RESPONSE from MoCS to Taib Mahmud’s remarks in Borneo Post

MoCS represents the loud voices of the people of Sarawak who want to see changes and reforms in the governance of the state.

Sarawakians have enough of this misrule of their state – the widespread corruption, blatant abuse of power and the perpetuation of the politics of fear and intimidation.

Sarawakian parents are worried for the future of their children, businessmen are finding it difficult to get jobs and even small contracts, professionals and others are forced to leave Sarawak because they find little future in their home state.

Sarawakians who have no means or opportunity to seek greener pastures elsewhere are being bullied at home. The plight of our Dayak NCR land owners are clear for all to see. They are being chased away from their homes and their land taken away. The land issue is also affecting many Malay and Chinese families too.

The thieves and brigands of Sarawak are enjoying life, frolicking away in the land of the rich and famous like Monaco and elsewhere while their fellow Sarawakians in the rural areas are left with nothing on their back, except for their name perhaps. That’s all they have left for being a Sarawakian.

We wish to inform Taib Mahmud that these are the people MoCS represents. The movement will have to play its role, no matter how small, in speaking out for the oppressed, down-trodden and victimized Sarawakians.

MoCS wishes to stress again that the movement is not aligned to any political party. While many politicians share our agenda for reforms in Sarawak, MoCS is apolitical and strictly a citizen’s movement. We are not interested in seeking public office nor expect any reward for our work in Sarawak. But we will continue to do what we have to do for our home land and for our fellow Sarawakians. This is MoCS’s commitment to the people.

To Taib, I wish to say here that I am a nobody – just a Sarawakian who cares deeply for my home state and my fellow citizens. I am not a leader. I wield no authority. I have no power. You are the leader, you are the chief minister.

You have a heavy responsibility. You are supposed to govern the state with wisdom, courage and foresight and great compassion for the people. Sadly, you have failed us in many ways.

As a Sarawakian, you are also my chief minister and I would have accorded you that due respect if only you had been a better leader. But today, I have to say that I’m ashamed to call you my chief minister and my leader because of your misdeeds and mismanagement of our state.

Taib, let me advise you to forget your pride sometimes, be humble for a moment and admit where you have gone wrong. Nobody is perfect. Almost 45 percent of the voters in Sarawak rejected YOU and your government last April 16. You should know why.

I will readily concede that there are good and forthright people in your BN team too. But you have never allowed them to act as their conscience dictates. Because you wield such immense power, they remain fearful of you and hence, subservient to you even when they know you are wrong. This is what is dreadfully wrong with your government today.

One last thing, Mr Chief Minister. You said before the April state election that you would be stepping down in 2-3 years. Just WHEN is 2-3 years? Give us a definite date, like Dr Mahathir and Pak Lah.

If you are not prepared to give the EXACT DATE, then it is impossible for us to believe you. For once, in your old age, give us a reason to believe you.

We are well-meaning Sarawakians. We have no desire to oppose you forever. We still harbour that little hope that you would do something good as you enter your sunset years.

Francis Paul Siah

15^th July, 2011

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Taib: Movement has no authority to call for rally

Posted on July 15, 2011, Friday

KUCHING: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud yesterday took to task Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS), saying the movement did not represent the people.

He said it was crystal clear that the people had given him and Barisan Nasional (BN) the mandate to govern the state.

“MoCS rally! You find out who MoCS represents, whose voice they are carrying and by what authority is Francis Siah claiming to be the leader,” Taib said to reporters after he chaired the state cabinet meeting at Wisma Bapa Malaysia.

The state BN chairman was asked on MoCS’s plan to hold a rally – A walk for democracy and reforms – on Aug 13.

“People can say why I am a leader and who I represent … and you (reporters) can ask him (Siah) the same question,” he said.

MoCS leader Francis Siah, in a statement yesterday, was quoted as saying that the movement hoped to gather either at Padang Merdeka or Kuching Waterfront and then walk to either Reservoir Park or Museum Grounds where they would hold the rally

On why only a small number of Sarawakians were involved in the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally, Taib said this was because the people practised good political culture.

