Tumpahan Bahan Kimia Merbahaya, Air Sungai Rejang Tidak Selamat Diminum?

SIBU 14 Okt - Fenomena kebanjiran lebih 300,000 meter padu sisa kayu dan balak yang menyekat laluan air di Sungai Rejang sejak 7 Oktober lalu sudah berakhir namun persoalan paling penting yang tidak dijawab oleh kerajaan negeri Barisan Nasional Sarawak ialah samada air sungai tersebut selamat diminum.

Menurut sumber industri pembalakan di Putai, ratusan ribu penduduk yang tinggal disepanjang Sungai Rejang kini terdedah dengan bahaya keracunan dan pencemaran disebabkan bahan kimia yang hanyut bersama himpunan kayu kayan yang hanyut di dalam sungai tersebut.

Suara Keadilan difahamkan akibat banjir besar yang menjadi punca berlakunya himpunan kayu kayan tersebut, bahan kimia merbahaya seperti perawat kulat (fungicide), glue dan diesel dipercayai telah di bawa oleh arus banjir ke dalam sungai.

"Pembalak selalunya akan membina 'log pond' untuk menyimpan balak yang telah ditebang sebelum diangkut oleh jentera berat ke dalam 'tug boat' melalui jalan air. Tersimpan di dalam 'log pond' ini juga beratus-ratus tong yang menyimpan perawat kulat.

"Terdapat juga kilang-kilang papan lapis yang menggunakan bahan perekat dalam proses pembuatan dan bahan ini juga dipercayai turut memasukki sistem ekologi Sungai Rejang dalam banjir itu," kata sumber tersebut.

Sungai Rejang yang merupa sungai terpanjang di Malaysia dengan jarak 350 kilometer menjadi nadi kehidupan kepada beberapa bandar utama dan lebih 1,000 kampung dan desa yang menampung ratusan ribu penduduk negeri Sarawak.

Antara bandar penting yang mendapat bekalan air secara terus dari Sungai Rejang termasuk Pelabuhan Tanjung Manis, Sarikei (50,000 penduduk), Bintangor (30,755), Sibu (126,000), Kanowit (28,000), Ngemah (dalam Kanowit), Song (22,200) dan Kapit (100,000).

Air yang sedut dari bandar-bandar ini kemudiannya di salurkan ke Salim di Sibu untuk dirawat.

Sebarang pencemaran air di Sungai Rejang dikatakan akan menjejaskan bukan sahaja sumber air minuman di Sarawak malah memberi kesan kepada industri perikanan di kawasan itu.

"Kerajaan negeri mesti mengambil langkah segera untuk membuat kajian di makmal bagi memastikan air minuman dari sumber Sungai Rejang selamat diminum dan juga ikan yang dimakan tidak mengandungi bahan kimia merbahaya," kata sumber itu lagi.

Terdapat dakwaan sisa kayu kayan yang sudah terkumpul di Putai itu hasil pembalakan haram di kawasan pendalaman Sarawak yang bersempadan dengan Kalimantan sejak 10 tahun dahulu.

"Banyak aktiviti pembalakan haram berlaku di kawasan pendalaman Sarawak tapi malangnya tidak ada pemantauan satu usaha untuk membanteras gejala ini.

"Kerosakan yang berlaku disebabkan himpunan kayu itu malah lebih besar berbanding statistik rasmi yang dilaporkan," ujar sumber itu.

Menurut Timbalan Ketua Menteri, Tan Sri Dr George Chan dua jambatan Bailey serta lima jeti rosak dalam kejadian itu mengakibatkan kerugian bernilai RM2.7 juta sahaja.- Suara Keadilan

PENAN NASIBMU DI HUJUNG TANDUK

Berbekalkan lembing dan sumpit yang disaluti semangat mempertahankan hak, sekumpulan masyarakat Penan di Long Deloh, Baram membuat sekatan manusia terhadap kerakusan syarikat pembalakan dan syarikat perladangan kelapa sawit yang telah meneroka tanah adat mereka.

