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Matek Anak Geram, an Iban farmer, a member of TAHABAS (Sarawak Native Customary Rights Network) and Committee Member of Jaringan Orang Asli SeMalaysia (JOAS) was arrested by the police on 13 August 2009 for the crime of allegedly restraining the workers of an oil palm plantation.

Unarmed, he was taken into custody by 10- fully-armed police personnel at 8.45 am and detained for two hours at the Mukah Police Station and charged for allegedly wrongfully restraining the workers of an oil palm plantation company, Saradu Plantations Sdn. Bhd. under section 341 of the Penal Code before being released on bail.

For over a year, Matek and his immediate family have been guarding their property against Saradu Plantations who have been encroaching on their native lands.

In individual shifts, they have blocked an access road built on their land.

JOAS questions the heavy use of force and intimidation against one unarmed man and calls for neutrality of the state infrastructure in this legal dispute between the private company and indigenous peoples.

Saradu Plantation Sdn. Bhd. is a Sarawak oil palm company, which has been given 15,000 hectares of land by the state government to develop oil palm in Balingian.

Saradu is also linked to the Sarawak Chief Minister as his brother-in law, Robert Geneid and sister, Raziah Mahmud are majority shareholders of the company.

READ MORE HERE

Comments (22)

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written by Wisdom above, August 16, 2009 15:31:09

This should be a WAKE UP CALL for all SARAWAKIANS & ALL Anak Bangsa Malaysia in WEST MALAYSIA & EAST MALAYSIA !! "Saradu Plantations who have been encroaching on their native lands" are FAR more WORSE than the Kg Buah Pala's case ! this legal dispute between the private company and indigenous peoples..." this legal dispute between the private company and indigenous peoples " is ongoing in your brethen State of SARAWAK !

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written by hellosunshine, August 16, 2009 15:33:09

Is this how BNatang gomen pay back to Sabah and Sarawak rakyat for propping them up with the required majority to rule? Without Sabah and Sarawak, BNatang would be the opposition and not ruling gomen. All the headhunter warriors should wake up and side with PR to fight off corruption and cronyism practiced by the BNatang gomen.

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written by Oyster, August 16, 2009 16:10:10

The motto of this gomen and its regime linked corporations is "FCUK THE PEOPLE, GET THE CASH!".
If your lives mean nothing to you, then just let it happen.
if your future means nothing to you, just let them do it.
If the lives of your children are worthless , let them keep robbing you.

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written by Jeevan, August 16, 2009 16:57:00

They keep pushing and pushing.

Don't they realise that the time will come when the people will push back.

Matek Anak Geram, I salute you sir.

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written by Hakim Joe, August 16, 2009 18:01:14

Sarawakians,

Today it is Matek Anak Geram. Tomorrow it will be some other poor Iban or Kadazan. The day after that it'll be someone else and this will continue until all the native land has been taken back. Is this what you guys want? Matek was one person. What if you people (say about ten) defended your own land? What will BN do? Send in a company of armed men with tanks and helicopter gunships. Is it that someone has to die before you wake up?

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written by Hope4all, August 16, 2009 18:14:11

Jabu, what will you do here? Blame your own Dayak community again?

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written by johntyc, August 16, 2009 18:42:36

The problem with Sarawak is information like this is extremely hard to reach most people due to location and lack of communication infrastructure especially the internet.

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written by son of soil, August 16, 2009 19:04:47

Matek Anak Geram, i bow to you sir.A single malaysian have stood up for his rights,while majority of Malaysian are still in their slumber.We are being screwed
by the BN government,and majority of us are saying harder..harder.

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written by Richfyf, August 16, 2009 19:08:52

IWill police were to do another Kugan on Mantek ??? I hope not. Now someone need to bring the story of Mantek to all sarawakian on the brutality of "Federal" Police to Mantek. The locals hate the federal police.

