GANGSTERISM IN SARAWAK: DEPUTY MINISTER, TYCOON UNDER PROBE

Gangsterism in Sarawak: Deputy Minister, Tycoon under Probe

KUALA LUMPUR: A deputy minister and a tycoon, who is also a senior politician in Sarawak, are under police probe for alleged involvement in gangsterism, illegal logging and attempted bribery of senior police officers.

The deputy minister, who is in his late 50s and and the politician in his late 60s, hold the "datuk" title.It is learnt that a team from the Federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman had been tasked with the investigation.

The tycoon, who is a branch leader of a state Barisan Nasional component party, is suspected of having attempted to bribe policemen to secure the release of an underworld "don" who is in police custody in Sarawak.

The "don", known in the underworld as Le Long, is allegedly linked to the kidnap of a business rival. The 43-year-old man was detained when the police stormed his house at Oya Road in Sibu about 3am on Feb 27.

His arrest was the result of investigations into the kidnapping, over which six of his henchmen were nabbed three days earlier.

Initial investigations revealed that the six were linked to the kidnap of Kueh Chion Huat, who was confined in a house between Feb 6 and 23.

The victim, who was tortured during his captivity, was released when his father reportedly paid a ransom of RM100,000, about RM20,000 less than what was demanded by the kidnappers.

The "don", described by the Sarawak police as having links with the Peninsular Malaysia-based "Wah Kee" secret society, is being held in the Sibu prison, awaiting the kidnap case to be heard in the High Court.

Federal CID director Datuk Christopher Wan Soo Kee, when asked to comment on the alleged involvement of Sarawak politicians in secret societies, said: "Our special team is looking into the matter and is conducting thorough investigations.

"This is a complicated matter, so we can’t reveal much. We have our own strategies and networks to handle the matter." Wan also said that "Ops Cantas Kenyalang", a special operation to eradicate gangsterism in Sarawak, was ongoing.

"We want to ensure that Sarawak is free of gangsterism and are confident that this operation would be a success.

"Police have busted 17 secret societies active in Sarawak, with the arrest of 84 gang leaders and members, since "Ops Cantas Kenyalang" was launched in April. — Bernama

Read the following Reports:

Part One: Malaysia’s organised crime syndicate: all roads lead to Putrajaya

Part Two: The revelation of the unholy alliance between the Chinese organised crime syndicate and the Royal Malaysian Police

Dayak Cultures Being Marginalised

It seems that this year national-level Gawai Open House 2007 is going to be more or less a State-level affair. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has indicated that they will not be attending this Saturday open house which is to be held at the State Indoor Stadium.

The Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry had also said most of the Federal leaders would not be able to make it as well. The reasons given was that they were tied up with other matters. Isn't this a preposterous excuses given that the national level Gawai Open House celebration has always been planned in advanced each year with the aimed of enhancing the national integration. More read here

Shouldn't we feel slighted as the cultures of the Dayak community were being marginalised by the Federal Governments, as could be seen by the turn of event? Is this the way federal government showing their recognition of the dayak cultures as mentioned by DCM Tan Sri Alfred Jabu? More read here

Perhaps the main reasons was that the federal leadership is feeling embarassed and trying to distance themselves from the many scandals and improprieties that plagued the state government of late. Isnt that a serious snubbed on the state leadership many of whom has been over-stayed of their usefulness to lead the state government? Aren't they (the state leadership) not ashamed by being snubbed?

Many of the scandals are the CM alleged corruptions scandal as reported in The Japan Times, the never ending political crisis in the PRS, and the esclating crime rates in the state, that an MP from the ruling party has to sound it in parliament inorder to bring it to the attention of the higher authority in the federal government especially to the Home Affairs Minister who is non other than the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Almost all of these instances was widely reported in the national and international press as well as in the internet. Isn't this brought shamed to the federal government since the state government is also part of the BN Government?

Lately, some Sarawakian is aggresively promoting UMNO entry into Sarawak which has perturbed many of the PBB leaders, among them Deputy PBB President Dato Sri Abang Zohari Openg More, read here and here, and Senator Datuk Idris Buang, which prompted DPM Datuk Seri Najib to say that UMNO has no intention to establish itself in Sarawak. Isn't all these shows the pervasive weaknesses of the state leadership, especially the PBB leaders and SUPP as well especially its President Dr George Chan? more, read here

Sarawakian in general, don't you think you deserve better government in the future? If so, do vote wisely in future election. Otherwise you deserve the government you voted for.

Sarawak: The Politics of Patronage

Speaking at the ‘Ngiling Bidai’ (Gawai Dayak closing ceremony) held at Rumah ex-Councillor Kujat Dundang at Kampung Muhibbah Indah in Kanowit about 75km from Sibu, Gabriel Adit Demong the independent State assemblyman for Ngemah had on Friday night expressed high hopes that the Barisan Nasional (BN) would open its doors to him soonest possible.

Adit, however, clarified that until today, he had not received any formal invitation from any BN party to join them, and neither had he made any formal application to join any one of them.

When asked which BN party he preferred to join, he answered: “I give equal preference to PBB, SUPP, SPDP and PRS which are all in State BN. As you are aware, PBB and SUPP are neutral parties as far as the issue of Ngemah seat is concerned.”

He went on to say that for SPDP, the situation was a clear-cut one because he was a member of SPDP prior to the May 2006 State election. But if given the opportunity to join PRS, he said he will follow Larry Sng, the president-elected at the party’s recent Triennial Delegates Conference (TDC) in Kuching as he was very encouraged by Larry Sng’s words when he spoke at the pre-Gawai Dayak 2007 at Rumah Unchin Demo, Sungai Bejait, Jalan Nibong-Tada on May 27. more, read here

Meanwhile, at Dato William Mawan Gawai Open House at Kuching, Larry Sng said, the proposed merger talk between PRS and SPDP would resume once the ROS made it decisons on the PRS status. When asked on who would lead the merged entity, Larry was quick to suggest that Mawan would be the right choice because of his capability and leadership skills that made him a worthy leader. Mawan has shown over the years that he’s a capable leader in BN by successfully defending the Pakan state constituency for four terms since 1991. From our observation and discussions, we believed that he is someone we can trust, added Sng.

However, Mawan, who is also Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation, clarified that he did not align himself to a particular faction of PRS, and neither would he deem himself the leader proposed merged party. More, read here

It would seemed that Dato James Jemut Masing has been check-mate?

Melaka CM Ali Rustam definition of Malay

Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Mohd Ali Rustam said a person who is a Muslim, converses in Malay and follows the Malay traditions is considered a Malay.

"Even if that person is Chinese or Indian or Kadazan, if they are Muslim or have converted, converse in Malay and follow the Malay tradition, then they are Malays."

"The Kadazans if they are a Muslim, we considered them as Malays, and if they have not embraced Islam, they are Bumiputeras. It is easy to become a Malay."

It wondered whether Mohd Ali Rustam was suggesting that the non-Muslim bumiputras should convert because his differentiation of Muslims from other Bumiputras seemed to suggest first and second class bumiputras.

No wonder Sabah's Malays population had increased dramatically in the last few years, making Kadazandusun becomes a minority in their homeland. Even Pakistanis, Filippinos, Indonesian and other immigrants are Malays because they're all muslims. What a cheap race? More, Read Here