Sejak turun temurun hutan sekitar telah menjadi punca makanan masyarakat Penan. Kini dengan izin kerajaan BN Sarawak, syarikat tersebut dengan rakus menebang dan membersihkan kawasan yang kaya hasil hutan itu.

Orang Penan bukan menolak pembangunan, tetapi biarlah kebajikan dan cara hidup mereka dipelihara. Orang Penan bukan tidak ingin maju, tetapi biarlah suara hati mereka turut diambilkira dalam penerokaan hutan tersebut.

Baca selanjutnya....

HARGA MINYAK NAIK LAGI

Pada 11 Julai 09 yang lalu, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak pernah membuat 11 pengumuman "mesra rakyat" sempena genap 100 hari beliau menjadi perdana menteri, antaranya pemberian diskaun kepada pengguna jalan bertol, peluang pemilikan rumah untuk golongan berpendapatan rendah, pengurangan caj bayaran latihan penunggang motosikal serta satu tabung unit amanah baru.

Kalau dulu Najib beri 11 hadiah, terkini Najib dengan murah hati memberikan satu lagi hadiah paling istimewa kepada rakyat 1 Malaysia sempena menyambut 52 tahun merdeka iaitu kenaikan harga minyak petrol. Kerajaan hari ini mengumumkan kenaikan harga petrol RON97 daripada RM1.80 kepada RM2.05 mulai esok.

Manakala harga petrol RON95 yang dilancarkan hari ini - bagi menggantikan RON92 - dijual pada harga RM1.80 seliter.

Ketika ekonomi rakyat meleset dan bakal berhadapan dengan hari raya Aidil Fitri, inilah hadiah kerajaan BN kepada kita. Selepas ini dan banyak lagi hadiah yang bakal dinikmati oleh rakyat 1 Malaysia terutamanya untuk kaum UMNO-BN dan tak terkecuali tempiasnya terkena orang-orang PR juga.

Seminggu dua lagi kita akan merasai kenaikan harga barang keperluan. Dari harga tepung, telur, daging hingga ke harga simen,paku dan sebagainya akan berubah. Semuanya dengan alasan harga minyak naik.....

Terima kasih BN, sebagai timbal balas nantikanlah hadiah yang bakal kami berikan pula kepada anda di PRU13 nanti dengan hadiah yang lebih bermakna. Dulu, kini dan selamanya menyusahkan rakyat.

OPEN LETTER TO JACOB SAGAN AND LIHAN JOK

Surat terbuka di bawah, saya terima melalui email daripada kenalan yang telah memperjuangkan kepentingan penduduk Baram.

Dear

"YB Dato Jacob Dungau Sagan and YB Lihan Jok.

Without prejudice.

Are you defending us your voters in Baram or defending Taib?"

YB Dato Jacob Dungau Sagan our MP for Baram during a visit to Kampung Long Banyok, Baram recently told his audience not to listen to those who opposed the proposed Baram hydro project or dam sited between Kampong Long Nahah'a and Kampung Long Kesseh in the middle Baram. YB Jacob even said that he has been forewarned by the authorities that the dam will be implemented elsewhere and the billions of ringgit worth of projects associated with it will also be channelled elsewhere if the Baram people opposed the dam.

YB Lihan Jok on the other hand has said that the proposed dam is "God's gift" to the people in Baram.

But then, Dato Jacob, what is the worth of all the timbers from Baram extracted by the big companies all these years? Surely, they were worth hundreds of billions of ringgit. And the remaining timbers? Surely, they are at least worth tens of billions of ringgit too. And what about our NCR lands in Baram now illegally alienated by your BN boss, Taib Mahmud, also to the big companies for oil palms and acacia trees? Surely, they are not only worth hundreds of billions of ringgit but will generate tens of billions of ringgit in time to come.

For many terms now you are our wakil rakyat, our MP. Now you are even a Deputy Minister. Do you understand what the roles of wakil rakyat are? You are holder of a master degree. Surely you know that.

As a wakil of the rakyat of Baram, surely you know it is your most important role to act, speak and fight for and to defend the rights and interests of the rakyat of Baram without whose vote you would not have been what you are today.

