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Malaysia: Yet another blogger rebuked PDF Print
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Saturday, 18 October 2008 14:23

By Daniel Chandranayagam

Deputy Chief Minister, Alfred Jabu Numpang, of the Malaysian state of Sarawak, has criticised blogger, Joseph Tawie for a posting on the latter’s blog. Freelance writer and blogger Tawie accused Sarawak state leaders of suppressing allegations of sexual abuse of Penan women in his blog, The Broken Shield.

A blog post urged the state authorities to probe the allegations of sexual abuse of Penan womenfolk, located in Sarawak’s Baram region. According to news reports, unidentified cabinet ministers present confirmed Jabu displeasure with Tawie. Jabu also had directed his anger at a journalist of a national newspaper.

The Broken Shield

Tawie’s posting, headlined ‘Penan rape cases: Let the truth prevails’, highlighted allegations that employees from timber companies, Samling and Interhill, had been abusing Penan women sexually. Allegedly, these employees have been committing the acts for almost a decade.

The Penan are a tribal community living deep in the forests of Northern Borneo. Aside from the sexual acts alleged against the logging company staff, the Penans are also upset that the forest they live in is being destroyed by logging, so much so that the tribe has staged a blockade against Interhill to stop them from getting into the forest (click here to read more).

Tawie said that the task force from the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to look into the plight of the Penan schoolgirls as a result of rapes and abuse allegedly perpetrated by timber workers is timely.

Timely, because state leaders in particular (Chief Minister) Abdul Taib Mahmud, (Deputy Chief Minister) George Chan and (Deputy Chief Minister) Alfred Jabu have not only accused newspapers of deliberately publishing false news, but have also accused them as saboteurs. ‘Saboteurs’ is a very strong word indeed.

He said, “If there are some truth, then the truth will have an embarrassing effect on our (state) government leaders.”

Tawie’s blog is currently still up and running, although no word has been released on what action, if any, the authorities will take against him.

http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/17/malaysia-yet-another-blogger-rebuked/

Comments (17)Add Comment
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written by marbl3s, October 18, 2008 14:48:36
Well, freedom of speech being surpressed at its best :-) Only way to have freedom of speech and to be above law, join BN and suck up to UMNO.

When civilians are not happy of the way things are managed or words that are said by the government, the public have to just suck it in and accept. When civilians say something that provokes the government politician, they get remanded.

A little unfair don;t you think so?
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written by willove, October 18, 2008 14:52:54
Get ready to be detained while pending investigation which will last for years.
However, if you are on their side and create chaos, then you'll stay free to roam while pending investigations which last for years as well.
That's the common practice in Malaysia.
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written by ahmadneil, October 18, 2008 15:00:04
WARNING....
Do not comment too critical of the sarawak gov't as you all know that one day Joseph Tawie may be bought over and all those who are too critical of the sarawak gov't will find themselves in Kamunting Camp.Here in sarawak one have to believe that 'buying and selling' are nothing new.
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written by ahmadneil, October 18, 2008 15:15:38
Quote..'Currently, the company is constructing the Novotel Interhill Kuching, a 388-room hotel in Sarawak's capital, which will be managed by the French Accor Group'.
The Interhill owner is Mr Hii.
Accor Group must come out with a statement regarding this shameful incident and to clear their good reputation,otherwise boycott is the only answer.
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written by ahmadneil, October 18, 2008 15:41:03
Malaysians...
The Eurocopter news is shown on the primetime TV in France.In this headline news,the newscaster say that this deal with the malaysian government is in serious doubt and the European Union will be looking into this if find any irregularities.The newscaster went on to say that massive burning of the virgin jungles on the island of Borneo and the indiscriminate killing of wildlife especially the famous Orangutans is one of the main reason that may cause this Eurocopter deal to be cancel.Gruesome pictures of dead Orangutans,Hornbills,rare birds,deers etc are flash on TV.One particular picture shows 2 Orangutans with their hands chopped off and tied to a tree brought anger to my french guide.He started calling names after viewing these picture and promise to confront the malaysian official if ever he have a chance to meet them.I did tell him that this cruel act may have happen across the boarder in Kalimantan which belongs to Indonesia.He just shake his head and says that doesn't matter becos every country that produce oil palm must be held responsible for this cruel and inhuman act.Well,I have to say,this is another bad image our country have been receiving abroad.I just don't known when our gov't will say these words'Enough is Enough'
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written by SocratesI, October 18, 2008 15:43:12

