A caring Chief Minister

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman yesterday took time off from his busy schedules to meet victims of the fire that razed about 50 houses, making some 300 homeless at the water village of Kampung Tanjung Aru Lama, just a stone throw from Kota Kinabalu City.

Musa told the victims that the State Government would assist them as the best they could so as to reduce their burden. Musa, who is also Sabah Finance Minister, also made a personal donation of RM12,500, which he distributed RM300 to each of the affected 43 families.

Hyatt Regency Kinabalu, is the first hotel in the City to give donations to the fire victims and also hosted a breaking of fast (buka puasa) to the villagers who are majority Muslims.

My Say:

Initial investigations by the City Fire and Rescue Services Department indicated that the fire was started by a boy playing with firecrackers.

Probably the boy was unable to wait for the Hari Raya celebration to play with his firecrackers, something that he will regret forever.

This boy and his family will be among the many affected families not being able to celebrate Hari Raya like in previous years for they now have no house. Most of them are putting up at the community halls in Sembulan and Tanjnung Aru.

Orang Utan (Jungle People)

Orang Utans at the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre in Sandakan, Sabah, looks friendly but visitors are advised to follow the centre's guide when `going into their territory'. This words of caution came from Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun in the wake of an incident in Taman Semengoh, Kuching Sarawak where a tourist had a `fight' with an Orang Utan who had snatched her bag.

Masidi said that Orang Utans are not really human although they are called Orang Utan (Jungle People). They can suddenly changed mood although they look friendly at first.

The last incident of these Jungle People attacking visitors was when a tourist was strippped by one of them (Orang Utan) in Sepilok several years ago.

My Say:

I had visited Sepilok and had a great time taking photographs of the naughty Orang Utans when a big one came from behind trying to be friendly with me. The Orang Utan was going for my camera bag but I managed to ran away before the Orang Utan was able to do any harm on me.

Merdeka's indecent dance?

Sabah's edition of the Borneo Post on Sunday (Sept 24th) published front page a photograph of a dance performance during Kemabong's Merdeka celebration on Aug 25. The picture taken from a video recording shows Filipino dancers in what local Umno leader Yafta Musa said was indecent.

Yafta said as an Umno leader, he was angry and disgusted when watching such kind of performance as it was very embarrassing. He said action should be taken to those responsible for allowing the performance as it will likely affect the credibility of Barisan Nasional leaders.

He said Kemabong assemblyman Datuk Rubin Balang was also present at the celebration which started at 7pm and went on until midnight.

Rubin, in his reply published in the Daily Express today, denied that the performance that night was laced with indecency. He believed that the issue was sensationalised by disgruntled individuals who were out to gain publicity.

"I did not receive any complain from my supporters in Kemabong but only from those who are supporters of ex-Tenom Member of Parliament Datuk Rizalman Abdullah who was angry that he (Rizalman) was not selected to defend his seat in the 2004 general election," Rubin said.

He said the organiser had brought in an Elvis impersonator from Australia to perform that night who wanted his own dancers to accompany his performances.

Rubin said the dance was more like ballet and ballroom dancing, which could be quite new to people in "a remote area like Kemabong as they are not used to it." He said should there were people to ask for the dancing to be stopped that night, "I would have immediately asked them to do so but there was none."

My Say:

A copy of the photograph is up there for all to see and to make individual conclusion on whether or not it look indecent.

Death, nothing less

Eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin may still be alive if only the government had introduced the death penalty for child rapists, says Zaleha Abdullah, 50, of Kampung Tebobon Menggatal, Sabah.

Zaleha is talking sense here for she, too, had gone through the agony of which Nurin's parents and family had gone through. Zaleha's nine-year-old daughter Haserawati,a Primary Four pupil of SK Tebobon was raped and murdered about 7am on Jan 8, 2004 while walking to her school.

Following this case, the Sabah Women's Advisory Council had on Oct 2004, compiled a report and proposal to the Federal Government to impose the death penalty on brutal rapists and those who sexually assault children resulting in their gruesome death.

The Council, in its memorandum, to the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Penal Code (Amendment) 2004 Bill, called for capital punishment for rapists.

Zaleha said it was so disgusting to hear how Nurin was sexually abused and murdered. She said nothing less than death by hanging must be imposed on whoever is responsible for such an offence, to ensure such crime would not happened again.

