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How Sarawak's Timber Wealth Benefits a Few at the Expense of the Many

Extracts from David Brown's doctoral dissertation "Why Governments Fail to Capture Economic Rent: The Unofficial Appropriation of Rain Forest Rent by Rulers in Insular Southeast Asia Between 1970 and 1999" (374 pages) will be posted in Sarawak Headhunter from time to time, but those who want to download, read, keep and distribute the whole dissertation will find it HERE.

For how long more do Sarawakians want to put up with Taib, his family and cronies' blatant abuse?

Even Taib's bomoh earned much more than many normal businessmen or professionals, or was this passed back to Taib?

As David Brown says:

"What we learn is that the family of Indonesia's former President Suharto earned $5 million from a single timber concession in a single year. It also tells us that the bomoh for Sarawak's Chief Minister Taib, who may be thought of as a proxy, earned $4.8 million from a single concession in a single year. As to Sabah, Kitingan's lawyer appropriated $275,000 a year from his shareholding in a timber concession".

"Finally, and by far the most important, the story I uncovered is an important one: heads of state had appropriated money crucial to the economic development of the states they governed while destroying an irreplaceable biological treasure. The next three chapters tell this tragic story".

--
Al Tugauw
Sarawak Headhunter

Comments (18)

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written by RitchieLow, April 18, 2008 17:47:59

Your link page is not there for download. http://www.blogger.com/www.geo...intext.doc

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written by rockli, April 18, 2008 17:52:55

How long is this travesty going to continue?
He is not serving the people and state, but himself amd his cronies.
Where the ACA - they see not, hear not, speak not.
BN is useless, better they are got rid off, the better and sooner too!
Stealing, Robbing in broad daylight.

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written by malsia1206, April 18, 2008 18:03:08

Most in Sawarak knows the situation. But when it comes to the GE, Barisan in Sarawak delivers the seats and the Federal Government does not want to rock the boat. So the rape and ill-gotten gains continue for decades. The Ibans and Penans are the suckers. They hold the votes and if they want to continue enriching these rapists, let them be. In any case if they do not wish to wake from their slumber they deserve to be the most backward in the community. The small Penan minority group did make some resistence by their blockades which made international headlines. The Ibans sell their lands and souls to the timber tycoons and had since been cast under the spell of these bomohs. It's their choice and their destiny.

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written by Mike lawood, April 18, 2008 18:31:57

Talk about timber.
Anyboby know who planted (own) the Teak wood trees (Kayu Jati) along the
North-South Highway. Isn't it dangerous because that teak's tree leaf is big
enough to block the passing by car windscreen. Must be somebody very powerful
enough to plant all the trees both side of the highway more than 700km.
Guess who?

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written by johanssm, April 18, 2008 18:37:58

What can we do?Sarawakians voted for umno and bn.
We in peninsula learned and paid heavy price for it, but sarawakians wont care less.They gave umno the license to screws Sarawakians for another 5 years , it is their choice.

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written by shan, April 18, 2008 19:26:46

sorry Sarawak you called the shots,.,Rectify by Makkal Sakthi,...,change your state gomen

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written by sarawakian, April 18, 2008 19:35:00

firstly, there's no UMNO in Sarawak. it's PBB and if you think UMNO has grips on the EC, it's nothing compared to PBB.

secondly, the population here is purposely kept POORLY educated so they know nothing about alternative media like this. those who do are not enough in numbers to turn the tables around. if you saw the election results in main towns, you will see a lot of narrow wins by BN. those were actually BN losses but the postal votes can work miracles.

thirdly, i feel the DAP/PKR here is not strong enough as in the west. there need to do more to EDUCATE the masses and they have to start in villages. no need to work in town areas as that's actually already in their hands.

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written by Kathy, April 18, 2008 19:54:47

Thank you, Malaysia Today, for including Sarawak politics in your website. Everybody in Sarawak knows what's going on but, as one of your commentators quite rightly said, it is up to the Sarawak electorate to change things for the better. All our Peninsula compatriots can do is sympathise. Come on, fellow Sarawakians, wake up, have no fear, vote for change!! Otherwise we will just languish in the status quo and moan and moan and moan...............

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written by oknyua, April 18, 2008 21:10:36

The people who have the ability to fight Taib is the FooChow, but unfortunately all prominent foo chows have been given timber concessions. I am disappointed because they forgot who led them migrating from China in the late 1800’s. They were led by two pastors and on the theme of holiness, justice and truth, they occupied Sibu, only in this 3rd and 4th generation, they forgot. Your elders that brought God's words to Sibu are now pointing accussing fingers at you.

I urge the Foo Chow to rise up, remember your heritage in God Almighty and remove corruption from your land.

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written by PakPandir, April 18, 2008 21:21:06

Has Taib declared his assets as a Minister ?

It is the right of the rakyat to ask more questions and udnerstand whether Sarawak government is run like a family business or otherwise.
The rakyat has the right to know, especially the Sarawakians as Sarawak is their land and the riches must not be abused.

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written by Mangan, April 18, 2008 21:56:36

Sarawak state election will be held in less than 3 years time, so help us Malaysia Today and fellow bloggers! You do know what to contribute!

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written by Uncorruptible, April 18, 2008 22:24:34

The stinking beer guzzling SOB minister for education, is still unwillinbg or unable to solve the school children's heavy bags problem. he has no sympathies for primary school children unable to carry their school bags which are more than half their body weight, up and down the school buses. This bastard wants to see a serious accident happen before he does something? RESIGN you SOB, you are totally unfit to be minister for shit even !!!! GET LOST ANAK HARAM. Somebody else can do the job better, anytime.

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written by nesen, April 18, 2008 23:19:36

please don't be so patronizing towards the members of our east malaysian family With all our advantages it took us long enough ( up to GE12) before we could muster enough guts/wisdom to try to break free from our own prisons Concentrate on how we can help them Perhaps ym rpk can help with more expose's on east malaysia

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written by power2u, April 19, 2008 00:47:59

PEOPLE OF SARAWAK,PLS ASK YOURSELF,....AFTER 5O YEARS ARE YOU ANY BETTER OF?
DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT.BETTER VOTE PAKATAN RAKYAT TO GET A BETTER FUTURE

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written by CPY, April 19, 2008 09:41:09

State Elections are around the corner. UMNO/BN may regained their strength wan. Advantage: No phantom voters from peninsula to be 'imported' to Sarawak.
Disadvantage: Opposition parties except Sarawak-based parties may be unfamiliar to the rural terrain.

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written by OrdinaryMan, April 19, 2008 13:13:45

I think it all boils down to media exposure. I doubt many people in Sarawak even heard of the internet. Any news they hear are controlled news; thus they may think that BN is the only party that cares for them.

Unfortunately the day of a free and independent media has not arrive yet - even in Peninsular Malaysia.

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written by RitchieLow, April 20, 2008 05:45:20

News says PM letting Taib clear more Sarawak land for padi use in view of the world shortage on rice. RM 1B for Taib to carry out the "project"

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