So why is it that you have to go along with Taib and the BN govt threatening the people of Baram that if they do not support the proposed dam, the dam will not only be relocated elsewhere but so-called projects worth so-called billions of ringgits associated with the dam will be channeled elsewhere?

Is it because you want to save your post as Deputy Minister that you so readily support Taib and the BN to threaten our Baram people on the dam? If you do, that means you have abused our trust, mandate and votes as your real purpose is not to be our wakil rakyat but wakil your own personal pocket, agenda and interest!

If you are scared to stand up to speak, fight and defend the rights and interests of the Baram people then you are definitely UNFIT to be our wakil rakyat. A wakil (leader) must be courageous like our ancestors warriors!

There is no point that you became Deputy Minister and enjoy all the many perks and privileges from it but your rakyat in Baram who had steadfastly voted for you for many many terms are continually bullied, humiliated, threatened or held to ransom (with withdrawal of socalled projects) robbed of our NCR lands and all our resources in it.

If you do not speak out, fight and defend us, then, you are not only failing us as our wakil rakyat but are also consciously SIDING with Taib and the BN and the big companies who robbed and are still robbing us of our rights, our NCR lands, our resources, etc.

Surely, you are fully aware of the continual and aggravating problems faced by the settlers of the Batng Ai and the Bakun dam! If not pay a personal visit there and talk to the settlers directly about their situation. And don't talk out of ignorant or worse still just simply parroting what your boss Taib and Jabu (who caused his own Iban people to continue to be the poorest in Malaysia today)say.

Remember! Taib, Jabu, James Masing and the BN also said or promised the same thing before that the Batang Ai and Bakun dams will bring progress and development! But today they all have abandoned the people affected. SUHAKAM commissioners who personally visited Bakun recently reported that the problems faced by the settlers are worsening!!!!!And the penans in Belaga are even facing food shortage!!!

YB Lihan Jok, don't simply sells God's name especially when it involves something that destroys HIS blessings, gifts and creations to the people of Baram, namely, the mighty Baram river, our NCR lands and its resources and environment which all have supported our people for many many generations without which you and YB Dato' Jacob won't be what you are today.

Remember, it was not Taib, Jabu or the BN that provided your parents the means and resources to send you to school. It was the NCR land that God blessed your parents with and its resources in Baram that enabled your parents to send you to school.

By the way, if you really believe and trust in GOD, then, protect and defend God's creations, gifts and blessings, namely, our Baram river from being dammed by Taib!

Don't be afraid but stand courageous and put your complete trust in God's protection of your position as YB, as wakil rakyat or as Deputy Minister post (like what God did to Daniel when he was thrown into the lions den)

Also do not be worried of being blackmailed or held to ransom with threat of projects and billions of ringgit to be withdrawn from Baram if we do not support the Baram dam. Those are but only human or worldly threat from Taib, Jabu and the BN! GOD is still the ALMIGHTY one above them. GOD will still provide all our needs according to what we deserved to get from HIM.

Unless you do not trust GOD but your boss Taib and Jabu!

Hope to hear an early response from our two YBs soon on this.

BARAM VOTERS

BENARKAH KERAJAAN BN TIDAK MERAMPAS TANAH RAKYAT?

Kenyataan akhbar Sdra Baru Bian di bawah walaupun lewat dikeluarkan di sini tetapi masih relevan dengan senario merampas tanah adat NCR di Sarawak. Ternyata BN cakap tidak serupa bikin. PM tidak berani menegur KM Sarawak.

Laporan akhbar muka depan Borneo Post bertarikh 19 Jun 2009, menyatakan kerajaan BN tidak akan mengambil tanah adat masyarakat Orang Asal. Perdana Menteri di dalam ucapannya menyeru rakyat untuk “… yakin dengan kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN). Kami tidak berniat untuk mengambil tanah sesiapa pun. Masyarakat Iban tidak perlu bimbang. Kerajaan BN tidak akan merampas harta benda anda.”

