud of our achievements.

   We can see how it has benefited us by looking at the growing number of doctors, lawyers, magistrates, engineers, corporate leaders and other professionals among us.

   It is the successes and achievements of some of these people that Berita Harian wants to highlight and celebrate when we launched this Achiever Award 12 years ago.

   Tonight, we have another role model to present to our community.

   So, the question is: Shouldn’t our friends and relatives across the Causeway be like us — Malays in Singapore?

   It is definitely not for us to suggest or decide.

   And we too have no intention of asking our own community if we would like to be like them either, because we have already chosen our very own path for the future.

   We, the Malays in Singapore, should be proud of our achievements, because we have attained them through hard work.

   It is true that what we have achieved so far may not be the best, and that we are still lagging behind the other races.

   There are large pockets in our community facing various social problems.

   We have achieved so much, and yet there is still a long way to go. But we should not despair.

   We can do a lot more on our own if the community stay united and cohesive.

   In critical issues, we should speak with one voice.

   We need to help and strengthen each other while at the same time reach out to the other communities in multi-racial, multi-religious Singapore. A successful and prosperous Singapore can only mean a successful and prosperous Malay community.

   Can we do it? Well, to borrow US President Barack Obama’s campaign slogan, “Yes, we can”.

   * Speech by Berita Harian Singapore editor Guntor Sadali, at the Berita Harian Singapore Achiever of the Year Awards ceremony on July 28, 2010.
   _______________

   Discard subsidy syndrome
   Borneo Post, Friday, May 11, 2001

   KUCHING – Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng today urged the people to eradicate the subsidy syndrome and be less dependent on government aid.

   He said it was important to change their attitude to strengthen the foundation for self-reliance and to develop a spirit of competitiveness. “Mindsets and attitudes which hinder development must be discarded.

   The subsidy mentality and government dependency must be discarded to enable us to stand on our own two feet and to have a competitive spirit,” he said when opening the State Legislative Assembly sitting here. He said the people had to have a dynamic entrepreneurial attitude and be well-versed in information technology (IT) to face the global economic challenges.

   “In order to meet even bigger challenges in the future, our entrepreneurs must prepare themselves to face competition in the international market, be knowledgable and have high integrity and self-reliance,” he said.

   He said highly knowledgeable and skilled entrepreneurs would motivate the new economy and prepare the State for the increasingly tough competition in the era of globalisation.

   “The globalisation trend is besieging us and whether we accept or reject it, is not the question. What we should ask is to what extent we are prepared so far,” he added.

   His Excellency said trade liberalisation _ an aspect of globalisation _ required the people to enhance their competitiveness.

   “This means they should be efficient in terms of the quality of the produce and production cost. A mind and attitude still inclined to traditional work practices which stifle progress should be discarded,” he said.

   He also stressed the importance of research and development (R&D), saying the government should reap optimum benefits from the State’s vast natural resources.

   On human resource development, the Head of State said he appreciated the State government’s efforts to develop a ready pool of highly skilled workers, who were knowledgeable and trained in information technology.

   “A huge allocation has been set aside for educational facilities and skills training. There is also a fund for Sarawak students to further their studies and upgrade their skills, especially in the technical and professional fields,” he said.

   He thanked the Federal government for establishing community colleges in all parliamentary constituencies.

   “This will certainly enable us to have more opportunities for the youth and members of the public to increase knowledge in technical and vocational skills,” he said.

   His Excellency also reminded elected representatives not to neglect their constituents, saying they should try their best to help them.

   “As representatives of your constituents, you are in the best to understand the problems of the people such as on issues pertaining to education, social and economic development,” he said.
   _____________________

   Pahang MB: Rent-seeking OK if everyone benefits
   By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider, May 28, 2011

   GENTING HIGHLANDS, May 28 – The practice of rent-seeking using “Alibaba” companies is acceptable as long as all races benefited from it, Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob has said.

   “Alibaba pun Alibabalah (Its ok for Alibaba) as long as everybody benefits,” he said today.

   The Pahang Mentri Besar was trying to drive the point home that the Chinese were more business efficient while Malays were not.

