A LOOK AT 2016 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

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A look at 2016 special supplement

2 sport 2016 A look at

special supplement

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Sarawak play host to 18th Sukma

By Ting Tieng Hee

reporters@theborneopost.com

KUCHING: Sukan Malaysia (Sukma) XVIII Sarawak has gone down in history.

The state went all out to be ‘the best host ever’ for the national games as 5,760 athletes from the 13 states, Federal Territory and invited Brunei competed from July 22-31.

The state last hosted Sukma (for the first time) in 1990.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi described the 18th edition of the Malaysia Games as the most glamorous and best Sukma so far, adding that the event also played a meaningful role in enhancing unity and solidarity among Malaysians of various races.

“Obviously from the opening ceremony to the closing, this is the best Sukma as a platform to enhance Malaysian unity,” he said at the closing ceremony at the Sarawak Stadium.

382 events from 24 sports were contested. 19 were compulsory sports while the rest were optional sports.

The compulsory sports were aquatics (swimming and diving), weightlifting, badminton, cycling, football, hockey (men’s and women’s), karate, lawn bowls, archery, shooting, athletics, silat, tenpin bowling, wushu, volleyball (indoor), tennis, squash, sepak takraw and taekwondo while the five optional events were petanque, golf, gymnastics (artistic and rhythmic), boxing and optimist sailing.

Competition venues were spread over Kuching, Kota Samarahan, Sibu and Miri.

Silat Team crowned the overall champions with six gold.

Sarawak contingent marching in during the opening ceremony at the Sarawak Stadium.

Taekwondo team retained their overall title after winning eight gold medals.

Bowling team won 11 gold medals for state to emerge as overall winner.

Melaka’s Khairul Hafiz Jantan crosses the 100-metre finish line ahead of Sarawak’s Jonathan Nyepa.

To host the prestigious event, the Sarawak government had spent RM350 million to upgrade existing sports facilities and build new ones such as the RM163 million Sarawak Aquatics Centre,

Lawn Balls Arena Sarawak, Sarawak Shooting Range, Santubong Petanque Complex and Sarawak Squash Centre.

Another RM50 million was set aside for operating expenses and

State volleyball player being consoled by fans after heartbreaking losses.

organisational costs.

Six national and 67 games records were broken with Malacca’s Khairul Hafiz Jantan and Terengganu’s Nur Aqilah Yusof named as the best sportsman and best sportswoman respectively.

Khairul set a new national record for the 100m sprint and broke four Sukma records. He sliced off 0.12s from the 10.30s set by Sarawak’s Watson Nyambek to create a new national mark of 10.18s, besides breaking the games records for 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m.

Aqilah, who clinched three gold and two bronze medals in archery, also rewrote the national record of 328 points set by Mon Redee Sutxi in the women’s 70m recurve at the SEA Games in Vietnam in 2003 with 331 points.

However, the Sarawak tenpin bowling team created their own history, grabbing 11 out of the total 12 gold medals offered for the competition to emerge overall team champion in the discipline.

Sukma XVIII also witnessed a

Swimmers and divers bagged a total of nine gold medals.

few firsts, such as the using of the elevated Octagon stage for taekwondo and the organising of doubles events for squash.

Sarawak athletes were determined to lift the overall championship trophy, striving to be overall champions for the fourth time after 1990, 1992 and 1994. But it was not to be.

Selangor eventually emerged as overall champion, its ninth title since 1998, after capturing 59 gold, 73 silver and 63 bronze medals. Sarawak ended in second place with 57 gold, 43 silver and 59 bronze medals while Terengganu won 47 gold, 42 silver and 44 bronze medals for third spot.

The state athletes performed extremely well in tenpin bowling (11 gold), swimming & diving (9), taekwondo (8), wushu (6) and pencak silat (6).

However, the state contingent did not deliver a single gold in 11 sports.

The football and hockey teams failed to finish in the top three.

There was also not a single medal from badminton.

2016 sport 3 A look at

Saturday, December 31, 2016

special supplement

M’sia @ 2016 Rio Games MALAYSIA enjoyed her best ever medal haul at the Olympic Games and Paralympics both held in Rio de Janeiro in August and September.

Sarawak’s very own Pandelela Rinong combined with Perak-born Cheong Jun Hoong won the nation’s first medal.

They collected the silver in the 10m platform synchro. Their feat was followed by three silvers in badminton (Lee Chong Wei in men’s singles, Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong in men’s doubles and Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying in mixed doubles)

and a bronze by cyclist Azizulhasni Awang in the keirin event.

Nevertheless, the country’s finest athletes still failed to capture the country’s first ever Olympic gold medal since Malaysia first competed in the 1964 Games.

It was left to the Paralympians to rectify that as Mohd Ridzuan (T36 100m), Ziyad Zolkefli (F20 Shot Put) and Abdul Latif Romly (T20 Long Jump) each bagged a gold within a space of 24 hours.

Siti Noor Radiah added a bronze in the T20 Long Jump.

Cheong Jun Hoong and Pandelela Rinong. — Bernama photos

Silver medalist Datuk Lee Chong Wei with gold medalist Chen Long of China.

Mohd Azizulhasni Awang

Mohamad Ridzuan Mohamad Puzi (back, left), Abdul Latif Romly (left), Siti Noor Radiah Ismail and Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli (centre) during the open top bus parade.

Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong play against Chai Biao and Hong Wei of China in the men’s doubles semifinals. — Reuters photo

Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying celebrate winning their mixed doubles semifinals match against Xu Chen and Ma Jin of China. — Reuters photo

4 sport 2016 A look at

special supplement

Saturday, December 31, 2016

GOATs of the 2016 Olympic Games THE 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro produced its fair share of stars among the over 11,000 athletes competing in 28 Olympic sports.

But three stood out because they could lay strong claims to be the ‘greatest of all time’ in their respective sports.

It is perhaps apt that Michael

Phelps, Usain Bolt and Simone Biles competed in events which tested the most elemental physical skills – swimming, running and gymnastics.

USAIN BOLT

SIMONE BILES THE 19 year-old three-time (2013, 2014, 2015) all-round world champion made her Olympic debut at the Rio Games and finished with four gold medals - the fifth in women’s gymnastics history to do so in a single games.

Her dominance is such that she excels with moves that even past and current top gymnasts dare not try.

Her signature stunt during her floor routine - two back flips followed by a half twist with a straight body in full flight - is popularly called ‘the Biles.’

She is the only female gymnast in the world and history to pull it off. One authoritative report on the diminutive athlete (she stands

THE ‘Lightning Bolt’ owned the blue riband event of the Olympic Games – 100m sprint - three times in a row, and by phenomenal winning margins.

He was the superstar among Jamaica’s galaxy of world beating star sprinters and his ‘triple triple’ - winning the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at three consecutive Olympic Games - might never happen again.

The unusually tall sprinter (6’5” or 1.95m) also set the track, the stadium and his sport ablazed with an unrivalled showmanship.

The fastest man in the world (his current world records: 9.58sec for 100m, 19.19 for 200m, 36.84 for 4x100m) said he will retire in 2017.

MICHAEL PHELPS

THE American swimmer competed in five Olympic Games.

He did not win any medal as a 15 year-old in Sydney 2000.

But by winning the most number of gold medals in each of the next four, he became the single most successful athlete in Athens 2004 (6), Beijing 2008 (8), London 2012 (4) and Rio 2016 (5).

With his tally of 23 gold, he is only behind 35 of the over 200 countries that have competed in the Olympic Games since it started in 1896!

The number of times that he had broken world records is itself a world record: 37.

The 6’4” (1.93m) swimmer also

4’8” or 1.42m) reads: “Her routines are built with such difficult skills, and she performs them with such consistency, that she spends most of her competitions at least one point, if not several, ahead of the field.”

impressed with his freakish arms span (6’7” or 2.01m), size14 feet and ‘whipping’ hyper-mobile ankles.

His coach Bob Bowman summed up Phelps and his achievements this way, “I don’t think you’re going to see another Michael.”

contents 5

2016 A look at

special supplement

Saturday, December 31, 2016

The year of awakening EDITORIAL Editors Phyllis Wong Francis Chan Margaret Apau Eikman Teo Ronnie Teo Christine Ling Tan Chin Siang Rachel Lau Ghaz Ghazali Phil Fair Joanna Yap

By Francis Chan

2016 will go down in the history of Sarawak as the year we finally woke up from 53 years of slumber and realised how much of the power and rights spelt out in the Malaysia Agreement signed 1963 had eroded and much we have been short changed in development.

It is futile to look back in anger and question why we sat back and let it happen as we can never do anything about it if we are embroiled in finger pointing and

Contributors Gary Adit Anthony Aga Samuel Aubrey Conny Banji Karen Bong Peter Boon Lian Cheng Jonathan Chia Chok Sim Yee Churchill Edward Elton Gomes Anasathia Jenis Philip Kiew Jenifer Laeng Nancy Lai Jenne Lajiun Daryl Law Adrian Lim Lim How Pim James Ling Wilfred Pilo Margaret Ringgit Safrah Mat Salleh Peter Sibon Raymond Tan Marilyn Ten Ting Tieng Hee Philip Wong Yunus Yussop

P2 P3 Graphics & Layout P4 Konos Jenal P6 Pherirera Kolony Hassan Abang Tofek P7 Desmond Puji Izzuddin Datuk Ajibah Nurhazwan Afiq P8 Leonard Michael Mohammad Faisal Ahmad P9 Nurasyiqynn Haroun Gregory Aaron Tan P10 Mohd Rafizi Ramli Mohd Sabri Raduan P11 P12 P13 P14 P15 P16

hand wringing.

The way forward is to demand our rights back and our fair share of development and thankfully this is what the state government had done in the past year.

The key steps taken last in 2016 were pursuing the return of Sarawak’s status as one of the regions that came together to form Malaysia, devolution of power, higher oil royalty and the return of the state’s territorial waters to the status before the Sea Territorial Act. Sarawakians have stood united

in these issues although there were different opinions on how to achieve those goals.

The road ahead will be long and protracted but the state government must continue what it started in 2016 and press on in 2017 and most of all the people must stand solidly behind its quest.

History will mark 2016 as the watershed year for Sarawak in Malaysia – it will be remembered as the year Sarawakians finally put their foot down and say enough is enough and they are not going to slip further and fur-

High profile cases in Sabah P22

Sarawak play host to 18th Sukma M’sia @ 2016 Rio Games GOATs of the 2016 Olympic Games Bumpy road to autonomy Reclaiming Sarawak rights amicably Resolving hiring practice imbalances How the ‘Adenan Effect’ won seats Political intrigues from the north Political movements of 2016 Spin-offs from Poi-Ngungun road So near, yet so far Breaking news on the northern front Yet another helicopter tragedy Police smash drug-smuggling attempts

P17

2016 is the Year of Awakening for Sarawak.

Seeing Red Slow and steady: Sarawak gears up with key projects

E34-35 Taking Bintulu to the next level E36 Sabah needs property push E37 New property developments in Sabah

Happy endings for search and rescue efforts

P18 Second chance for Sibu hostages P19 Landmark apostasy case makes waves P20 Keeping ahead of Zika P21 Tumultuous year for politics in Sabah P23 Breaking Court cases in Sabah P24 & P25 Celebrating Sibu as an eco-adventure destination

P26 P27 P28 P29 P30 P31

E32 E33

ther away from the vision of what independence was supposed to mean when the state agreed to form Malaysia with Malaya, Sabah and Singapore in 1963.

Amidst the disasters, sorrows and triumphs of 2016 let’s look back at the year we are about to leave behind with gratitude that finally after 53 years we have finally woken from our slumber and realised how much we have lost along the way.

A new contender: Muhyiddin’s PPBM Arrests at Bersih 5.0 Smuggling attempts thwarted Monster in our midst Hospital blaze claims six lives The future of UPSR

Trumping the 2016 Election P38 P39 P40 P41 P42 P43 P44 P45 P46 P47

Scandalised president impeached Increasing fears of genocide Airline tragedies Pokemon Go brings old memories to life World Events Timeline People we lost in 2016 FAREWELL Year of the UNDERDOG CROCS AT THE CROSSROADS

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

Bumpy road to autonomy

By Peter Sibon

reporters@theborneopost.com

CHIEF Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem promised Sarawakians in the last State election that he would continue to fight for greater autonomy from Kuala Lumpur, regarding the state’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) which has been eroded over the last 53 years.

One of the main challenges of Adenan’s administration has been to restore Sarawak to its original status as an equal partner and not as one of the 13 states in the Federation. Sarawak was downgraded to a state after an amendment to the Federal Constitution in 1976.

Adenan has been consistent with his policy on seeking greater autonomy from Putrajaya and revealed during his winding-up speech in the just-concluded State Legislative Assembly Sitting on November 30, that on March 16, 2014, just two weeks after his appointment as the Chief Minister, he had emphasised that Sarawak’s relationship with the Federal Government must be constitutionally correct.

“In order to achieve this, the Sarawak BN Government at the State Legislative Assembly sitting on 8th December 2015 had sought and was given a mandate for the State Government to safeguard the constitutional rights and protection of the State in the interest of all Sarawakians.

“The mandate given covered the inspirations of the people of Sarawak from the days before the formation of Malaysia as stipulated in the Cobbold Commission Report, Inter-Governmental Committee Report and Malaysia Agreement 1963.

“Pursuant to this, the Government through its official has actively and carefully planned a structured course of action towards achieving the objective.

This course of action involved three phases which are as follows: Administrative empowerment; encroachment of the state’s rights and oil and gas royalty,” said Adenan.

Administrative empowerment The chief minister said that on January 21, 2016, he had announced 13 provisions of administrative empowerment to be delegated to the State Government which were agreed upon during his meeting with the prime minister.

The 13 provisions of administrative empowerment are as follows:-

Adenan (second right) with deputy chief ministers Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg (right), Datuk Amar Douglas Embas Uggah (second left) and PBB secretarygeneral Datuk Stephen Rundi Utom, before chairing a PBB meeting on Nov 16.

1. Sarawak Legal Officers are to be authorised by the Public Prosecutor under the Criminal Procedure Code to conduct prosecution for offences under the State Ordinances from the stage a person is charged in the lower court until the appeal stage.

2. It is agreed for the delegation of power to the state officers to represent the Public Service Commission and the Education Service Commission in the appointment of officers to the Federal Civil Service, including teaching and medical services; 3. Posts in Sarawak Immigration Department will be increased to improve the enforcement functions in the state with an increase of 100 new posts, with full deployment by the end of next month. As of today, out of 100 new posts, 99 posts have been filled; 4. The ratio of Sarawak-born teachers serving in Sarawak will be increased to 90 per cent of the total number of teachers in Sarawak by 2018.

To ensure that this target is achieved, temporary teachers from the open market will be considered from time to time and obtain their Diploma in Education while teaching.

As of today, out of the total number of 42,235 teachers in Sarawak, 37,921 of them are Sarawak-born teachers, which is about 89.8 per cent of the total number of teachers in Sarawak; 5. Traffic warden powers for Sarawak Local Authorities will be given to the Miri City Council, apart from Kuching North City Hall and Kuching South City Council; 6. The Sarawak State Government will be consulted before an application for a Deep Sea Fishing Permit is forwarded to the Deep Sea Permit Evaluation Committee for consideration. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Economy is the representative of the State Government in the Deep Sea Permit Evaluation Committee; 7. The Sarawak State Government will be consulted in the drafting of Federal legislation which has bearing or impact to the Sarawak State Government, where provided by law. In this respect, the state government was consulted on, amongst others Integrated

Water Resources Management Bill and Amendment to the Gas Supply Act 2016; 8. The planning of Federal development projects in Sarawak will be based on the priorities and strategic thrusts of the State Five-Year Development Plan. Implementation of the projects will be referred by the Federal Ministries to the State Government such as in determining the location of schools, hospitals and other development projects. This initiative is now being implemented; 9. The Higher Education Ministry will take necessary measures to increase the number of student enrolment from amongst Sarawakians into medical degree programmes in public universities. Sarawakians would be given a greater opportunity to enter foundation studies programmes in Unimas. In this respect, Unimas has been empowered to manage the intake of medical students to allocate the quota of 80 per cent for Sarawak born students.

10. It is agreed that relevant areas that can be delegated will be identified for delegation of power of the Director General under Section 49 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 to the State officers or departments. Both the state and Federal Governments have agreed on the matters to be delegated and are now in an advanced stage of such empowerment.

11. Development of housing projects in Sarawak is to be implemented through a Joint Committee Meeting to ensure that State agencies are fully involved in the planning, implementation and monitoring aspects of these projects in Sarawak; 12. It is agreed that the development of sports in Sarawak is jointly managed with the State Government. The Federal Youth and Sports Ministry is

also in the process of enhancing the Sports Development Act, 1997 which is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Certain aspect of the Sport Development Act, 1997 is under review by the parties to look into the possibilities of enhancing the involvement of the State Government including the organisation of international/national sporting events; 13. It is agreed that the Sarawak Government will carry out all functions under the Social Welfare Department. All posts will be transferred to State Civil Service. The Federal Government will contribute 50 per cent of the total costs incurred as decided by the National Finance Council.

These 13 provisions of administrative empowerment are progressively fulfilled by the Federal Government and the government will continue to seek more empowerment to the State which can bring better benefits including areas related to tourism and education. In this regard, the State Cabinet will be deliberating and making a decision on the terms and conditions of these initiatives in the coming months.

Adenan added that the second phase involves subject matter relating to:1) Finance (a) financial review under Article 112D of the Federal Constitution; (b) Import duty and excise duty on petroleum prod ucts; and (c) Federal financial obligation for expenditure in concurrent list.

(2) Oil exploration, mining and gas (a) minerals, oil and oilfields; and (b) distribution of gas.

(3) Land and revenue from land stamp duties chargeable on instruments prescribed by land code for transfer, charge and sublease.

Adenan stressed that these issues were at an advanced stage of negotiation by the state and federal officers in the technical committee set up to look into these priorities issues. Negotiations are on-going with the relevant parties.

“As the negotiations have yet to be finalised, the details of the meetings cannot be made public as yet. However, I wish to inform this august House that the next meeting of the Technical Committee will be held tomorrow, 1st December 2016. Matters not in the priority list will be dealt with after the issues in the priority list have been dealt with,” added Adenan.

The third phase, according to the chief minister would be focused on oil and gas royalty, which is still ongoing.

On October 23, Adenan said one of the state cabinet ministers would table the motion calling on the federal government to observe the state’s rights as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), The Inter-Government Committee Report (IGC) 1963 and the Cobbold Commission Report 1962 at the next DUN sitting.

However, few days before the DUN Sitting he said the State BN had decided not to table the motion on reclaiming Sarawak’s rights explaining that he trusted the prime minister to the right thing after Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the federal government was ready to explore any misinterpretation of the Malaysia Agreement signed in 1963 with Sarawak and Sabah.

“We believe in diplomacy, not confrontation. As a result, we have achieved quite a number of things,” he said, citing example of the development in the state’s negotiation with Petronas on the state’s oil and gas royalty.

“In the context of Sarawak, the process which is described as devolution of power is ongoing with the principal objective of addressing and resolving concern over the erosion of the special safeguards of Sarawak under the Malaysia Agreement and embedded in the Constitution,” Adenan said after the pre-BN council meeting on Nov 16.

2016 home 7 A look at

Saturday, December 31, 2016

special supplement

Reclaiming Sarawak rights amicably

By Jonathan Chia

reporters@theborneopost.com

THE state government decided not to table a motion on reclaiming Sarawak’s status as an equal partner in the Federation of Malaysia as it believed that the federal and state Barisan Nasional (BN) governments - being in a family, could resolve the issue amicably.

Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem said his administration was not making a ‘U’ turn when it decided not to proceed with the tabling of a motion on the issue, citing diplomacy was better than confrontation.

“Because of diplomacy, so far, we have achieved all those things with Petronas and the federal government. We will not follow the opposition’s stand on confrontation,” Adenan said in his winding up speech during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Nov 30.

As such, Adenan said the state government had decided not to proceed with the motion on the amended Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution which downgraded Sarawak’s status within Malaysia from a region to that of a state.

This amended Article 1(2) is perceived as not in the spirit behind the Inter-Governmental Committee Report (IGC) and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) which was clearly reflected in the original wordings of that Article.

The Article, before its amend-

Adenan arriving at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) complex to deliver his winding up speech.

ment, clearly provided that the Federation of Malaysia consisted of the States in the Federation of Malaya, the States of Sabah and Sarawak and Singapore.

Adenan noted that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had announced that he was willing to discuss with Sarawak and Sabah on any matters related to the misinterpretations and misunderstandings of the MA63.

On Nov 1, Adenan had said that Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing would table a comprehensive state government motion to reinstate Sarawak’s 1963 status as an equal partner in the Federation of Malaysia instead of its current status as one of the 13 states in Malaysia.

The motion was intended to be wide-ranging, covering

Adenan ( left) presenting the memorandum on the state government’s position to Najib during a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya on July 4, 2016.

— Photo by Chief Minister’s Office.

Because of diplomacy, so far, we have achieved all those things with Petronas and the federal government. We will not follow the opposition’s stand on confrontation.

Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, Chief Minister

Sarawak’s rights under the MA63, Malaysia Act, Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report and the Cobbold Commission report, besides also touching on the Territorial Sea Act, Continental Shelf Act, Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution and the Petroleum Development Act. On Dec 8, 2015, the DUN unanimously approved a motion tabled by Masing who called on the state government to be fully committed to safeguarding the

special interests of the state.

The motion incorporated three other motions from Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen, Pelawan assemblyman David Wong and Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How that contained the same subject matter as tabled by Masing.

Chong called for the appointment of a Special Select Committee to consider and review the terms of the Malaysia Agreement and the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution

on four areas, namely education, healthcare, internal security and taxation, while Wong tabled a motion on the use of English as the official language of Sarawak.

The motion tabled by See was to call on the august House to preserve and uphold the territorial integrity of Sarawak and rejection of the Territorial Sea Act 2012 as well as on the setting up of a commission to look into the constitutional and legal framework for devolution of powers to Sarawak.

Since his appointment as chief minister on Feb 28, 2014, Adenan has been vocal, particularly on the restoration of the state’s rights under the MA63 through well-structured negotiations with the federal government.

BN makes stunning comeback in state election

By Marilyn Ten

reporters@theborneopost.com

2016 was the year of many unprecedented firsts in Sarawak’s political spotlight.

Not only did Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, in his capacity as state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, lead the coalition to a stunning victory bagging 72 of the 82 seats contested at the 11th State Election on May 7, this was also a year with the most number of candidates and new faces, following a re-delineation exercise which saw the seats increased from 71 to 82.

On June 7, all 82 state elected representatives led by Adenan took their oath of office before State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar at DUN Complex.

The swearing-in of these 82 elected representatives included 29 new faces from state BN’s component parties namely PBB, PRS, SUPP, SPDP, direct BN candidates as well as two from

The 82 elected representatives led by Adenan (seated sixth left) in a group photo with the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud (seated centre), Asfia (seated sixth right) and State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Abdul Ghani (seated right) at DUN Complex in a file photo taken on June 8. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi

opposition party DAP. State BN backbone component party PBB which won all 40 seats it contested had fielded 10 new faces from its party. They were Fazzruddin Abdul Rahman who contested in Tupong constituency, Dato Idris Buang (Muara Tuang), Awla Dris (Simunjan), Gerald Rentap Jabu (Layar), Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas (Bukit Saban),

Shafiee Ahmad (Daro), Datuk Dr Juanda Jaya (Jemoreng), Allen Siden Gramong (Machan), Abdul Yakub Arbi (Balingian), and Jefferson Jamit (Bukit Goram).

PRS won all 11 seats contested and out of this number, there were four new faces namely Christopher Gira (Tamin), Wilson Nyabong (Pelagus), Kennedy Chukpai Ugon (Murum), and

Majang Renggi (PRS) Samalaju whereas SPDP’s three debutant candidates Datu Dr Penguang Manggil who stood for Marudi, Dato Henry Harry Jinep (Tasik Biru) and Rolland Duat (Meluan) were triumphant in their respective constituencies.

SUPP, on the other hand, made a strong comeback at the polls this time around winning

seven seats including four of the party’s new faces namely SUPP president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian who won against DAP’s Christina Chiew in Batu Kawah constituency, SUPP secretary general Datuk Sebastian Ting (Piasau), Lo Khere Chiang (Batu Kitang), Dato Sri Huang Tiong Sii (Repok) and Ding Kuong Hiing (Meradong).

Among the new faces were those who had contested under the direct BN tickets: Dato Gerawat Gala who contested in Mulu, Datuk Tiong Thai King (Dudong), Miro Simuh (Serembu), and John Ilus (Bukit Semuja). Gerawat, who has since been appointed as deputy DUN speaker, alongside Miro and John have since joined PBB whereas Tiong is with BNfriendly party UPP. From the opposition, two new faces who managed to retain DAP’s seats were Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang, who is the widow of the late Wong Ho Leng and former incumbent of the constituency, as well as Pujut assemblyman Ting Tiong Choon.

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

Resolving hiring practice imbalances SS (State Secretary) is to represent us.

By Lim How Pim

reporters@theborneopost.com

PUTRAJAYA and Petronas agreed to appoint State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohd Morshidi Abdul Ghani as a member of the Board of Directors of Petronas late August.

The appointment was one of the seven points mutually agreed to during a meeting on Aug 26 between Putrajaya, Petronas and Sarawak state government on the hiring policy of Petronas in the state.

“SS (State Secretary) is to represent us,” announced Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Petronas agreed that the 192 posts which were vacant would be advertised in local Adenan Satem during a news conference on Aug 27, adding that papers. — AFP file photo Morshidi worked for Petronas in Sarawakians to do undergraduate completion of the joint study on 1980. petrochemical industries with the Following the meeting, Petronas studies at University Technology Petronas. state government. also agreed that the 192 posts On top of that, Petronas On PSC (production sharwhich were vacant would be pledged to intensify technical ing contract), Petronas and the advertised in local papers, and to training for Sarawakians and enrol federal government agreed to be filled by Sarawakians. more Sarawakians in their training consider the intention of the state Petronas would also have to centres throughout Malaysia. government to participate in PSC consult the state government if it According to Adenan, Petronas contracts so that Sarawak could finds that there is an insufficient was also committed to supporting benefit from the contracts. number of suitable Sarawakians two petrochemical industries, as Adenan added that the state to fill the posts. well as other petrochemical and government had also accepted Petronas also committed to downstream industries after the the plan by Petronas to increase providing up to 50 places for

Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, Chief Minister

the number of Sarawakians in its workforce by 2020.

According to Adenan, the breakdown of the number of Sarawakians engaged at the management level would be increased from 33 per cent to 60 per cent, while those at the managerial positions to 60 per cent from 41 per cent, and executive level from 48 per cent to 75 per cent.

As of August, the total number of Petronas employees in Sarawak were 5,190, out of which 3,880 were Sarawakians.

In addition, the total number of Sarawakians working in Petronas outside the state was 1,000.

The issue of Petronas’ prefer ence for Peninsular Malaysians over Sarawakians for jobs in the state was raised by Suarah Petroleum Group (SPG) early August.

At the time, SPG revealed that in a restructuring process, Petronas had abolished 29 permanent positions which resulted in the retrenchment of 13 experienced

staff from Sarawak.

SPG also pointed out that only 39 per cent of management positions and 46 per cent of middle management positions were filled by Sarawakians in Petronas Sarawak operations.

Since then, leaders across the political divide have urged the state government to act fast to stop workers from other states working here.

These pressing calls have prompted the state government to issue a statement, that a moratorium would be imposed with immediate effect on all new applications for work permits by Petronas personnel from outside Sarawak intending to work in the state.

In response, Petronas then issued a statement asserting its stand on hiring practices, and that the decision to impose a moratorium was based on “the wrong perception that its recent groupwide business restructuring had unfairly impacted its employees from Sarawak”.