And for the record, 26-year-old drug addict Jamaludin Saripudin is currently serving 20 years jail plus 24 strokes of the rotan for raping Haserawati. He also faces a charge for murdering the girl, framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the mandatory death sentence of conviction. This High Court case is still pending hearing.


My Say:

On this issue I would like to quote what the Consumers Association of Sabah and Labuan president Datuk Patrick Sindu told the Press in Sabah yesterday.

Sindu said,"Seemingly, there is no end in sight to brutal sexual assaults on children in this country. We need drastic actions to stop potential perpetrators of crime against children. They are undeterred by jail sentences and whipping,which mean nothing to them."

"There is too much talk about meting stiffer penalties but these (death sentence) must act as a deterrent. Whenever a child falls pray to sex predator, resulting in death, the whole country will be talking about it. Then the dust settles, we are back to square one, and the crime continues because the would-be offender will not think twice about committing it."

Deads still paid $$$

The Auditor General reports stated that 20 people in two districts who had passed away are still receiving monthly cash welfare assistance from the State Welfare Services Department. Out of the 125 recipients in the district of Kota Belud, 13 were found to have died. Seven of the 57 in Keningau had passed away.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Yahya Hussin said a thorough investigation would be conducted by the Community Development and Consumer Affairs Ministry. There are some 14,971 recipients of the cash allowance throughout the State.

My Say:

Just a tip of the iceberg. I am optimistic that if the AG reports had also been carried out in all the districts, the figures would be greater. It is impossible that officers entrusted to manage the assistance not to know or aware of this matter. There must be `prawn at the other side of the stone' (ada udang disebalik batu).

Update - White Rabbit

White Rabbit (Gula Susu)

My Say:

The sweet White Rabbit, which the Philippines Government had banned due to reports that they contains cancer-causing formaldehyde, is on sale in Sabah too. Popularly known as `gula susu', it is being sold in school canteens. I checked this out this morning, almost all Kedai Runcit in Inanam Town (just six miles from Kota Kinabalu) are selling this sweet. Confirmation from parents, school's canteens, too, are selling this brand.

As I had mentioned in my posting yesterday, formalhedyde is commonly used to preserve dead bodies.

This issue had been raised several months back. Consumers are waiting what the Consumers Association for Sabah and Federal Territory of Labuan Cash) president Datuk Patrick Sindu has to say about this matter.

Sweet White Rabbit

An AFP reports from Manila says that the Philippines has banned four Chinese food products from school canteens following reports they contained cancer-causing formaldehyde.

Among those banned were the popular White Rabbit and Milk Candy brands, Bairong Grape Biscuits and the Yong Kan Foods Grape Biscuit.

Formaldehyde, a colourless, flammable, strong-smelling substance, is commonly used to preserve dead bodies and is a potentially toxic cancer-causing substance.

In July, the Philippines Government banned all of the four food items, only the makers of White Rabbit, Guan Sheng Yuan Group Co, have denied using formaldehyde.

My Say:

White Rabbit's sweet is also popular in Sabah. I wonder if those sold in this Land Below the Wind are also `Made-in-China' products.

Fishmongers in Sabah are also known to use formaldehyde on the fishes (to keep them fresh) they are selling, particularly, those being transported to rural areas.

Malaysia Day = Unity Day

Although Sept 16th was four days ago, the significant of the date is still an issue much talk about by the people. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said there will only be one Merdeka (Aug 31st), but acknowledged the significant of Sept 16th as the day the Federation of Malaysia was established as a result of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore (who later pulled out) joining together as one nation.

Gerakan, UPKO and PBS, who are members of Malaysia's ruling party, Barisan Nasional, had called for Sept 16th to be made a national public holiday. And today Umno, the backbone of the Malaysia's Government, came out in support of the call.

Datuk Masidi Manjun, Umno assemblyman for Karanaan, and a senior Sabah minister, concurred with Gerakan, UPKO and PBS, that Sept 16 deserves to be celebrated on a much bigger scales to mark the historical birth of a new nation, Malaysia, 44 years ago.

He suggested that Malaysia Day to be celebrated with a theme Unity Day, not only to celebrate the success in uniting 13 States under one nation but also to clear confusion on the Merdeka Day (Aug 31st)and Malaysia Day.

Masidi also suggested that Sept 16th celebration to be called/named Malaysia Day-Unity Day.He also support that Sept 16th be made a national Public Holiday.