   “Malays are not interested in economics, but money,” he said, explaining that in the cases of Alibaba companies, Malays often brought in Chinese business partners as they had better experience in handling money.

   “Saya bagi awak sikit, saya ambil banyak (I give you a little, I take a lot),” said Adnan in jest when describing how “profits” in rent-seeking cases were distributed between Malays and Chinese.
   ________________________

   Incomes go up within 10 years
   by Jack Wong, The Star, Friday, 18 May 2001

   KUCHING: THE state’s rural and urban poverty rate dropped to 14.5% and 2.1% in 1999 from 24.7% and 4.9% respectively in 1990.

   Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu said efforts to address rural and urban poverty had produced significant results.

   He said the government had carried out various poverty eradication programmes, such as an integrated agricultural development scheme, rural growth centres and the village integrated development project to create jobs and economic activities for the people.

   “Efforts to eradicate poverty is not just about raising the income of the people as it also involves provision of social infrastructure, like school, medical, housing and recreational facilities,” he told Richard Wong Ho Leng (DAP Bukit Assek) during question time.

   Jabu, also Land and Rural Development Minister, said the state’s per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for last year was estimated at RM6,235 in constant price and RM15,628 in current price.

   He said the figures showed an average growth rate of 4.7% and 7.7% respectively over a 10-year period.

   “As the state economy is expanding, the income level of the people has also increased.”

   Assistant Minister for Food Industries Datuk David Teng Lung Chi told Mong Dagang (BN Bukit Begunan) that the government was helping pepper planters during the current downturn in pepper prices.

   These included providing more support for farm maintenance and exploiting marketing options such as delving into the physical forward market and adopting storage certification schemes to enable them to maximise earnings through selling the crop at the most suitable time.

   Teng said the planters were also encouraged to use cheaper fertilisers instead of imported ones.
   _______________________

   Jabu: 27,902 Household Heads Under Hardcore Poor Category
   Bernama News, 23 June 2011

   KUCHING — A total of 27,902 household heads (KIR) or 49.8 percent of 55,975 registered in e-Kasih system fall under the hardcore poor category, the State Assembly heard today.

   Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu said of the 55,975 registered until June 11, 23,235 were categorised as simple poor and 4,838 had exited poverty.

   “Of 27,902 KIR under hardcore poor, 13,349 are Ibans (47.84%!!!!!), 5,601 Malays 2,925 Orang Ulu, 2,757 Bidayuh and 1,974 Melanaus (bumiputeras), 647 Chinese and 622 others,” he said when replying to Violet Yong (DAP-Pending).

   KIR with income of RM520 monthly fall under the hardcore poor category while those earning RM830 monthly are categorised as simple poor.

   Jabu said to ensure effectiveness of e-Kasih, district poverty eradication focus group committees will vet applications to ensure that only those qualified were registered.

   The data will be updated with entry from all aid agencies and those not registered wi

4. Pengajar Udah Pencen on July 22nd, 2011 1:20 pm

   DJB & Kaban kaban,

   I strongly believe that the Dayaks have to work with DAP or go through DAP to unseat the present State Government.

   We all know too well the so called Dayak based parties like PRS,SPDP and all Dayak SUPP YBs are FIXED DEPOSITs of PBB.That,I believe too are their PERIOK NASI.

   They do not seem to have any other plans in their political struggle only to be juniors in the whole system.

5. Iban Militant on July 22nd, 2011 1:30 pm

   If DCC is made like other NGOs it should accept all dayaks from all walks of life, irrespective of their political affiliation, atas pagar, bawah pagar or dalam pagar PR or BN.

   If DCC is made as dayak political wing, this is another attempt to split the dayaks (iban particularly) using stick & carrot or made like dangling carrot- act like a bait for hungry sharks!

   This will up to individuals to go for it or not. Again I said if u r looking for better prospective new thing in life and your motive ka ngulih kediri, don’t care about who Mr. Sanu.
   But if you think that DCC is an alternative party where the dayaks can have say (in DAP), you only can dream but never see it works.
   Forget about SUPP, because that is Chinese party. We have SNAP & ex PBDS, one influential Chinese in it is enough to buy dayak loyalty….you know what I meant?