Meanwhile, Petronas’ operations in Sarawak are mainly based in Miri and Bintulu, where offshore oil and gas resources can be found.

A year of roadblocks for Uber

By Samuel Aubrey

reporters@theborneopost.com

Car-hailing application Uber is probably the most talked-about smartphone app this year, after popular game Pokemon Go. Just open the app, sign up and all you need to do is indicate your pick up point, destination and then the driver will contact you. Even the fare amount will be emailed to you once you reach your destination. It is that easy.

Since the launch of Uber operations in Kuching on September 14 this year, many have signed up as ‘driver partners’ especially those who are young working adults looking for extra income or even college students wanting to earn money to supplement their study expenditure.

Local Uber customers have raved about this new service which they rate as better than taxis. This is because they do not have to wait long to be picked up, the cars are newer, the charges are cheaper, and they can enjoy good conversation with the drivers who are young and knowledgable.

As one Facebook user said it, he will continue to use Uber

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick speaks to students during an interaction at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus in Mumbai, India. — Reuters photo

because it is easy, the vehicle is neatly upkept, the driver is polite and educated and charges are much cheaper (he was riding in a Proton Perdana from Poh Kwong Park to Harbour View Hotel which only cost RM6.80).

However, the introduction of Uber has been met with much opposition from taxi drivers not just here, but worldwide.

Judges at the European Union’s top court are trying to decide, once and for all, whether

Uber Technologies Inc is an app or a transport company.

Defeat for Uber, which sees itself as an app, would expose the company to stricter licensing rules, additional operative costs and the risk of a reduced availability of drivers.

This app has faced roadblocks, real and regulatory, across the world amid complaints by taxi drivers who say the company tries to unfairly avoid regulations that bind established competitors.

Demonstrations have been staged by taxi drivers in Europe against Uber which affects their income.

On our local shores, it was even reported in the media that action could be taken against ride sharing app Uber drivers in Sarawak and Sabah as their current modus operandi is in the same category as “pirate taxis” in both states.

There were reports of altercations between taxi drivers and Uber drivers, and two Uber drivers in Sabah were even arrested in Kota Kinabalu during police operations against illegal public transporters in the city.

In September, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri was reported as saying that Uber must apply for permit as stipulated under Section 51 of the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (LPKP) Act. She pointed out that Section 33, of the LPKP Act, had clearly stated a ban on the use of the public service vehicles that are not licensed.

A month later, Nancy who is in charge of the Land and Transport Commission said the issue involving ride hailing application

service Uber would be resolved very soon.

She even said this service would be legal soon, as part of the taxi industry and transformation plan and initiatives.

“Taxi operators need to be realistic on this issue as the government has assisted a lot and it is timely that they change to improve their service,” she was quoted as saying.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, when tabling the National Budget 2017 that month, was open to the idea of young people, especially those from the Bottom 40 (B400 group to join Uber and other ride hailing service.

In Malaysia alone, Uber currently has tens of thousands of sign-ups to become ‘driver partners’ thanks to aggressive promotion on Facebook and other means of social media.

However, some may argue that regulations need to be put in place in order to better safeguard the users particularly in terms of safety and insurance.

This can create a win-win situation due to growing demand for fast and reliable yet safe public transportation.

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special supplement

SUPP leaders recommended by the party central leadership to Adenan. Some were accepted, others had to give way to UPP.

Established in 2014, UPP as a party has been able to wield substantial influence among the local Chinese community.

How the ‘Adenan Effect’ won seats

By Lian Cheng

reporters@theborneopost.com

AMID widespread anti-government sentiments among urban Chinese nationwide, the state BN scored a resounding victory when it won in eight Chinese-majority areas, reducing the opposition majority in other eight predominantly Chinese seats in the 11th state election.

Out of 16 seats, the state BN managed to wrest back Batu Kawah, Repok, Meradong, Dudong and Piasau while retaining Bawang Assan and Senadin.

The state BN coalition also won the new seat of Batu Kitang, the only new Chinese majority seat where both PKR and DAP coveted together with two other independent candidates.

The outcome of the May 7 state election also proved state BN’s success in making inroads into DAP’s urban strongholds.

DAP now only holds Padungan, Pending, Kota Sentosa, Bukit Assek, Pelawan, Tanjong Batu and Pujut while PKR - which has had only one Chinese majority seat of Batu Lintang - continues to retain the area.

The breakthrough in predominantly Chinese areas by the State BN could be credited to BN chairman Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s 53 initiatives or the ‘Adenan Effect’.

Since his appointment as chief minister, Adenan has reached out to the Chinese community, making repeated calls not to brand the Chinese as “pendatang”; recognising the Chinese community as “Anak Sarawak” and that the community is an integral part of the larger Sarawak.

His declarations came in response to controversial statements and racist labels like “pendatang” made by cabinet leaders openly in Parliament and other official functions.

Adenan also upped allocations to Chinese Independent schools this year - from RM3 million in 2014 to RM5 million in 2016 promising to increase the annual grants by RM1 million each year He called for more Chinese representation in government urging Chinese voters to support BN candidates in the interest of ensured political stability in

The abolishment of tolls across Sarawak has been one of the measures which led to the return of the Chinese votes.

Sarawak.

“I don’t cherish the idea of no Chinese in the government, so the choice to the Chinese people is whether they want to be part of the government and have some say in running the government or they want to stay outside in angry isolation,” he said during a daily evening press conference at the Old State Assembly Complex in the run-up to polling day.

“That is the choice they have to make. If they want participation in the government, then they will vote for the Chinese members of my team including (Senator Datuk) Dr Sim Kui Hian and (Dato Sri) Wong Soon Koh and so on.”

The Tanjung Datu state assemblyman also made the surprising move to recognise the United Examination Certificate (UEC) – another long struggle of Chinese leaders in education.

UEC has been an issue because without due government’s recognition, UEC holders could neither attend any public universities nor apply for government jobs.

Adenan did not stop at UEC recognition. Despite the federal government’s refusal to follow suit, Adenan instructed the state government to accept.

UEC holders for public service jobs and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) to take in UEC holders.

Vacancies in the public sector were advertised and state BN leaders including Adenan made numerous calls to UEC holders to join the civil service.

Besides attempting to fulfil

I don’t cherish the idea of no Chinese in the government, so the choice to the Chinese people is whether they want to be part of the government and have some say in running the government or they want to stay outside in angry isolation.

Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, BN chairman

the needs of the Chinese community, the Chinese have also welcomed and supported Adenan’s other initiatives which have brought about direct benefits to Sarawak as a whole.

These initiatives include eradication of illegal logging and corruption, fighting for state autonomy and rights as enshrined

by Malaysia Agreement 1963, negotiating for 20 per cent oil royalty and upholding English as second language, abolition of tolls, fixation of ferry service to RM1, reduction of electricity tariffs and reduction in assessment fees, to name a few.

While Adenan was campaigning to win back the Chinese votes, Chinese BN leaders however had yet to come to terms with each other and form a united front, which threatened to be one of the major setbacks for Adenan in the May 7 election.

During the whole duration of campaigning, UPP president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh and SUPP president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian were both busy with their own campaigns in their respective constituencies, managing to cease war temporarily in the face of a divided Chinese community.

The disunity among BN Chinese supporters was one of the

factors resulting in state BN could only recapture five seats despite favourable and positive feedback from the public on Adenan’s reformative measures.

Apart from local Chinese disunity, national issues were the other main factor that frustrated Adenan’s overall plan to win back Chinese seats.

The most damaging ones among others were 1MDB, GST (goods and service tax) and 20 per cent oil royalty.

Though Adenan made multiple attempts to distant himself from the federal government, he could not do it because of the constant visits of the federal ministers and especially those of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak which somehow confirmed the opposition’s argument - “voting for Adenan is voting for Najib”.

Local issues were another area that greatly reduced Adenan’s effect.

In the run-up to polling day, the opposition’s nightly ceremah and speeches managed to do damage to the ‘Adenan effect’ by criticising government policies and its BN candidates in Chinese-majority areas.

In Kuching, SUPP candidates were faulted for their inability to

stand up against other BN party leaders.

In Sibu, UPP candidates were disadvantaged by their age with Wong, DatukTiong Thai King (Dudong) and Datuk Janet Lau (Pelawan) who were all more than 65 years old.

In Miri where there were less local issues except for Chinese disunity, state BN candidate Datuk Sebastian Ting was able to defeat DAP giant slayer Alan Ling who managed to bring down the then Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri George Chan in 2011 state election. Senadin candidate Datuk Lee Kim Shin who had won by a razor thin margin of 58 votes now sat comfortably with a substantial increase of a new majority of 3,538 votes.

Even for UPP candidate for Pujut, Datuk Hii King Chiong who though lost to DAP new face Ting Tiong Choon, the majority was only 1,759 votes. In view of the total 26,202 eligible voters, the majority was considered small.

Adenan’s short stint administration between February 2014 to April 2016 has helped to win back five Chinese majority seats and deliver a substantially reduced opposition majority.

The Adenan Effect saw the return of the Chinese voters in the 2016 state election, a Sarawak phenomenon that may not reflect the general mood of the Chinese community across the country Adenan was only successful in tackling statewide issues but not national and local issues.

Yet for a single man to turn the tide around is a historical fact Sarawakians won’t soon forget.

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Awang Tengah ( centre) returned uncontested for a historic second time on nomination day, and cheered by Sabah Chief Minister and top guns from BN at Lawas Indoor Stadium

Saturday, December 31, 2016

DAP’s Dr Ting Tiong Choon raising his hand to acknowledge the support of his legal team and supporters after the Election Court struck out the election petition to nullify him as Pujut state assemblyman

Political intrigues from the north

By Philip Kiew

reporters@theborneopost.com

THE 11th State Election on May 7 was a game changer in both urban and rural seats with plenty of twists and turns; historic chapters written; political fortunes rising and ebbing; new players entering and old faces exiting.

Sarawak Barisan Nasional, with charismatic Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem at the helm, fired the first salvo in the northern tip of the state with two uncontested victories on nomination day on April 25, setting it well on its way to a superb mandate of winning 71 out of 82 seats in the state legislative assembly.

Bukit Sari incumbent state assemblyman and PBB senior vice-president Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan won uncontested for the second time while it was a first for party comrade Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail in Bukit Kota, Limbang. The latter would eventually be appointed Assistant Minister of Welfare and Community Wellbeing.

It was a roller coaster ride for the Lun Bawangs in Ba Kelalan and Kelabits in the Mulu constituencies, where different outcomes faced these two most remote constituencies .

In Ba Kelalan, eight aspiring BN candidates were raring to take on Baru Bian, PKR Sarawak chief and incumbent state assemblyman. Five were lawyers by profession while the rest were businessmen. Adenan met all of them in Limbang on April 2 for vetting.

Eyebrows were raised when SPDP re-nominated Willie Liau over pundit favourite Mutang Tagal, a former Bukit Mas MP. Baru won with 2,858 votes — a 538-majority over 2,320 polled by his cousin BN candidate Willie, more than the 475-majority in their last encounter during the 2011 state election.

The candidacy for the Mulu seat went to the first Kelabit lawyer and former FORUM president Dato Gerawat Gala over former deputy state secretary Datu Ose Murang.

Hii King Chiong during the election campaing in Pujut

Awang Tengah (left) and Dr Abdul Rahman congratulating each other for being the first to be re-elected with their uncontested victory to fire the first salvo for the state BN enroute to a resounding mandate for Adenan-led BN coalition

In protest of what he claimed was unfair to him and SPDP as it came under the Baram seat helmed by SPDP Anyi Ngau, former SPDP senior vice president and fellow Kelabit from Bario Dr Roland Dom Mattu resigned from SPDP to contest as an Independent while DAP and PKR also slugged it out by fielding Paul Raja and Paul Baya respectively in four-cornered contests.

Gerawat won handsomely to create history as the first Kelabit to be elected into the Sarawak state assembly. His political star shone even brighter when he was appointed deputy speaker.

In another Orang Ulu hot seat, incumbent Dennis Ngau was re-elected with a wafer-thin victory in Telang Usan after a rocky path in the run up to the election which included a poser on his renomination, impact of the niggling Baram dam and other issues.

He was returned with a majority of only 167 votes, polling 3,231 votes against PKR’s Roland Engan (3,064 votes).

Meanwhile, Lawas MP Datuk Henry Sum Agong became the first Lun Bawang to be appointed Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism on June 28, capping the thrills and spills of Orang Ulu politics.

In Limbang, incumbent Batu Danau state assemblyman Paulus Palu Gumbang , who

ents who were formerly from SPDP. She has since joined PBB and was re-appointed assistant minister.

The urban scene in Miri was beset by more upsets and reversal of fortunes.

Giant-killer Alan Ling Sie Kiong, who dethroned deputy chief minister and SUPP president Datuk Patinggi Dr George Chan in the previous election, came crashing down to earth after he was defeated by SUPP secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting Chew Yew who finally had found his political breakthrough after losing to PKR’s Dr Micheal Teo Yu Kheng in the last general election.

However, Pujut was the centre of attention with former PR allies, DAP and PAS, former DAPturned Independent ADUN Fong Pau Teck slugging it out against the well-oiled BN election machinery of its direct candidate Datuk Hii King Chiong.

Hii’s last-minute nomination for Pujut raised some eyebrows as he had concentrated time and resources in the Piasau constituency for years.

His nomination also contradicted an earlier statement by Adenan in March at PBB rallies in Miri that SUPP would contest in Piasau, Pujut and Senadin .

Against all odds, DAP’s Dr Ting Tiong Choon pulled off a feat against the BN candidate

resigned as Teras treasurer-general and party member to contest as a direct-BN candidate was re-elected against Independent candidate Ali Adap, a former SPDP grassroots leader. Paulus has since been admitted into PBB. In a reversal of fortunes, SPDP wrested the Marudi seat back from splinter party Teras, dislodging its secretary-general and incumbent four-term state assemblyman Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran for the BN ticket.

With ground tension running, the top BN leadership finally gave SPDP the nod in the eleventh hour of the state election, effectively ending the era of Entri and Teras representation in Marudi, allowing the party to regain traction in this rural constituency.

Handpicked by SPDP president Dato Seri Tiong King Sing, former Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil beat PKR’s Elia Bit and an independent candidate in Marudi.

Penguang was later appointed Assistant Minister of Local Government by Adenan and the party was renamed Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) later this year.

In Bekenu, Rosey Yunus was back after shedding the Teras tag to stand as BN candidate. She defeated PKR candidate , the late Bill Kayong, and two Independ-

who had resigned from UPP to contest. Hii later sought to nullify the results by filing the sole election petition in Sarawak, alleging that Dr Ting had dual-citizenship and has his name in the Australian electoral roll .

Ting polled 8,899 against Hii’s 7,140 to win by 1,759 votes while PAS Sarawak Commissioner Jofri Jaraiee who managed to get only 513 votes and lost his election deposit together with former Pujut DAP state assemblyman Fong who garnered a miserable 375 votes as an independent.

On October 14, Election Court judge Ravinthran N Paramaguru at the preliminary objection stage struck out the petition for failing to meet the legal threshold of depositing three petition copies and RM 10,000 cash with the registrar.

He also ordered the cost of RM 80,000 to be paid to the Respondent .

Meanwhile, it was smooth sailing for Senadin incumbent state assemblyman Datuk Lee Kim Shin as he sailed into his new term as re-appointed assistant minister. He easily defeated DAP’s Dr Bob Baru and political unknown Philemon John Eda PBDS Baru, putting to bed earlier speculations that he would be hard-pressed by the SUPPUPP tussle fallout and opposition forces to be re-elected.

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Political movements of 2016

By Churchill Edward

reporters@theborneopost.com

SARATOK MP and Pakan assemblyman Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom’s political journey appeared to be at a standstill when he hadn’t made an official move to join Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) despite the invites from leaders of PDP and the silence afforded by members of Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras), the party that Mawan previously led.

It is now an open secret that SPDP president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing and secretary-general Datuk Anthony Nogeh had met Mawan in October in Kuala Lumpur, where they discussed the possibility of Mawan and his supporters rejoining the party.

Nogeh described the KL meeting as an amicable affair among old friends and that SPDP would accept Mawan and his supporters from Teras whom are former SPDP members, back to SPDP. However he cautioned that Teras members or supporters were to follow the normal procedure of applying for party membership.

So far no Teras member had applied to join SPDP since the meeting with Mawan took place but Mawan needs time to brief Teras members on what has transpired before any decision could be made, said Nogeh who is Mas Gading MP. SPDP has changed its name to Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and registered the new name with the Registrar of Societies. However, the new name has yet to be endorsed by SPDP supreme council retrospectively.

Mawan’s strongest hint in indicating his intention to rejoin his old party which he helped build came on Sept 21 2016 during a press conference after the launch

by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem of his book ‘Relections – A journey of hope, aspiration and perserverance’ when he stressed that politics was an art of the possible.

Mawan joined Teras - set up by former dissenting SPDP members in 2013 - after quitting SPDP in 2014 following an internal dispute over the sticky issue of bringing back four members of the state legislative assembly into SPDP. While Mawan was agreeable to the prospect, the other SPDP leaders were not. This compelled Mawan to team up with the four state assemblymen to join Teras.

This scenario happened up to the May 7 2016 state election when Mawan eventually stood at Pakan as a direct BN candidate.

It was a tough fight and he won by a slim victory when he only garnered a majority of 426 votes against closest candidate, independent Dr Jawi Jingot. Direct BN candidacy was employed by Barisan Nasional (BN) because of the multiple claims on Pakan seat by SPDP and Teras which was then a BN-friendly party.

With the possibility of Mawan rejoining PDP, the party would be housing four MPs namely Mawan (Saratok), Tiong (Bintulu), Nogeh (Mas Gading) and Anyie Ngau (Baram) and four assemblymen in

Mawan and Henry raising their hands in solidarity in this May 2016 file photo of The Borneo Post

Mawan (Pakan), Dato Henry Harry Jinep (Tasik Biru), Roland Duat (Meluan) and Dr Penguang Manggil (Marudi).

SPDP’s traditional seats of Ba Kelalan (holder Baru Bian) and Krian (Ali Biju) as well as Bekenu (Rosey Yunus) and Batu Danau (Paulus Palu Gumbang) are being held by assemblymen from Peninsular Malaysia-based opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and state BN-backbone Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), respectively.

Another rural-based political party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) experienced a good outing this year when it won all of its 11 seats for the BN in the May 7 state polls.

These are Balai Ringin (holder Snowdan Lawan), Bukit Begunan (Datuk Mong Dagang), Batang Ai (Malcolm Mussen Lamoh), Ngemah (Alexander Vincent), Tamin (Christopher Gira Sambang), Kakus (Datuk John Sikie Tayai), Pelagus (Wilson Nyabong Ijang), Baleh (Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing), Belaga (Liwan Lagang), Murum (Kennedy Chukpai Ugon) and Samalaju (Majang Renggie).

Murum and Samalaju are new seats given to PRS after the last delineation exercise. PRS, led by Masing, also succeeded in wresting the Pelagus seat from the opposition Sarawak Workers Party (SWP).

PRS saw Masing retaining his presidency post uncontested during the party’s Triennial Delegates Conference in Oct 21 to 23 in Bintulu while its Selangau MP Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun returned as party deputy president after contesting against Julau MP Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum who was subsequently appointed

by Masing as secretary-general. Salang was formerly vice president of the party.

Snowdan is now leading the PRS Youth after winning the post uncontested.

The party’s former secretary-general Datuk Wilfred Nissom was appointed publicity chief. PRS other MPs are Masir Kujat (Sri Aman), Datuk William Nyalau Badak (Lubok Antu), Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang (Kanowit) and Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong (Hulu Rajang).

Masir and Nyalau were elected vicepresidents along with three others, while both Aaron and Ugak were elected to the Supreme Council, which has 15 members.

However following a recounting of votes then, Nyalau lost to John Sikie and he was subsequently appointed as ordinary supreme council member.

Apart from Salang, Masing announced the appointment of the party’s other elected representatives, who lost in the TDC as principal office-bearers. Mussen is now treasurer-general and Gira, deputy publicity chief.

Prior to the TDC, there were concerns among party members and supporters that allowing contests for the positions could cause a split in the party. However, some leaders welcomed the contests as a positive development for PRS. Chinese-dominant Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) was said to have embarked on the groundwork for parliamentary elections right after the dust of the May 7 state polls settled down.

Party president Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian hinted that six of the seven parliamentary seats traditionally allocated to the party may see new faces.

He said he hoped to see more young members from SUPP running for the next general election and SUPP start to lay the groundwork and foundation now to mark the party’s 57th anniversary yesterday.

The six seats are Kuching, Sibu, Stampin, Miri, Sarikei and Lanang, which the party lost during the 2013 parliamentary election.

SUPP currently holds just the Serian parliamentary seat through Minister of Human Resources Datuk Richard Riot Jaem, who is also SUPP deputy president.

In the just state polls SUPP won Batu Kawah through Dr Sim and new seat Batu Kitang (Lo Khere Chiang) for the BN whereas Piasau was won by Datuk Sebastian Ting while Repok (Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii), Senadin (Datuk Lee Kim Shin) and Simanggang (Datuk Francis Harden Hollis) and Meradong (Ding Kuong Hing).

Their traditional seats of Bawang Assan (holder Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh), Engkilili (Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa), Mambong or formerly Bengoh (Datuk Dr Jerip Susil) and Opar (Datuk Ranum Mina) are now being held by BN-friendly party UPP (or United People’s Party).

PBB secured a 100 per cent victory in the May 7 or 11th state election. However it surprised some when announcing that its triennial delegates conference, referred to as the PBB Convention, due in October would have to be postponed for another one and a half years.

With this development, the party’s TDC may be taking place only in April or May of 2018.

The postponement seems to coincide with speculations that party president Adenan may be taking the opportunity to announce his successor at the convention when it is held.

Adenan has said that he wants to lead the state as chief minister for only one term, which would be another five years.

This speculation, however, was dismissed by PBB secretary-general Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom who stated that PBB wanted to concentrate on fulfilling the pledges it had made during the May 7 state election.

This is the second time that the party has postponed its TDC (or convention) since Adenan took over the helm on Feb 28, 2014.

The first was at the end of last year, when all component parties of the ruling state BN coalition were gearing up for the state election.

By mid-2018, if a successor were to be named, Adenan would have been in power for five years and he may or may not want to carry on until his term expires in 2021.

Regardless, this would give the next in line ample time to prepare his team and other BN component parties to face the state election, which must be held by May 2021.

Such an arrangement is to pave the way for a smooth transition of power as what former chief minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, now the sitting Yang di-Pertua Negeri, had done to ensure stability within PBB and also the state BN. Currently, PBB has some 315,000 members.

With the admission of the four partyless assemblymen Dato Gerawat Gala (Mulu), John Ilus (Bukit Semuja), Miro Simuh (Serembu) and Paulus (Batu Danau) as well as assemblywoman Rosey (Bekenu) after the state election, PBB now commands 44 out of the 82 seats in the State Legislative Assembly.

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

The Kanowit Bridge project is expected to be completed in June next year.

Longhouse residents in Nanga Ngungun now enjoy smoother and shorter rides on the tar-sealed road from Poi and Nanga Ngemah.

Spin-offs from Poi-Ngungun road

By Conny Banji

local community.

Less and less longhouse residents from KANOWIT: Tuai Rumah Nanga Ngungun ply Lakun Laga slowly manoeuthe route from Nanga vres his rented van as he Ngemah crossing reached the road junction Rajang River to get to exiting Nanga Ngungun Kanowit or Sibu towns Resettlement Scheme. after the road was There are seven passenopened to vehicles gers in the van he picked up two years ago, he from several longhouses at said. the resettlement in Sungai “People begin to opt Ngemah here. for shorter ride via the They are all heading new road. Although towards Kanowit town, which they still have to use is now about 45 minutes away longboat from Majau Tuai Rumah Lakun Laga from Nanga Ngungun. to get across to the As Lakun steers, the front town side, the journey seat passenger in his 60s opens up about is still shorter and better than the Ngemahhow difficult it was for them when they still Semaram route. depended on river transport.

“Twenty-five years ago, it took almost a day for a return journey by longboat from Nanga Ngungun to Kanowit town.

“We had to get up early to catch the 4am express boat to get to the town, especially if we have official matters to attend to at Kanowit District Office or shopping for necessities.

“Now, almost all of that are just memories. The existence of Poi/Ngungun Road linking Nanga Ngungun to Kanowit cut the travelling time from four hours to 45 minutes,” the man said.

Lakun responded saying that things changed fast after the Poi/Ngungun Road created land accessibility, particularly to the reporters@theborneopost.com

A part of the road already completed in Kapit.

“Nowadays, rented van operators operating the Ngemah-Semaram route complained that it was difficult to get full capacity of passengers on normal days except during festive seasons,” he said.

The 14.7 kilometre Poi/Ngungun Road is a section of the 83km Poi/Ngemah/Temalat/Song/Kapit Road. Its construction was divided into nine packages in June 2011.

The road costing RM711 million is eagerly awaited by those residing in Kapit, Song, Kanowit and Sibu as the road would create accessibility to Kapit.

Kapit is the only division in Sarawak that is still isolated from other towns.

The overall road project is expected to be ready by July 2018 and will benefit 100,570 people in Kapit, Kanowit and Song districts.

Lakun noted that many new houses and farming activities could be seen from the

Song town will be connected by road when the mega road project is completed in 2018.

road.

“It is a sure sign that people begin to realise the economic spin-off brought by the road.

“Smooth ride on tar-sealed road makes it more convenient for them to bring their products to be sold in the town,” he said.

Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi had said that the road was filled with opportunities, and its greatest impact was as the catalyst for socio-economic development in the central region.

He said the road would open up lands in Kapit, Song and Kanowit districts and the deep interior of Kapit, from Baleh to Mujong up to Sungai Tunoh.

“In addition to improving access to longhouses and settlements, it will enable amenities like electricity power and treated water to reach them in future.

“The road will greatly reduce the cost of living because it is a cheaper alternative to river transport,” the Kapit MP added.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak inspected the progress of three bridges in Yong, Katibas and Kanowit in March this year.

The bridges were components of the road project.

Meanwhile, Lakun was optimistic that longhouse residents in Majau, Kanowit up to Teluk Jambu in Song returning for next Gawai Dayak festival may be able to drive their cars up to their doorways when Kanowit Bridge is completed.

The bridge, costing RM50 million is currently under construction.

Nanga Ngemah bazaar that used to be a busy place a few years back is becoming more quiet as longhouse residents prefer to go to Kanowit town to shop.

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

So near, yet so far How long will the elusive Sarikei/Tanjung Manis Road remain a missing link ?

By Anthony Aga

General Election.

However, the good news turned out to be a big disappointment to the people of Sarikei and Tanjung Manis are just Sarikei and those on Tanjung Manis side about half an hour ride by speedboat, as there has been no sign to show that about one-hour journey the project would take off by express boat, and the anytime soon. distance by land is just The only promising sign about 18 kilometers. that the project was to take They seem to be very off was when a tender for close, but without direct the construction of ferry road connectivity, the travelramps on the bank of Rejang ling distance and time taken River, somewhere behind depends on the mode of the Sarikei Hospital, and transportation. another one at Bukit Hwang Presently, the shortest on the opposite bank were journey by land from Sarikei called. to Tanjung Manis is about Unfortunately, the project two and a half hours as one was called off half way by must pass through Sibu via the authorities. During a reIgan Bridge or Sungai Maaw cent visit to the project site, Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing The Borneo Post noticed the ferry. By river, it is about half an hour by speedboat and almost complete ferry ramp slightly over an hour by express boat. behind the Sarikei Hospital and assumed The people of Sarikei as well as people it to be the furthest the project had proin Tanjung Manis and surrounding villages gressed thus far. like Kampung Rejang, Kampung Jerijih At one time former Repok Assemblyand Kampung Belawai have been craving man Dr Wong Hua Seh during a press for the road linkage to make travelling conference at the DAP branch office more convenient, safe and cheap. here, expressed his regret over the The linkage, once it is complete, is also project’s long delay. expected to impact their lives positively “Since the announcement of the good in every aspect of their livelihood, be it news by the DPM, I kept on reminding economic activities, business or social. the state government of the proposed They thought their prayers were project during Dewan Undangan Negeri answered when on January 29, 2013, (DUN) sittings, but unfortunately it did former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri not receive due attention from the parties Muhyiddin Yassin approved an allocation concerned,” he lamented. of RM45 million to implement the project “It goes to show that even the words when he was here to drum support for coming directly from the mouth of the the Barisan Nasional(BN) candidate, deputy prime minister cannot be taken Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing, during the 13th seriously.” reporters@theborneopost.com

Ferry ramp on the bank of Rajang River behind Sarikei Hospital.