Jawapan saya kepada kenyataan tersebut jika benar, merupakan penyelesaian yang kecil tetapi malangnya sudah terlambat.

Ini adalah kerana tanah rakyat, khususnya tanah adat masyarakat Orang Asal telahpun diambil, dirampas dan dirompak di bawah pemerintahan kerajaan BN.

Kenyataan yang dibuat oleh PM ini jelas menunjukkan bahawa rakyat, khususnya masyarakat Orang Asal telah beberapa tahun ini sering mengadu bahawa tanah NCR mereka telah diambil.

Firma guaman saya sendiri sekarang sedang mengendalikan lebih dari satu ratus kes yang berkaitan dengan NCR yang jelas membuktikan tanah NCR telahpun diambil, dirampas dan dirompak beberapa tahun ini di bawah pemerintahan kerajaan BN, yang diketuai oleh Ketua Menteri sekarang iaitu Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Walaupun terdapat sebuah keputusan di dalam kes Nor Anak Nyawai bahawa tanah NCR terdiri bukan sahaja dari “temuda” (hutan sekunder) tetapi ia juga merangkumi “pemakai menua” (kawasan masyarakat Orang Asal memburu, menangkap ikan, mengumpul dan mencari hasil-hasil hutan) dan “pulau” (hutan simpan atau hutan dara yang disimpan) dan kes ini telah diperkukuhkan oleh kes Madeli Salleh di Mahkamah Persekutuan, (Mahkamah Tertinggi di Malaysia). Namum demikian kerajaan BN Negeri Sarawak tidak mahu menerima keputusan-keputusan mahkamah-mahkamah tersebut. Ini jelas sekali dilihat dengan keengganan Kamar Peguam Besar Negeri Sarawak menerima keputusan tersebut melalui pembelaan mereka kepada Kerajaan Negeri terhadap kes-kes yang sedang dibicarakan di Mahkamah-Mahkamah Tinggi di seluruh Sarawak.

Dengan ini saya ingin menyeru kepada Perdana Menteri untuk mengarah dan/atau sekurang-kurangnya menasihati Kerajaan BN Negeri melalui Ketua Menteri Pehin Sri Taib Mahmud untuk mengembalikan kesemua tanah NCR yang telah “diambil, dirampas dan dirompak” dengan begitu pantas beberapa tahun ini dengan membatalkan lesen-lesen pembalakan, geran-geran hak milik sementara dan permit menanam semula atau lesen-lesen yang merangkumi dan/atau meceroboh masuk ke dalam tanah-tanah NCR.

Kedua, mengarah supaya sebuah Pesuruhjaya Penyiasatan Tanah ditubuhkan untuk menyiasat kesemua pelanggaran tuntutan hak tanah NCR di Sarawak termasuklah aduan yang berkaitan dengan salah guna kuasa oleh pihak polis berkenaan dengan perbalahan di antara pihak syarikat swasta dengan penuntut tanah NCR, supaya PM boleh menunjukkan kepada rakyat di Sarawak dan Malaysia secara umumnya bahawa beliau melaksanakan apa yang beliau ungkapkan.

Pesuruhjaya Penyiasatan Tanah tersebut harus juga menyiasat kesemua kes-kes yang kini berjumlah lebih daripada satu ratus yang masih lagi menunggu perbicaraan di Mahkamah-Mahkamah Tinggi di Sarawak, supaya kes-kes yang tertangguh di Mahkamah-Mahkamah Tinggi tersebut boleh diselesaikan.

Jika cadangan di atas tidak dilaksanakan di dalam tempoh sebulan dari hari ini, saya rasa kenyataan-kenyataan sebegini hanya merupakan mainan politik yang sengaja digunakan untuk mengeliru rakyat terutamanya masyarakat Orang Asal di Sarawak, seolah-olah kerajaan BN kini perihatin dengan hal-ehwal dan masalah mereka.

Saya percaya bahawa ini adalah tanda-tanda awal bahawa Pilihanraya Negeri akan tiba tidak lama lagi.