My Say:

Let hope that more Sabah leaders support Sept 16 to be made a national Public Holiday. Take a lead from Masidi, a much respected Kadazandusun Muslim leader, from Ranau. As a lawyer by training, Masidi know what he is talking about.

Dilemma me

I am in a dilemma, I do not know what to do, to laugh, get angry or anything.

Why? the last five hours, I had been receiving more than 10 sms of the same message from different handphone numbers.

The message read:

Malaysia is in a real dilemma!

Allowing Vietnamese workers in,
dogs and cats go missing.

Allowing Bangla workers in,
Malay girls go missing.

Get Indons,
money and jewellery go missing.

Let Chinese dolls to come in,
husbands go missing.

And allow Filipino dance instructors in,
wives go missing!

Pig culling in Sabah?

The pig owners' crisis in Malacca where they are force to cull 97,000 heads of pig by Friday (Sept 21) might had reared its ugly heads into Sabah.

A businessman involved in the industry here related to me this morning that, without being told, rearers in the West Coast of Sabah had began to reduce their animals by slaughtering young ones. When I asked for the reasons, the businessman said `business strategy'.

My Say:

Such an action might be connected to the Malacca pigs' crisis but I am inclined to assume that it could be a tactic to reduce supply in order to jack-up price thus burdening consumers.

Sept 16 PH shot down

Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Khoon's calls for more recognition to be given to Malaysia Day to celebrate the founding of the Federation of Malaysia on Sept 16th, 1963 had been shot down by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Najib said the government had decided that the celebration of nationhood is only on Aug 31 to show that the country is together as a nation. But he said this would not mean that Malaysia Day on Sept 16 was not important.

My Say:

There were several groups in Sabah who held celebrations in conjunction with Malaysia Day. In Kiulu, the Government's member of parliament for Tuaran Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau led villagers to celebrate the day. Over in Keningau, Opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat also held similar celebrations. In a small way, I also led a small group to celebrate the day at the scenic Kionsom Waterfall.

Monday blue - Still a Rest Day For Sabah

My Say:

Monday Sept 17th, 2007 is still a holiday in Sabah in lieu of Sept 16th which fall on Sunday. Sept 16th is one of the annual Public Holidays in Sabah to celebrate the formation of Malaysia (Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined Malaya to establish a new nation - The Feberation fo Malaysia) on Sept 16th 1963.

I should had posted this yesterday but my telephone line went kaput. It was restored later in the afternoon but I was already celebrating Malaysia Day at the Kionsom Waterfall.

Happy Malaysia Day

Kurup vs Dr Jeffrey

The war of words between BN's Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup and opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) national vice president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan is getting too hot and personal.

Dr Jeffrey declared PKR would win 42 of the 60 State seats which will enable PKR to be the State Government, to which Kurup declared `no way' the opposition could toppled the national coalition.

Kurup went on to say that Dr Jeffrey Kitingan had done nothing when he was the Assemblyman for Bingkor and that the latter is now singing a different tune now that he is in the opposition.

Kurup also openly said that the disappearance of RM4 billion from Sabah Foundation during Dr Jeffrey tenure as its director was among the reasons that Sabah still the poorest State in Malaysia.

Kurup wants Dr Jeffrey to explain where the RM4 billion went.

Dr Jeffrey today clarified that there was no need for him to explain on the RM4 billion as it had been explained by auditors, Price Waterhouse. He said Kurup attempt to link him with the `missing RM4 billion' was at total stupidity.

Now Dr Jeffrey wants Kurup to come with proof within seven days that the RM4 billion disappeared, failing which he would consider taking legal action for defamation against Kurup.

My Say:

The General Elections has not been announced yet but here we are being heated by two State leaders who were at one time Assemblymen of Parti Bersatu Sabah (led by Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan) which once ruled Sabah.

Kurup now has been Sook Assemblyman for 22 years and along the way had hold the positions of Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah after serving the rest as a Cabinet Minister.

Their war of words in the Press can only indicate that Dr Jeffrey might take on Kurup in Sook. They did in the 2004 elections, Kurup emerged the winner.

No way says Kurup

Barisan Nasional's Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (BN-PBRS) president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup says `no way' for the Opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) of toppling BN in the coming general elections, let alone rule Sabah.

Kurup said the people would think not once but more than 10 times before giving their votes to PKR of which one of its national vice president is Sabahan Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

Dr Jeffrey had earlier this week said PKR was confident of winning 42 of the 60 State seats and on its way to be Sabah new State Government.