It seemed worse turned to worst when he was also made to understand that the funds for the project had instead been reallocated for the implementation of a six-km road from Sungai Sian, opposite Bintangor town, to Sibu-Tanjung Manis Road and for upgrading of ferry ramps on both banks of the river.

The change of project would not in any way appease Sarikei people because the proposed Sarikei-Tanjung Manis road was just a 15-km link-up between the two places, whereas the travelling distance between the two places via Sibu-Tanjung Manis road is about 70 km, he said.

The project was to involve upgrading of the existing 15-kilometer passage currently used for maintenance of water mains from Sarikei to Tanjung Manis to Public Works Department (PWD) R3 standard – passable by two cars.

Apart from the ferry service from behind Sarikei Hospital to Bukit Hwang, the linkup also includes another ferry crossing at Lobak Samarieng, near Tanjung Manis.

As the proposed project was not fulfilled, Sarikei remains in a disadvantageous position economically and strategically, added Wong, who is still hopeful that the project will materialise without further delay.

The defeat of the BN candidate to DAP’s Andrew Wong Ling Biu in that election should not be a reason to hold up the

project as those who stood to benefit from it were not only the people from Sarikei but also those from the coastal villages around Tanjung Manis and other places in the state, he said.

Besides, there had been several alternative plans on how to spend the allocation announced by those in authority, such as using the fund to upgrade Rentap Road to a four-lane carriageway instead.

Relieving news surfaced before the last state election when the chief minister made a fresh commitment to revive the project and have it completed in five years’ time.

The victory of BN candidates in Repok and Kuala Rajang should be considered final confirmation for the project to be delivered as promised.

Kuala Rajang Assemblyman Datu Len Talif Salleh viewed the project as a booster for the economic activities of the people, especially the farming community in Sarikei, Meradong, Julau Pakan, Saratok, Betong and other areas in the Central Region as it directly links them to multinational markets in Tanjung Manis Halal Hub in particular and Sarawak Corridor for Renewable Energy (Score) economic zone in general Repok Assemblyman Dato Sri Huang Tiong Sii considered the road, which directly links Sarikei with Tanjung Manis, as a catalyst for economic growth of Sarikei.

Batang Sadong Bridge a boon to community

By Daryl Law

reporters@theborneopost.com

The multi-million ringgit Batang Sadong Bridge- touted to not only be the longest bridge in Sarawak but also the longest to cross a river in Malaysia - was opened to the public on Oct 16 this year.

After four years of construction, the 1.48km bridge costing RM232 million replaced the ferry service across the Sadong River and will benefit more than 50,000 constituents and local residents of Samarahan.

The project was approved by the prime minister in 2011 during his visit to Batang Sadong constituency. Construction work commenced on July 5, 2012.

Minister of Works Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof officiated at the soft launch of the Batang Sadong Bridge on October 16 after the technical auditor (safety auditor) confirmed that the bridge was safe for

The iconic Batang Sadong Bridge is the longest bridge to cross a river in Malaysia.

public use.

The bridge was officially opened by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Dec 18.

Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) chairman Dato Peter Minos said that the Batang Sadong Bridge would boost progress in Kota Samarahan because

those from Simunjan, Sadong areas and other coastal parts were getting closer.

“The bridge will help them save time and fuel apart from making it convenient to travel.”

It has been reported that the 1.48km bridge can shorten a journey from Kuching to Sibu by two-and-half hours, compared to

the current eight-hour journey.

On a related matter, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said both federal and state governments were pursuing the Batang Lupar bridge project, of which the cost would be borne by both goverments on a 50:50 basis.

The proposed 5km bridge, said to cost between RM800 million and RM1 billion, was announced by Najib on Jan 31 this year. It is currently undergoing documentation process, and when built, it will be the nation’s longest river bridge.

Meanwhile, the Batang Sadong Bridge will be counted among Malaysia’s iconic bridges alongside the Batang Baram Bridge (ASEAN Bridge), the longest bridge in Miri, Penang Bridge, Penang Second Bridge (Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge), Putra Bridge – the main bridge in Putrajaya, Malaysia – Singapore Second Link – connecting Singapore and Johor.

14 home 2016 A look at

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

Breaking news on the northern front

By Philip Kiew

reporters@theborneopost.com

butterfly and 100M freestyle events.

BARAM A ferry operator charged exorbitant THE year 2016 was a fiery, incidentfares for commercial vehicles to cross filled year in northern Sarawak, with Baram River, earning a stinging rebuke general news headlines ranging from from Assistant Minister of Local Governwater bombing sorties to choking haze, ment and Marudi assemblyman Datu Dr aviation incidents, Zika health scare, Penguang Manggil, who put a stop to this game-changing development to a mimalpractice. raculous survival of a foolhardy tourist The government has approved RM77.4 who was lost for 12 days. million for a road upgrading project but its It was a fiery start with Kuala Baram perceived slow take-off led to brickbats, peat fire raging out of control, choking and the newly minted state assemblyman Mirians as air quality deteriorated to hazA n MoU by Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) and four corporate land owners to prevent called for patience. ardous level in Miri and forcing the State and suppress ďŹ re in hotspot Kuala Baram.

Local boy Dato Gerawat Gala was Government to order water bombing sorelected the first Mulu assemblyman from ties by Bombardier aircraft and helicopter his visit to Lawas on March 1 this year.

275/33 KV substation project at KM 26, the community and appointed Deputy as ground fire-fighting failed, The Borneo Adventure Team (BAT) Miri -Bintulu Road started in March.

Speaker of DUN Sarawak.

The bill was RM834,200 for the operahighlighted on June 30 the prevalent drug On the This year also saw the setting up of a tion from Feb 23-27 for 222 trips abuse in Lawas, including syabu readily aviation scene, RM1.2 million-Teripun, or Kelabit commuor about available for RM50, and even studentstwo men nity museum and cultural centre, in Bario.

38.8 flying were involved in peddling drugs in Lawas escaped seMeanwhile, a fire destroyed the only hours District. Lawas police arrested a teacher vere injuries classrooms block of SK Bario on Sept 4, utilising for possession of syabu on Nov 4. when they the eve of UPSR examinations, leaving 1.3 million Paddling powerhouse Putera Kuala managed to 89 pupils, 80 in primary school and nine in litres of Lawas team finally bagged the prestigious jump off a preschool, in a quandary. water.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah ChallengeTrophy malfunctionOn Auin Brunei Regatta by completing ing escalator gust 9, four the Marathon in the nick corporate King hat trick. of time at land ownThe team reMiri Airport ers in Miri ceived the trophy on June signed an from the Sultan of 6, while a unprecedentBrunei.

Twin Otter ed MemoDHC6randum of LIMBANG itime 400 plane UnderstandMalaysian Mar Feb this year by mbardier CL 415 aircraft On June 28, belonging in iri M in ng bi ing (MoU) Water bom ) using two Bo EA M the usually yelto MAS(M cy en for peat fire Enforcement Ag helicopter. lowish Limbang wings I M ba m prevention and a Bo River turned green skidded from the and suppresand clear for a runway at Marudi Airport on August 26.

Baram sion in Kuala few days, leaving Both pilots and its three passengers on with Natural Resources and Environment the locals baffled board were safe.

Board to keep the haze at bay. over the overnight There was good news on the aviation They were Naim Land Sdn Bhd, Shin phenomenon that front as Malindo Air made a comeback to Yang Forestry Sdn Bhd, Woodman Group went viral on social Miri on July 1 by reinstating the Miri-Kuala of Companies and Pantai Bayu Indah Sdn media. Sarawak Lumpur flights, which had been suspendHowever, there was plenty of fireworks Rivers Board later ed since 2013 . jungle of Mulu. He in the oil and gas front. d 11 days in the virgin d weather. ve rvi su explained the dry Sarawak had a health scare when a ly us ulo rac Sarawak Petroleum Group (SPG), a A gaunt Gaskell mi team after a week of searching in ba season and lack of 35-year-old woman in Miri who was two R grouping of professionals and business was found by the SA pollution were the months pregnant and had worked in owners, launched in Miri on March 5 cause.

Singapore previously was tested positive There was further drama down in

by Minister of Industrial Development Paralympian from Limbang, for the Zika virus after being hospitalised Mulu when a foolhardy Australian Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Jamery Christian, also made history as in Miri on Sept 11. All six family members engineer got lost in the Mulu National has emerged as a vocal advocate of the first from the division to make it to of the patient who lived in the same house Park.

Sarawak’s interests and watchdog in the the world stage in Rio, where he finished were unaffected but a visiting sister was He was lucky to be found alive and had oil and gas industry. fourth in the swimming finals. He competlater tested positive in Kuala Lumpur. to be winched to safety from Hidden ValWith its pledge to assist the state goved in 50M freestyle, ley after he was lost for 11 days. ernment in resolving the great economic LAWAS Without a guide, disparity in the oil and gas industry, it Up in the northern tip of Sarawak, the Andrew Gaskell, 25, from slammed national oil corporation Petronas humble Tahai fish product was registered Brisbane got lost as he for allegedly executing an underhanded as intellectual property under the Geogmissed a turn after coming staff rationalisation exercise, claiming that raphy Indicator ( GI), a component of the down Mt Mulu. competent Sarawakians were sidelined Malaysia Intellectual Property OrganisaIt triggered a full-fledged and replaced with outsiders tion (MyIPO). The certificate was presearch and rescue (SAR) Petronas Carigali was hit with a freeze sented to Malaysian Fisheries Developoperation involving locals, on all new work permits for non-Sarawakiment Board and Lawas Area Fishermen Bomba, police and Civil ans, and Sarawak Rivers Board on August Association in Lawas on March 12.

Defence Department.

19 closed down an illegal wharf at Pulau In an effort to boost security, Deputy A sheepish and weak Melayu in Miri used by the company and Prime Minister and Minister of Home Gaskell later apologised for its contractors to send workers offshore.

Affairs Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid the trouble and inconvenBut there was light in the tunnel in Hamidi announced the approval for a ience caused to everyone, Miri as the state government rolled out a new RM140 million Lawas District Police RM 140 million La advising tourists to learn a RM600 million expansion programme to w Complex project and upgrading of police (centre) in his visit as Police Complex project approv lesson from his ordeal and boost supply reliability and connect Lawas to Lawas. ed by Dr Zahid stations in the district and approval for not to take the risk of disreand Limbang to the state grid system. a full boarding school for Lawas during garding park regulations.

Construction of a RM120 million Lambir

2016 home 15 A look at

special supplement

Saturday, December 31, 2016

By Wilfred Pilo and Karen Bong reporters@theborneopost.com

A Eurocopter AS350 crashed in Batang Lupar in the Sri Aman division on May 5, killing six on board including a federal deputy minister.

The helicopter was reported to have disappeared from the radar just 20 minutes after it left Betong for Kuching at 4.12pm that day. The journey was supposed to take between 35 and 40 minutes.

Those on board the ill-fated helicopter were Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC) Datuk Noriah Kasnon and her husband Asmuni Abdullah, Kuala Kangsar MP and Malaysian Palm Oil Board chairman Datuk Wan Mohammad Khairil Anuar Wan Ahmad, bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun, MPIC secretary-general Datuk Dr Sundaran Ann Amalai and pilot Capt Rudolf Rex Ragas.

Search and Rescue (SAR) teams involving 274 personnel from the police, marine, Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), the armed forces as well as other relevant agencies combed through a vast area in challenging weather conditions, strong currents and lurking crocodiles for four days.

Various types of assets including helicopters, boats, vessels and land vehicles were also deployed to assist SAR efforts.

Helicopters have always been used as an alternative transport to connect to the vast and rugged interior of Sarawak given the lack of roads through the state’s thick jungles.

Yet another helicopter tragedy

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) personnel retrieving the body of the third helicopter crash victim along Sg Batang Lupar.

Bomba personnel prepare to bring the body ashore.

Even though Sarawakians have witnessed the tragedies of more than a dozen accidents involving helicopters over the past three decades, no one will be able to grasp the horrific impact these accidents had on the home front.

The SAR team brings the fifth body to Lingga Jetty.

Debris believed to be from the missing helicopter discovered in Sebuyau.

Eight schools affected by fire

The upper level of the school hall of SMK St Teresa was completely burnt in a fire.

IN 2016, Sarawak has also witnessed eight schools, mainly in rural areas, partially turned to ashes in eight months.

Fortunately, there were no loss of life, only school properties.

The Ministry of Education promised to look into these schools and also the rest of the schools statewide so that such incidents do not happen again.

Chronologically, the first fire involved SMK Engkilili when its main switch board caught fire on March 11.

Then on July 5, the roof of a walkway of SK Kapit along Jalan Bleteh was in flames.

Eight days later, the laboratory of SMK Sungai Tapang was razed.

On July 26, another school in Kapit, SK Lepong Gaat, caught fire.

SK Sundar Lama in Lawas was next on Aug 15 followed by SK Bario in Bario on Sept 4 on the eve of the UPSR examination where the pupils watched in horror as their classrooms turned into an inferno.

A month later on Oct 10, two wooden blocks which housed the classrooms of SK Sungai Sugai in Pakan were razed to the ground as teachers could only look on as there were no fire extinguishers.

Finally, on Oct 29, the upper level of the school hall of SMK St Teresa in Kuching burnt down, causing an estimated loss of RM1 million.

16 home 2016 A look at

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

Police smash drug-smuggling attempts

By Gary Adit

reporters@theborneopost.com

The year witnessed an increase in the number of high-profile drug-related busts as police foiled attempts by traffickers to smuggle drugs into the state via air courier services.

The largest bust took place early in the year when police stormed an apartment unit along Jalan Lapangan Terbang and seized over RM1.4 million worth of drugs.

The March 23 raid led to the arrest of a 46-year-old man, who had only just been released from prison following a six-month stint for a drug-related offence, and a 25year-old female companion as well as the confiscation of three vehicles, gold jewellery and a Rolex watch worth RM235,000 in total.

State deputy police commissioner Datuk Abdul Aziz Yusoff said the drugs- comprising 18,806 Ecstasy pills and 1.028kg of unprocessed Syabu- had been packed into health supplement containers and food packets prior to being couriered here from Peninsular Malaysia in several parcels.

He also revealed the male suspect had five previous drug-related records dating back to 2010, including one arrest under the Special Preventive Measures.

In May, the police made another drug

bust when they arrested a local man shortly after he had collected a couriered parcel containing over 1.3kg of Syabu worth an estimated RM163,000.

The drugs had been packed inside food packages and boxes of sugar in a bid to avoid detection prior to being sent here.

Also seized from the suspect, who tested positive for amphetamine, was his Perodua Viva car and RM2,100 in cash.

The following month in June saw police foil yet another attempt to smuggle drugs into the state via courier service when they arrested a 46-year-old man shortly after he collected a box from a courier facility at Jalan Song.

The slightly over one kilogramme of Syabu, worth over RM285,000, had been shipped here from Kuala Lumpur concealed inside different packages in an ultimately failed bid to avoid detection.

A day after the bust, police detained two African nationals and seized over RM70,000 worth of Syabu which the pair had hidden inside a disposable adult diaper.

The 28- and 29-year-old Africans, of whom one claimed to be a student, had been stopped while driving along Jalan Canna in Kuching following a tip-off.

In July, three public university students were nabbed for possessing cannabis weighing 367 grammes during a bust at

Medical personnel from Miri hospital were seen at the scene to check on Bill’s condition after the incident.

Jalan Datuk Mohd Musa in Kota Samarahan.

The students – two males and a female – aged between 20 and 23 years old, were being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.

Also in the same month, three jobless youths faced the similar prospect of being sent to the gallows after they were caught in possession of over one kilogramme of cannabis.

The trio, aged between 19 and 20, was picked up in Petra Jaya and Matang in Kuching following tip-offs channelled to the police, who were also probing if they were linked to the three university students.

Aziz, who announced the arrests in a press conference, said then that the arrests and seizures showed that the police were serious in combating the drug menace in the state.

He called on all segments of the community – parents and educators in particular –- to play their part in ensuring the young do not involve themselves in drug-related activities.

“We are in an all-out war against drugs in the state, and everyone must play their role to help wipe out this menace by channelling information on such activities to the police,” he stressed.

Lee (centre) was arrested at KLIA on Dec 13 following his deportation from China a day earlier. The head of a plantation company was previously believed to have been hiding in Melbourne, Australia following the shooting.

Shooting of social rights activist Bill Kayong OnE of the saddest chapters in Sarawak’s history was undoubtedly the slaying of native land rights activist Bill Kayong, who was gunned down in his hometown Miri by a hired assassin in a drive-by shooting in broad daylight.

The June 21 killing – linked to his defending native customary rights (nCR) of landowners in Bekelit in their long-standing dispute with a local oil palm plantation company – took place at a traffic light intersection near E-Mart supermarket as the PKR politician was making his way to his office.

The 43-year-old, who was also Miri MP Dr Michael Teo’s political secretary and a candidate for the Bekenu seat in this year’s state election, had been described by state PKR chairman Baru Bian as a ‘man on a mission’ as well as a ‘vocal activist for the natives of Sarawak’.

“He was a young man zealously pursuing justice for the people and was very outspoken against any kind of discrimi-

nation or unfairness in our society,” said Baru of Bill, who was also the secretary of Sarawak Dayak Association, or Pedas.

In the immediate aftermath of the brazen and cold-blooded assassination, the police established a special task force led by State CID chief Datuk Dev Kumar, which resulted in multiple arrests over the following days including that of the alleged hired gunman Mohamad Fitri Pauzi.

Mohamad Fitri, 29, has since been charged in court for murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code along with two others, Chin Wui Chung and Lie Chang Loon, who were both charged with abetment under Section 109 read together with Section 302 of the Penal Code.

Their trial will be heard at the High Court at a date yet to be fixed (at the time of writing).

During the course of the investigation, police also named Dato Stephen Lee Chee Kiang- the head of the plantation company involved in the Bekelit dispute – as the al-

leged mastermind behind Bill’s slaying.

Lee was arrested at 7.45pm on Dec 13 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) following his deportation from China a day earlier.

He was caught by the Ministry of Public Security in Putian Fujian Province on Dec 12 and was subsequently handed over to the Malaysian authorities. Thereafter Lee was deported from Xiamen back to the country under the escort of a special task force led personally by Dev Kumar.

Lee was escorted to Miri on Dec 14 where he was immediately charged in court with Bill’s slaying.

It is believed that Lee had been hiding in China ‘for a while’ prior to his arrest.

Lee was previously believed to have been in hiding in Melbourne, Australia following the shooting.

Information gathered by police at the time indicated that he had flown to Singapore two days after the murder before departing to Australia on July 3.

other CaSeS In 2016 January - A doctor at the Accident and Emergency Unit of Sarawak General Hospital was punched by a patient’s family member, who insisted the former did not discharge his duty.

The 3am incident happened after a man and a woman brought a feverish five-year-old girl to the A&E unit, but were told after an examination that the child was not suffering from a severe illness and could be brought to a government clinic.

This riled the woman and saw her scolding the doctor before leaving with the man and the child.

However, the man returned shortly after and threw a punch at the doctor before being stopped by a security guard, who jotted his personal details and called the police.

March - Police arrest a doctor of a private clinic in Kota Samarahan following the botched circumcision of a 10-year-old boy.

The boy had been brought to the clinic by his grandfather to undergo the procedure, only to be told by the doctor in question that the child needed to be brought to the Sarawak General Hospital due to complications.

Later at the hospital, the family was informed that the tip of the boy’s private part, measuring about 2.5cm, had been cut off and could not be re-attached, leading the family to lodge a police report against the private clinic doctor and resulted in his arrest under Section 338 of the Penal Code.

July - The fast action of a doctor saved the life of a three-year-old girl who was found floating in the deep-end of a swimming pool at a resort in Sematan.

The child was spotted floating face-down in the pool by a guest, who immediately raised the alarm which led to the doctor – also a guest at the resort – to spring into action by resuscitating the young victim.

The life-saving effort paid off after nearly an hour when the girl coughed up a large amount of water she had swallowed and regained consciousness.

July - A woman killed her two young sons by poisoning them before taking her own life at an unnumbered house in Kota Samarahan.

The 37-year-old woman was found hanging in the living room of the house at Kampung Baru by a relative, who then made the gruesome discovery of her two sons – aged four and seven – in a bedroom.

An open bottle of bleach was found next to the bed of the boys, indicating they died after being poisoned by their mother.

The motive behind the murder-cum-suicide was unknown at the time.

September - A 15-year-old boy was arrested along with his friend after they inexplicably conspired to strangle and stab his mother while she was driving them home from tuition class.

The 43-year-old housewife had first picked up her nine-year-old daughter from another tuition centre at Taman Desa Ilmu in Kota Samarahan before heading to another tuition centre nearby to fetch her son and his 15-year-old friend.

As the family was approaching their housing estate, the woman’s son, who was seated behind her in the car, reached forward and wrapped his belt around her neck to strangle her.

The housewife immediately stopped her car and tried to free herself from the stranglehold, only to be stabbed in the stomach with a knife by her son’s friend.

After the victim’s daughter screamed for help, the teens bolted out of the car and fled on foot before surrendering themselves to police the following day.

At the time, police were unsure as to the actual motive of the incident, with the mother and the teens giving different reasons as to what triggered the attack.

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

special supplement

Happy endings for

search and rescue efforts

By Margaret Ringgit and Jenifer Laeng

reporters@theborneopost.com

Andrew Gaskell found alive after going missing for 12 days in Mulu National park.

From the kidnapping of a schoolgirl to locating a missing Australian tourist, the year 2016 has been a busy, nail-biting year for law enforcement and search and rescue efforts in miri.

Here are some of the high-profile incidents of the year:

Australian tourist missing in Mulu found alive

Derrona was immediately taken to Miri hospital after she was found and released by police.

11-year-old school girl abducted by brother-in-law On Aug 16, Miri was abuzz when Year Five schoolgirl Derrona Joseph was reported missing.

She had not returned home from school since 12.30pm where she was seen entering a Perodua Viva belonging to her brother-in-law.

Her brother-in-law, Julian Sabong, 36, was later considered a suspect. Following a public tip-off, police managed to locate his wherea-

bouts which led them to the girl’s location.

The girl was held hostage for 50 hours before a search party found the schoolgirl tied up in a forest area near Pujut Tanjong Batu along Miri bypass road at around 3.30pm on Aug 17.

Police investigated the incident under Section 365 of the Penal Code for kidnapping. The suspect has been prosecuted in Miri Magistrate Court.

Police are seen escorting the 36-year-old suspect after he abducted his sister-in-law.

Largest drug trafficker caught at Miri Airport escapes gallows A former offshore worker accused of trafficking 15,388.49 grammes in methamphetamine drugs (also known as ‘syabu’) at Miri Airport on Dec 4, 2014 escaped the gallows when he was ordered to be released unconditionally by the Miri High Court on June 22 this year.

Twenty three-year-old Leslie Spencer Story was released without his defence being called.

High Court judge Datuk Mairin Idang made the ruling after the prosecutor failed to make a prima facie case against the accused.

Leslie was charged under Section 39B (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same act which provides a mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

Miri Airport security personnel and police who made the arrest were praised for their excellent job in the seizure of the drugs – the biggest in the state for the year 2014.

Dev Kumar (second left) and Khoo (third left) show reporters the home-made gun and machete used by the suspects who were gunned down early Oct 16

Two most wanted robbers shot dead by police On Oct 16, D9 and D8 unit from state Police Contingent Headquarters and CID Miri shot dead two robbers in an abandoned house in Luak Bay around 12am.

The duo, both in their 30s, were believed to be the masterminds behind 16 armed robberies cases around Miri since 2015.

They were armed when breaking into houses in prime residential areas Luak Bay and Bakam.

In a press conference held on the morning of Oct 16, state CID chief Dev Kumar pointed out that the duo were among the most wanted criminals in the state and had

been terrorising the residents in Luak Bay and Bakam since late last year.

The police also seized various items believed to have been taken from their victims which were, among others, a television, gold jewelries, watches, cash, homemade gun and machete. The gang had stolen protperty worth over RM200,000 in value from their victims in the 16 armed robberies cases they were linked to.

With the two suspects killed and another two in police custody, Dev congratulated the team who had played a significant role in solving the case.

On Oct 26, an Australian tourist who went missing while trekking in the Mulu national Park (MnP) in Baram made headlines not just in the country but also internationally.

Andrew James Gaskell, 26, had entered the park alone without any supervision and guide on Oct 20.

After reaching the summit on Oct 22, Gaskell who trekked down from the summit to return to the base camp had lost his way when reaching Camp 1 inside the MnP. Gaskell, when interviewed while receiving treatment at Miri Hospital said he had mistakenly taken one of the many trails at Camp 1 which brought him deeper into the jungle.

A search and rescue (SAR) operation which cost over RM20,000 was mounted by the police and Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) on Oct 26 after a police report was filed by Gaskell’s friend whom he had been staying with in Mulu.

As days went by, more and more people were included in the SAR operation which on the 11th day brought the total to 63, comprising the local community (the Penans, Berawan and Tering) in Batu Bungan and Mulu, Sarawak Forestry Department, Tiger Platoon, Bomba Air Unit and guides from MnP. Gaskell’s father, younger brother and friend flew in from Australia and Kuching, hoping that Andrew would be found safe.

The police team led by Marudi Police chief, DSP Gabriel Risut when interviewed on the first few days after the SAR operation was launched said that the police were investigating the case from all possible angles.

Gaskell’s Facebook page was filled with comments from netizens praying and hoping for his safe return.

The SAR team finally discovered him on nov 1 when team SAR IV found Gaskell at Camp 1 in a very weak condition on the 11th day he went missing.

He was transported from Camp 1 by the Bomba Air Unit who winched Gaskell out of the jungle and immediately took him to Mulu Airport where paramedics were waiting before being airlifted to Miri for immediate treatment at Miri Hospital.

It was later learnt that Gaskell had entered the park illegally and had taken a route not used by guides or tourists visiting MnP. He later apologised for his mistake and was thankful for everybody’s efforts in rescuing him.

18 home 2016 A look at

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

Second chance

for Sibu hostages

By Philip Wong

reporters@theborneopost.com

What was supposed to be a routine trip back to tawau for four Sarawakian sailors after delivering timber to Manila, Philippines turned into a nightmare when they were kidnapped by abu Sayyaf militants.

On April 1, Wong Teck Kang, 31, Wong Teck Chii, 29, Wong Hung Sing, 34, and Johnny Lau Jung Hien, 29, were abducted by the Philippine-based kidnap-for-ransom group who boarded their tugboat Massive 6 off Pulau Litigan, about 100km from Tawau.

Five other crewmen – two Myanmarese and three Indonesians – were spared.

The four hostages were then taken to the Abu Sayyaf stronghold, believed to be in Jolo Islands and not long after, their family members received telephone calls from the kidnappers, demanding an RM18-million ransom.

Although the figure was reduced later, the families were struggling to raise the sum before a looming May 30 deadline.

The Sarawak state election on May 7 could have been the biggest factor that helped in saving the lives of the four hostages as the family members took advantage of the election campaign to seek donations and public sympathy.