   Enti mikir ka milk the cow in DAP or to have better chance chosen as candidate to stand in dayak majority seats…if that is your ambition ngulih kediri nyadi wakil rakyat….don’t make DCC sound like dayak savior. And don’t know how long to get that RM1billion fund release? Even if it is to be released….I m worry it is made similar to dangling carrot used by BN to fish for votes ONLY!

   Aki Hawong & Dayaklama might be tempted to join in. What about you KOW…you have enough beers in PRS?

6. IbanLama on July 22nd, 2011 1:45 pm

   Hmmmm…2 taun da agi baru uban dah datai setengah abad nyadi menteri. Just imagine, 50 taun main politik? Amat hebat nya ngal…Kira ke world Guiness Book of Record nya ngal. Pedis amat berubah nya.

7. Iban Militant on July 22nd, 2011 1:49 pm

   If DCC is DAP political wing for Dayaks, don’t make it like a savior to the community. This will bring confusion, but is ok if the community receptive to the strategy; same political motive but with different approach of garnering supports for the opposition.

   Twist and turn in order to suit one’s political ambition, if it is legal & acceptable let it be! Good luck

8. Moa Ari on July 22nd, 2011 3:54 pm

   Quite amazing Taib has been there before I was born! A real dinosaur…the ”new toy” add longevity.

   An amazing record. When is the suitable time to leave office and watch the sun set with a gls of pina colada? Sayang jugak kalo mati in servis, duit belum pakai?

9. Babai on July 22nd, 2011 4:14 pm

   Dr JBA….
   You have hit the nail on the head and make your stand clear….I hope those DBs do evaluate and think deeper and see exactly what they want.
   I fully support your move Dr JBA.

10. gkm2020 on July 22nd, 2011 5:16 pm

    The future of Iban and/or Dayak in DAP is categorically the same to that of Dayaks in SUPP.

    Not only the DBs are split further within the BN context, it is now seen within the PR (some are PKR loyalist, some are SNAP loyalist and while others are now into DAP). Thus more divided and would certainly easy for “others” to rule them….nadai pengunjong meh bansa Iban….

    Dayaks are likely to be DAP’s new “Fixed Deposit” or maybe “Insurance”; ‘expendable asset’?

    Dayak leaders in DAP are likely to be DAP’s political proxies and/or nominees?

    I leave you with 3 simple questions:

    1. Who are you becoming, and are you comfortable with “BN or PR”, “PKR or DAP”, “PRS or SPDP”, “Unity or Division”, “Majority or Status Quo”?

    2. Do you live each day with gratitude for the gift of life you have been given that day or yesterdays or today?

    3. Are you at peace with your journey, or are you in a relentless chase for something else, something less, or something more tomorrow?

    LACK OF CLEAR DIRECTION IN LIFE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CAUSES OF FAILURE.

11. yesDAP on July 22nd, 2011 7:32 pm

    hail to DAP
    we need Dayak-Chinese-KDM unity to be the pillar of this country

12. Apai on July 22nd, 2011 7:42 pm

    Dear all,

    I have been trying to understand what this DCC is all about. Initially, it sounds like a Dayak Think Tank or something like that.

    But in plain and simple language, it’s DAP platform or wing for the Dayaks. Not so subtle imitation of PBB’s non-muslim bumiputera wings (PESAKA). There is nothing wrong with that. Any Dayak can join them. Just don’t make it sounds some magical intellectual elite group.

    If it is PR political strategy to share the burden of contesting in many challenging rural Dayak areas, so be it.

    The questions we have to ponder are:
    1) Is this going to strengthen Dayaks’ unity? No.
    2) Is spreading the Dayaks’ votes too thin along each political party? Yes.
    3) Is this going to increase Dayaks political power bargaining? No
    4) Is this going to improve chance of unseating BN? Maybe

    The other concern as highlighted by DJB was bad painful experiences of Dayaks in association with people like James Wong, Sng, Tiong and also SUPP leaders

    Well, don’t expect much difference from DAP. It is ingrained in Chinese thinking that they don’t give anything for free. Not only not for free but they expect multiple times the return from whatever they give. That’s why they make excellent businessmen/entrepreneurs.

