Flooding in Sibu

Apparently Sibu is now not spared from flooding in the last one week. I was there on the 27th and 28th and the pictures you see now were taken yesterday, 28th morning.

Part of  the road cannot be used by most traffic because of the flood. there were many other stretches of roads around Sibu which were worse. Some houses in the hardcore areas were cut off from the main town areas.

The portion is worse, yet so much money must have been put into its construction but poor construction practices on peat soil will always see subsidence over time leading to lower lying areas subject to flooding. Poor car there, luckily it managed to swim through.

Lanang road under flood water again.

When can Lanang road be made to become flood free? Yesterday, to-day and every morning for the last one week,  similar episode occurred. It has been flooding in the morning and then dried out with the tide in the afternoon but back again in the next morning according to man in the picture, standing and wondering why the coffee shop is not open while the one on the opposite side does(see the next two pictures).

Bau Floods-Lessons to be learned.

Cleaning up time for the lady at Kampong Blimbin, Bau after the flood subsides on Monday. That night, the flood level was as seen on the cement wall, about eight foot of water where the lady is standing.

Natural disasters and how to overcome them had been, are and will be the challenges for every Government in power, including in USA where Hurricane Katrina had created havoc. In Malaysia we are mainly concerned with flooding. Unless every level of the Government is alert and concern about it, flooding will remain to be a nuisance to everybody affected, private or public.

One of my main concern while I had the power to address the problems caused by floods was to make make sure minimal disruptions to everyday activities and life because of communication cut-off. But it is sad to say, I was also the victim from Saturday 10th January to yesterday, the 12th when finally I was able to return at 8.00 pm swimming through the last protion of Batu Kawa road, a stretch of about 0.5 kilometer some at four feet of water, in my Landcruiser while other in smaller cars lined up to wait or had to used the Matang detour to Taman Malihah and Satok way. Luckily my vehicle could “swim”( but rather ploughing through the water) without an incident.

Krokong/Bau section Closed by Taiton low lying area.

Another five foot at the end of this section at the bridge would have the road passable throughout the flood. Even with the other parts clear on Monday the motorist still have to wait till about five pm before this section is clear of the flood water.

Yet my hassles and others delays and problems would have occurred if only the implementors and consultants who were employed by the Taxpayers had done their jobs MORE diligently. As to the Batu Kawa portion of the flooded road, I had told JKR about the need to raise that portion of the road earlier, but yet with the completion of the dual highway the level is almost the same as the old one, even though they should have learned the needed lessons during the 2004 great flood. Whose faults then for all the unneeded miseries caused by the present flood over the last few days. Even the District Officer was caught for two days without change etc. Luckily Bau Town was still open, so he could get what he needed. Like me only last night, he was able to go home. But for Bau hospital, they caught with one doctor working two days without relief while the others were stuck in Kuching and elsewhere. Luckily for the Government, there was no real emergencies except for the poor who got their houses flooded and suffered from the losses of their belongings, because they could not afford to buy or build houses in a non flood prone areas, like Kampong Pengkalan Bau, Buso and Siniawan as well Bidayuh villages like my own where I was stuck in my Kampong House for the last two days.

Rations reliefs were sent by helicopters yesterday though to my kampong and the surrounding areas affected by the flood, thanks to the concerned and hard work of the Bau Flood Relief Committee. In fact I met the Deputy Chief Minister, Tan Sri George and the Deputy State Secretary at Bau Hospital yesterday but unfortunately without the respective BN representatives from the Constituency. Presumably they were busy elsewhere though.

Immediate relief was going on quite well but the Government could have done better if they had marked all the flood sections of the roads with bamboo poles or other alternatives with clear signs to show how deep the flood level is. It would have made it easier for monitoring as well as for traffic to decide whether to “swim” through or not. These markers can be used for future planning especially in the upgrading of the main trunk roads.

For example Krokong/Jagoi areas need not be cut off from Bau if the Taiton section and a few more sections are raised by four to five feet. Bau needs not be cut off from Kuching if only the two portions, Siniawan and Kranji/Tanjong Durian, which were upgraded to make the old Bau road weather proof. Yet in some areas, it was under five to six feet of water, because of poor specifications by the Consultants and subsidence on certain areas because of substandard contract works, making the road impassable to traffic for two days.

Thus unless we have proper records of flood levels in flood prone areas to guide future planning and implementation of projects, we will have more unnecessary problems due to poor implementations by the respective agencies involved in future.

Man watching the "drowning" Bau District Police headquarters

This was on Monday afternoon. The flood level was about three foot higher during Sunday. It is said that the people have to “rescue the Police first” as their first floor had to be evacuated first. Luckily this time all the water-sensitive properties had been relocated to the first floor after the 2004 debacle, when they lost many items to the flood. But why this site was chosen by the Siting Committee knowing the area is flood-prone and secondly why didn’t the consultant insisted the site be dumped up to the road level at least. The Sebuku road, which still under water was known to everyone in Bau to be flooded to the present to everyone in Bau, except apparently to the Chairman of the Siting Committee and the Consultant to the project. It appears that the To Peh Kong Committee is more aware of the flood level than the Consultant, which designed the complex and supervised the contractor during the construction and the Siting Committee. What had gone wrong in between to make the Bau Police to be the first to be rescued?