Many of them, including the hostages’ grandparents, even went on stage during the nightly political talks, kneeling down and pleading for members of the public to help.

Despite repeated warnings from police that paying ransom money to the kidnap-

pers would encourage more cross-border abductions, Sibu once again rallied together to help raise the money to seek the release of the hostages.

On June 8, the four hostages were eventually released at Kampung Patikus, Southern Philippines before they were brought to Sandakan, ending their 69day ordeal.

News of the four hostages’ release swept through the country and focus quickly switched to whether any ransom money was paid.

While police denied that ransom money was paid, Datuk Lau Cheng Kiong, uncle to one of the hostages, said a total of RM12 million collected to secure the release of the hostages was handed over

Lau (left) and Wong Chee Ming, father of siblings Teck Kang and Teck Chii, speak to the press after the release of the hostages.

to the relevant party in Sabah to handle the matter.

Of the amount, he said RM1 million were proceeds from the mortgage of their two houses at Pulau Li Hua, RM2 million from the shipping company where the

The four hostages in captivity. From left are Teck Chii, Hung Sing, Johnny and Teck Kang.

Sibu people rally together to help raise funds to seek the release of the hostages.

hostages worked and another RM9 million from public donation.

“All the money raised was handed over to the relevant authorities in Sabah to handle the hostage situation,” he said at the press conference at the house of one of the hostages after the release.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said ransom was not negotiated by police to secure the release of the four hostages.

On the allegations that ransom was paid, the home minister also said that it was not within the jurisdiction of the relevant authorities like police who represented the Malaysian government.

Nevertheless, for the four hostages who could have faced a similar fate to fellow Sarawakian and Abu Sayyaf-abductee Bernard Then, it was a second chance at life.

Teck Kang, whom the militants picked to speak for the group throughout the ordeal, said he never in his wildest dreams thought he would make it back alive.

“When one of the gunmen told me that my head would be the first to be chopped off if they did not get the ransom money by the May 30 deadline, I was gripped with fear and literally lived with death knocking at my door,” he said during an interview after he reached home safely.

Teck Kang also recalled the difficult times when they were in captivity; having nothing much to survive on and how they were also repeatedly on the run when the Philippine army launched their attacks against the Abu Sayyaf fighters.

“We knew that we were into hard and tough times but we continued to put up a brave front, hoping against hope that help would eventually arrive,” he added during the interview.

“Fortunately, with the help of all the generous donors from throughout the world, we have finally came home and deep down in our hearts, words can never express our gratitude to the people who have helped us in one way or another,” he added.

The most touching moment of their return on June 15 was when they knelt before cameramen and reporters at their house to express their gratitude for the people’s generosity and help in bringing them back.

The four also vowed never to work as sailors again.

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special supplement

Landmark apostasy case makes waves

By Anasathia Jenis

reporters@theborneopost.com

In March this year, Roneey Rebit, a Bidayuh man from Kampung Benuk in Padawan, was allowed to renounce Islam in a landmark apostasy case.

Roneey, now 42, successfully renounced the religion and legally returned to being a Christian. The High Kho Jabing Court judge had also A group of landowners listening to lawyer Baru Bian after the delivery of the Federal ordered all his registraCourt’s decision on ‘pemakai menoa’ and ‘pulau galau’.

Jalan Kuala tion records in the identity card to be Baram. changed to reflect his restored status.

While in prison, Kho – who was from The presiding judge, Justice Dato’ Sessions Court on Dec 15 to a total of 54 Ulu Baram – had converted from ChristiYew Jen Kie said that the conversion years behind bars and 21 whippings. anity to Islam and chose Muhammad as was not of his free will but by virtue of The 40-year-old accused had pleaded his Muslim name. his parent’s conversion as he was then guilty to the charge framed against him a minor; and that now he was no longer under Section 376B(1) of the Penal Code Statutory rape case reinstated a minor, he was free to exercise his right (three counts).

In August, the High Court here reinto freedom of worship.

The sentences were meted by Dayang stated the statutory rape case involving a Ellyn Narisa Abang Ahmad who presided man who was discharged not amounting No reprieve for Kho Jabing over the case. to acquittal because he had married the Also March this year, Kho Jabing, who For each charge, the father commitvictim. worked in Singapore, made internated the offence on his second teenage The case had caused public outcry as tional headlines after being convicted daughter – Nov 12, 20 and 21, at their some saw the marriage as the man’s bid of murder and sentenced to death in house in a village at Petra Jaya – and to escape from a rape charge. the city-state for killing another man six she was also pregnant.

The presiding judge had ruled that years ago.

The sexual abuses were committed in since the complainant and the victim He was convicted of murder and senthe presence of his wife, also believed to wished to withdraw the complaint against tenced to the mandatory death penalty be an abuse victim of the husband. the accused as he had married the vicon July 30, 2010, but was re-sentenced The relatives of the victim’s mother tim, there was no need to proceed further to life imprisonment and 24 strokes of said that the accused had not allowed the with this case. the cane after the Singaporean governwife and his children to visit them.

The ruling raised a storm of protests ment reviewed its death penalty laws in The victim was the sole breadwinner after it was reported in this newspaper, 2012. for the family as both parents were unemwhich resulted in the appeal for the reviOn Jan 14 last year, the Singaporean ployed. sion of the decision.

Court of Appeal however reimposed the His case is still pending trial in another death sentence on Kho, in a unanimous 17 years in jail, 10 whippings Sessions Court. The girl was 14 when the decision. for child molester rape incidents happened twice sometime The family had made several heartOn Dec 16, a jobless man who pleaded in the middle of October last year. rending appeals to spare his life, as well guilty to sodomising a four-year-old boy He is facing a charge under Section as the Singapore Anti-Death Penalty was sentenced to 17 years in jail and 10 376(1) of the Penal Code which provides campaign, Second Chance and his whippings after he pleaded guilty to the for a maximum 20-year imprisonment legal defence counsel who made several charge. and whipping upon conviction. attempts to save the manual worker’s The accused had earlier claimed that life. he had a mental disorder which was later Man charged for sexually After his execution on May 20, Kho’s refuted by the presiding judge Timothy abusing daughter remains were brought to Miri and laid Finlayson Joel.

A father of six was sentenced by the to rest at the 1st Mile Muslim cemetery, The judge said the psychiatric report

Association leaders and members who turned up to keep a watching brief at the court after the delivery of judgment on Roneey’s case.

Some members of the church praying outside the court room.

The accused who sodomised a toddler.

mentioned by the accused was dated 12 years ago and not valid, adding that he should continue with the treatment if he was a mentally sick patient.

The accused Zainal Bujang, 47, from Kampung Bintawa Tengah, Petra Jaya, was convicted on his own plea of guilt when he appeared before the judge.

The incident was witnessed by the victim’s seven-year-old brother who then related it to their mother.

The arrest of the accused had created a short drama when the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) came into the picture after he threatened to set fire to his house.

The Bomba’s fast action had not only controlled the fire from the beginning, but had forced the accused to come down from the roof where he took temporary refuge.

He was convicted under Section 377C of the Penal Code.

Federal Court rules no NCR over ‘pemakai menoa’ and ‘pulau galau’ On Dec 20, the Federal Court through a majority judgment of three to one, allowed the appeal by the state government against the Court of Appeal’s decision that recognised ‘pemakai menoa’ and ‘pulau galau’ as native customary rights (NCR) land.

The Federal Court also set aside the orders of the High Court and Court of Appeals in Tuai Rumah Sandah Tabau and eight other NCR landowners cases.

The judges who allowed the state government’s appeal were Court of Appeals president Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif, Tan Sri Abdull Hamid Embong, Tan Sri Ahmad Maarop and Tan Sri Abu Samah Nordin, while Tan Sri Zainun Ali dissented.

The decision was read out by deputy registrar of the Federal Court.

Among the grounds given by the majority judges was that pemakai menoa and pulau galau were customs and practice but were not given the force of law.

However, Zainun said customs and practice were given the force of law under Article 160 of the Federal Constitution.

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

Keeping ahead of

Members of an NGO clean up a drain at Lane 2, Tiong Hua Road under Zone 7 to rid of Aedes mosquito breeding ground.

Zika

Army men doing their part to clean up Tiong Hua Road — an area under Zone 7 in Sibu.

Replicas of the Aedes mosquito.

By Peter Boon and Jenne Lajiun reporters@theborneopost.com

Unless they were following international coverage on the Zika virus, sarawakians remained unaware of the disease compared with its dengue fever counterpart despite both being transmitted by the same vector — the Aedes mosquito.

That all soon changed when Zika reached the state’s shores in September this year when two Zika cases were reported in Miri District.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), the Zika virus is transmitted primarily by the Aedes mosquito. Aedes mosquitoes usually bite during the day, peaking during early morning and late afternoon or evening.

Although the Zika virus was discovered way back in 1947, it was largely unknown to the world until its very recent outbreak in Brazil. WHO declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency.

WHO reported that 67 countries and territories reported evidence of vector-borne Zika virus transmission since 2015.

The disease spread fast and soon, Malaysia’s nearest neighbour — Singapore too reported of Zika virus cases, prompting Singaporeans to go on a shopping-spree of insect repellents. Several stores reportedly ran out of stock.

WHO stated the biggest concern was the impact it could have on babies developing in the womb and the surge in microcephaly.

The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) of Zika virus is not

Personnel from the Health Department inspect on residential areas for possible Aedes breeding ground.

clear, but is likely to be a few days. The symptoms are similar to other arbovirus infections such as dengue, and include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise and headache. These symptoms are usually mild and last for two to seven days.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam advised Malaysians to implement vector control measures which included clearing their compounds of Aedes breeding places, protect themselves from Aedes mosquito bites and seek early medical attention if they had signs such as fever, rash and conjunctivitis.

Assistant Minister for Public Health Datuk Dr Jerip Susil stressed that in view of the Zika virus, people needed to be serious about keeping their homes and compounds clean – it was not just the work of council or medical department but also the work of everybody to ensure the environment would be free from the breeding sites of the Aedes mosquito.

The spread of the mosquito-borne Zika disease had also not spared Sabah as two people, a 61-year-old man and a 60-yearold woman, were tested positive for the virus.

The man from Taman Public Jaya Likas was Sabah’s first case and was detected with the virus after suffering from high fever, muscle pain and diarrhea and admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Aug 31.

He succumbed to the illness due to the severity of the symptoms which could have been due to the man’s pre-existing medical condition as he also suffered from hyperten-

A fogging carried out in a residential area.

Wong (front row, fourth right), joined by (from front row, third right) SMC chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King, Sibu Resident Hii Chang Kee and SMC deputy chairperson Rogayah Jemain posing for a photo-call with participants before the start of mass cleaning campaign.

sion, chronic artery disease, chronic kidney disease and kidney stones.

Sabah’s second case, however, was a mild one and the woman merely received out-patient treatment.

What intrigued many Sabahans was the fact that in both cases, the two infected individuals never travelled outside of Sabah.

This raised the question as to how they could get infected, until it was made known that the Zika virus was not something new as many people first suspected. The first known Zika case in the country was discovered in 1966 in Bentong, Pahang, which was an isolated case.

In an interview carried out with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) enthomologist Dr Chua Tock Hing, it was revealed that Zika was first discovered in Uganda in 1947 and Nigeria in 1952 and later in Bentong, Pahang in the 1960s.

“It is not something recent. It has been here all the time,” Dr Chua was reported as having said to The Borneo Post.

He also said that the case involving the local Sabahans contracting the disease

despite not having travelled overseas was further proof that the Zika virus had always been among us.

Unlike Peninsular Malaysia, the Zika virus in Sabah is transmitted by Aedes albopictus and not Aedes aegypti.

There are at least 30 known Aedes mosquitoes in the world — three of which can be found in Sabah.

Nevertheless, the claim that the Zika virus has been here in Sabah all along does raise further questions such as why there have not been any cases or reports of babies in Sabah with microcephaly in the past.

Dr Chua theorises that it could be that the people of Sabah have built up an immunity towards the disease, while another reason could be that there is simply not enough information or records of babies born with microcephaly in the past.

“We just don’t know enough,” he said.

Meanwhile, another Zika virus infection case was detected in the country on Dec 14, involving a 67-year-old man from Petaling Jaya, bringing the total number of reported Zika cases to eight so far.

2016 home 21 A look at

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) a multiracial opposition party announced it would be establishing up to 26 divisions in Sabah last June.

Tumultuous year for politics in Sabah

By Nancy Lai

reporters@theborneopost.com

Sabah’S political arena in the last several months has been dominated by the opposition front with the ‘birth’ of several political parties and coalitions from Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) headed by Tamparuli assemblyman Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred bumburing to Parti Warisan Sabah which is led by former Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie apdal and Parti harapan Rakyat Sabah which is helmed

by Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin, the former Sabah PKR Liaison chairman.

Shafie leads Warisan as president with Penampang MP Darell Leiking, formerly of PKR, as his deputy while Sulabayan assemblyman Datuk Jaujan Sambakong (ex-Umno) and Likas assemblyman Junz Wong (ex-DAP) are the vice-presidents, while Moyog assemblyman Terence Siambun (ex-PKR) is the party treasurer.

Kadazan Dusun Murut Malaysia organisation president Datuk Peter Anthony is the third vice-president.

Lajim’s party Harapan Rakyat is led by him personally with former PKR Sabah Secretary General Datuk Maijol Mahap as the deputy for the KadazanDusun quota and Ashim Jamat for the Muslim Bumiputera quota. The third deputy president for the Chinese quota has yet to be named.

Most of Harapan Rakyat’s leaders are from Sabah PKR who left the party with Lajim.

On top of these are Gabungan Sabah (United Sabah Alliance) which has Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) and Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) as its members and Gabungan Rakyat Saksama, which comprises political parties from Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.

These were STAR, Parti Sejahtera Angkatan Perpaduan Sabah, Pertubuhan Perpaduan Rakyat Kebangsaan Sabah, Malaysia United People’s Party (MUPP), Parti Kebangsaan Sabah, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak and People’s Alternative Party.

Leveraging on public sentiment that wants to see the reinstatement of Sabah’s status as stated in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), its entitled 40 per cent

Gabungan Sabah (United Alliance) launching its charters. — Photo credit www.sapp.org.my

Yes, in a way the ‘Sabah for Sabahans’ slogan does have some traction among some people. This in part explains why Shafie, Darell and Lajim are all now turning to state issues to win support.

Dr Arnold Puyok, independent political analyst

net revenue, increment of oil royalty and autonomy for the state, the newly set up parties have adopted ‘Sabah for Sabahans’ as their battle cry as they run their roadshows around the state to garner support and push the federal government to fulfill what it has not done.

When independent political analyst Dr Arnold Puyok was asked, based on his observation, whether the ‘Sabah for Sabahans’ slogan used by the opposition leaders can bring about support for them, he agreed to a certain extent.

“Yes, in a way the ‘Sabah for Sabahans’ slogan does have some traction among some people. This in part explains why Shafie, Darell and Lajim are all now turning to state issues to win support,” said the University Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) lecturer.

“But I think generally the urban people do not really subscribe to it as they are more concerned about issues related to governance. People in rural areas (especially the KDM) are much more affected as the ‘Sabah for Sabahan’ slogan indirectly relates to their identity and cultural rights,” he said.

On whether Sabahan opposition leaders who ditched the national opposition parties and formed or joined local opposition parties would get the support

they hoped to get from the locals, Arnold was of the opinion that the rakyat was currently playing the waiting game.

For now, he said, the people are reading the situation closely.

“If we look at the results of the last elections, national parties performed better than local parties. Why? National parties like the PKR too campaigned heavily on Sabah issues. It would be a mistake to think that Sabahans would only vote for local parties and only the local parties can articulate the Sabah issues better.

Ultimately, the voters would vote for candidates who can package and articulate the Sabah issues well,” he added.

When asked for his opinion if Shafie would be able to unite Sabahans asTan Sri Pairin Kitingan did in the late 1980s, Arnold pointed out that the 1980s political situation is quite different from the political situation now.

He explained that in the 1980s, Pairin managed to galvanise support from Sabahans irrespective of race and religious backgrounds because many were disenchanted with the then Chief Minister Datuk Harris Salleh.

The Kadazan/Dusun were with Pairin because he was their Huguan Siou; the Muslim Bumiputera supported Pairin as USNO was collapsing while the Chinese

supported him for the simple reason that the PBS promised to protect their interests, he pointed out.

“I do not see how Shafie can be the unifying factor. I do not see the ‘X factor’ in him yet. He brings a wealth of experience as former federal minister but as far as Sabah issues are concerned, Shafie will have to do more to prove that he has a plan to make Sabah a better place for Sabahans.

“Raising the ‘Sabah for Sabahans’ sentiment alone is not enough. Shafie should do more than play up with people’s sentiment,” Arnold said.

Meanwhile Gabungan Sabah which is led by chairman Datuk Mohammad Noor Mansoor launched its charter in November and it outlined the commitment of PCS, Star and SAPP to combine their efforts to promote and achieve their core struggles.

During the launching, Gabungan Sabah also revealed its 15-point core struggles for the state, among which are equal partnership and full autonomy for Sabah, Sabah IC, resolving Sabah claims by the Philippines, oil rights, revenue rights, land commission and land tribunal, empowering agriculture and fisheries communities, combating corruption, scrapping cabotage policy and homeland security.

Gabungan Saksama has remained under the radar after the initial announcement of its launching where it said that it would be a new force after the failure of Opposition parties to pose a stiff challenge to Barisan Nasional as the Pakatan Harapan alliance was now fragmented and breaking apart.

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High profile cases in Sabah 2016

By Elton Gomes

reporters@theborneopost.com

AS we are about to conclude 2016 and welcome 2017, we will recap several crime incidents and events that took place in the Year of the Monkey.

We will start with one of the biggest raid ever made in the history of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) following the multi-million ringgit graft scandal involving the Sabah Water Department. (SWD).

SWD’s multi-million graft scandal MACC nabbed four individuals in early October: 54-year-old director of the Sabah Water Department, his 51-year-old deputy, the deputy director’s 55year-old businessman brother with a ‘Datuk’ title, and his 50-year-old accountant for their involvement in a corruption scandal.

The director and deputy director were arrested at their office on October 4 while the businessman and the accountant were picked up by MACC the following day on October 5.

MACC deputy commissioner of operations Datuk Azam Baki said that about RM52 million in cash was seized from the office and houses of the director and deputy director during a 15-hour raid.

About RM45 million was seized from the director; RM7.2 million from the deputy director; RM23 million from the officers’ bank account and family members; and RM37 million from a company believed to be in connection with the suspects.

The arrests were made following a year of surveillance of the officers’ activities after MACC received complaints of corrupt practices within the department, namely infrastructure construction projects worth RM3.3 billion since 2010.

MACC also froze the accounts of the four individuals and seized 94 high-end handbags,

jewelleries, luxury watches, RM8.3 million worth of foreign currencies and 127 land grants such as housing land status, agricultural and commercial buildings estimated about RM30 million.

Nine luxury vehicles which included a Range Rover, Audi, Ford Ranger, Mercedes Benz, Mazda, Lexus, Volvo and two BMWs were also seized from the suspects.

MACC also detained a former Sabah Water Department deputy director on October 13 following the scandal to assist in the department’s investigation.

The 62-year-old former deputy director was said to have held the deputy director post for 11 years before retiring last year to be appointed as a technical advisor and engineer for the Sabah Finance Ministry. A Mercedes Benz and a Land Cruiser were seized from the home of the deputy director by MACC but no cash was seized during the raid.

Thirty eight companies were also believed involved in the multimillion ringgit graft scandal where investigations revealed that the director had used 17 companies that either belonged to his siblings and proxy, while the deputy director had used 21 companies belonging to his siblings.

To date, MACC has recorded the statements of 82 witnesses in their ‘Ops Water’ investigation under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act and Section 165 of the Penal Code and for money laundering, which first begin on Oct 4.

A shooting in Luyang On April 15, two men were killed in an early morning drive-by shooting along Jalan Kolam, near the Petronas petrol station in Foh Sang, Luyang.

Hii Lam King, 36, and Ting Wen Hou, 23, both from Sibu, Sarawak were killed instantly after sustaining gunshot wounds to their bodies in the 7.30am incident.

Two men were killed in an early morning drive-by shooting along Jalan Kolam, near the Petronas petrol station in Foh Sang, Luyang on April 15.

It was learnt that two men on a motorcycle had tailed the Toyota Land Cruiser that belongs to Hii, before one of the suspects fired eight shots at the driver’s side window.

The shots hit Hii, who was behind the wheel, and Ting, who was seated in the front passenger seat. Ting’s twin brother who was seated in the back seat, however, escaped unhurt.

Sabah Crime Investigation Department (CID) chief SAC Salehhudin Abd Rahman said that initial police investigations revealed that Hii had just sent his child to school and was heading to the city centre with the twinbrothers from Lintas when the incident happened.

According to police investigation, Hii had been staying in the state capital for the past several years and was working with his father-in-law, while the twin brothers were on a holiday visit.

Police were also investigating if the shooting was motivated by revenge and if the shooters were hired hitmen.

Hii, a businessman from Sibu, had previously escaped two other shootings before he was gunned down on April 15.

The first attempt was made on June 2015 when assailants attempted a drive-by shooting on

Cash, jewellery, luxury watches and foreign currencies seized Armella (seated from left), Martha, Tommy and David resting

by MACC following the multi-million ringgit graft scandal at a resort at Layang Layang Island after being adrift at sea for involving the Sabah Water Department on Oct 4.

10 days.

Hii’s vehicle at Bandar Utama in Selangor. A Mongolian woman who was travelling with Hii was hit four times.

The second attempt was on October, 2014 when an unknown assailant opened fire at Hii’s house in Sibu, but there were no injuries reported.

Four reported missing on the way to Kudat On May 2, four people, including a Malaysian, were reported missing while sailing from Pulau Balambangan to Tanjung Simpang Mengayau in Kudat.

A massive search and rescue operation was carried out for Malaysian Armella Ali Hasan, 23, Spaniards David Hernandes Gasulla, 29, and Martha Miguel, 30, and 44-year-old Tommy Lam Lai Yin from China. The four were reported missing when they failed to arrive at Tanjung Simpang Mengayau after leaving Kampung Batu Sirih, Balambangan Island around 5.30pm.

Search and rescue (SAR) operations by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), the Fire and Rescue Services Department and Royal Malaysian Airforce were carried out since the incident but failed to locate any survivor. SAR team however found the fiberglass boat’s engines stuck in a trawler on May 9, exactly a week when the four were reported missing.

MMEA Sabah and Labuan director First Admiral Mohd Zubil Mat Som however said that SAR team would not give up hope and will continue the operation, although the search and operation had entered its eighth days and was supposed to be called off.

Their relentless efforts however paid off when on May 12, MMEA received information that the four had actually been rescued by Vietnamese fishermen several days after the incident happened.

According to the SAR reports, an MMEA vessel involved in the SAR operation had spotted and

stopped a Vietnamese fishing boat that was in Malaysian’s water some 100 nautical miles from Labuan as part of a normal routine check when a foreign fishing boat entered Malaysian waters.

The four survivors were then transferred onto KM Bistari, an MMEA vessel, and escorted

by KD Bauns from the Royal Malaysian Navy to LayangLayang Island.

Eleven days after Armella or better known as Ella, David, Martha and Tommy were reported missing, the four arrived in good health at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) from Layang-Layang Island on board a Malaysian Maritime aircraft at 9.20am on May 13. They were then taken to a waiting ambulance for Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu hospital for treatment.

College student dies in bid to save friend On December 15, 18-year-old college student Yaacob Nasran died in an altercation which stemmed from a heated quarrel between a man and his ex-wife outside Siam Thai Bar at Asia City around 4.15am.

The former La Salle Tanjung Aru student attending a private college in Kuala Lumpur was on a night out with his 19-year-old brother, Nabiel, and six friends - two men and four women - when they came across the man in an argument with his ex-wife outside the pub.

Yaacob and his group were attempting to intervene in their argument, prompting the man to attack the group with a machete.

In the heat of the moment, the man swung the weapon at one of the women in their group and Yaacob instinctively stepped between his friend and the blade, sustaining slash wounds to his forehead and neck as a result.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nabiel and other members of the group were also injured in the attack but have since been discharged from hospital. Police arrested two main suspects in their 20s at an unnumbered house in Bukit Padang about 10am the same day as the attack.

The car repossessors were nabbed along with four pub employees near the scene of the incident to assist in investigations.

Azmin Lidin, 28, who works as a bouncer and is the main suspect in the attack, was charged at the magistrates’ court under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which provides for a mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

The court fixed February 7 next year for further mention of the case pending chemist and post mortem reports.

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special supplement

Breaking court cases in Sabah

By Safrah Mat Salleh

reporters@theborneopost.com

THE Lahad Datu intrusion trial, one of the most awaited cases in Sabah which took almost three years to finish, finally came to an end before the closing of 2016.

Held under tight security at a hall which doubled as an open court at Kepayan prisons, the trial had attracted international, national and local media attention.

The trial proper of the case began January 6, 2014 and the prosecution had called 165 witnesses, including seven protected witnesses, to give evidence.

A total of 30 accused persons were tried for various offences related to terrorism acts.

On July 26, The High Court here sentenced nine Filipinos, including a son of the late Sultan Datu Esmail Kiram cum the Chief of Staff of Royal Sulu Force (RSF) to life imprisonment for waging war against the Yang diPertuan Agong.

Justice Stephen Chung imposed the sentence on the nine accused after he ruled that they had failed to cast doubt on the prosecution’s case. The same court also jailed a woman and three Malaysian men between 10 and 18 years’ jail for separate charges of being a member of the Sulu gunmen, giving protection to a terrorist, providing food to the Sulu gunmen and soliciting property for the benefit of the gunmen.

On the same day, a Filipino was freed by the same court for giving support to the gunmen and on February 5, the trial judge had acquitted and discharged 11 Philippines Nationals from their charges of waging war against the King, being a member of the Sulu gunmen

after the court ruled that the prosecution had failed to make out a prima facie against them.

Corruption case failed in appeal On September 23, a former local politician, who was convicted on two counts of corruption over the processing of land grants committed eight years ago, failed in his bid when the Court of Appeal here affirmed his conviction and sentence of a total of 30 months’ jail with a RM2.75 million fine.

The Justices unanimously dismissed the appeal by Suaidin @ Shuhaiddin Langkab, 66, against his conviction and sentence whereby the decision was made on Suaidin, who laid in a hospital bed during the proceedings at a seminar room in Queen Elizabeth Hospital One (QEH1).

Suaidin, a former President of Parti Bersatu Sasa Malaysia (BERSAMA), had been admitted to general ward at the QEH1 due to chest pain.

Suaidin was found guilty by the Sessions Court here on Nov 21, 2013, on the two counts involving RM550,000 over the processing of land grants.

On the first count, he was jailed for 18 months and fined RM2 million, in default, one year’s jail for asking RM400,000 cash from one Chew Ai Wah purportedly as an inducement to an officer in the Land and Survey Department for processing and issuing land grants in Pitas.

On the second charge, he was sentenced to another one year’s imprisonment and RM750,000 fine, in default, 10

Suaidin lying in bed, being briefed by his counsels on the Appellate Court’s decision after the trial proceedings at QEH1 seminar room.

months’ jail for corruptly receiving RM150,000 cash from Chew as an inducement for the same purpose.

He then appealed against his conviction and sentence at the High Court here but it was dismissed on June 4, 2014.

Three charged for IS links Meanwhile, on October 24, the Magistrate’s Court here was alerted when three Malaysians were separately charged with looking for support for Islamic State (IS) via social media app Telegram.

Mohd Firdaus Asren Saputra B M S Asren, 34, Saifullah Sulaiman, 27, and Md Ayub Idris, 32, were alleged to have sought support for the terrorist group under the names of Ahadun Ahad@ Pomade Land and Shagrath@ Ihsahn in front of a building at Sadong Jaya here on March 29 and at a house at Taman Telipok Ria of Jalan Tuaran on March 30, respectively.