Kurup should know better for he had the opportunity to contest Sook seat against Dr Jeffrey in previous elections. Once Kurup lost but defeated Dr Jeffrey in the last elections.

My Say:

Being relatively new in Sabah politics PKR now seems to have supports whenever its goes to the villages especially when Dr Jeffrey is the organiser. But I dare say here that PKR will get the supports but will not get enough votes to win, let alone become the State Government.

Happy Fasting

Selamat Berpuasa to all my Muslim visitors. Although I am a non-Muslim Bumiputera, I do have many Muslim uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews. Infact two of my late mother's late older brothers were Muslim.

Breaking News

Come Oct 20, 2007, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman will have one of his State Assemblyman as Son-In-Law. The lucky man is Haji Mohd Ariffin Arif, the assemblyman for Membakut. An official announcement is to be made soon. Ariffin is the Sabah Native Affairs Council chairman. Musa, who is also Sabah Finance Minister, is the assemblyman for Sungai Sibuga.


My Say:

I was alerted of this news by several friends and was confirmed by a posting by a fellow Sabahan blogger Sikmading at http://sikmading.blogspot.com

Dr Jeffrey Kitingan dares to dream

Opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) national vice-president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan has openly declared on Sunday that the party would wrest control of the State Government from the National Coalition (BN). He told a political gathering in Ranau that PKR was confident to win 42 of the 60 State seats. It is still 50-50 chances in the remaining 18 seats.

He also announced the cross-over of BN-Parti Bersatu Sabah former Divisional Chief for Tampasuk James Bagah and ex-Supreme Council member Jaibin Sindan to PKR.

My Say:

I can not help but expressed my surprise over the confidence of PKR leaders, particularly, Dr Jeffrey of PKR chances in the forthcoming general elections.And more surprise is that PKR Sabah chief Ansari Abdullah has been keeping a low profile since taking over the post from Awang Tengah last month.

Another Opposition party, PASOK has also declared contesting in all the 60 seats and also confident of becoming the new Sabah State Government.

If these become a reality, there must be really something wrong with the present government. Let wait and see.

YBs' website

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman yesterday called on elected reprsentatives (YBs) to create their respective websites to foster closer ties between them and the community at large.

Musa was launching a website (http://www.yb.N33) of Sekong assemblyman Shamsuddin Yahya in Sandakan.

My Say:

This might be the first YB's website launched by the Chief Minister but in actual fact there are several YBs who had their websites, one of which, belong to Kota Belud member of Parliament Datuk Seri Salleh Tun Said, a former Chief Minister. Keruak.com is edited by former Berita Harian bureau chief for Sabah Lichong Angkui.

Maybe YBs should also start blogging since the Musa himself had only last week acknowledged that blogs were now getting popular, an alternative source of information from the mainstream media.

Aramai Tii No + + Sin Tax

Three different brands of beer three cans for RM10
My Say:

No announcement for bonus for civil servants, no annual school fees as well as examination fee for STPM, increases in allowances, incentives, 50 per cents discount on services tax and no increase in Sin Tax.

A generous budget tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Parliament yesterday. This has been expected given that in a few months times, Abdullah's Government will go for a fresh mandate from the people. Yes, this is an election budget.

No increase in Sin Tax - a great relief not only for cigarette makers and brewers but also to end users. For that I believed the 3 for 10 and the like will continue to be popular. So many `No increases' in the budget give reasons for many to be Aramai Tii at their respective watering holes.

Corruption higher up

Reading through the newspapers while having my breakfast this morning, I found that in almost each pages carried reports on corruption involving people holding high posts in the civil services.

Report from Ipoh, stated that a Syariah High Court senior judge was arrested by Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) officers yesterday for allegedly involved in corruption. He was said to have accepted RM4,200 bribe to settle two cases pending hearing in his court.

In Parliament, Minister in the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz want the former country's police chief Tan Sri Hanif Omar to provide details of allegations of police corruption to ACA.

Hanif had on Aug 12, told the Press that a senior police officer had confided in him that 40 per cent of senior officers in the police forces could be arrested without further investigations - strictly on the basis of their lifestyles.

Nazi, who was replying to question from Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang, said Hanif would be irresponsible if he do not give the information he received to the ACA.

In Kuala Lumpur, a former Road Transport Department's director was charged with four counts of corruption.

My Say:

Since time immemorial, the power of money has and will forever be great. ACA must cast its net extra-wide now.