Baru Bian
20 JUn 2009

SEJARAH GAMBIER 100 TAHUN MUSNAH

YB Dominique Ng dan papan tanda 1935, Pasar Sayur

Jalan Gambier, Kuching begitu sinonim dengan penduduk Sarawak. Dulu di situlah pusat pertemuan masyarakat pelbagai kaum yang datang dari pelosok Sarawak. Penduduk dari kawasan pesisir pasti akan singgah di sini untuk membeli keperluan. Di situlah jantung bandar Kuching.

Kini atas desakan politik pembangunan, beberapa bangunan bersejarah terpaksa dikorbankan oleh pihak yang mempunyai kepentingan. Difahamkan tapak tersebut akan dibangunkan untuk projek sambungan Tebingan Sungai Kuching.

Di sini juga akan dibina hotel, pusat membeli belah serta pelbagai projek lagi yang tentunya akan dimiliki oleh individu tertentu yang rapat dengan ahli politik Sarawak.

100 FAMILIES AGAINST DD PLANTATIONS DEVELOPING THEIR LAND

A 64-year old grandmother, Daha Ak Penghulu Nunsang has been having sleepless nights since 29 April 2009, the day when DD Plantations and Pelita Holdings announced that they had signed an agreement with 94 longhouse chiefs to develop some 9,629 hectares of land in the Kpg. Samalatong/Kpg. Isu/Kpg. Kepayang area.

The wife of the late school teacher Adun and Buang, Daha is not the only one worried, as there are over 100 families from six longhouses having the same worry – that their lands have been signed away by a few community leaders to DD Plantations for the planting of oil palm without their knowledge and agreement.

What makes Daha very angry is that Temenggong Anthony Ngipa, the leader who signed the people’s land away to DD Plantations is her brother-in-law, who is married to her younger sister.

It is understood Daha confronted Temenggong Anthony and asked him why did he want to “sell” their land to DD Plantations? She asked him to go back to his own village at Sebangan and not to speak on their behalf regarding their land.

“You have no right to sell our land,” she was reported to have told him in front of so many people.

There are five or six persons believed to be involved in this scheme whose real aim is targeting the communal forests behind the longhouses. These communal forests are part of the NCR land as decided by the Federal Court. Any one taking away these communal forests is committing a serious offence against the interests of the natives.

Colluding with Temenggong Anthony are Tuai Sebeli of Kpg. Sibau Rumbau, Tuai Rumah Najib of Kpg. Samalatong (Melayu), Pemanca Muit and Tuai Rumah Uja, both of Kpg. Kepayang.

They are not only PBB members, but the “kaki” (side kicks) of YB Naroden, the state assemblyman for Simunjan who is allegedly owned DD Plantations together with a Chinaman from Sebauh, Bintulu. Naroden is known in Simunjan as the local “oil palm king” owning several companies to plant some 50,000 acres of land, the bulk of which is NCR land.

Temenggong Anthony, a retired teacher, is an ardent supporter of Naroden who appointed him as a councillor for Simunjan and when a vacancy existed for a Penghulu, he was also appointed a Penghulu at the same time. After three years or so as a Penghulu, he has now been promoted to be the Temenggong.

Daha has approached a lawyer to write to Pelita and DD Plantations that she did not want her land in 10 places totaling some 100 acres to be developed by them, and if they persisted in attempting to get her land she would sue them in court. The strongly worded letter was copied to her brother-in-law.

Meanwhile, six Tuai Rumah (longhouse chiefs) have sent a joint letter to the minister of land development, Dr. James Masing and the chairman of the NCR land development task force, Alfred Jabu ak Numpang, saying that they did not want their land to be developed by DD Plantations and Pelita.

A copy of the letter was sent to SALCRA general manager, Vasco Sabat Singkang, inviting him to have a dialogue with them in order to open their land for oil palm cultivation.

The six Tuai Rumahs represent some 100 families owning some 2,000 hectares of NCR land. There are other longhouse folks from Keniong, Sangkalan, Munggu Ai, Gayau and Kepayang who refuse to surrender their land to DD Plantations.