They also faced another charge of giving support for the act of terror which involved explosives with the intention to further the ideology and to threaten public order in Malaysia at the same place between June 25 and 29.

Mohd Firdaus was also charged with allowing the entry of money to an account under the name of Bukhori Che Noor for the benefit of the group between April 30 and June 2 this year at separate bank branches at Karamusing, in Putatan and at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport here, respectively.

Seven days remand in water corruption scandal On October 5, the Magistrate’s Court here granted seven days remand to four men, including two senior officers from a government agency, to facilitate investigations into alleged corruption of RM3.3 billion federal funds involving basic infrastructure projects in Sabah.

The case of the Water Department scandal, involves the biggest seizure ever by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) of over RM114.5 million in cash, jewellery worth RM3.64 million and 127 land titles worth RM30 million.

The magistrate had issued the remand order on the four suspects, a director and deputy director both aged 54, a businessman, 55, and an accountant, 50, after allowing an application made by the MACC investigating office under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

On October 11, their remand was extended to another seven days each while the director

The director of Sabah Water Department being hauled in for alleged involvement in the graft scandal.

received five-day remand extension.

The director was then released from his remand on October 16, followed by the other three suspects the next day. A fifth suspect for the case, who was a former deputy director, was remanded for seven days on October 14.

The 64-year-old former deputy director was released from his remand on October 19. Then on the next day, another 14 men were remanded for seven days each to facilitate the investigation of the water department scandal case, followed by another remand order of a technical officer on October 21. Then on October 26, 10 persons of the 14 men, who was remanded, was released from their remand. The case is currently under MACC investigation, pending the outcome of the case.

All the persons released from their remand was under bail between RM50,000 and RM500,000 with two local sureties.

Bouncer charged for student’s murder Azmin Lidin, 28, was brought to the Magistrate’s Court on December 23 for allegedly killing 18-year-old college student Yaacob Nasran outside a pub at Asia City.

He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides for a mandatory death sentence, upon conviction.

Azmin, who works as a bouncer at the pub where Yaacob and his friends visited prior to the incident, was alleged to have committed the offence outside said bar between 3.30am to 4.30am on December 15.

No plea was taken from Azmin, who was further detained under custody as the offence was non-bailable, and his case was fixed for further mention on February 7 next year, pending chemist and postmortem reports.

Yaacob and his three friends were attacked while attempting to intervene in a quarrel between

the man and his ex-wife outside said pub on December 15.

He died at the scene of slash wounds inflicted to his forehead and neck with a machete.

The other three were also injured and were admitted to the hospital after the incident.

Sabah Bersih 4.0 chairperson acquitted On December 20, Sabah Bersih 4.0 Chairperson, Jannie Lasimbang, 53, was acquitted of four charges under the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012 at the Magistrate’s Court here.

Magistrate Cindy Mc Juce Balitus made the decision to discharge and acquit Jannie without calling for her defence, after she ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against Jannie on the two main charges and two alternative charges.

The first charge against Jannie stated that she had allegedly organised an assembly at Taman Awam Teluk Likas at Tanjung Lipat in Likas from 2pm to 9.30pm on Aug 29 and 10am to 12pm on Aug 30, respectively, without notifying the officer in charge of the police district, Kota Kinabalu (OCPD KK), ACP Chandrasehkaran Muthu, 10 days prior to the date of the assembly.

The second count stated that she allegedly failed to produce a copy of Kota Kinabalu City Hall’s (DBKK) approval (in respect to the rally’s venue) and her notification dated Aug 19 to the OCPD KK pertaining to the assembly.

Jannie also faced two alternative charges in which she allegedly failed to comply with the restrictions and conditions imposed by the OCPD to have the approval o9f City Hall pertaining to the assembly, respectively, both at the same place and time.

The main charges were framed under Section 9 (5) of the PAA 2012 while the alternative charges were under Section 15 (3) of the same Act which carries a maximum fine of RM10,000, upon conviction.

24 home 2016

2016

A look at

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special supplement

Saturday, December 31, 2016

25

home

A look at

Celebrating Sibu as an eco-adventure destination

By Raymond Tan

owners to repaint their buildings in the central business district.

Wong said they still had a fund of RM200,000 to boost MEET Bubu, the tourism mascot that represents the the 2017 event from the state government - an additional ecology of Rejang River Basin, as Sibu opens its sum announced during the launching of Bubu in March arms to visitors in Visit Sibu Year 2017.

by Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, the then Inspired by the reptile that has ruled the lush tropical Tourism Minister. rainforest from time immemorial, Bubu the crocodile’s She promised to make good use of it to uplift Sibu moniker is a combination of two words - Sibu and tourism.

Bujang, the Dayak legendary warrior.

President of the Third Division Travel Agent As such, the wildlife mascot was born from an ecoAssociation Frankie Ting said tour agents in Sibu had adventure concept by host Sibu Municipal Council for been busy. its tourism theme: Sibu He said contacts had been - Heartland of Borneo.

We have listed more than a dozen tourism established with agents in Today, the outback of Sibu Sabah, Peninsular Malaysia, remains relatively intact; it is events for the year-round jubilation filled China, Korea, Vietnam and other considered the last frontier with thrills, adventures, fun, sights and countries. that manifests Malaysia’s “I have proposed a three-nightsounds. We shall live up to the spirit of Sibu four-day package. One of them tourism theme, ‘The bestkept secret of Asia’. is the visit during the Borneo - a town of festivals and culture.

A visit to Sibu will open Cultural Festival. The tour will Wong Hie Ping, Visit Sibu Year committee organising cotourists to the river basin, include sight-seeing and a chairperson where eco-adventure visit to a longhouse in the continues. day programme Tonight, Visit Sibu Year will be launched during the while the visitors will attend the 2017 countdown in Sibu Town Square - the same spot cultural festival at night.” where Bubu the mascot was unveiled in March.

Ting thanked Wong for paving the Visit Sibu Year committee organising co-chairperson way for them.

Wong Hie Ping said: “ We have listed more than a He said last year, Wong, who chaired dozen tourism events for the year-round jubilation the BCF working committee, had filled with thrills, adventures, fun, sights and sounds. brought the council and the Sarawak We shall live up to the spirit of Sibu - a town of Tourism Board together to invite foreign festivals and culture.” tour agents for a familiarisation visit to She said the 2017 event was the brainchild of former experience the Borneo Cultural Festival. deputy council chairman Dato Andrew Wong, who “Our cultural programme greatly interested brought the people together with the NGOs, tour agents them. The foreign agents have returned to and hoteliers to map out the tourism dream with nearly work on the tour. They have made publicity on RM3 million from the state government. their own for Visit Sibu Year. We are keeping She said in their final preparation, they had met with up the progress with them.” the tour agents and the hoteliers, and the latter would In September’s full council meeting, council come up with the tour packages. chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King said they “We are promoting homestay packages too. We are would invite visitors from their friendship cities also calling on the NGOs to incorporate their regional in China and Taiwan. and international events into our tourism calendar. We He said more than 12 events had been listed, shall welcome the guests together.” with the Borneo Cultural Festival as its main event The tourism committee head said the council was and the Sibu International Lantern Festival as another also working with the eateries, kopitiam and restaurants, signature. requiring them to keep their places appealing, because “I have full confidence in our commitment to make the cultural food of Sibu was a selling factor.

Visit Sibu Year 2017 the most successful programme, She said the council would also ensure public places creating a platform for Sibu to revitalise its social and toilets be kept clean, adding they had required and economic sustainability,” he said.

reporters@theborneopost.com

Visit Sibu Year 2017 calendar: ● Dec 31: Opening ceremony of Visit Sibu Year & 2017 Countdown ● Mar 11: Sibu Tower Run ● Apr 28 - 30: Borneo International Control Power Boat Race ● May 12 -14: World Tua Pek Kong Festival ● Jun 9 - 16: Sibu street Art Festival & Convention ● Jul 21 - 24: Borneo International Martial Art Tournament ● Aug 29 - Sept 2: Sibu International Dance Festival ● Sept 16 - Sibu Marathon ● Sept 22 - 24: Sibu Base Jump ● Sept 29 - Oct 22: Sibu International Lantern & Food Festival Nov 10 - 11: 40th Anniversary of United Chinese Borneo Talent Awards Sibu Christmas Tree Decoration ● Dec 8 - 10: Sibu Bike Week ● Date not confirmed: Golf Tournament ● Dec 31: Closing of Visit Sibu Year & 2018 Countdown. ing Light

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26 nation 2016 A look at

special supplement

Saturday, December 31, 2016

(From left) Lim Kit Siang, Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, Muhyiddin, Dr Mahathir and Datuk Seri Azmin Ali. — Malay Mail photo, by Saw Siow Feng

A new contender:

Muhyiddin’s PPBM On Sept 8, the Registrar of Societies (ROS) approved in principle the application to set up former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s new political party: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM, or United Malaysian People’s Party).

The acronym was then changed from Bersatu to PPBM as the former was revealed by an ROS check to be already in use by six other parties and organisations.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

said the ROS would give full approval after PPBM clarified the role and functions of its president and chairman.

He said he did not interfere in the approval of the application, and added that approval would be given to any party or organisation if the conditions in the Societies Act 1966 were adhered to. With the creation of PPBM, Muhyiddin intends to offer ruling party members an alternative party and to fight corruption, calling it ‘a new space for them’.

This comes after Muhyiddin was sacked

as deputy prime minister following his criticisms of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s involvement in the 1MDB scandal.

Najib’s office however rejected this explanation for Muhyiddin’s dismissal, saying he was replaced because “he failed in his duties and contravened the concept of collective responsibility that is the foundation of cabinet government.”

Muhyiddin is expected to lead PPBM as its president, while former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will serve as party chairman, according to Reuters.

Dates set for Guan Eng’s graft case THE High Court on Dec 6 set 34 days from March 27 to July 21, 2017 to hear the corruption case of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and businesswoman Phang Li Koon over the purchase of a bungalow below the market value and will call 60 prosecution witnesses.

On June 30, Lim Guan Eng was charged with two corruption offences.

The first charge states he allegedly used his position as chief minister for himself and his wife Betty Chew Gek Cheng’s interest to approve the conversion of a piece of land from its status as an agricultural land to residential land and transferring it to a company, Magnificent Emblem Sdn Bhd. On the second charge, he is accused of corruptly obtaining for himself and his wife, a piece of land and bungalow at Jalan Pinhorn, George Town from a businesswoman, Phang Li Koon, for a purported undervalued Guan Eng (wearing tie) and Phang arrive at George Town Session Court. — Bernama photo price of RM2.8 million.

Lim pleaded not guilty and claimed trial at read with Section 165 of the same Code, house at the same place and date. the High Court to both charges. which provides for imprisonment of up to She faces Section 109 of the Penal Code He faces Section 23 of the Malaysian two years or a fine or both, on conviction. read with Section 165 of the same Code, Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act He faces Section 23 of the Malaysian which provides for imprisonment of up to 2009, which carries a maximum jail term Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act two years or a fine or both, on conviction. of 20 years and a fine of not less than five 2009, which carries a maximum jail term Lim has been urged multiple times since times the value involved or RM10,000, of 20 years and a fine of not less than five then to go on leave, but has yet to do so as whichever is higher, on conviction. times the value involved or RM10,000, of Dec 27. The hearings will be on March Meanwhile Phang, 44, claimed trial to whichever is higher, on conviction.

27-31, April 10-14, April 24-28, May 15-19, abetting Lim in obtaining the land lot and Meanwhile Phang, 44, claimed trial to May 29-June 2, June 13-16 and July 17-21, house at the same place and date. abetting Lim in obtaining the land lot and next year.

She faces Section 109 of the Penal Code

New Agong THE Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V, has taken the oath of office as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong in a ceremony steeped in tradition and customs at Istana Negara.

The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, also took the oath of office as the Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Their majesties were elected by the Conference of Rulers at its 243rd (Special) Meeting at Istana Negara on Oct 14, and will reign for five years effective the day before.

Sultan Muhammad V, 47, succeeds the Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, who completed his reign as the 14th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Dec 12. The ceremonies at the Balairong Seri (throne room) began with the 244th (Special) Meeting of the Conference of Rulers held in conjunction with the taking of oath of office and signing of the instruments of office by their majesties.

Federal gov’t takes over Syariah Bill ON Dec 1, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said that the federal government would take up PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s Bill to empower the Syariah Court in meting out criminal punishments.

“Worry not, non-Muslims will not be under this law and the government is studying thoroughly to ensure there is no legal dualism here,” he was quoted as saying in the Malay Mail.

In May, Abdul Hadi insisted that his private member’s bill was not meant to introduce hudud law. This was also supported by the prime minister even then, who told a press conference “It has nothing to do with non-Muslims. So I want to make it clear that the proposed amendment is not on hudud laws.” The private member’s bill to amend the Syariah Courts Act (Criminal Jurisdiction Act 1965) (Act 355) was tabled for a second reading in the Dewan Rakyat in the week of Nov 23, its first reading having been on May 26.

The bill now proposes to increase Syariah punishment caps to a maximum 30 years’ imprisonment, RM100,000 fine and 100 lashes of the cane. It previously sought to remove all limits to Syariah punishments save for the death penalty.

2016 nation 27 A look at

Saturday, December 31, 2016

special supplement

Arrests at Bersih 5.0

Pro-democracy group Bersih rally in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 19.

daTuK SEri JaMal Md YunOS Sept 28: Jamal claims Bersih 2.0 has been infiltrated by terrorist group Islamic State.

The Bersih 5.0 rally held in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 19 saw Bersih chairman Maria Chin Abdullah and Gabungan NGO Gerakan Merah Malaysia (GNGMM) chairman Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos arrested, along with 12 other people who were detained by the police the day before and the morning of the rally.

Police chief Datuk Amar Singh Ishar Singh said in a press statement that the individuals were arrested around Kuala Lumpur and Selangor to prevent rioting and breach of peace in regard to the Bersih 5.0 rally.

He said Jamal was detained under Section 142 of the Penal Code, for allegedly being a member of an unlawful assembly, whereas Maria Chin was arrested in a raid at Bersih’s office following media reports that “some individuals and NGO were allegedly receiving foreign funds and have links with the Open Society Foundation.

“The case is classified under Section 124C of the Penal Code, that is, attempting to carry out an activity that could undermine parliamentary democracy,” he said.

A TIMELINE OF TWO LEADERS

Other individuals detained include Seremban member of parliament Anthony Loke Siew Fook, former Selangor exco Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew, Bersih committee member Mandeep Singh Karpall Singh, Parti Sosialis Malaysia committee member S. Arutchelvam, student activists Muhamad Luqman Nul Haqim Zul Razail and Anis Syafiqah Md Yusof, DAP members Wong Chee Wai @Jimmy Wong and Lee Khai Meng, and GNGMM activists Hairol Nizam Md Nor, Razali Zakaria, Muhamad Safwan Anang @ Talib, and Ariffin Abu Bakar @Ipin Keramat.

The Bersih 5.0 rally was held from 10am to 6pm at two designated points: Bangsar LRT (Dataran Maybank) and Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur.

An estimated 120,000 participants protested peacefully for their five demands of institutional reforms: clean elections, clean governments, strengthening parliamentary democracy, right to dissent, and the empowerment of Sabah and Sarawak.

They also protested for the resignation of the prime minister in regards to the 1MDB imbroglio.

Maria Chin abdullah Oct 7: Bersih 2.0 leader Maria Chin Abdullah sues Datuk Jamal Md Yunus for associating her with terrorist group, Daesh at a media conference on Sept 28 and Oct 4.

Oct 4: Jamal hands in a 22-page document to the police allegedly containing proof that Bersih 5.0 had Daesh elements.

Oct 18: Maria Chin receives a death threat via WhatsApp, threatening to ‘slaughter’ and ‘behead’ Maria and her ‘anjing’ cohorts, as well as her family, saying “AKU POTONG KEPALA KO AKU RAKAM DAN AKAN AKU SEBAR DLM U TUBE…AKU KENAL SAPE KO, AKU TAU KT MANA KO TINGGAL DAN AKU JUGAK TAU SAPE FMLY DAN ANAK-ANAK KO”.

Oct 19: Jamal is arrested by police at KLIA upon touching down from Dubai. Dang Wangi district police chief, ACP Zainol Samah confirmed Jamal’s arrest but declined to elaborate.

Nov 5: Together with other Red Shirts, Jamal demonstrates outside of Malaysiakini after vowing earlier to “tear down” the offices of Malaysiakini.

Oct 29: Police detains Maria Chin for questioning after she was arrested in Sabah for distributing flyers promoting Bersih 5. She was released two hours later.

Nov 13: Jamal punched in the face by an unidentified person after following Ampang member of parliament, Zuraida Kamaruddin, who was promoting a Bersih rally.

Nov 11: Maria Chin receives another death threat via WhatsApp showing an edited image of Maria, her three sons, Dato Ambiga, and Mandeep Singh as the decapitated heads of six persons by Daesh.

Nov 19: Jamal, Ariffin Abu Bakar and Abdul Razak Hassan remanded to facilitate investigations into aforementioned commotion, under Section 147/186/353 of the Penal Code

Nov 18: Maria Chin arrested during a raid of Bersih’s offices in Petaling Jaya under Section 124C of the Penal Code, a law prohibiting acts that “threaten parliamentary democracy” and is kept detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012.

Nov 22: Jamal is released on police bail.

Inspired by his four-day detention, he plans to launch a campaign against the Pakatan Harapan government in Selangor that he will call ‘Bersih 7’.

Nov 21: Bersih Sarawak holds a candlelight vigil in Kuching as part of its effort to demand the release of Maria Chin from police custody in Kuala Lumpur.

Nov 22: Maria Chin files a habeas corpus application to seek immediate release.

Nov 28: KL Criminal Investigation Department chief SAC Rusdi Mohd Isa confirmed Maria Chin was released around 4.30pm, but declined to elaborate further.

Holding a vigil in Kuching.

Nov 29: The High Court dismisses the habeas corpus application filed by Maria Chin due to her earlier release.

28 nation 2016 A look at

special supplement

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Be wary of online scams

Sarawak GOF commander SAC Khaw Kok Chin (third left) and his men show some of the illegal cigarettes seized during the raids in October.

Smuggling attempts thwarted MORE than RM6.6 million worth of illegal cigarettes have been confiscated by the Marine Police and the General Operations Force (GOF) between January and October.

Just in Johor Bahru, the illegal cigarettes amounted to RM5,463,645.12 including unpaid taxes, with the rest coming from Sarawak.

The illegal cigarette trade has caused losses of about RM4 billion in government revenue collection according to the Confederation of Malaysian Tobacco Manufacturers (CMTM).

In a statement made on March 25, CMTM said the illicit tobacco market in Malaysia soared to 45.6 per cent in December 2015 following a 40 per cent increase in cigarette excise on November last year against the backdrop of a challenging economic environment and weak consumer sentiment.

“This essentially means that almost one out of every two packs (of cigarettes) sold in Malaysia is illegal,” it said.

The CMTM said high excise taxes were not discouraging smokers from quitting the habit

This essentially means that almost one out of every two packs (of cigarettes) sold in Malaysia is illegal.

Confederation of Malaysian Tobacco Manufacturers (CMTM) statement

Commander of 10th Battalion General Operation Force at Lanang Camp, Supt Hasnan Karim (centre) and other police officers stand beside the seized boxes of beer in October.

due to the availability of cheap illegal cigarettes selling at RM3 per pack, which was significantly cheaper compared with legal cigarettes retailing at RM17 per pack.

Additionally, 105,342 bottles of wine worth RM3.76 million including unpaid taxes were also seized in a Customs raid in Johor Bahru.

Various crates and boxes of contraband beer too were seized across the nation, amounting to over RM132,000 in value.

Concerned with the huge loss through tax evasion, Malaysian Royal Customs Department deputy director-general (Enforcement and Compliance) Datuk Matrang Suhaili said during a

community service programme in Sarikei on May 26, that customs would beef up its enforcement to check smuggling activities which were rampant along the Malaysian-Thai border; Johor-Singapore border; free ports of Pulau Pinang, Labuan and Langkawi and other places throughout the country.

Last year, Sarawak recorded 165 cases of cigarette smuggling in which 22.84 million sticks of cigarettes worth RM2.46 million and RM15.2 million in duty were seized. Also in 2015, the state recorded 240 liquor smuggling cases, whereby 578,000 litres of contraband beer worth RM1.22 million and RM4.70 million in tax/ duty were seized, Datuk Matrang Suhaili said. As of April this year, the state recorded 73 cases of cigarette and 92 liquor smuggling cases, he further disclosed.

Forty-six per cent of surveyed Malaysians have been an internet scam victim, according to a survey by the Telenor Group in March. They also stated that the most common internet scams in Malaysia are the ‘Work from home’ fraud, the internet auction scams, and Facebook password hacking, although ‘1 in 5 have fallen for the online dating scams’ as well.

In Melaka itself, 78 cases of ‘African Scam’ or ‘Love Scam’ were recorded between January and July, with the victims losing more than RM2 million in total. The ‘Love Scam’ usually entails the lover sending an ‘expensive’ parcel from overseas, only to have it held at customs, wherein the victim will have to pay the required amount to an individual bank account in order to have the ‘parcel’ released—but never materialise.

Big corporates have also had their names used in other online scams, most notably AirAsia’s, where it stated that the airline was offering free flights for completing a survey, under the guise of celebrating their birthday. Scammers often use these surveys to gain and steal information about potential victims, and AirAsia Bhd had to issue a public warning against this scam back in July when it was making rounds on social media.

A special cyber court to try crimes under cyber laws began its operations on Sept 1 in Kuala Lumpur. Some of these crimes may include bank fraud, hacking, falsifying documents, defamation, spying, online gambling, and cases related to pornography.

Penang bodyguard Ja’afar Halid murders employer JA’AFAR HALID, 37, who worked as a bodyguard was charged on Dec 14 with three counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder and one for causing hurt at three separate courts.

He was first taken to the Magistrate’s Court where he was charged with murdering his employer Datuk Ong Teik Kwong, 32, by shooting him in the back of the head using a Glock 19 Gen 4 sometime between 7.15pm and 7.30pm on December 1.

He faced a second charge of killing Choi Hon Ming, 32, by shooting him on the left side of his

chest and right thigh on the same date and time.

He also faced a third charge of killing Senthil Murugaiah, 38, by shooting him on the left side of his chest.

He allegedly committed the offences at the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway leading up to the Penang Bridge.

He faces the death sentence for the murder charges under Section 302 of the Penal Code, but no pleas were recorded.

Ja’afar was then brought to the Sessions Court where he was charged with five counts of at-

tempted murder at the same time, date and place.

He had attempted murders on Arivarni Krishnan, 33; Nurul Huda Ab Aziz, 38; Lee Hong Boon, 32; Mohamad Amirul Amin Mohamed Amir, 28; and Puoh Bee Joo, 32, by shooting each of them either in the head, chest or shoulders.

Under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder, he faces a jail sentence of up to 20 years for each charge.

After the charges were read out, Ja’afar, who appeared calm throughout, admitted to all five charges while bowing repeatedly

to the judge.

Ja’afar was finally brought to the third court, another Magistrate’s Court, where he was charged with causing hurt to Lim Boon Leng, 32, by hitting him on the head using the Glock 19 Gen 4.

He also admitted to this offence while telling the court that he understood the charge.

The court was then informed that he had been ordered for psychiatric evaluations to be conducted first.

All three courts fixed Jan 16 for mention of all nine cases.

J a’afar faces the death sentence for the murder charges under Section 302 of the Penal Code. ― The Malay Mail

2016 nation 29 A look at

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

ON June 3, national outrage stormed throughout Malaysia when it arose that a British paedophile had been preying on vulnerable children in Kuala Lumpur for years, completely undetected.

Sometime between 2006 and 2014, Richard Huckle abused up to 200 children, sexually violating 23 children and babies in Malaysia while parading as a freelance photographer, a Christian humanitarian and an English teacher in the impoverished communities of Kuala Lumpur.

He was arrested at London’s Gatwick Airport in 2014 when he returned for Christmas, upon which police found more than 20,000 images of child abuse in his laptop and camera.

His laptop also contained a ledger detailing his abuse of 191 victims, where he awarded himself ‘Paedopoints’ for 15 different levels of depravity on children rated from ‘basic’ to ‘hardcore’, as well as a 60-page manual called ‘Paedophiles and Poverty: Child Lover Guide’ — a manual on how to select victims and avoid detection.

The Australian Police came across Huckle only after assuming the identity of the creator of a paedophilic forum Huckle frequented, managing to alert Britain’s National Crime Agency, leading to his eventual arrest.

He initially pleaded not guilty to all 91 charges levelled against him, but gradually admitted to 71 of them. He was sentenced in a London court to 22 life prison terms to be served concurrently, meaning he faces at least 23 years behind bars.

“Relentlessly, you preyed upon the very young – pre-pubescent vulnerable children from a minority ethnic community into which you ingratiated yourself,” Judge Peter Rook said to him.

“This was a prolonged cam-

Relentlessly, you preyed upon the very young – pre-pubescent vulnerable children from a minority ethnic community into which you ingratiated yourself.

Peter Rook, judge

Monster

in our Midst

paign of rape of the children from a small community.”

The judge said one of the most aggravating features of the case was that Huckle targeted and groomed impoverished children and their families, seeking to impress them with his relative wealth and status as a Westerner.

“Your offending behaviour became entrenched in your everyday life,” he added. “Your life revolved around your sexual activities with young children. Your distorted beliefs in respect of children are deep-seated. Your self-delusion

knows no bounds.”

As the potential still remains that he could be released one day, this sentence was deemed too lenient by Malaysians, who called out for heavier punishments on social media for him to be caned, castrated, or executed. This incident has also stirred up criticism on the lack of strong Malaysian child-protection laws.

Dr Kamal, a consultant for the Federation of Reproductive Health Associations (FRHAM) said preventative strategies and measures are more important than looking at

remedial mechanisms only when an issue of sexual abuse arises.

“Agencies should come together in looking at an integrated framework that will not only prevent sexual abuse, but other social ills in totality,” he said.

FRHAM executive director Mary Pang said the issue of child abuse can be minimised with proper sex education especially at the school level for children to understand the issue better and not become a potential victim in the future.

In a statement given on June 3, Malaysian Crime Prevention

When bribes don’t pay

Skul-drug-gery The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) have seized over RM173 million worth of drugs since January within Malaysia, the largest being that of methamphetamine (Syabu or ‘ice’) amounting to more than 558kg.

A total 177,755 arrests were made in connection with the drug seizures, said Bukit Amman Narcotics CID director Datuk Seri Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Sharif to reporters after launching the ‘Belia Benci Dadah’ Programme at Chung Hwa High School (Muar) on November 16.

Of the total, 18,830 people were nabbed for supplying drugs, 44,962 for drug possession, and the rest for testing positive for drugs. He also made it known that 904 of the suspects were underaged.

He added that police managed to uncover 20 drug-processing laboratories, seizing 115 firearms together with 1,262 rounds of ammunition during the same period.

Mohd Mokhtar said in order to curb such activities, the police will continuously reinforce its cooperation with all parties, including parents, nongovernmental organisations and schools to fight the drug menace, adding that this responsibility should not be shouldered by the police alone.

Several Malaysians have also been captured outside of Malaysia smuggling up to 282kg of methamphetamine which could have fetched up to RM600 million itself.

Foundation (MCPF) vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said a comprehensive data of perpetrators of crimes against children, including child sex offenders was needed especially when criminals now can have access to children anywhere including at home through social media.

He also suggested if the provisions under the Child Act (Amendment) 2015 and the Penal Code were insufficient to address sexual exploitation of children, the Government may want to consider a new law on child pornography.

“Currently, there is no specific criminal law in the country that holistically addresses the issue of child pornography, including the issue of child marriage,” he said.