    So now let’s play the reverse game. DAP want votes and support from Dayaks. We should not agree too easily (for that matter with anybody) unless we get multiple returns from the association with these people.

    The problem with Dayaks is that we can easily give in when whatever title (pangkat) is dangled in front of us. That’s why Dayaks formed and join many political parties.

    Unity will still be elusive for Dayaks. We still have not changed the way we handle disagreement. Instead of arriving at a compromise, we normally take the easy way out by forming a new team or join another team

    The vicious cycle continues ….

13. Julaw on July 22nd, 2011 8:12 pm

    Kaban DBs.

    Aku amat setuju enggau penemu atas nya. Nama kebuah, enti kitai sama sama berati ke, enggau Snap udah, ni naka PEMANSANG kitai Iban kelebih agi.? Enggau PBDS udah, lalu ni naka pemansang kitai Iban, nama MOGGIE nyau nadai dipeda agi dah menoa Sarawak tu? Enggau PBB ari KELIA ketegal nitih ke Jugah, bah ni naka pemansang kitai Iban dah, kelebih agi Kapit?? Enggau SUPP bisi, bah ni naka pemansang kitai Iban bai SUPP, uji tanya Dr.pama engkelili Dr.Urut, YB Iban Sri Aman nya dah??

    Enggau PRS, bah ni NAKA pemansang kitai Iban menoa Kapit dah?? Enggau SPDP udah ga, bah ni naka pemansang Iban menoa pakan dah..!!??? Nama bala kitai Iban ke sebut aku menoa nya semina IDUP ngintu ngadu kediri EMPU, enggau nangkar, kebun lada enggau BUMAI…

    Enti di Pakan, ke bisi padang Futsal manah meh, opis DO amat manah, Padang Mini amat manah.. Bah enti pengidup Iban LALU EMPAI manah manah bah kati dah..!!?? Bah nama UTAI nya bisi nulong ngadu ke pengidup Iban menoa Pakan..??? Diatu kasih meda bala anak biak REBAK BARU Iban menoa Pakan nadai kerja nadai pengawa, bah kini ke TUJU dah..?? Pakan Julau Kapit Betong etc nama ngelui Menteri migai, BAH NI pemansang permanent, UKAI pemansang MRP MRP MRP….Kitai Iban dah!!???

    Nya ALAI ba penemu aku, amat endang PATUT kitai kelebih agi IBAN maioh NGUJI enggau Dr.JBA tau ke dap nya. Nama guna kitai enggau jabo manan masin sangkoh tai dah ENTI kitai pendiau pengidup sebuti ke IDUP SEPUT MATI enda..!!!???

    Nguji meh kitai kena kitai muai Tai dulu, enti lain asai jalai, berunding baru ga.. Bala kaban ba aku nadai salah kitai nitih ke bala Cina, laban kitai berati, menoa Sarawak tu endang Cina control. Asai ke meh bala kaban bala kita ke kahwin Cina kaban…??

    Mupok kaban. Idup Iban Idup Dayak. OOOhhaa….

14. Pengajar Udah Pencen on July 22nd, 2011 9:08 pm

    gkm & kaban kaban,

    Many a time people say we have to be adaptable to changes in order to survive and flourish.That would also mean CHANGE WE MUST AND CHANGE WE CAN.

    It should be our adaptability that may decide the fates of our political survival.I do not believe that we are being FROGGY should the Dayaks decide in toto to go with DAP or go through DAP to CHANGE and subsequently UNSEAT the BN reign in Sarawak.

15. Semut Api on July 22nd, 2011 10:33 pm

    Unggal Julaw, I respect you buddy as long as U still remember where U & Me are coiming from(not talking about whom we are married to/with).
    U & me, nti jako nda serupa bikin tauka bikin nda serupa jako,pedis pala nti mikir ke nya,betu nda?
    Aku berharap sangat bersemuka ngau wakil calon DAP PRU13 tu ila ke lebih agi DJB mpu cos I will contest the Parliment seat to represent the real DAYAK fighter.