Meanwhile, Kuching district police chief ACP Mun Kok Keong said the police had not received any application from MoCS for a permit to hold the rally.

BRIMAS & TAHABAS willing to assist Baru Bian in providing evidence in debate with CM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MIRI – The Borneo Resources Institute, Malaysia (BRIMAS) an indigenous peoples and environmental NGO in Miri together with the Sarawak Native Customary Land Rights Network (TAHABAS) has welcome the recent announcement from the Sarawak Chief Minister, Taib Mahmud that he is willing to take the challenge to debate with State PKR Chief, Baru Bian on the Native Customary Rights (NCR) land issues.

We in BRIMAS together with TAHABAS are willing to provide the evidence and proof to assist Baru and to back our claims that the current State Government is taking away NCR lands from the indigenous peoples in Sarawak.

We ask Baru to name the date and venue of the debate and also to urge the government to air the debate publicly in radio and television.

May we remind the Chief Minister that the debate is not about the State Government seizing title lands but about the State Government seizing NCR lands, which of course are untitled lands.

We welcome this debate as an important event to educate the people (rakyat) on the NCR issues which are currently affecting the indigenous peoples of Sarawak. We hope that the rakyat can judge for themselves whether the NCR issue is a current and relevant issue or it is an out-dated and a non-issue.

Signed by:

Mark Bujang

Executive Director, BRIMAS

Ramould Siew

President, TAHABAS

Where are the Answers?

 

Taken from SarawakReport.org

Nothing to say? Over the past several days Sarawak Report has revealed a number of facts relating to the Taib Family’s vast foreign property investments.  Our investigations have exposed a real estate portfolio worth hundreds of millions of US dollars in Canada, Australia and the United States and we have shown how they are owned and directed by Taib’s own brothers and children.

  However, so far, the Chief Minister has failed to respond to our allegations or to answer two questions, ‘Where did the money come from?’ and ‘How much of this property does he beneficially own?’.

 Indeed, the Chief Minister has made only one significant response to our well-documented exposes. This week he forbade all newspapers in Sarawak to publish news about the lavish riches enjoyed by himself and his family. Such an act merely shows the extent of his dilemma and his embarrassment.  Clearly he cannot deny the Taib family ownership of the properties in question, because it is all documented in official registries in different countries, which are available on-line to the public. He has therefore only silence and suppression to turn to in order to hide his embarrassment. 

Struggling for Survival – Native People of Sarawak 

This is a sign of weakness and failure in an old man.  Surely he knows that everyone in Kuching is talking about his greed? Does he plan to ban all conversations including the phrases ”Chief Minister” and “unexplained wealth” in the same sentence?

Meanwhile, he continues to support the ill-treatment and attacks by logging companies and police against native peoples who are trying to protect their rightful lands from rapacious timber and plantation companies.  He is doing this even though the Malaysian Federal Courts have upheld that ownership of Native Customary Rights Lands cannot be removed by the State. 

Why does Taib Mahmud always support the actions of the timber companies against his people?  Could it be because they are paying him in kickbacks and that this is how the Taib family afford their International Property Empire? He needs to reassure the world that this is not the case, but it seems he cannot.

Again Abdul Taib Mahmud needs to explain how he and his family came by their riches and he must reveal just how much of the Taib family property empire is owned and directly controlled by him.

Sakti/Sakto – Another Taib Exclusive

 

Taken from SarawakReport.org

 

Sakto Canada/Sakti US

 When you have dozens of properties and as many companies to manage them it is always a good trick to stick to similar names.  Sarawak Report can exclusively reveal that there is a US arm to the Taib family’s North American  property empire.