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written by johanssm, August 16, 2009 19:15:10

There is a BIG difference between a Pakatan Rakyat state government and the bn state government.
Take a look at kampong buah Pala , they negotiated for a brand new house and some cash!
Now, take a good look at bn government.
bn will send in their fru , beats you up , locks you up for 1 night and you be given 3000 ringgit to shut up plus you must say thank you to them and smile on their msm.

Yo , Sabah and Sarawak.bn was your choice.you deserves what you get.

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written by arazak, August 16, 2009 19:22:11

I just could not comprehend why the Chief Minister and his family, who are already filthy rich, have still the desire to steal the poor peoples’ land?

There is only one word to describe these kinds of people, and that is “greedy”. The Malay calls it “tamak”. Can anybody tell me what the word for “greedy” in Iban is?

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written by Ghifarix, August 16, 2009 19:55:36

RPK please do a little investigation on Rimbunan Hijau belong the brother of MACC Tiong, Najib's friend hence the silence, and a sponsor and financier of Eye-G-Pee.
They own and build 85% of Sarawak infrastructure and they deliver the voters to BN not MCA peninsular as many believe.
UMNO will never give up the MACC even if they demand that UMNO mutad.
Why do you think they are so quiet on the fallout between Ong & Tiong?
UMNO and Lim Y Sick made them rich and they sponsor UMNO big time.Its a Come-Pa-Nee of gangsters and Chinese War Lords.

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written by quietbidayuh, August 16, 2009 20:02:21

where the hell is alfred jabu ( Dayak Iban- Deputy Chief Minister ), James Masing ( Dayak Iban- Minister Of Land Development ) ..What..? Still gonna keep quiet and bark for your white haired master?

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written by quietbidayuh, August 16, 2009 20:07:29

To all State ministers and such your days are numbered repent before the wrath of the sarawakians esp the dayaks befall you. MARK ME YOUR DAYS IN BN ARE NUMBERED!!!

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written by born2reign, August 16, 2009 20:21:00

Hah, this is news today. However, come next election, will a RM50 change the votes of this Iban and many Iban voters? If the Ibans and orang asli are happy with the RM50 sale proceeds of their land and generations' future, they alone are responsible for this loss.

If you give away your door key to a notorious robber, and this robber robs your entire household (naturally) is it the robber's fault or the owner's?

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written by shissun, August 16, 2009 21:26:31

So? What we can do?

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written by hellosunshine, August 16, 2009 21:36:39

I just found out from a Sabahan friend they still experience brown-outs (power outages)everyday and they can't store meat or milk products in the fridge without spoiling due to the power cuts. After 52 years in power, BNatang still can't give decent electricity and water amenities to the rakyat there? Why are you guys still voting them???

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written by Msian Idol3, August 16, 2009 22:21:53

This 15000 hectares of land should never be given to cronies/relatives. The land should be 100% for the Ibans. If the Ibans wants to develop it for oil palm, the state govt should fund it to improve Ibans welfare & self suffiencies.

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written by deathorses, August 16, 2009 22:24:09

**** Taib and his colonies...

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written by JJ Kuyong, August 16, 2009 22:36:02

hellosunshine,

That info is CORRECT!, and also i understand the water shortage is worsening in Labuan. I pity those matrix students at Kolej Matrikulasi Labuan (KML)as they have no water supply sometimes up to 14 days every month. I wonder what the YB/MP of Labuan doing!...I understand this problem haunted Labuan peoples for many years.

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written by cheekhiaw, August 16, 2009 23:09:57

Bumiputra bossing over pra-bumiputra?

xxx

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written by educationist, August 17, 2009 04:39:41

How can it be the rakyat in Sarawak are so solidly behind the Taib dynasty in 308?
I will think many of the Orang asli there may not be franchised but surely more of the rakyat there should be sending Taib and cronies the right message.
I can only hope that in the state elections due, a right message will be sent.
Change, we can.
Change, we must!

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