The only Saboteurs I see are Mahmud Taib, George Chan and Jabu ... the True Saboteurs of a Free, Equal, Just Malaysia and Sarawak, in particular. These snakes should be drowned in sulphur ...

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written by ahmadneil, October 18, 2008 16:06:18
“Don’t play rough with me….because I am the government,” said Abdul Taib Mahmud, chief minister of Sarawak. He was commenting on protests by 10,000 Kedayan Muslims whose ancestral land was being taken away by a company for the planting of oil palm. Some 5,500 hectares of their land in Sibuti were involved.

“Because once you start playing rough, you cut all communications with me. In the end you still have to communicate with me, because I am the government,” he said. His remarks were published in The Borneo Post .
So you see what I mean!It sent shiver down my spine.ahmadneil 's pants is wet and my shoes flooded.
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written by ahmadneil, October 18, 2008 17:28:52
Guys,
I'm now on board of the french super speed train to the wine producing state of France called Bourdoux.It's relative quiet on board and on weekends it's full.I visiting this wine factory which I'm told that Altantuya did visited with her handsome Malaysian boyfriend to purchase this very famous wine.As you all know that drinking lots of wine can help you to slim down,which women loves to,Altantuya recommended some of the most expensive wines to her boyfriend to bring home so that her boyfriend's wife ,who weight exceeded 308 kgs,can drink all day inorder to slim her down or otherwise no designer's dress will fit her anymore.So that why I say Altantuya is been so kind and helpful which most girls will never do such things to please other wives.Here in the huge wine brewery I was amazed at the speed wine is produced and for your information you can't buy small quantity.You can drink wine there free of charge but they only do wholesale.Clever guys,you see,in this way lots of people come to this place during weekends and public holidays to drink free wine.But if you want to buy then you have to look for a group of buyers to join up so that you can buy one 20 ft container and share it among you group.So I'm told Altantuya bought 2x40 ft container of vintage wine and shipped it back to mongolia while her boyfriend bought 5x40 ft container of vintage wine and shipped it back on MISC ships,some on the Royal Navy.Don't you all see that she is slimmer this days.Expensive vintage wine can do wonders not those cheap stuff that Rainbowseahorse use to drink.No wonder when he open his mouth worms started to fall out.
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written by Tompios, October 18, 2008 17:42:16
Mahmud Taib, new king of Sarawak. Kasihan.
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written by justinlian, October 18, 2008 17:50:46
It is funny when you can hear a mouth full of worms falling out and the other having full of hong kong foot smell coming out.
I dont know, dont ask me, after i saw some funny stuff in my wine and I'm avoiding from drinking.
hahahahaha...................
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written by gorshan, October 18, 2008 18:49:33
has the CM of Sarawak forgotten that no matter how high his post is he is still servant to the public? or has his head gotten very big lately?
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written by justinlian, October 18, 2008 20:37:40
I hope he is, enjoying the cool air and sipping his wine.
Or else he will be having his face buried......
hehehehehe
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written by *********, October 18, 2008 21:05:13
They only way out for Sabahans and Sarawakians to break free from the shackles of Umno’s stranglehold is for their parties as well as MP’s and Assemblymen from Peninsula based BN component parties to either join Pakatan Rakyat lock stock and barrel or form a party for Sabahans and Sarawakians and become part of Pakatan Rakyat, where this party will be able to work on equal terms with the Pakatan Rakyat members PKR, DAP and PAS...More http://*********.********.com
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written by ahmadneil, October 20, 2008 08:35:33
Dear Rainbowseahorse,
You are just a jealous ass hole.You you find my writing all shit then just don't read.I too find your writing nothing but kids in play school writing rubbish.Also don't say you know me.I'm a human being being but I don't what your species are.Anyway we human beings don't really care what you bark.Do your job and guard your master's house.
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written by ahmadneil, October 20, 2008 08:36:07
THE CONMAN OF MALAYSIA ABDUL TAIB MAHMUD
BRING TAIB MAHMUD TO JUSTICE!