Lee added the government should also review its existing cyber laws in strengthening them to address the issue of paedophilia and parents and teachers must be aware and take steps to protect children from becoming victims of paedophiles and cybercriminals targeting children.

Ong Chin Lan, assistant director of a special division dealing with such crimes, said Malaysian police still do not know the identities of Huckle’s victims and hope to get details from Britain.

Anyone with information on Huckle is urged to call the Talian KASIH hotline at 15999. — AFP

Mohd Mokhtar (third right) and Johor police chief Datuk Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd (fourth right) looking at the items used for processing syabu. — Photo from Bernama

This year saw a fair share of bribes, amounting to over RM63,000 from six different individuals and states.

A driving instructor in Johor Bahru was found guilty of accepting a bribe of RM300 to pass a girl’s driving test, while seven policemen in Butterworth claimed trial to three bribery charges involving RM17,000 as an inducement to not take action against one Ong Poo Huat for an alleged drug offence.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) also arrested a former Selangor MP over a bribe of RM30,000, which he had received from a contractor in order to secure a tender to repair public amenities.

A former Negeri Sembilan state President’s Cup chief coach, Yusarman Yusof was fined RM200,000 for bribing his 11 players (between RM300 and RM2,000 each) to help and allow the Penang SDM Navy team a score in a match.

An army retiree has also been sentenced in Ipoh for bribing an Immigration assistant enforcement officer RM3,000 to release his worker who had been detained for entering Malaysia without a valid document, while a SESCO technician in Sibu was bribed with RM2,000

by Wong Sing Hie to wave him for altering the electricity meter at his house.

30 nation 2016 A look at

special supplement

Saturday, December 31, 2016

AVOIDED TRAGEDIES Lucky escape for 25

Firemen fighting to keep the fire under control at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital. — Bernama photo.

Hospital blaze claims six lives A sudden fire at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) in Johor Bahru on Oct 25 resulted in the deaths of six patients in an intensive care unit.

The fire was believed to have started from the HSA treatment room in the ICU before spreading to the entire ward. The victims were epilepsy patient M Kaliama, 23; K Logeswaran, 20; Yusof Hasan, 53; Choo Lin Fong, 37; Tan Ah Wah, 60; and C Neeramaladevi, 24.

Ten hospital staff were also injured, with two being transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment, and one patient also transferred to the Burn Unit at Sultan Ismail Hospital.

Ten trucks and 166 firefighters were rushed to the hospital after being notified at 8.56am.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam said it was also believed that the blaze was not easy to put out and was spreading too fast due to the presence of breathing apparatus which contained oxygen gas that had been used by patients in the ICU. In light of this event, the Health Ministry has stated that it will conduct an audit of all its hospitals on their state of preparedness in the event of fire outbreak, starting with old hospitals more than 50 years old.

‘Daesh is pure, unrefined evil’ FROM the first Daesh-related arrest in Malaysia made back in 2013, the number has increased each year, with this year alone having seen a total of 239 individuals in the country arrested.

Malaysia’s Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has called for a change in strategies, saying tailored strategies should be the guiding principle in the fight against the terrorist group.

“We must realise that Daesh is not the usual terrorist group we are used to dealing with. Daesh is not al-Qaeda. They differ in their goals but are partly rooted in their histories,” he said during his plenary address at the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ (IISS) 15th Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore in June.

He stressed that Daesh was a clear and present danger to the Asia-Pacific, both in the form of potential returned fighters and self-radicalised lone wolves.

“They also have the potential to exacerbate instability in the region’s hotspots, such as the southern halves of the Philippines and Thailand as well as exploiting other fault-lines in the region.

“It is pure, unrefined evil that if left unchecked could poison our future. We have scored some successes against it on several fronts but we are by no means safe,” said Hishammuddin.

IPOH: Twenty-five passengers on a tour TWENTY Indonesian and Cambodian bus heading to Hat Yai, Thailand from women, believed to be victims of human Klang had a lucky escape when none of trafficking, were rescued during them were seriously injured after it a raid on an employment careened off into a 10m-metre agency premises on deep ravine at KM349.7 of Jan 15. the North-South ExpressACP Maszely way near the Ladang Minhad, assistant Bikam rest area at about director of D7C, 1.00am on Feb 9. the anti-traffickAccording to a Bidor ing in persons The seven local residents arFire and Rescue spokesand smuggling rested for their alleged involveman, two passengers had of migrants unit ment in the human trafficking light injuries. in Bukit Aman, syndicate. — Bernama photo “When firemen reached said the victims, the scene at 1.26am, all pasaged between 17 and sengers were already out of the 40, were found locked in a bus,” he said. — Bernama room at the premises.

“Initial investigation found that their salaries were not paid for the past six to ten months and their passports were kept by their employer and that all their movements were being closely monitored,” he told reporters Khalid (second left) launching at the scene. the NUR Alert system at Bukit They worked as cleanAman. — Bernama photo ing ladies, deployed around Shah Alam and KUALA Subang Jaya.

LUMPUR: Maszely said the The Royal seven local men and Malaysia a Cambodian woman Police (PDRM) believed to be members launched the of the human trafficking National Urgent syndicate, aged between Response (NUR) 30 and 59, were arrested Alert system to disduring the raid. seminate information on missing children to Facebook users on Nov 5.

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the information relayed by PDRM would be sent to KUALA LUMPUR: Quick action social media users via its ‘News Feed’, by security guards and staff of the Kuala especially those within the area where the Lumpur Library saved about 50 people child was last seen, thanks to the police from a fire that damaged 20 per cent of the collaboration with Facebook. building on the morning of Jan 18.

Facebook is PDRM’s 36th partner for During the 9.45am incident, constructhe NUR Alert system. tion material used for the refurbishment “This is a more efficient way and it’s of the main entrance of the library caught faster to disseminate information on fire. Faizah Asari, a security guard on duty missing children, considering there are 19 informed a senior officer in the library as million registered Facebook users in the soon as she saw the smoke billowing at country,” he told a press conference after the main entrance. the system’s launching ceremony here “Workers were installing the awning yesterday. at the main entrance when the fire Khalid said the NUR Alert on Facebook started. It happened quickly and within five would cover crucial information on the minutes the fire had spread to the roof,” missing child such as photo, location said Faizah Asari, a security guard on where he/she was last spotted and other duty. details that could facilitate the search procShe immediately informed ess. Since PDRM took over the managesenior librarion Norizam Abdul Ghani, who ment system for missing children in the notified the Fire and Rescue Department country in 2011, the IGP said 21 out of 29 and had the building evacuated. There children who were reportedly missing, had were no casualties. — Bernama been found.

PDRM launches ‘NUR Alert’ on Facebook to locate missing children

In September, Counter-Terrorism Division principal assistant director Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay informed reporters that the police had foiled 13 attack plots from the Daesh group in the country so far, of which seven were already in the second phase when the police found bombs, bullets and chemicals. InspectorGeneral of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police had thwarted an attack planned during the eve of the National Day with the arrest of three locals on Aug 31.

On Nov 25, Khalid said that more than 50 Malaysians with the Daesh militant group in Syria and Iraq wish to return to Malaysia but fear death at the hands of fellow militants.

“If they want to return to Malaysia, they must find their own way out. They are trapped. If there is a way, we will help because they are citizens of this country,” he said.

He said some of the Malaysians had KUALA LUMPUR: In the first terrorist attorn up and burned their tack in Malaysia, at least eight people were passports when they injured, one seriously, in a grenade explojoined Daesh, sion at an entertainment outlet in IOI adding that those Boulevard, Puchong around 2.15AM on who do return to June 28.

Malaysia would Police confirmed on July 4 that it was not be exemptthe work of Daesh militants, and two ed from penalty suspects aged 19 and 52 were arrested under Malaysian in Port Klang the following day. Inspectorlaw.

General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar

Blast in Puchong

20 foreign women rescued

Quick action saves 50 lives from fire

said the suspects had taken instructions from Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi, a member of the Daesh Malaysia terrorist group in Syria to attack entertainment outlets in the country, with other targets being the senior leaders, police and judges.

Two other suspects, Md Saifuddin Muji, 28, and Jasanizam Rosni, 33, who were also involved in the incident were finally nabbed on Aug 9 in a hut in Kuala Krai, Kelantan.

2016 nation 31 A look at

Saturday, December 31, 2016

special supplement

Proposed suspension for school bullies After a series of bullying cases in schools, education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid proposed a one-year suspension for school students who are involved, and said that the ministry would get feedback from the public on the plan back in October.

Despite the decline of cases from 4,000 recorded in 2014, “the ministry is still not satisfied and considers it a serious matter,” Mahdzir said in March.

However, an expert in family law, women and children from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Prof Datuk Noor Aziah Mohd Awal said there was also a need to ascertain that the proposed move was not in conflict with the existing criminal justice system for child offenders. “regardless of what happened or offences committed, the rights of children, i.e. those below the age of 18, to receive education cannot be denied.” the children, she said, should be given guidance, instead of being punished.

Meanwhile, director of the Institute of Crime and Criminology at Help University, Datuk Akhbar Satar opined that suspending students involved in bullying cases from school could result in them being involved in more serious offences, like theft, drug abuse and others.

“Of course, it will be stated that the children will be involved in charity work or be sent for rehabilitation during the suspension period, but can we control them for a year?” he added.

National Union of the teaching Profession (NUtP) president Kamarozaman Abd razak said the proposed oneyear suspension should be reviewed as the duration was too long and could create various other implications.

However, National Parent-teacher Association Collaborative Council president Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Ali viewed the proposed one-year suspension as an effective lesson for student bullies.

— Bernama

Taxi Wars

The future of UPSR

Mahdzir (centre) with the students who achieved straight A’s in Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Rahman Putra in Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama photo

A decision on whether to abolish the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination will only be made next year, Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid says in the latest update regarding the future of UPSR. “We are making the analysis based on the views of local academicians, modules from other countries that could be introduced and also from experienced school teachers.”

However, he added that the ministry had no plans to do away with the UPSr in the immediate future because it had just implemented a new format. the candidates of UPSr this year were the first cohort under the new format in line with the implementation of the Primary School Standard Curriculum (KSSr) which

emphasises elements of High thinking Skills (KBAt). A total of 4,896 students out of 452,721 obtained Grade A in all subjects, said education director-general tan Sri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof on Nov 18, meaning that only 1.08 per cent of all candidates obtained straight A’s under the new format.

However, Mahdzir says the results of this year’s UPSr should be seen in a more “holistic manner, and not focus on purely academic questions.”

Prior to this, Mahdzir on Oct 27 had announced that a study to change the UPSr to school based assessment (PBS) was in the final stages, proposing that it will ensure students’ psychomotor and development are not affected by the stress of striving for purely excellent results in the examination.

Justice – best served fast A married couple who harassed a female Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) enforcement personnel for issuing them a parking ticket was arrested on Nov 24. the MBSA officer filed a report of the incident after her ordeal, but a two-minute video of Lor Ka Hoo and tan Sit fun forcibly holding onto the officer and taking unwanted photographs of her soon emerged within the day. It went viral on social media, sparking calls for the couple’s arrest, and karma was swiftly delivered – they were detained the very same day.

Lor, 35, and tan, 30, pleaded guilty to using criminal force to prevent Nurul Ain Isa, 23, from discharging her duty at Bukit rahman Putra, Sungai Buloh, and were

‘Uncle’ David Christopher as he sells his soft toys to generous Malaysians and those looking for a good bargain.

— Malay Mail photo

sentenced to a 14-day jail and rM3,000 fine by the Shah Alam Magistrate’s Court on Nov 27. the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) however has filed an appeal against this sentence as it deems it ‘manifestly inadequate’.

“Although both the accused pleaded guilty, a commensurate sentence should be imposed as a lesson to them, as well as others to not commit the same mistake,” AttorneyGeneral tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali said.

He added Section 353 of the Penal Code provided an imprisonment of up to two years, or fine, or both, on those found guilty of using criminal force to deter public servants from discharging their duties.

Scholarships turned into loans IN its official portal Pembangunan Modal Insan (eSILA), JPA announced on feb 25 that “all JPA scholarships will be presented in the form of loans but they can be changed within the mechanism of loan agreements under three circumstances”. the portal said loans can be turned into scholarships and graduates are exempted from repaying them if they work in the public sector upon graduation.

In the event that the graduates work in government-linked companies (GLCs), they are only required to pay back half of the loan amount, while loan-holders who do not work in the public sector or GLCs will have to repay the full amount.

Welfare, family and Women Development Minister Datuk fatimah Abdullah, when contacted in february said she was not surprised by the decision due to the

Affected students with a letter to the Chief Minister, appealing JPA’s move.

current state of our economy.

“In bad times like this, the government either makes such a decision or approves less JPA scholarships. And to me, the

On June 22, a 43-year-old Iranian student from UtM Skudai with her child had booked an Uber driver to fetch them from KL Sentral. When the car arrived, other taxi drivers approached her and berated her for using the ride-hailing service. She was also manhandled by one of them, who has since been arrested. “the woman sustained injuries to her right thumb when the suspect dragged her out of the vehicle. the suspect also kicked the car,” city police chief Datuk Amar Singh said, according to Malay Mail. there has been an increase in taxi drivers protesting against the ride-hailing services like Uber and Grabcar as they proved damaging to their business, even before they were legalised in Malaysia.

However transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow tiong Lai has asked SPAD, the Land Public transport Commission, to help speed up the process of amending existing laws to regulate ride-sharing apps like Uber and Grabcar in the country. He said that laws had to be amended for the government to regulate the ride-sharing apps to ensure no discrepancy between the services and taxis.

“We want to provide an equal platform for Uber, Grabcar and taxis,” he told reporters after launching Westport Bunkering Services facility in Port Klang on Nov 15.

second option is worse,” fatimah was reported to have said. She hopes that when the Malaysian economy turns around, there will be a reverse in JPA’s decision.

Rallying to save ‘Pokemon soft toy Uncle’ DAvID Christopher is the 65-year-old ‘Pokemon soft toy uncle’ whose story went viral on social media back in September. the elderly man had been left with 250 Pokemon soft toys when a customer failed to collect them after placing the order, rendering him helpless with his revenue stuck in the unsold toys. A netizen learned of his plight, and shared it on facebook. It soon went viral and Malaysians all over rallied together, clearing David’s stock within the hour the next day.

“In fact, I even received additional orders after that,” he shared with Bernama, as customers continued to wait for him to buy his soft toys, priced between rM10 and rM12 each. the single father said his routine started 15 years ago when his wife walked out on him with his savings, leaving him with his then five-year-old son. forced to resign from his job as a nightclub manager due to his advancing age, he decided to peddle soft toys for a living.

He believes in silver linings however, and adds, “I’m just grateful that my son is very aware of our difficult life. He studied hard since primary school so that he could be the one to change our lives. All his hard work paid off as he eventually received a scholarship to continue his studies in electrical and electronic engineering.”

32 nation 2016 A look at

special supplement

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Warm weather worries Asia

Felda Bukit Goh clear of mining activities after the first moratorium – Bernama photo

Seeing Red There was an uproar in Pahang after the waters and streets of Kuantan turned red due to bauxite mining, fuelling environmental concerns. the largely unregulated industry had grown rapidly in the last two years to meet the demand from China after their previous top supplier of the raw material, indonesia, banned exports. in the first 11 months of 2015, Malaysia exported more than 20 million tonnes of bauxite to China, up nearly 700 per cent from the previous year. in 2013, it shipped just 162,000 tonnes. But the frantic pace of mining in Kuantan has brought in its wake a growing clamour of voices complaining of contamination of water sources and the destruction of the environment.

On Jan 7, the government decided to impose a three-month moratorium on all bauxite mining activities in Pahang to resolve the problems of its pollution by clearing the bauxite stockpiles and setting up integrated storage areas and proper bauxite waste treatment systems. natural resources and environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi tuanku Jaafar said, “All the stockpiles will be moved to a place called the central stockpile. Only one stockpile centre will be built with drainage and filtration systems and washing bay.”

On April 15, Malaysia extended its ban on bauxite mining by another three months in order to keep clearing the stockpiles and remove the risk of the aluminium-making ingredient contaminating the country’s rivers. existing bauxite stockpiles in Kuantan must be exported before the moratorium can be lifted, Wan Junaidi said. however, as of Sept 7, Malaysia had to extend the moratorium once again from Sept 14 to Dec 31 as despite the previous

extensions, 4.13 million tonnes of stockpiles still remained uncleared in three sites around Kuantan, according to reuters. “if come Dec. 31 and the stockpiles are not cleared, i’m going to ask for (another) six months moratorium,” said Wan Junaidi at a press conference.

China imported nearly 24 million tonnes of bauxite from Malaysia last year, its top supplier then. But Malaysia’s bauxite exports to China have slipped since the moratorium, falling to 5.4 million tonnes over January to July, or only about half of the volumes shipped a year ago.

While lower output at the world’s top exporter of bauxite threatened to interrupt supply to the world’s biggest aluminium producer, China, traders expect the impact to be limited given China’s ample stocks of the raw material. the extended mining ban will give industry players and authorities time to comply with improved regulations and take steps to mitigate pollution across the mining and export supply chain, the environment ministry said in a statement. this has also seen a case of corruption where in January, MACC had arrested seven individuals, including a senior officer and three of the department’s officials because they were suspected of receiving bribes from the illegal bauxite mining operators. three others arrested were believed to be the ‘middlemen’ in the sales of Form 13D, which has to be kept by the lorry driver during the transporting of the mineral. the form, which is called a docket by the locals, is issued by the department with a payment of rM1 but MACC investigation revealed that it was being sold at a price of between rM150 and rM200 each.

Withering drought and sizzling temperatures from el nino have caused food and water shortages and ravaged farming across Asia, and experts warn of a double-whammy of possible flooding from its sibling, La nina. this phenomenon is the strongest of the 20 over the last 60 years, and though according to an expert there is no concrete evidence to link its heat intensity to global warming, he does not discount that global warming could change the el nino effect on the climate in a particular region.

Climatologist and oceanographer Prof Dr Fredolin tangang of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said “el nino is a naturally occurring phenomenon, which is part of

the inter-annual variability associated with oscillation of the atmosphere-ocean interaction in the Pacific Ocean that occurs in a two-to-seven-year cycle. “this system oscillates and it can be either in el nino, La nina or normal phases.

And when the world continues to get warmer in future, naturally, and when an el nino occurs, it can cause the overall temperature for the period to rise much higher than what is usually experienced,” he said. nevertheless, the pendulum is swinging from el nino to La nina. if we base our weather forecasts on the previous La nina event, then most of Borneo can expect a very wet weather period between December and February. — Bernama

The El Nino phenomenon this year has seen Malaysia’s reservoirs shrunken, agricultural lands dried up, water rationing implemented in some areas and repeated school closures as health precautions. — AFP Photo

Protecting the future PArentS and guardians who are not sure about the effects of vaccination and immunisation must refer to the authorities, and abstain from making decisions themselves without verified information says Universiti Sains islam’s World Fatwa research and Management institute Director Prof Madya Dr irwan Muhd Subri.

According to Bernama, the health Ministry recorded 500 cases of vaccination and immunisation rejection between January and March throughout the country. there have been five deaths and 28 positive diphtheria cases as a result.

“Most guardians who refuse to get their children vaccinated is due to the influence of wrong information and ideologies obtained from social media,” Dr irwan said on Oct 1.

Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur hospital’s institute of Paediatrics Senior Consultant Paediatric Specialist Dr Kamarul Azahar Mohd razali said parents and guardians need not worry about their children’s safety when getting vaccinations.

“All medical substances used in the vac-

cination have undergone various tests and are free from impure materials as claimed by certain parties,” he said.

Datuk Seri najib tun razak said on June 24 that parents who denied their children immunisation were subjecting them to risk and helping to revive communicable diseases already brought under control in the country.

A move by health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam, with cooperation from the education Ministry to begin a screening to identify pupils who are left out from receiving comprehensive vaccination will be implemented at all primary schools as of August, starting with the current Year Four and Five students.

“For the next three years, the screening will be conducted on Year Four pupils and after that, we will focus on Year One pupils.

As such, we will ensure that that the present primary school students have received the comprehensive immunisation as set by the ministry,” he told a press conference in Putrajaya on July 20.

Mental ailments at an all high One in every three Malaysians has a mental health problem based on a recent study by the health Ministry. experts cite anxiety and depression as the main causes of mental health problems among students, although not ruling out the influence of drugs.

One of them, Dr Mohd Suhaimi Mohamad, said a prolonged state of mental health problems could make students become withdrawn, suffer from schizophrenia and develop the inclination to commit suicide. the tendency to take one’s own life could become more severe if the mental

health problems were not addressed within a period of two years, he said, adding that this was a serious matter that was often neglected. he said anxiety could be attributed to pressure of examinations that might instil fear in students.

“Low self-confidence as a result could cause a student to be in a state of worry and stress, coupled with the pressure from parents and teachers who drive them to be competitive. Parents should help their children live a normal life and not force them to study solely to meet their own expecta-

tions,” he said. he added that depression could also occur due to heredity factors inherited from family members with mental health problems. Dr Mohd Suhaimi said that once a child was diagnosed with a mental health problem, treatment could be administered through the biopsychosocial way.

“Besides, the administration of medication regularly can control and prevent a person from sliding towards mental illness,” he told Bernama. he also said that the individual should be

given guidance and support by those around him or her, especially parents, to rebuild his or her confidence. those who sought early treatment had higher chances of returning to their normal lives, according to Director of the University of Malaya Centre for Addiction Sciences (UMCAS), Dr rusdi Abdul rashid. however, he said that the social stigma towards those with mental disorders are still high and this has deterred many from seeking treatment in the early stages of their illness.

2016 A look at

Saturday, December 31, 2016

KUCHING: Construction and infrastructure growth remain the two keywords in Sarawak for 2017 as projects such as the Pan Borneo Highway pave the way for package awards and economic boosts.

With key commodities such as crude palm oil and crude oil trying their best to make a comeback this year, Sarawak saw its share of growth stemming from construction projects – the biggest being the Pan Borneo Highway.

To date, Lebuhraya Borneo Utara Sdn Bhd (LBU) said it has awarded all 11 work packages under phase one of the Pan Borneo Highway project on Sarawak’s side for a total sum of RM16.49 billion.

According to LBU, 11 listed companies from Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia were among 20 firms securing construction work contracts for this single biggest and most ambitious infrastructure project for both Sarawak and Sabah.

These listed entities together with their joint venture partners bagged seven work packages worth RM10.02 billion.

Four other privately-owned companies clinched the remaining four packages evaluated at some RM6.47 billion.

New plants, new ventures Sarawak has had its fair share of new plants and factories opening in 2016. Particular highlights include Senari Synergy Sdn Bhd (Senari Synergy) and Kemaman Bitumen Company Sdn Bhd (Kemaman Bitumen Company) who in October proposed a facility for the import, storage and distribution of bitumen and bitumen related products in Sarawak.

The proposal will facilitate uninterrupted and timely delivery of bitumen for the development of the Pan Borneo Highway.

Senari Synergy managing director, Jefri Ahmad Tambi said the proposed facility will be developed on approximately two acres of land within the Senari Synergy Industrial Complex.

The proposed facility will be comprised of a 4,000 metric tonne tank, a 500 metric tonne holding tank, a loading gantry and other related infrastructure and amenities.

Jefri pointed out that with this investment, there will certainly be more eco-

special supplement

Slow and steady: Sarawak gears up with key projects It is hoped that our industrial complex will ultimately be the growth node or hub for midstream oil and gas sector in the southern region of Sarawak.

Jefri Ahmad Tambi, Senari Synergy managing director

nomic activities at Senari Synergy’s oil and gas jetty, while simultaneously increasing optimisation of their land use at Senari Synergy Industrial Complex.

“It is hoped that our industrial complex will ultimately be the growth node or hub for midstream oil and gas sector in the southern region of Sarawak,” he said during the MOU signing.

In other developments, Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd (CMSB) fully commissioned its third and

largest cement grinding plant in Mambong in November.

Group managing director Datuk Richard Curtis said that the third plant, which has been integrated with the adjoining clinker plant, will increase CMSB’s total annual rated cement production capacity by almost 60 per cent to 2.75 million metric tonnes – well above current local demand of around 1.7 to 1.8 million metric tonnes.

This would enable CMSB to meet growing cement demand in Sarawak, including from big projects such as the Baleh Dam and the Pan Borneo Highway, while having significant reserve production capacity to materially reduce the risk of supply disruptions.

The new grinding plant was built at a

business 33

cost of RM190 million.

Meanwhile, the official opening of the Murum Hydroelectric Plant (HEP) in Belaga District, Kapit Division in September was another significant milestone.

The RM4.1 billion plant under Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) provides up to 944MW of sustainable, renewable and affordable energy for the state and additional power for SCORE. Being more business-friendly All these initiatives will benefit from Sarawak’s business-friendly policies as Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem said he will look into establishing proper directives to reduce obstacles in the way of creating business.

“To create wealth, the government and business community must work together.

The government must be pro-business to create more wealth for everybody. We will, as far as we can, reduce bureaucratic roles with regard to the setting up of businesses, issuance of licence and so on,” he said when launching the Sarawak Business Federation (SBF) in September.

“We will not leave this matter entirely to government servants because the first thing they will do is to control. There has to be a proper direction from the top to reduce control among civil servants to make it easier for the people to conduct business.”

He said to expand the economy, Sarawak must achieve a growth rate of at least 6.5 per cent per annum.

On another note, Adenan called on the private sector to venture into other sectors beyond the palm oil industry, citing fruit and livestock exports, which have strong foreign market demand.

He added that land could be opened for pineapple and banana plantations based on their export potential.

“A thriving business is in the best interest of Sarawak. The private sector, being the engine of growth, has some weaknesses here, where everybody participates in the palm oil industry. There is little investment in other areas where opportunities, market and facilities are also available.”

34 business 2016 A look at

special supplement

BINTULU: Bintulu is well on its way to becoming an industry-friendly and sustainable city by the year 2025 thanks to efforts by the Bintulu Development Authority (BDA).

Under the purview of new general manager Rodziah Morshidi, who took Rodziah over the helm in April this year, the Morshidi authority has plans to make some changes for growth.

“Being a regional development and local authority, we are committed to manage the advancement of Bintulu, in partnership with its people, into a friendly and sustainable city through the provision of quality physical, social and economic development services,” said Rodziah when interviewed at her office at Wisma Bintulu recently.

BDA’s transformation framework, which emphasised on five strategic trusts, were introduced based on financial prudence, service excellence, high performing teams, spearheading growth, and being customer and people orientated.

Under the BDA Ordinance 1978, the authority was established to serve as the government agency to take charge of physical planning and development in Bintulu Division.

“BDA is the only local authority in the the new phase of development – energy state that has plans to function as a intensive industries with the opening up spearhead to the development of Binof the Samalaju Industrial area. tulu,” she said.

“With the opening up of the Since 1978, Bintulu has grown by Samalaju leaps and bounds, Rodziah said in the Industrial area, BDA has now an early 1970s, its economic activities were additional area of 23, 712 hectares as its mostly focused on oil and gas due to the additional areas added to its initial area discovery of abundant offshore supply. of 1.2 million hectares,” Rodziah added.

After that in 1990s and onwards, the surrounding areas were involved with Revamping BDA’s operations plantation activities and from 2010 When she took over BDA on April 7, onwards, the state decided to embark on

An enforcement team patrol around the public parks to curb vandalism and littering.

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Taking Bintulu to the next level

By Yunus Yussop

reporters@theborneopost.com

Being a regional development and local authority we are committed to manage the advancement of Bintulu, in partnership with its people, into a friendly and sustainable city through the provision of quality physical, social and economic development services Rodziah Morshidi, BDA general manager

2015, the first thing Rodziah did was to consolidate BDA resources, be it human or environmental resources.

Before BDA can stay relevant, Rodziah said BDA itself had to be

strengthened.