All these longhouse chiefs are watching the DD Plantations and Pelita closely before making further moves including holding demonstrations and bringing them to court. – The Broken Shield

YB DOMINIQUE NG CALL SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN: SAVE GAMBIER STREET HERITAGE.

“The old markets were housed within some of the city’s earliest concrete buildings, including a handsome high-ceilinged edifice with open archways that would not look out of place on a waterway in Venice.

Old Kuching will lose some of its greatest charm if such priceless architectural relics are sacrificed on the altar of commercial redevelopment in the name of urban progress.” John Teo, NST Online, 2008/07/04.

Responding to widespread community sentiments, such as the above, the ADUN for Padungan, has launched a community signature campaign in a last minute effort to save the Gambier St. heritage buildings from demolition squads of the authorities which have moved in. The signature petition would take place at the Gambier St. site on Thursday, 25th June 2009.

On the 23rd, YB Ng had met DBKU authorities at the Commissioner’s Office, but were informed that DBKU had to carry out the instructions of the State Government. The passionate appeal of YB Ng to the Government in the recent sitting of DUN to save the site as a major prong in applying to UNESCO for the Historical and Cultural Heritage Listing of Greater Kuching has clearly been ignored.

“ I have reached the limits of my personal and my supporters’ influence; I am now in desperation and for the sake of Kuching and Sarawak historical treasure, I can only as final resort, summon the greatest political force left, that is the collective will of the entire people!” he exhorted.

“I am pained to my bones to witness the beginning of senseless destruction of our proud historic edifices, and so are the people of Kuching sharing the shame of this monumental State folly and wanton contempt of state heritage” he lambasted.

He calls on the people of Kuching, so proud of their city and State, to stand up to declare that we will not take this villainy against our historic heritage in submissive silence. He applauds the Sarawak Heritage Society and the Sarawak Tourism Association for expressing their stand on the matter in their respective petitions to the authorities.

“ This is a campaign of the people for the community and State, and should surpass political party loyalties; and this is certainly not my one-man campaign,” he said. He cited Malaysia Pollster which found that over 90% of respondents support the preservation of the Gambier Street heritage site and old buildings there sited.

“ The community including myself are not anti-development or redevelopment, but it must be smart development respecting community aspirations and heritage significance, in addition to other interest such as tourism and broader service economy.”

“Smart preservation of the site, and judicious modification to include an esplanade along the site, as extension to the Heritage Walk on the Main Bazaar side would be consistent with the broad based interests. Restoration of the historic buildings to house souvenir and handicraft trading, display galleries for history, culture and nature would not only help tourism, services economy but would serve as an educational asset for young Sarawakians. The site encapsulates 200 years of Kuching history.”

“Let us inform our guests to this proud city during the coming Rulers’ Conference that we are going to have an even more enriched Heritage Walk with the Gambier Street buildings restored, not and heritage-stripped history-impoverished Kosong Heritage Walk ! Come back to this city, to see its full heritage restored !” he concluded.

Proposed development to take over the Gambier Street Old Market plus the Brooke Dockyard area, up to the Malay Mosque and Cemetery.

This building proposed to be building in current Gambier market, across of Astana Negeri. This building will be known as Sanctuary Hotel and Mall, where as the building consisting of Shopping Complex, cafe and hotel. This building is part of the new waterfront extension in Kuching whereas the next phase of Kuching waterfront stretched from this Ceko market to Brooke Dockyard.

• Built-Up Area – 1,200,000 sq ft
  
• Retail Space – 500,000 sqft
  
• Entertainment & Shopping – 6 levels
  
• Cineplex – 980 seats (10 screens)
  
• Convention Centre – 50,000 sqft
  
• Office Space – 30,000 sqft
  
• Department Store & Hypermarket Anchors
  
• Retail Outlets – 200
  
• Restaurants, Pubs & Cafés – 15
  
• Boutique Hotel – 180 rooms
  
• Serviced Apartment Suites – 128
  
• Car Park Bays – 1,400 bays
  
• Motorcycle Bays – 280 bays
  
• Escalators – 32
  
• Lifts – 12

by Dr. Francis Ngu