16. IbanLama on July 22nd, 2011 10:35 pm

    Dini endor Lutor tu ka berdihi maya parlimen ila deh ngal Semut?

17. nosoob on July 22nd, 2011 11:11 pm

    Fight for the rights of genuine natives of Borneo and Reject any monopolized tricks from the Federation of Tanah Melayu.
    Take challenge like the spirit of DalaiLama works for his people in Tibet from the unjustice rules and tricks from China.

18. Iban Militant on July 22nd, 2011 11:28 pm

    PUP,

    Nya reti change we must neh ungal. Engka amai ga, JBA diberi Anwar & Bian limited role ba PKR. Tusah mimit meh JBA semija ngau Anwar ti ka nuntum beer.

    Diatu JBA ulih semija ngau Wong Ho L tauka LKS yamseng, ulih nganit pah babi BBQ politik ngau sida DAP. Enti LKS bisi nemuai ngagai rumah panjai iban ulih asuh mancak babi.

    Wherever possible make changes along the way to suit one’ political ambition- nadai salah ti ulih nguntung ke rayat. Orang madah if Muhammad cannot move the mountain to where he is, he has to come to the mountain.

    Diatu JBA comes to DAP so that the RM1billion fund could be moved to the rural populace. Betul juluk DCC tu Akiq Hawong, pengaia tua ulih ngaga change we must?

19. malong on July 23rd, 2011 11:57 am

    alu bakatu meh kitai iban/dayak nadai insur…..menua kaya laban minyak/balak/arang/hydro…..tang nya nge taib engau konco ia magang. ba politik kitai kulu enda kili enda nadai tuju/arah…..ni bala iban ka bisi pangkat Taring sari? agi mamau mayuh duit menang bepilih tu kemari?

20. Iban Militant on July 23rd, 2011 11:02 pm

    Ngarap ke DCC tu mujur meh enda angat2 taik manuk ka nulung bansa baka sida BN, ambis muai undi nadai dinga keretik agi. Berapa iti tanah NCR udah sukat ngena duit 2 juta?

    Siti aja advice ka pinta aku ba DCC, keni ke minta tender kena ngerubuh ke rumah dayak ke tebengkalai ba Kuching. Pedis mata meda utai jengap2 kenya, nyamai rubuh ke sekali, meri malu dayak.

    Ni nemu LKS ulih nyali

21. Iban Militant on July 23rd, 2011 11:05 pm

    …LKS ulih nyali tukul kena ngeruntuh ke semua structure ke jengap2. Ulih ga minta DCC ngaga baru ba litan ke sama.

22. Semut Api on July 24th, 2011 9:30 am

    Unggal IbanLama,lutor tu di jangka aku angka bedihi di Pelagus laban maioh Iban sakit lalu nyamai Lutor tu nyual ubat cina ngau langkau cap DAP.

23. dayak thinker on July 28th, 2011 11:58 am

    There is nothing to change. All we need to do is get out of this ROTTEN MALAYSIA. Get Sarawak to be an independent country!!!!!!!!!

24. engkerawai on July 28th, 2011 2:27 pm

    Oh yeaaaaa,

    Go for CHANGE its vital, release Sarawak out of Bondage, Slavery, marginalization etcccc. There are too many political clowns around. These goons should be put into inaction/castrated!!

    Its messy….lets BERSIH all these KOTOR elements in Sarawak.

25. engkerawai on August 6th, 2011 8:36 am

    Yang KOTOR perlu di CUCI…..supaya BERSIH.
    Yang BERSIH perlu dijaga supaya tidak dijangkiti PENYAKIT!

26. 21yrsold Nationalist on September 17th, 2011 7:07 am

    I think we(Sarawakian) should unify under one flag with no racial or religion prejudices.We should follow western nationalism.S’wak Malays,Melanau,Dayaks,Chinese or watsoever u r ,should unite under one sarawakian banner.Only by then we can improve our society and perhaps get out of racist Malaysia.We need united Sarawak.i dun want my Sarawak to become like Yugoslavia.Im still young to understand politics but yet diz is my opinion.

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