Born into impoverished circumstances in 1936, Abdul Taib Mahmud is an ethnic Muslim-Melanau who traces an aristocratic link to the Royal Court of Brunei. But since becoming CM, Taib has been previously described, at various times, by the international media in the following terms: He is “flamboyant with expensive tastes” and is said to have “purchased the piano of the late American showman Liberace for close to US$2 million”. He “lives in a well-guarded palatial home in Kuching and rides in a cream-coloured Rolls Royce. A dapper dresser, he is partial to double-breasted suits and sports a ring with a walnut-sized red gem surrounded by small diamonds”. Presently, he lives in a palatial private estate outside Kuching along Jalan Bako in a choice location called Demak Laut fronting the Sarawak river.

In the late-1980s, clients loyal to Taib collectively were estimated to control 1.6 million hectares of timber concessions. By 2000, Mahmud family members had major investments not only in Sarawak and Malaysia but also in other parts of the world. Taib Mahmud’s sons, Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib and Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, are the two key directors of Cahaya Mata Sarawak (CMS), a multi-million ringgit financial and infrastructure conglomerate listed on the KLSE that thrives because it receives lots of patronage projects from the Sarawak government via PPES Works, a CMS subsidiary company jointly owned with the State government. CMS also owns Bank Utama that engineered a reverse takeover of RHB Bank in 2003. And CMS continues to eye the Bakun mega-project.
Abdul Taib Mahmud’s spouse, Laila Taib, and his children are the majority shareholders of Sitehost Pty. Ltd., Australia, a company which owns the Adelaide Hilton Hotel. Company records dated December 2000 show them holding 95 percent of the company or 9.5 million fully paid up shares of Sitehost. Onn Mahmud (Taib Mahmud’s brother), Taib’s daughter Jamilah Hamidah Taib and her husband Sean Murray, are listed as director-shareholders of SAKTO Corporation, a major real estate operator of non-residential buildings in Ottawa, owning and managing over half a million square feet of prime office space with affiliate offices in the US, Asia, the UK and Australia. As well, they own SAKTO Development Corporation, a multi-million dollar development and construction company in Ottawa, while Jamilah is the sole director of SAKTO Investment Corporation.

Now, it may well be that the Mahmud family is one of the best and most astute business families in Malaysia. And more power to them on that account. But much of their known wealth has arisen during the tenure of Abdul Taib Mahmud as Sarawak CM. Is there then any wonder why there exists so much public scepticism about the sources of Abdul Taib Mahmud’s family wealth? Would not a transparent audit do well to quash such obviously unscrupulous rumours once and for all?
In 2008, Mahmud gave his son Sulaiman a seat in the Malaysian parliament. After the son was elected, he was made a deputy federal minister despite not having any political experience. It is almost certain that the son would not even have a political career if the father was not the chief minister.

Mahmud's sister Roziah is one of the most powerful businesswoman in Sarawak with extensive holdings in property and timber business.
Mahmud's brother in law, Tan Sri Aziz Hussain, was appointed state secretary by Mahmud and when he retires, Mahmud appointed him executive director of Sarawak Energy and other companies.

Lot 1 Muara Tuang L.D (980ha), Lot 887 Samarahan LD (670HA), Lot 1230 Sedilu Gedong LD (5010HA) AND lot 1509 Bukar Sadong LD (3720ha) was alienated to a company called Lambang Sinar Emas (a company owned by Roziah Mahmud) on 26.05.2004. In 26.01.2005 the ownership of the company changed hand. Roziah stand to gain tens of millions of ringgit from this transaction.

Fellow Malaysians, We created this crook, and it is our moral duty to the poor of this nation, to bring him to justice!
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