Palatial – just one of the Taib family’s US residences In Ottawa, Canada the family’s interests are managed by Sakto Corporation, but in the US they are managed by Sakti International Corporation. Sakti International Corporation comprises properties totalling an estimated value of US$80,000,000, according to their own company documents.  Each property is held under a separate company, usually named after the property’s street address, again in order to aid recognition.  For example, W.A. Boylston manages 1117 Boylston St, Seattle (shown right).

 However, one of these companies is not so named. Wallyson’s Incorporated, based in Seattle, operates what is known as the Abraham Lincoln Building. The Abraham Lincoln Building houses a top secret FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) facility and to enter requires maximum security clearance. 

FBI Headquarters in Seattle – a Taib Building This is the North West Regional Headquarters for the FBI, America’s domestic security and counter-terrorism service. The Seattle branch lists amongst its particular responsibilities countering terrorism threats from Far East Asia.  This building is owned by the Taib family.

FBI emblem at Abraham Lincoln Building Sakti’s other main US office block, 260 California Street, San Francisco, also rents space to an impressive list of clients, including Citibank.  It shows once again the Taib family’s ability to ingratiate with the establishment in host countries for their foreign investments.

Taib company history in the USA

Also like Sakto, Sakti is currently managed by Sean Murray, husband of Jamilah Taib, who is the daughter of Abdul Taib Mahmud, Chief Minister of Sarawak (salary 20,000 Malaysian Ringgit per month).  Sean Murray was re-named Hisham Murray when he converted to the Muslim faith on his marriage to Jamilah, but never uses this name in his business or social capacities outside of Sarawak.

Hisham (Sean) and Jamilah Murray

BN Safe Deposits=Bumiputra Votes?

The bumiputeras will still strongly support the BN in the next state election which must be held before May next year, Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud said today.

The result of the May 16 Sibu by-election showed that the community’s support for the BN had increased, he said when launching the “Sejiwa Senada Government With The People” programme at SK Perbandaran 3 in Sibu today.

The programme, a role and function exhibition by government departments and agencies, is the first of a series to be held statewide this year.

Its basic aim is to improve the government administration delivery system in conjunction with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s Government Transformation Programme.

Taib  said he was confident of the bumiputeras continuing support because they believed in organised efforts and good clear policies in struggling for their betterment.

“The bumiputeras are humble. They know they are poor and in difficulty. So they place high hopes in the government to help them out.”

He said that in the by-election, although there were people from outside trying to undermine their confidence in the government, the Malays, Ibans, Melanaus and others had been “humble enough to recognise that they still depend on a working government for their fate.”

DAP state chairman Wong Ho Leng defeated SUPP Robert Lau Hui Yew with a majority of 398 votes to win the Sibu seat which has 54,695 registered voters,about 67 percent of whom are Chinese…Bernama

 

Pengayau comment

Personnally,this is an insults to me as Bumiputra,Dayak to be exact but somehow,i agree with him but with a reason.This is because Politics of Fear and Supression has been used for an ages by BN against those Bumiputras..The Dayaks to be exact!!

 

Typical BN Propaganda.”Semina BN aja ulih main Pemansang”

 

That is why BN Government were purposely keeping the Dayaks poor to make it easy for them to manipulates us!!We all know very well the Mentality of our Aki and Inik in the longhouse who is the real BN Safe Deposits in every sense of words.But things could be different if they really understand what does a Government really mean!!

By increasing of supports from the Bumiputra,that doesnt denied or dismiss the Rakyats dissatisfaction with BN and all their wrongdoings..The Chinesse has “Wake Up” in Sibu and it is time to wake up our fellow Dayaks!!

Why after 50 years bumiputera still poor & difficulty?I have to admit that they did some good things to us.But taking into consideration of 47 years,that is still not enough and not even progress by 40 or 50%!!

Look at us now?What do we have?What about the basic fundamental amenities that any Government of the day should provide to the Rakyat such as Electricity,Tar Sealed Road and Clean Water Supply..After 47 years,what is the progress?Oh God,we are yet to talk about other issues,we are still with those Karan,Jalai Tar and Ai Paip issue.Though we are in the 21st Century!!