Hopefully the Government has learned all the lessons so that future floods will be less disruptive, not only in Bau but throughout Sarawak and if possible Malaysia. The main trunk roads should be built to be weather-proof, meaning the level to which they must be constructed must be above the highest known flood level. Police stations and critical government buildings must be sited in a non flood prone areas, where possible. If not, then the site of any buildings should dumped to raise it above the known flood level at the very least. Access to these buildings must be also flood proofed where possible.

2009 – Happy New Year…

2008 is about to be gone to be replaced by 2009.

We wish everyone a Happy New Year. 2009 may not be as prosperous but it will be the year where we have to watch our purse more carefully as the world economy may recover slowly. For serious investors, it will be a year of opportunity as well.No doubt many have already made plans and resolutions for the new year while the others have not. It is important to know what we want to do and achieve if we want to achieve more in life. A general framework is needed so that the details can be fitted in as time moves on.

I like to break mine into various aspects of things which affect my future as well as those close to me. However whether I can fulfill all the goals set or not, it does not make me quit in my quest to be a better person or life at the end of the day. I start by deciding what I want my obituary will be like – the type of person that I will be remembered by, when my “external shell” is ready for burial. Next is my commitment to leave my village, my friends, my family and my country a better place than when I first found them.

Financial Needs

This is a key area where one must establish a goal. Without money, life will be a mess. With too much money, life can also be miserable as well. There needs to be a balance where life is worth living. Had I gone for too much money, there will be no STAR to-day. However without the money needed, STAR can only as much as it has up to now.

Thus for anyone who aspires to rise up to be on the top of the cream, you must plan your financial needs now. To ensure that you will have the fund you need for any of your plans, you will have to adopt the principles used by a very poor man who sought and followed the advice from a very rich old man, later he, himself, became the richest man in Baghdad. In accordance to the principles he learned, you must pay yourself at least 10% of whatever you earn and invest it in a solid investment with guaranteed interests every month. This fund can only be used to buy land or properties in a good area later. The other ninety percent is the only amount available for your daily needs and for paying your debts if any. Your target is always to be debt free… The more you can save and invest safely above the minimum of the 10% target the faster you will get rich.

Physical Needs.

There is no point to be rich and famous if you neglect your physical and health needs. Being a slave to medications or whatever before you are eighty means you have neglected your bodily needs to stay healthy. Your body needs time for work, relaxation and exercise. It also needs proper diet to meet your daily requirements. Whatever you eat and drink and make you feel fresh and alert is good for you except too much alcohol in whatever forms and also smoking, whatever amount. It is also advisable to stay away from those who smoke, as secondary smoking is bad for your lungs.

Spiritual needs

It is important in the present world of competing spiritual interests to be confident enough of your own faith so as not to be swayed into worrying about what will happen to you when you die. GOD has provide us with our own souls. Just listen to your own soul and be happy that you are alive and well and as our Deputy President, Dr. Dripin Sakoi, does, “He congratulates me for living another day!” I do the same to him. Yes every other day we live in peace , in harmony and in health deserves a “CONGRATULATIONS”.

It is also important to understand as much about others’ beliefs that I have made it a point to read as much as I can about the BOOKS of the GREAT religions of the world.

Family needs

No matter what eventually every man needs a family. It is not only the immediate but also the extended family. The closer we become the happier one can be. Only when the family is all right, only then we can really look after the bigger family, the State and the Nation. It is important we keep in contact and have quality time as much as we can or else we will lose each other.

In Malaysia, we have a number of occasions when families can get together as we celebrate a minimum of four New Years and many other holidays. Besides these holidays, IT has made it possible for immediate and constant contacts through phone calls, SMS, e-mails, Twitter, Facebook and Blogging. Thus interchange of information, ideas and help can be immediate.

Social Needs

Being more of a social animal, we also need to keep a circle of friends for various reasons. I found out that having many friends made my work easier as a politician, even as an opposition member. If we are lucky enough to have friends in the corridors of power, it would better still. The only thing about friendship is that it can also be a handicap if the character we portray or exude is offensive, unreliable or exploitative then one will asking for trouble. I have known characters who have a lot of friends and know a lot of people but command little or no respect.

Thus it is also important to cultivate relationships with honor and respectability.

Overall self development

Finally it is important really to ponder why are we here, now and then? Why are we born? What really is our part and role? Many missionaries from various faiths are ready to provide us with ready answers, but should be satisfied. If we are here to do GOD’S will, how are you going to know that will?

We have to survive to our present status using our five senses. What if there are other dimensions we have been schooled not to explore or believe? Should we not develop our sixth or seventh senses to really know what our soul is really like?

For a better future and a better New Year, we ought to know our real mission for being born by trying to know “what we yet to know”. It is only when we know we can move forward to be a better person. Only when we know more and do more than what we know and do, we can change our world to be a better place than it is now.