Why?

My Say:

Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, is 1,018 miles from Kuala Lumpur, 1,192 miles from Penang and 897 miles from Johor Bahru. Sabah, like the other Malaysian's State in Borneo, Sarawak, are separated from Peninsula Malaysia by the South China Sea.

Looking at the physical separation, I can not help but believed that it is among the reasons that leaders and the people in Peninsula Malaysia sometimes do not really understand or care the feelings of the people of Sabah and Sarawak.

There are lots of differences between Sabah/Sarawak and Peninsula Malaysia in all aspects. The lists will go on forever. The people of Sabah and Sarawak are not asking too much, just respect us a we respect all Malaysians irrespective of which States they come from.

I do have feelings, feeling of wanting to be respected of my race, culture and religion. Just because I have `Bin' between my name and that of my father does not make me a Muslim. No one should look upon me for eating noodles in Chinese shop. No one should asked for my MyKad to confirm my religion. No one............

Different tune now Pairin

In a sharp contrast to my earlier posting `Merdeka and Malaysia Day' Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan has now re-tuned his views of the formation of Malaysia. In my earlier posting, I quoted Pairin's speech (on Sept 16, 1988) in which he strongly stated that there was no Malaysia before Sept 16, 1963.

Now Pairin is teaching us history by saying that Sabah and Sarawak were already self-governing states 44 years ago on Aug 31, 1963. He said this meant that both States were already independent for 15 days until Sept 15, 1963, followed by the declaration of Malaysia the following day , involving Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore and 11 States in Malaya.

On the 50th Merdeka celebrtion, Pairin said Malaya had freed itself from the colonial yolk on Aug 31, 1957, and Sabah joined in the joys of independence well in advance.

My Say:

A bit confusing but I am happy that Pairin, whose political party - Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) - had rejoined the National Coalition (Barisan Nasional), still maintained that Malaysia was only born on Sept 16, 1963. The people of Sabah must also say `thank you' to Pairin for having gazetted Sept 16 a Public Holiday to celebrate Malaysia Day and the Yang Dipertua Negeri's (Head of State) official birthday.

Still I must say that Pairin is now dancing a different tune compared to while his PBS party was at the helm of the State Government and that he was the Chief Minister. And of course in 1988, he was heading an Opposition State Government. Now Pairin is back in the BN's fold.

Tun Fuad Stephens vs Tun Datu Mustapha

The State Archives has put up a special exhibition titled `Captain Tun Datu Haji Mustapha Datu Harun'. According to the archive's director Datu Tigabelas Datu Zainal Abidinthe exhibition was in commemoration with Tun Mustapha, the first Sabah Governor and third Chief Minister.

When a reporter asked Datu 13 why Tun Mustapha and not other leaders like Tun Fuad, the director said, `Stephens was a separuh orang putih (half white)." Yesterday Datu 13 clarified that he it was never his intention to discriminate any personality leaders.

Datu 13 said Tun Mustapha was chosen as Tun Fuad who was an Eurasian was involved in the formation of Malaysia, compared to Tun Mustapha who played a vital role during the Japanese invasion right up to the formation of Malaysia.

My Say:

According to history book, Tun Mustapha is half Suluk, half Bajau. Datu 13 failed to mentioned the other half of Tun Fuad which is Kadazandusun. Tun Fuad's relatives can testify this anytime. In my early days as reporter, I had met and interviewed Tun Fuad who upon knowing me a native, answered my questions in Kadazan. I had also interviewed Tun Mustapha, he spoke in Bajau Suluk.

Musa: Blogger Popular

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman last night acknowledged that blogs and bloggers are now becoming popular that it pose a challenge to print and electronic media in the country.

Speaking at the Kinabalu Shell Press Awards 2007 in Kota Kinabalu, the Chief Minister said:

"I can understand the challenges and pressures facing journalists as I interact with many of you almost on a daily basis. I know you have Chief Editors to answer to and deadlines to meet as well as chase after the latest scoop. I am also aware that you are competing with the growingly popular online news portals and bloggers. However, where bloggers are concerned, I must state here I hope members of the esteemed media do not resort to tactics of these faceless individual, some of who have stooped low as to put up doctored pictures."

My Say:

I blog to post issues that are not published or intentionally left out by the mainstream media. I am fully aware that in posting my views and issues of interest to the people that I am in the business of disseminating the truth, the whole truth nothing but the truth.