“How do we strengthen BDA’s internal resources? BDA has the transformation framework – we use it as our guide – with the vision to turn Bintulu into a friendly industrial city (by 2025).

• Continue on page 35

A worker repairing a broken chair at the Bintulu Promenade.

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“We are committed to our mission to advance Bintulu into a friendly and sustainable city and for a city to progress it must be sustainable,” she said, adding that sustainability is a point where the city can provide services, facilities, job opportunities to the people residing in Bintulu without causing any destruction to the environment.

This year,she said BDA is going a step forward to finalise its short and long term strategic plans based on th balance score card initiative.

“We will have a yearly strategic plan – five-, 10- and 20-year strategic plans.

Then, we will visit a lot of areas like city councils to learn as much as we can, to help us spearhead the growth in Bintulu and also to enable us to achieve our vision,” she said.

Meanwhile, BDA will be improving and upgrading the housing estates roads and the municipal roads from time to time.

In addition, BDA have also set up its Rural Development Section within the authority in its effort to balance the gap between the urban and rural areas, especially within Sebauh and Tatau, with the intention to improve its services in the rural areas while providing better job opportunities.

To stay relevant, Rodziah said BDA must improve its service delivery in order to be an effective local authority in Bintulu and be able to cope with the people’s expectations.

Personally, she believed the vision can be achieved by 2025 if all the development projects can be implemented smoothly especially the energy intensive industries in Samalaju Industrial Park which will bring a significant increase in the population number in Bintulu which has currently over 200,000 people.

For Bintulu to become a city, one of the parameters they must meet is to have a population of 500,000 or more.

“In terms of the facilities, income and the Gross Domestic Product, Bintulu is ready by 2025, another parameter that I think which is still quite difficult to meet is the population and at the same time Bintulu also needs a full-fledged university.

“These are the parameters which needs to been changed and which Bintulu will have problems, in fulfilling, unless we have workers coming in, people moving in to stay, but having said all that, that can become just one of the parameters,” she said, thus hoping whatever has been projected for Samalaju can come on stream.

Achievements so far When asked about her achievements and improvements that she had brought into BDA, Rodziah said they had improved its scavenging services, drain cleaning with contracts whereby terms and conditions were being reviewed from time to time, seminars for its grass cutting contractors and also improvements in the performance of its sub-contractors in services.

“I think, generally, you can see now that Bintulu is cleaner. If we measure system delivery through the number of public complaints that we received, compared to year, BDA has manage to reduced it by 50 per cent. We’ve even doubled our financial allocation for maintenance services.

“Because I don’t know what happened in the past, maintenance was not very much on the agenda, with concentration very much focused on development,” she said.

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Rodziah said some people are treating the rivers as the biggest dumping ground in the world. This is an example of rubbish dumped into the river but ends up along the Kemena River bank.

BDA has allocated millions for maintenance services and with a record a total of RM35.53 million spent in 2015, she believed that with the increase of its maintenance expenses, it would directly increase the quality of living of the people around Bintulu.

These expenses include landscaping maintenance, scavenging, repair and maintenance (R&M) building related facilities, R&M sewerage, recreational facilities, grass cutting and drain cleaning, R&M road and traffic signs, street sweeping, public awareness activities and R&M drainage.

Conversing with the community Beginning 2017, Rodziah said BDA will strengthen its public engagement programmes – particularly with the use of social media to rally its improvements.

“As a council develops, a town expands, population increase, expectations also increase and now with the influence of social media, we cannot help but to work with members of the public,” she opined.

“The roles of social media cannot be denied anymore and it is very critical and crucial for us to improve our delivery system.”

According to her, vandalism, littering and indiscriminate dumping were among

the issues that will be given the utmost priority next year with more advocacy and awareness programmes, brotherhood, collaboration and partnership to be carried out.

“We believe as the town gets bigger, citizens of the division must be more involved in ensuring this town of ours be kept clean at all times.

“Next year, we are going to launch a large-scale programme to overcome this littering, indiscriminate dumping and vandalism. If you don’t address these three, the mentality of the citizens cannot match that of a city development,” she said, adding that the public must provide information to BDA if they notice that people are behaving suspiciously towards public facilities.

Instead of just spending money on picking up rubbish, she said that money can be allocated to beautifying Bintulu.

“We are now designing our programme into advocacy, education, awareness, in partnership with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), students, Village Security and Development Committees (JKKKs) and social media.

“To me it has to be a people’s movement as it cannot just be the BDA’s business, to keep a town clean, everybody should feels that it is their responsibility and pride

to keep Bintulu clean and safe, the people have to come forward and join forces with BDA,” she said.

Rodziah also shared her thoughts that the people’s mentality and mindset need to match that of a city dweller, otherwise there is no point of having a city status or having first class facilities, if the local authorities have to keep repairing them, which has caused a big headache in BDA. With constaints in funding occuring, BDA’s major source of income from land revenue is at risk due to its limited resources, as such, the BDA will need to explore new sources of funding.

“We are now looking into some proposals to increase our source of revenue, for a city it has to be at least RM100 million,” she said.

“We are pushing with our public engagement programmes, through advocacy, education awareness, brotherhood, collaboration, cooperation. Only through that can a city flourish, and provided quality services to the people of Bintulu, together we make Bintulu better,” Rodziah concluded.

She called for the support from all parties especially from Bintulu citizens to work cohesively with BDA to achieve this vision.

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Sabah needs property push More effort necessary to rejuvenate sector’s appeal as developments enter the fray

By Chok Sim Yee

reporters@theborneopost.com

KOTA KINABALU: Industry observers call for more efforts to excite the property market in Sabah seeing as property launches in the state have been on a sharp decline for four consecutive years.

According to Sabah Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (Shareda) president Datuk Francis Goh Fah Shun, the various types of properties launched this year amounted to RM2.124 billion in Gross Development Value (GDV).

Of the 5,102 units of properties launched in 2016, condominiums and apartments constitute 3,879 units, making up to RM1.324 billion in GDV. Meanwhile, a total of 312 units landed residential properties were launched this year with a total GDV of RM161 million.

Commercial and industrial properties launched are recorded at 885 units and 26 units respectively, which amounted to RM557 million and RM 82 million in GDV. Based on past Shareda records, the total GDV of properties launched in the state stands at RM2.669 billion in 2015, RM3.747 billion in 2014 and RM7.562 billion in 2013. This shows that the GDV of properties launched in Sabah has dropped 72 per cent compared to four years ago.

Goh pointed out that this decline was mainly due to stringent housing loan approvals and negative impact of the policies imposed by the Finance Ministry on the property industry.

To name a few, Goh said the Real

“Till today, the State Government has yet to provide a solution on this issue. The government lacks political will to help property developers in expediting DP approval.”

Datuk Francis Goh Fah Shun, Shareda president

Property Gains Tax (RPGT) up to 80 per cent and 70 per cent housing loan for second and third home respectively were among the reasons the property market has not been performing well for the past four years.

Goh also reiterated that the delay in development plan (DP) approval has caused properties to be more expensive in Sabah as getting a DP approved typically took 24 to 36 months.

“Till today, the State Government has yet to provide a solution on this issue. The government lacks political will to help property developers in expediting DP approval.

“People keep on complaining about expensive properties in the State. As I have said before, if the DPs can be approved sooner – say in six to 12 months – the selling price of properties can be reduced by five to 10 per cent,” he said.

Goh explained the longer it took for the DPs to be approved, the more developers have to pay for the cost incurred for holding the land, interest to the bank for land acquisition as well as salary for administrative staff.

Additionally, Goh said the higher cost of building materials in the State, higher capital contribution to Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB), land premium, higher land acquisition cost were other factors which made properties in Sabah 10 to 20 per cent more expensive compared to that of other states in Malaysia.

He said the government lacked the political will to assist property developers, nor did the government fully understand the spillover effects of the property industry slowdown on 165 related sectors.

He pointed out that the government would collect much lesser revenue from income tax if developers and the 165 property-related sectors were not making profits.

Goh added that many developers were adopting the wait-and-see attitude as they lacked confidence in the property market due to declining sales.

“Some developers already have their DPs approved but they are waiting for better timing to launch their projects.”

Maya@Likas comprises three residential towers with 483 units in total.

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Despite the property market slowdown, there have been a few notable projects launched in the past 12 months.

In January, Gamuda Land launched Bukit Bantayan Residences, a 25-storey condominium project in Inanam.

With a GDV of RM 144 million, the 296 condominium units are priced between RM440 to 544 per square feet (psf).

A month later, North Borneo Land Avenue Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of EH Group, launched SkyVue Residence with an estimated GDV of RM177 million. Located in Kobusak, Penampang, SkyVue Residence reaches 22-storeys and houses 200 condominium units sold at RM552 to 698 psf. Tower Paradise Sdn Bhd also launched Maya@Likas in the same month. Maya@Likas, situated near Wisma Wanita, comprises three 16, 21 and 26-storey residential towers with 483 units in total. The GDV of the project is worth RM300 million and the average price of the units is RM 540 psf.

In March, three more apartment and condominium projects were launched, namely E Residence Phase 1 in Telipok, Kingfisher Inanam by Hap Seng Properties Sdn Bhd and University Utama Condominium Phase 6 by the W Group.

Kingfisher Inanam is a three-tower condominium project located along Jalan Kiansom.

The development will have a total of 739 condominium units priced RM397,000 and above.

Bukit Saujamas in Telipok, a housing project jointly developed by Malaysian National Cooperative Movement (Angkasa) and Tajuk Unggul Sdn Bhd, was launched in May. Bukit Saujamas consists of 1,664 apartment units of 900 square feet in four 28-storey buildings.

Its GDV was estimated at RM479 million.

In June, GE Properties, a subsidiary of Naim Indah Corp Bhd, announced its first project in Sabah, namely Likas Boulevard. The development in Likas Bay is worth approximately RM2.4 billion in GDV and comprises three blocks of condominium, an office tower, retail lots and a hotel.

Both Maya@Likas and Likas Boul-

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New property developments in Sabah Likas Boulevard is a mixed development located along Tanjung Lipat.

Kingfisher Inanam has 739 condominium units in total priced at RM 460 to 631 psf.

evard projects are not listed in Shareda’s records.

As for landed residential developments,

Bukit Bantayan Residences in Inanam is selling at RM 440 to RM 544 psf.

only three were projects were recorded.

Taman Ganang Phase 2 In Kepayan, a two-storey terrace house project, is sold at an average selling price of RM519 psf.

Meanwhile, the price of Prestige Residence in Menggatal and Taman Limbai Ria Phase 2 in Sabandar, Tuaran, both double-storey terrace house developments, starts from RM 572,042 and RM 320,000 respectively.

In terms of commercial developments, Seri Putatan Commercial Centre, a two to three-storey shop office at Kampung

Puteh, Putatan selling from RM 899,880 to RM2.78 million.

Meanwhile, Embun Tower at Grand Merdeka, a small office home office (SOHO) development in Menggatal was also launched. The 179 SOHO units are selling from RM238,000 to RM395,500.

On the other hand, projects launched outside the west coast of Sabah include Bandar Baru Keningau Phase 1 (GDV RM99 million) and Astana Height Phase 5B (GDV RM51 million).

SkyVue Residence in Kobusak is selling at RM 552 to RM 698 psf.

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Trumping the 2016 Election THE election on November 8 saw a shocking win by Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton as the new President of the United States.

Reuters attributes his victory to a campaign built around his blunt-talking celebrity persona, his command of social media, and his anti-establishment message of change.

In a bitter and divisive campaign, Trump cleared a series of obstacles that would doom any other candidate: an audio tape in which he talked of groping women; suspicious and continual refusals to release his tax returns; violence at his rallies; mockeries of a disabled reporter; and attacks on the heritage of a federal judge as well as the Muslim family of a US soldier.

However, he benefitted from an opponent with flaws as well—Clinton was constantly targeted by questions over her use of a private email server while secretary of state and the activities of her family foundation, while her corporate-friendly background left some Democrats sceptical and unenthusiastic.

Trump exploited a growing divide in the country between whites and minorities, urbanites and rural residents, the college-educated and the working class.

According to the Reuters/Ipsos polling, he beat Clinton among white men without a college degree by 31 points and white women without a degree by 27 points.

Trump won 56 per cent of the white vote, while Clinton won just 39 per cent. He

Matteo Renzi

‘No’ campaign wins, PM Matteo Renzi resigns

Demonstrators carry signs during a ‘Love Rally’ march in Union Square Park in New York on November 11, 2016, to protest the election of US President-elect Donald Trump (inset). – AFP photo

dominated to an even greater degree in rural areas, where he beat Clinton by 27 points.

Only among women between the ages of 18 and 34 did Clinton win, with about 55 per cent supporting her while 38 per cent supported Trump.

Though the popular vote went to Clinton, leading with over 2 million votes, Trump managed to win the Electoral College, surpassing the 270 votes needed to take the White House.

As the US presidential race is decided by the Electoral College, based on a tally of wins from the state-by-state contests rather than by the national vote,

Trump became the presidentelect.

Anti-Trump demonstrators have voiced concerns that his presidency would infringe on Americans’ civil and human rights.

Starting on the night of the election itself, protests erupted where several hundred protesters gathered in front of the White House in Washington for a candlelight criticising what they called Trump’s racism, sexism and xenophobia, and carrying signs reading ‘We have a voice!’.

Protests also were held in other cities across the country, gathering thousands of people in

Chicago, Philadelphia, Portland, Oregon, Seattle, New York, California, Los Angeles, Pennsylvania and more.

White supremacist groups including the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) have praised Trump’s election (though he has rejected their support), and some civil rights advocacy groups have reported a spike of attacks on minorities following Trump’s victory.

President-Elect Donald Trump and his Vice President Mike Pence will be officially sworn into office on Inauguration Day, 20 January 2017. – AFP/Reuters

Shocking resignation POPULAR New Zealand Prime Minister John Key (pic) announced his shock resignation Dec 5, saying it was the right time to go after eight years in the job.

Key came into politics relatively late, entering parliament in 2002 and assuming leadership of the National Party four years later. By 2008 he had ended nine years of Labour Party rule, ousting then-prime minister Helen Clark.

He won plaudits for his leadership during a string of crises in his first term, including a devastating earthquake in Christchurch in February 2011 which claimed 185 lives.

He also steadied the economy after the Global Financial Crisis without resorting to

hard-line spending cuts, instead taking a steady, pragmatic approach that saw the budget return to surplus for the first time since 2008.

New Zealand Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Bill English was the clear favourite to replace Key in a Fairfax-Nielsen poll, with 37 percent of New Zealanders surveyed backing him.

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Police Minister Judith Collins both conceded the race three days later as it became clear that English had the support of the 59-member caucus.

English was formally named the new prime minister of New Zealand at a caucus meeting on Dec 12. – AFP/Reuters

ON DEC 5, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi announced his resignation hours after it was confirmed he had suffered a crushing defeat in a referendum on constitutional reform.

Opposition parties had denounced the proposed amendments to the 68-yearold constitution as dangerous for democracy because they would have removed important checks and balances on executive power.

Spearheaded by Five Star, the biggest rival to Renzi’s Democratic party, the “No” campaign also capitalised on Renzi’s declining popularity, a sluggish economy and the problems caused by tens of thousands of migrants arriving in Italy from Africa.

Renzi’s backers believed they were voting for overdue change.

After the Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, the No vote is likely to be interpreted as another victory for populist forces and a potential stepping stone to government for Beppe Grillo’s Five Star.

But the campaign was not just about popular discontent with the state of Italy. Many Italians of a similar political bent to Renzi had deep reservations about the proposed changes to the constitution.

Under the proposals, the second-chamber Senate, currently a body of 315 directly-elected and five lifetime lawmakers, would have been reduced to only 100 members, mostly nominated by the regions.

The chamber would also have been stripped of most of its powers to block and revise legislation, and to unseat governments. – AFP

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special supplement

Scandalised president impeached ON DEC 9, South Korea’s parliament voted to impeach President Park Geun-Hye over a snowballing corruption scandal, suspending her powers and transferring them to Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn, making him the acting president.

South Korean prosecutors arrested two former top presidential aides on Nov

6 in an influence-peddling disgrace which has seen tens of thousands of people take to the streets to demand Park resign, whose approval ratings hit a historic low of five per cent — a record for a sitting president — over the scandal involving her close personal friend Choi Soon-Sil. Choi was arrested for fraud and meddling in state affairs

— including government appointments and policy decisions — despite holding no official position.

Ahn Jong-beom, a former senior advisor to Park, was arrested on charges of abuse of power and attempted coercion.

He is suspected of helping Choi collect millions of dollars in donations from conglomerates like Samsung to two

dubious non-profit foundations which Choi set up and allegedly used for personal gain.

Prosecutors also arrested Jeong Ho-Seong, another former presidential aide, over allegations that he leaked classified information.

The 47-year-old Jeong, who was known as Park’s right hand man and has

Picture shows an effigy of Park is seen behind people marching towards the Presidential Blue House during a protest calling for Park to step down in central Seoul, South Korea. The signs read, ‘Arrest Park Geun-hye’. — Reuters photo

Yoichi to Yuriko

Britain leaves the EU BRITAIN voted to leave the European Union in the ‘Brexit’ referendum on June 24, an outcome that is speculated to set the country on an uncertain path and deal the largest setback to European efforts to forge greater unity since World War Two. World financial markets dived as final counting on the day itself showed a 51.5 to 48.5 split for leaving.

Sterling suffered its biggest one-day fall of 9.4 per cent against the dollar on market fears the decision would hit investment in the world’s 5th largest economy, raising questions over London’s role as a global financial capital, and ushering in months of political limbo.

The euro slumped nearly four percent against the dollar on concerns a ‘Brexit’ vote would do wider economic and political damage to what would become a 27-member union.

Yet there was euphoria among Britain’s eurosceptic forces, claiming a victory they styled as a protest against British political leaders, big businesses and foreign leaders including President Barack Obama who had urged Britain to stay in the 60-year-old bloc.

assisted her since 1998, was suspected of passing presidential speeches and official documents to Choi.

– Reuters

New Prime Minister Theresa May arrives for a cabinet meeting at number 10 Downing Street, in central London, Britain.

– Reuters photo

TOKYO’S governor submitted his resignation on June 15 after being criticised over lavish personal spending and faced with a no-confidence vote in the local assembly, reports said.

Yoichi Masuzoe, 67, had faced relentless media and legislative grilling over hefty spending on official overseas trips, online purchases of art and accommodation at high-end hotels and spas, some of which was paid for using official funds.

News of the resignation comes as Tokyo is set to host the 2020 Olympics, and while Masuzoe’s departure is unlikely to impact the city’s ability to manage the event, his travails have proven a fresh embarrassment for the scandal-plagued Games. – AFP Masuzoe has denied breaking any laws but has admitted ethical lapses and repeatedly apologised in an ultimately futile effort to weather the storm.

Yuriko Koike was elected as the new governor on July 31, becoming Tokyo’s first female governor. – AFP

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The Battle for Aleppo comes to an end

Increasing fears of genocide A protester wears a headband with ‘Help Rohingya’ on it during a demonstration outside the Myanmar embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia November 25, 2016. – Photo from REUTERS/Iqro Rinaldi

IN the latest update on Dec 7, Myanmar has stopped workers going to Malaysia after its leader criticised its treatment of Muslims, while Indonesia joined a growing chorus of concern about the fate of Myanmar’s stateless Rohingya Muslims.

Violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, home to many Rohingyas, has become the biggest challenge facing Aung San Suu Kyi’s eight-month-old government and has sparked international criticism that the Nobel Peace Prize winner has done too little to help the Muslim minority.

At least 86 people have been killed and about 30,000 displaced in a Myanmar army crackdown in Rakhine State, launched after attacks on police posts near the Bangladesh border on Oct 9 in which nine policemen were killed.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak described the violence as ‘genocide’ and called for foreign intervention early December.

Myanmar responded by summoning Malaysia’s ambassador over what it described as Najib’s ‘unverified and unsubstantiated allegations’.

The deputy permanent secretary of Myanmar’s Labour Ministry, Maung

Maung Kyaw, said Myanmar workers have been temporarily stopped from going to Malaysia because of security worries.

He declined to comment when asked if the ban was in response to Najib’s criticism, saying only it was ‘because of the ongoing situation’.

“We instructed all licensed overseas employment agencies to pause sending migrant workers to Malaysia effective Dec 6 as there are reasons to worry about their security,” Maung Maung Kyaw told Reuters.

It was not clear how long the freeze would last, he said.

Labour-short Malaysia hosts about 147,000 Myanmar migrant workers, according to latest data available from Myanmar. A ‘sizeable number’ of undocumented workers from Myanmar are also in Malaysia, Myanmar officials say.

Malaysia’s national soccer team cancelled two friendly under-22 matches with Myanmar which was to happen Dec 9 and 12 in Yangon as a protest against the Southeast Asian nation’s bloody crackdown on ethnic Rohingya Muslims.

Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims marched in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25 to condemn Suu Kyi for her inaction.

Saturday, December 31, 2016

Protests were also held simultaneously in Bangkok, the capital of neighbouring Thailand, and in Jakarta.

Protesters in Jakarta called for the Nobel panel to cancel its award to Suu Kyi. Myanmar authorities have rejected accusations from residents and rights groups that soldiers have raped Rohingya women, burnt homes and killed civilians during the latest crackdown.

Samantha Power, Washington’s ambassador to the UN, outlined the level of concern at a closed meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Nov 17, diplomats said.

“Initial enthusiasm of (the) international community to let Myanmar continue on this path of reform on its own seems to be dangerous at this stage,” she said.

Suu Kyi responded the next day by telling a gathering of diplomats in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyitaw, that her country was being treated unfairly, sources said. They added, however, that Myanmar had also committed to restore aid access and launch a probe into allegations of rights abuses, the key points they had been pressing for. — Reuters

REBEL resistance in the Syrian city of Aleppo ended on Tuesday, Dec 13 after years of fighting and months of bitter siege and bombardment that culminated in a bloody retreat, as insurgents agreed to withdraw in a ceasefire.

The battle of Aleppo, one of the worst of a civil war that has drawn in global and regional powers, has ended with victory for Syrian President Bashar alAssad and his military coalition of Russia, Iran and regional Shi’ite militias.

However, the war is still far from over, with insurgents retaining major strongholds elsewhere in Syria, and the jihadist Islamic State group holding swathes of the east and having recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra.

The plight of civilians caused global outrage in the wake of a sudden series of advances by the Syrian army and its allies across the rebel enclave.

The rout of rebels from their evershrinking territory in Aleppo sparked a mass flight of terrified civilians and insurgents in bitter weather, a crisis the United Nations said was a “complete meltdown of humanity”. There were food and water shortages in rebel areas with all hospitals closed.

On August 17, five-year-old Omran Daqneesh was pictured in the back of an ambulance after being pulled from the rubble of an air strike in Aleppo, with an expression of incomprehension on his dust-and-blood-caked face.

– Reuters A still image of Omran Daqneesh from a video posted on social media after an airstrike, Aleppo, Syria – Reuters photo

TIMELINE OF ATTACKS IN WESTERN EUROPE March 22: Three Islamic State suicide bombers attack a Brussels airport and a metro train in the Belgian capital, killing 32 people. Police find links with the 2016 November attacks in Paris.

Nine men arrested in relation to the bombing.

police.

responsibility.

July 14: A gunman drives a heavy truck into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the French city of Nice, killing at least 84 people and injuring more in an attack claimed by Islamic State.

July 24: A Syrian man wounds 15 people when he blows himself up outside a music festival in Ansbach in southern Germany. The attack is claimed by Islamic State.

June 14: A Frenchman who claimed to be answering an appeal from Islamic State stabs a police commander to death outside his home in a Paris suburb and kills his partner, who also worked for the

July 18: A 17-year-old Afghan refugee wielding an axe and a knife attacks passengers on a train in southern Germany, severely wounding four before being shot dead by police. Islamic State claimed

July 26: Two attackers killed a priest with a blade and seriously wounded another hostage in a church in northern France before being shot dead by French police. Five people were ini-

tially taken hostage. The attackers had pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

December 19: Russian ambassador Andrei Karlov was shot dead by a Turkish police officer who shouted ‘Don’t forget Aleppo’ after he pulled the trigger on him at an art exhibition opening in Ankara.

In Berlin, a man drives a hijacked lorry into a crowded Christmas market, killing 12 and wounding another 48.

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AIRLINE TRAGEDIES

AFTER more than two years without any closure, the families of those lost on the fateful Malaysian Airlines flight are scouring the east African coast themselves for possible evidence that might help unlock the mystery of the victims’ fate.

Flight MH370, carrying 239 passengers and crew, vanished on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, sparking a search in the southern Indian Ocean that passed its 1,000th day on Dec 3.

The grieving and frustrated relatives of the missing passengers have taken matters into their own hands, unhappy and angry over the lack of progress made by official investigations.

A group of them – Malaysian, Chinese and French nationals – arrived in Madagascar early

Relatives of some passengers of MH370 hold hands at the Gassy Country House Hotel in Antananarivo, Madagascar, December 4, 2016; ahead of a search of the country’s beaches for debris from the missing plane. – Photo from REUTERS/ Stringer

M’sia Airlines flight MH370 December in hopes of finding debris themselves and raising awareness of the missing plane among local people and organisations.

Some family members have accused Malaysian-led investigators of focusing too much on the deep-sea search for wreckage off the coast of Australia, and have appealed to residents on the east African coast to search for plane debris and hand in anything they find to the authorities.

So far, three pieces of debris found on the beaches of Mauritius, Tanzania and the French island of Reunion have been confirmed to be from MH370. Investigators are examining several other pieces found in Mozambique and South Africa.

The search is expected to be suspended by the end of the year, when an Australian-led team completes its scouring of a 120,000-sq-km target area.

– Reuters

LaMia Flight 2933 THE football world mourned on Nov 29 after a plane carrying Brazil’s Chapecoense team en route to the Copa Sudamericana final – the biggest game in their history – crashed in the mountains in Colombia, killing 71 people but miraculously leaving six survivors.

Initial findings by aviation officials found that the plane had no fuel on impact, prompting an investigation into why the plane flew under those conditions.

A recording of the Bolivian pilot Miguel Quiroga’s final words can be heard telling the control tower the plane was “in total failure, total electrical failure, without fuel.”

He requested urgent permis-

Rescue crew work in the wreckage from a plane that crashed into Colombian jungle with Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense near Medellin, Colombia, November 29, 2016.

– Photo from Reuters/Fredy Builes

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 AUSTRALIAN Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Oct 2 the names of those responsible for shooting down MH17 might be confirmed by the end of the year, or early next year.

Australia is part of the Dutch-led criminal inquiry into the crash of the Malaysia Airlines jet in conflicttorn eastern Ukraine in July 2014, which killed all 298 people on board including 38 Australian citizens and residents.

International investigators said on Sept 28 the passenger plane was downed by a Russian-made missile fired from a pro-Russian rebel village in eastern Ukraine.

The findings counter Moscow’s suggestion that the flight, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in July 2014, was brought down by Ukraine’s military rather than the separatists.

Bishop said the culprits could face an international tribunal, similar to the one used to prosecute those responsible for the 1988 bombing of a PanAm flight over Lockerbie, Scotland. – Reuters/AFP

A Malaysian air crash investigator inspects the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo) in Donetsk region, Ukraine, July 22, 2014. – Photo from Reuters/Maxim Zmeyev

‘Worst mass shooting in modern US history’ A gunman killed 49 people at Pulse, a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, and the worst attack on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

The gunman was identified by authorities as Omar Mateen of Port St

Lucie, Florida, a 29-year-old claiming allegiance to the Islamic State militant group.

The shooting began around 2am local time (0600 GMT) inside the nightclub and there was a confrontation between the suspect and an officer working at the club outside the venue, according to

sion to land before the audio went silent. Air traffic control had asked him to wait while another flight made an emergency landing. The plane circled for about 16 minutes from its first communication with the tower until the crash, officials said.

International flight regulations require aircraft to carry enough reserve fuel to fly for 30 minutes after reaching their destination.

LAMIA Chief Executive Officer Gustavo Vargas said the plane had been correctly inspected before departure and should have had enough fuel for about four and a half hours, depending on weather. In such situations, he said, the pilot decides whether to refuel. — Reuters

local police.

The suspect then went back into the club and took hostages in the bathroom.

About three hours after the shooting first broke out, police shot and killed the suspect during actions to rescue the hostages. — Bernama/Reuters

Panama Papers IN APRIL, world leaders, aides and families, sports and movie stars were among those named in a huge leak of documents dubbed the Panama Papers, some of which reveal hidden offshore assets.

An investigation by more than 100 media groups has shone a light on assets held by some 140 political figures with help from Mossack Fonseca, a law firm based in Panama.

Offshore companies are not in themselves illegal, and there are numerous legitimate reasons for using them. But they can also be used to launder the proceeds of criminal activities or to conceal misappropriated or politically-inconvenient wealth.

The scandal has caused the resignation of the Prime Minister of Iceland, Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson and Spain’s industry minister Jose Manuel Soria.

Other notable figures made uncomfortable by the documents included now former British Prime Minister David Cameron, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, China’s President Xi Jinping, Argentine president Mauricio Macri, Argentina and Barcelona striker Lionel Messi and his father, and Spanish movie director Pedro Almodovar.

Since reporting on the Panama Papers that started beginning of April, Panama’s government has been struggling to persuade the world that it is not a haven for tax-dodgers and money launderers. – AFP

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Pokemon Go brings

Gene behind Lou Gehrig’s disease discovered

Augmented reality mobile game, Pokemon go, based on the 1990s Japanese franchise sent the world into a mad frenzy of exploration this year.

The game uses GPS and mapping capabilities in mobile phones to let players roam the real world to find ‘PokeStops’ stocked with supplies and hunt cartoon character monsters to capture and train for battles.

PokeStops can also dispense monster eggs, which players incubate by racking up walking distances.

Players can also visit ‘gyms’, where captured cartoon creatures can be conditioned as combatants to seize such training facilities.

For engineer Syed Mohamad Nukman Syed Nadzri, 29, the game was something so close to him since childhood and having to have to be a part of this game was simply priceless.

“Now that Pokemon GO is finally here in Malaysia, it gives a sense of nostalgia and excitement to catch them all over again,” said Syed Mohamad Nukman.

He said the game also gave him the opportunity to explore places that he never knew existed around his neighbourhood.

It has garnered worldwide attention from being hailed as the best thing for making people exercise and thus improving their

THe Ice Bucket Challenge that went viral two years ago, raising hundreds of millions of dollars, has helped identify a new gene behind the neurodegenerative disease ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

The challenge involved people pouring ice-cold water over their heads, posting the video on social media, and donating funds for research on the condition, whose sufferers include British physicist Stephen Hawking.

Celebrities including Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, ellen DeGeneres, Benedict Cumberbatch and former US President George W Bush were among millions of people who took part in 2014, attracting more than 400 million views on social media.

The challenge raised $220 million worldwide, according to the Washington-based ALS Association. News of the gene discovery again sent the Ice Bucket Challenge viral, proving one of the top trending topics on Twitter on Wednesday, July 27.

The money funded the largest ever study of inherited ALS and identified a new gene, NeK1, that ranks among the most common genes that contribute to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the ALS Association said in a statement.

“Global collaboration among scientists, which was really made possible

by ALS Ice Bucket Challenge donations, led to this important discovery,” said John Landers of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Landers and Jan Veldink of University Medical Center Utrecht led the study involving researchers in 11 countries.

“It is a prime example of the success that can come from the combined efforts of so many people, all dedicated to finding the causes of ALS,” Landers said.

The research was published in the scientific journal Nature Genetics in July and scientists hope it will provide another potential target for therapy development.

– Reuters

old memories to life lifestyles, to discovering bodies and causing accidents that have led to deaths.

The phenomenal success of the game caused a surge in Nintendo Co’s (7974.T) market value by $17 billion in just over a week, and has shown the potential for augmented reality and for Nintendo to capitalise on a line-up of popular characters ranging from Zelda to Super Mario.

This in turn has led to most recently, the release of ‘Super Mario Run’ on smartphones, another move by the company to exercise the nostalgia the generation of smartphoneusers feel for old school games.

— Bernama/AFP

Catching a ‘Pidgey’ in Pokemon Go — Bernama photo

A huge loss for Samsung ON OCT 11, Samsung permanently halted its sales and production of their Galaxy Note 7 smartphones less than two months after its launch in August.

The huge South Korean manufacturer was forced to recall some 2.5 million of the flagship Note 7s following complaints that its lithium-ion battery exploded while charging — and at other times.

The company also had to recall the first replacements it sent out to consumers after they proved unsafe.

The company has apologised for falling short on its promise of delivering ‘breakthrough technologies that enrich people’s lives’.

“For this we are truly sorry,” the company said.

It promised a full and open investigation

PPAP’s fame A music video called ‘Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen’

by Japanese social media star Pikotaro went viral after being uploaded in early September, with Canadian singer Justin Bieber helping boost viewing numbers by labelling it his ‘favourite video on the internet’ in a Twitter post on Sept 28.

The video – that has racked up over 131 million views on YouTube – features Pikotaro, whose real name is Kazuhito Kosaka, miming the joining of

an imaginary apple and pineapple with an imaginary pen, lyrics he said were inspired by items he found on the table when he began writing.

It garnered heaps of attention, sparking many parodies and even getting into the Guinness World Records for the shortest song to make it into the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Pikotaro has since released an extended version of the song, which goes on for 2 minutes instead of the original 45 seconds. – Reuters

Pikotaro (right) shows a Guinness World Records certificate during a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo. — AFP photo

into the Galaxy debacle.

“We will re-examine every aspect of the device, including hardware, software, manufacturing and the overall battery structure. We will move as quickly as possible, but will take the time needed to get the right answers.”

Meanwhile, US banned the phones from all its aircrafts on Oct 14, with other countries soon following suit.

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

WORLD EVENTS TIMELINE January 1  Dubai skyscraper ‘The Address’ burns as the New Year is rung in.  Giant squid makes rare appearance in Japanese port.

January 4  Eight dead as strong quake hits northeast India.

January 7  Zliten Libya | Suicide truck bomb, killed 60 people, wounded 200.  North Korea claims first H-bomb test.

January 8  Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto announces the recapture of drug lord Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, six months after he escaped prison.

January 11  Sharaban, Iraq | Two bomb blasts, killed at least 100 people.

January 15  American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan unveils newest exhibit replica skeleton of a Titanosaur dinosaur (found 2010 Argentina), largest known dinosaur at 70 tons, 37m.

January 16  Deir ez-Zor, Syria | Islamic State militants, killed between 135 to over 300 people execution style murder.  First ever flower grown in space – a zinnia aboard the International Space Station using NASA Veggie system.  Tsai Ing-wen becomes Taiwan’s first female president after a landslide victory.

January 23  Zika virus outbreak in Brazil.

February 1  Myanmar’s first freely elected parliament in 50 years has its opening session in Nay Pyi Taw. February 5  Computer hackers try to steal 1 billion from Federal Reserve Bank of New York using Bangladesh banking codes, steal 81 million before a typo alerts authorities.

February 11  Discovery of gravitational waves (through collision of two black holes) announced by physicists from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (Ligo).

February 17  Chief executive Tim Cook confirms Apple will contest an FBI order to unlock the phone of San Bernardino gunman Syed Rizwan Farook.

March 24  New Zealand votes to keep its flag after expensive referendum.

April 6  First baby born with DNA from 3 parents through mitochondrial transfer in Mexico.

April 12  Breakthrough Starshot: Scientists and internet entrepreneurs, including Yuri Milner, Stephen Hawking and Mark Zuckerburg, announce interstellar project to send robot spacecraft to Alpha Centauri.

May 8  Sadiq Khan is elected Mayor of London, 1st Muslim mayor of a major Western city.

May 9  Transit of Mercury—observed from Earth, the planet will move across the face of the sun. The last transit was in 2006 and, after 2016, the next two times Mercury comes between the Earth and the sun will be in 2019 and 2032.

May 23  Pope Francis meets the grand imam of Cairo’s Al-Azhar Mosque at the Vatican, marking the culmination of significant improvement in relations between the two faiths.

May 28  Killing of Harambe, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, sparking worldwide memes in retaliation of its perceived injustice.

June 1  Switzerland’s Gotthard base tunnel opens – world’s longest at 57km and most expensive tunnel costing €11bln.

June 9  Successful attempts to turn CO2 gases into stone underground in Iceland published in the journal ‘Science’.

June 14  First mammal made extinct by humaninduced climate change announced – the Bramble Cay melomys from Torres Strait.

June 18  Soyuz capsule returns to Earth 1st British International Space Station astronaut Tim Peake, Russian Yuri Malenchenko and American Timothy Kopra after 186 days.

June 20  Rome elects its first female Mayor Virginia Raggi (Five Star Movement) and its youngest at 37.

June 26  City of Falluja freed from Islamic State control after a month-long campaign

by Iraqi forces.

June 28  Suicide bombings and gun attacks at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport kill 42 and wound more than 200.

July 1  Islamic militants storm a cafe in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing 20 hostages and 2 police, country’s worse terror attack.

A remote Fijian village is photographed from the air during a surveillance flight conducted by the New Zealand Defence Force after the cyclone.

February 20  Tropical Cyclone Winston hits Fiji, killing at least 29 – most powerful storm on record in Southern Hemisphere winds 296 km/per hour.

March 2  Longest non-stop scheduled commercial flight by distance, Emirates A380 flies 14,200km (8,824 miles) Dubai to Auckland in 17 hours, 15 minutes.  US astronauts Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko return to earth after nearly a year (340 days), setting an ISS record.

March 14  President Putin orders Russian troops out of Syria.

Residents gather at the site of a truck bomb attack at a crowded market in Baghdad.

July 2  Large lorry bomb in Baghdad kills at least 125 people and wounds 150, Islamic State claims responsibility.

July 4  NASA’s Juno spacecraft launched in April 2011 successfully enters Jupiter’s orbit.

July 6  African American Alton Sterling is shot

by Louisiana police in Baton Rouge, while being restrained on the ground, the killing is filmed.  African American Philando Castile is shot by police in St Paul, Minnesota after being pulled over for a broken rear light, killing is filmed.  Pokémon Go, the AR mobile game

by Niantic, is first released.

July 9  In Dallas Texas, lone gunman shoots and kills five police officers, wounding others during a protest march against fatal police shootings of African Americans.

July 15  Attempted military coup in Turkey fails, nearly 300 killed, 6,000 then arrested.

July 26  Solar Impulse 2 becomes the first solar-powered aircraft to circumnavigate the Earth.

July 28  Earliest evidence of cancer found in 1.7 million-year-old toe fossil from Swartkrans Cave, South Africa, published in ‘South African Journal of Science’.

July 31  ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ a play

by Jack Thorne, with contributions by J. K. Rowling is published worldwide at midnight.

Fireworks explode during the Opening Ceremony.

August 5  31st Summer Olympics officially opens in Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

August 16  Wildfire breaks out in San Bernardino County, California, engulfing 15,000 acres, prompting evacuation of 82,000 people.

August 17  Flood waters recede in Louisiana leaving 13 dead and damaging 4,000 homes.

August 24  Astronomers announce discovery of earth-like planet named Proxima b orbiting star Proxima Centauri.  6.2-magnitude earthquake strikes central Italy, north east of Rome, killing 268 and injuring 400.

September 3  The US and China, together responsible for 40% of the world’s carbon emissions, both ratify the Paris global climate agreement.

September 7  2016 Summer Paralympics opens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

September 8  NASA launches OSIRIS-REx, its first asteroid sample return mission. The probe will visit Bennu and is expected to return with samples in 2023.

September 20  African American Keith Lamont Scott is shot dead by a black police officer in Charlotte, North Carolina, provoking violent protests in the city.

September 21  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan pledge $3 billion to medical research to ‘cure, prevent or manage all diseases by the end of the century’.

September 22  Police officer Betty Shelby charged with manslaughter for fatally shooting

unarmed black man Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

September 25  World’s largest radio telescope at 500m wide in Guizhou Province, China begins operating.

September 28  Hurricane Matthew forms near the Windward Islands, will go on to kill over 1000 in Haiti, the Caribbean and the US. September 30  Two paintings by Vincent Van Gogh, Seascape at Scheveningen and Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen, stolen on December 7, 2002 from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam are recovered, with a combined value of $100 million.

October 3  Kim Kardashian robbed at gunpoint, $11 million worth of jewellery stolen.

October 8  140 people are killed in an air strike during a wake in Sanaa, Yemen.

October 13  21 girls kidnapped from Chibok school on April 14, 2014 released by Boko Haram.

October 24  Suicide bomb kills 61 and injures 117 at a police training academy in Quetta, Pakistan; ISIS claims responsibility.

October 27  6.6-magnitude quake hits central Italy – strongest earthquake in Italy for 36 years.

October 30  Canada and the EU sign free trade deal after opposition by Belgium.

November 6  Indian government declares levels of air pollution in Delhi an emergency situation, closing schools and construction sites.

November 14  7.8 earthquake cuts off town of Kaikoura, New Zealand, raising sea bed by 4m, and killing 2 people November 22  Pope Francis extends power to forgive abortion to all Roman Catholic priests.  7.4 earthquake in Tokyo, generating a small tsunami that hit the same Fukushima region devastated by a 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.

November 29  Former NFL player Darren Sharper sentenced to 20 years in prison for a series of rapes.

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.

December 1  Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn is crowned King of Thailand, succeeding his father King Bhumibol Adulyadej.  UN admits its peacekeepers were responsible for the cholera epidemic in Haiti in 2010 that killed 30,000.

December 2  California warehouse inferno, killing 36.

December 10  Bob Dylan is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature at a ceremony he does not attend in Stockholm.

December 11  Bombing in Saint Peter and Saint Paul Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo, killing 23 and wounding 49.

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PEOPLE WE LOST IN 2016 January 10  David Bowie (Jones), English singer-songwriter (Major Tom, Ziggy Stardust), dies at 69.

March 5  Ray Tomlinson, American computer programmer (invented email and the @ sign), dies at 74.

June 6  Kimbo Slice (Kevin Ferguson), American mixed martial artist and boxer, dies at 42.

October 20  Junko Tabei, 1st woman to climb Mount Everest, dies at 77.

March 6  Nancy Reagan [Anne Francis Robbins], US First Lady (1981-89), dies at 94.

June 10  Christina Grimmie, American YouTube singer-songwriter, dies at age 22.

October 23  Peter Jozzeppi ‘Pete’ Burns, English singer (Dead or Alive, ‘Spin Me Round’), dies at 57.

March 16  Frank Sinatra Jr, American singer/bandleader, dies at 72.

January 14  Alan Rickman, English actor (‘Die Hard’, ‘Harry Potter’ franchise), dies at 69.

January 15  Tunku Alif Hussein Saifuddin Al-Amin, youngest son of the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, dies at 31.

November 7  Leonard Cohen, Canadian writer and singer-songwriter (Hallelujah), dies at 82.

March 24  Henry Jala Temalai, former Kelabit Highland Pemanca, dies at 84.

 William Yeo Hap Ee, Sarawak weightlifting legend, dies at 77.

March 31  Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid, DBE, the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize (2004), dies at 65.

July 2  Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor and author (Night), Nobel Peace Prize recipient (1986), dies at 87.

July 11  Mohd Syafiq Halias, Sarawak Sukma athlete, dies at 15.

February 3  Joe Alasky, American stand-up comedian, actor, voice artist, and impressionist (Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Sylvester, Tweety Bird, and more), dies at 63.

April 21  Prince [Rogers Nelson], American singer-songwriter (Purple Rain), dies at 57.

April 29  Tan Sri Yek Min Ek, prominent Bintulu businessman, dies at 103.

August 29  Gene Wilder, (Jerome Silberman), American actor (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), dies at 83.

May 22  N.A. Rosli, former national cyclist, represented Malaysia in 1964 Olympics, dies at 77.

September 25  Arnold ‘The King’ Palmer, professional golfer, dies at 87.

September 28  Shimon Peres, Israeli Prime Minister (Labor), President (2007-14) and Nobel Peace Prize recipient (1994), dies at 93.

February 19  [Nelle] Harper Lee, American author (To Kill a Mockingbird), dies at 89.

November 24  Florence Henderson, actress and singer (Carol in The Brady Bunch), dies at 82.

November 25  Fidel Castro, Cuban revolutionary, Prime Minister (1959-76) and President (1976-2008), dies at 90.

January 18  Glenn Frey, American singer-songwriter (The Eagles), dies at 67.

January 19  Yasutaro Koide, world’s oldest man, dies at 112 years 312 days.

November 23  Andrew Sachs, German-born British actor (Manuel in Fawlty Towers), dies at 86.

June 3  Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay), American world heavyweight boxing champion (1964-70, 1974-80), dies at 74.

October 13  Bhumibol Adulyadej [Rama IX], King of Thailand (19462016), world’s longest reigning monarch, dies at 88.

December 2  Sammy Lee, American doctor and platform diver, 1st Asian American to win Olympic Gold (1948, 1952), dies at 96.

December 5  Jayaram Jayalalithaa, Indian actress and politician, chief minister of Tamil Nadu, dies at 68.  Peter Vaughan, British actor (Porridge, Game of Thrones), dies at 92.

December 8  John Glenn, American astronaut (1st American to orbit the earth) and politician (Senator D Ohio), dies at 95.

December 25  British singer George Michael (Georgios Panayiotou) passes away peacefully at home. He was 53.

December 28  Star Wars icon Carrie Fisher passes away from a heart attack. She was 60 years old.

2016 sport 45 A look at

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

FAREWELL THE world lost three of its greatest sports icons in 2016. Each was an original, uniquely gifted and who created impact with an inimitable style, flair and charisma. They re-defined sport, expanded its popularity immeasurably and influenced it forever.

‘THE KING’: Arnold Palmer, 1929 - 2016 HE was nicknamed ‘the King’ for his prowess on the golf course and his unrivalled social impact off it.

Son of a country club greenskeeper, and a paint salesman before he turned pro, Arnold Palmer went on to win 62 PGA titles and seven majors.

With the advent of the TV age, golf’s first superstar elegantly combined class and a plain-speaking persona to attract endorsements beyond just sporting brands.

His fans and followers,

Ali versus Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden in York, US on March 8, 1971.

— Action Images

dubbed ‘Arnie’s army,’ were the precursor of ‘Tiger mania’ in more recent times.

He is the man that observers and players rightly hold as most responsible for transforming golf from an exclusive pastime for the upper-class elite to a world-wide sport increasingly accessible to the middle and working classes.

‘THE GREATEST’: Muhammad Ali, 1942 - 2016 HE stirred his first controversy by changing his name, converting to Islam and carrying the torch for Black civil rights.

The heavyweight champion also lit up the boxing arena with his witty trash talk and invisible quickness combined with unrivalled footwork and body control (he said he could ‘float like a butterfly and sting like a bee”).

But his unmatched career in the ring

was interrupted by a four-year ban (robbing the world of Ali at his physical peak) when he defied the US draft to fight in the Vietnam War. His comeback lay the stage for the folklore surrounding his two greatest fights ‘The Thrilla in Manila’ and ‘The Rumble in the Jungle.’

Parkinson’s disease took its toll but he decided to fight that battle in public and with amazing courage and grace.

‘FOOTBALL’S REMBRANDT’: Johan Cruyff, 1947 - 2016

Holland captain Cruyff dribbles during 1974 World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina in Gelsenkirchen.

— AFP photo

THE Ajax Amsterdam and Barcelona superstar never won the World Cup although he came close after leading Holland to the 1974 final.

But his name has been and will forever be mentioned alongside Pele, Franz Beckenbaur and Maradona in any debate on who is the greatest footballer the world has ever seen.

Among that distinguished list, however, Johan Cruyff stands alone for his combined impact as a football player, coach and

philosopher.

The three-time winner of the Ballon d’ Or was the most famous and influential exponent of ‘total football.’

As player and coach he revolutionised the way modern football is played – an emphasis on ball possession in which any of the 11 players could be called upon to defend or attack at any time.

The chain smoker explained it this way, “Football is simple, but it is difficult to play simple.”

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

Year of the

UNDERDOG THAT common if silly local metaphor – ‘the ball is round’ - implies that everyone or either side has a chance to win in the world of sport.

Its equivalent in western culture – ‘it

ain’t over till it’s over’ – serves as an encouragement to never quit, whatever the odds. Underdogs had a very good year in 2016. We celebrate these three major upsets:

BEATING THE ODDS (August 2015 - May 2016) IN August 2015, you could bet £1 with legal bookmakers and stand to win £2,000 if Elvis Presley turned up alive.

You got worse odds of 5,000 to 1 if Leicester FC went on to win the 2015/2016 English Premier League season.

Everyone expected the club to battle against relegation from the world’s most expensive football league as it did the previous season.

The smart money was on the usual suspects among the richest clubs – Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal – to lift the coveted EPL crown.

But the opposite happened.

Iceland’s Aron Gunnarsson and teammates celebrate after winning their Euro 2016 round of 16 against England. — AFP photos

DAVID VS GOLLIATH (June 28) ICELAND (population: 330,000) was the smallest country to ever qualify for a major international football tournament.

Without a professional league, its national squad are mostly amateurs, so too its manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, a dentist.

England boasts the richest professional football league in the world.

Top flight professionals, mostly multimillionaires, vied for a place in the English squad coached by Roy Hodgson, the

highest paid manager at Euro 2016.

Result: Iceland won 2-1 to qualify for the quarter-final and eliminated England from Euro 2016.

Defender Kari Arnason paid this sentimental tribute to their 8,000 fans in the stadium after the match, “It’s like having your family at the game. I know probably 50 per cent of the crowd or at least recognise them!”

England’s players react after losing the round of 16 match to Iceland.

Leicester, owned by Thai billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaphraba and managed by maverick Claudio Ranieri, surprised everyone including themselves with a fairy tale season.

Out of 38 games, they won 23 and suffered only three defeats.

With two games left to play, they had already built an unassailable lead and eventually finished 10 points ahead of the runner-up.

The serious-minded The Economist journal appreciated the significance, concluding: “There has never been a more improbable victory in any sport.”

Ranieri summed it up for EPL fans, “In an era when money counts for everything, I think we give hope to everybody.”

ENDING HALF A CENTURY OF AGONY (June 20) IN 2015, four-time MVP Lebron James returned to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers to fulfil his home city’s wish. Cleveland has not won a major national trophy in baseball, basketball or American football since 1964 – the longest wait of any major US city.

But the odds against them grew heavier as the season drew closer to the final playoffs.

Defending champion The Golden State Warriors ended the regular season with the best record in NBA history: 73 wins against 9 defeats.

Their megastar Steve Curry was selected the MVP for the second consecutive year.

They quickly

stormed to a 3-1 lead in the best of 7 final series. Only three teams in history had recovered to force a Game 7. All three eventually failed to win the penultimate game.

The Cavs won Game 5 and 6.

Playing away in Game 7, the Cavs ended Cleveland’s 52-year wait with a pulsating 93-89 win. Lebron James gave arguably the greatest performance by a player in an NBA 7-game series.

He led all players in all statistical categories (averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocks).

2016 sport 47 A look at

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Saturday, December 31, 2016

By The Sports Editor

reporters@theborneopost.com

SARAWAK football is in crisis.

The 2016 season was a battle for Sarawak to survive in the Super League. Eventually, the Crocs did well enough to escape relegation. But it was the second year in a row that they had to struggle to the end just to stay in the top tier of the Malaysian League.

Then in Sept the top leadership of the Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) - including the president, deputy president and secretary-general - announced that they were not seeking re-election. The election ended with a new Exco but no president.

Names were proposed for the hot seat but no one wanted to take it up.

The challenges facing Sarawak football have raised concerns.

Assistant Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has commented on the matter more than once.

Former state coach Awang Mahyan of Nyap Sayot fame told The Borneo Post, “I am just worried for the team because with nobody wanting to become FAS president, the team’s performance in the Super League might suffer.”

A crisis, by definition, cries for resolution. But it is also an opportunity for stakeholders - administrators, officials, players and fans - to reflect on the past and contemplate future directions.

Historically, Sarawak fans have been among the most passionate in Malaysia.

The Crocs often played to a capacity crowd of 30,000 at home. The last time Sarawak won a trophy was 2013. While there was much to cheer, and deservingly so as the team went undefeated for the entire season, fans need no reminders that the team was playing in the 2nd tier Premier League that year. Do the fans deserve to see more success from their team? Or are they already expecting too much?

After the Crocs were promoted to the elite 12team Super League the following year, they have struggled: 7th in 2014, 10th in 2015, 8th in 2016.

In fact, Sarawak have always been battling to survive in the Super League since it started in 2004. The Crocs kept

their heads above water in only seven of the past 13 years. The other six years were spent in the Premier League following relegation in 2004, 2008 and 2012.

Believe it or not, the past three seasons 2014, 2015 and 2016 already represented the longest unbroken period that the Crocs have remained in the Super League.

Indeed, the 7th position achieved in 2014 is the highest spot

DANGER

CROCS AT THE CROSSROADS the Crocs have ever climbed in Super League history. The record showed that Sarawak finished last in 2008; second last in 2004 and 2007; third last in 2012.

Looking back at the last 13 seasons, is that the best the Crocs can do?

Based on the current budget and resources expended by FAS and sponsors, the team’s track record would suggest that the answer is Yes. Meanwhile, no one is expecting the Super League to get less competitive.

JDT, champions for the last three seasons, have invested in the best training facilities and paraded the most expensive line-up among the 12 Super League teams. Few, if any, Malaysian teams can afford JDT’s foreign import players.

They also signed so many national players that they could afford to seat a few on the bench.

The only conclusion to be drawn is that greed is good if you want to thrive. Based on this argument and under the prevailing circumstances, Sarawak cannot expect to do better than just

Sarawak’s starting line-up for the 2016 Super League season.

Former FAS president Datu Sudarsono Osman lifting the Premier League trophy with captain Shahrol Saperi at the State Stadium at the end of the 2013 season.

Legendary Sarawak coach Awang Mahyan.

Current state coach David Usop.

ding dong on the margins of the Super League. Not unless there is a new source and significant injection of funds from somewhere.

Some local fans seem to yearn for a more Sarawakian line-up without the need to maximise the full quota of foreign and local import players. Current Sarawak coach David Usop, the first local to helm the Crocs in a long while, has also expressed similar sentiments. The good news, if this road is taken, is that there will be no budget issues. Moreover, one could expect fans to identify more strongly and develop greater pride with Sarawak-born players.

But is it possible that the idea of relying mostly on local talent is nothing more than a misguided nostalgia for the good old days of Nyap Sayot.

Lest we forget, that was an era when the country was making a transition from amateur to semiprofessional football.

And how patient can our fans be? How many matches, weeks,

months or years can they endure if a Sarawak team, comprising mostly local-born, gets bogged down in a losing streak or relegated from the Super League?

Then again, perhaps they may be so proud of the local boys led by a local coach that they don’t mind at all? For silverware, fans and the Crocs can instead eye the Malaysia Cup which remains equally prestigious.

A team requires continuous effort in 22 matches over 36 weeks to sustain the Super League. To succeed it must display consistent good form and avoid injury woes over a period of eight months.

The Malaysia Cup, on the other hand, offers a compact season of only 16 weeks (less than four months). The team only needs to focus on one opponent at a time. They face only three teams (which may be from either the Premier or Super League) in the group stage. Then it’s the quarterfinals, semis and grand final.

Not that it’s going to be easy but switching focus to the Malaysia Cup may prove to be a far more worthwhile proposition for the Crocs.