Now I wish you a VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. For Muslims, a few days late and the Chinese twenty seven days early, the Dayaks six months too early, showing that even for new years we differ, but we still share the same air, water and land. We do share the same struggle which is to live a happy, healthy and worthy life. Till our souls leave our bodies, we can suffer together or we can laugh together. The choice lies with us all….

HAPPY NEW YEAR, SELAMAT TAHUN BARU, ……

New Year Wishes..

Human progress will be minor if everyday in our life is routine. Development will stagnate creating a pool of robotic universe. Nothing will be interesting if all we do is to wait for the clock and the Sun to come up and then go down. Now is the age of the electronic media and thinking. Changes can go fast and swift. For instant, blogging has allowed the exchange of good and bad ideas, stance, philosophies and so on… The world can shaped faster than any time in our human history.

Democracy and increasing tolerance of Government leaders have allowed news to travel fast and swift. For instance, when my daugther was stranded in Bangkok by the “YELLOW” opposition who blockaded the Bangkok International Airport, via “TWITTER” I “was be there” with her within seconds. I did not have to call anyone else to know where and what is happening. It could also be too confusing and “alerting for the opposition or perpetrators of crime as in the “Bombay attacks” as the gunmen could also follow what the Law enforcement personnels were doing minute to minute if they had gone to “TWITTER” or other form of electronic media available at the Hotels raided. Whatever its use maybe, electronic age and media have expanded everyone’s for information and contacts. Thoughts and actions can be formed faster without much hassles…

Thus New Year wishes can be made and its fulfillment can be made within easier reach if the right approaches can be made to seek its fulfillment. One only needs to remember that the real order and tendency of  our universe about “CHANGE”. Men always have tried to stifle or deny, especially those who are in power and are benefiting from that power. Unfortunately at times even those without power are unwilling to “rock the Boat” for fear changes that changes could bring even bring a “worst case scenario”. This is the reason why we are still living on this earth with all the hardships and tragedies that we all may watch at one time or another on Television or through electronic and printed media. Yet Heaven can be on Earth.

All human could be happy, merry and healthy…. Laughters and “NOT TEARS” could be the Order of the day. Health and “NOT SICKNESS” could be the wealth of every human being who are born normal. Economic meltdown would have not hampered Obama on January 20th 2009  if  the American economic system has not been infested by greedy and irresponsible markets and gullible consumers. Yet it is only the human greed, egos and pride which have led to the downfall of many.

One of  the big losing factors for any human being is the ” I KNOW IT ALL” mentality. I have heard it many a time in coffee shops, longhouses and even in the Parliament Of Malaysia. Yet it is this arrogant and egoistic attitude which have limited the speaker’s achievement. Many are just “common drunks” who could even afford to send their children to school. Yet they could even banged their fists on the table and shouted to his drinking mates that he “KNOWS” and “IS MORE CAPABLE” than their leaders. They even refused to admit why they are not even  leaders at the lowest rank. Luckily for Malaysia and Sarawak, the damage created by people in this category is self limited – only to himself, family and at most to his own area. However when someone entrusted with the power to look after a bigger responsibility behaves this way he can create havoc for everybody else… Can you think of a few Ministers, Assistant Ministers or Honorable Members of Parliament or the State Assembly who “know it all” and are doing more damages than good to you now?

To progress one must always REMEMBER THAT WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW TO-DAY IS no longer important, it is what we yet to know is VITAL to our better future!

Next in line for a good recipe for a future disaster is “I am better than so and so” attitude. Bidayuhs of the Bau Jagoi stock call it “PINGAMUN”. One of the campaign tactics my Honorable Opponents had used and are using against me is that. One even boasted that his “Parang is sharper” and mine is duller. No wonder he has cut down many of his opponents even at a Kampong level. He is the best around, but unfortunately he will have to rely on absolute power and money politics to win. Whether is good or not, it is not for ourself “to blow our whistle”.

It was once asked by my peer and friend since children, “whether I am wise or not?” He has been drunk for three days and was still drunk when he asked me that question. I regrettably told him, “Well, John–, it is entirely up to you. If you say that Patau is stupid, so stupid is Patau. If you say he is wise, so wise is he.” Well although he was drunk, he smiled and changed the topic immediately.

Another friend commented to many friends before  that ” That I must be crazy to learn from a Traditional Healer when I should know everything since I am a Canadian graduate Doctor and that I need not learn from one who had not even gone to school”. However only by God’s intervention that he changed his attitude because when he got very sick  and was not healed by conventional medicine, it was my friend who helped him to recover as  eventually he had to consult him. He further referred him back to me if he wants to free of  all his symptoms. Combined help from both us, he is now well and running. He becomes a believer in both modern and Traditional Healing Practices of the Bidayuhs as well.

Thus for a starter for the New Year Wishes I open two topics for consideration – one – our incomplete knowledge to-day and the need to “learn” more if we are going to change for the better in the future, and the other is the need to respect the source of any knowledge. Only when we realize what are needed to expand our horizon to progress, we can bring about the “CHANGES WE NEED FOR A BETTER FUTURE”.

Tecman- IF YOU THINK YOU CAN – PART 3…

To-day is Christmas Day, a day for celebration for all Christians throughout the World, though one half is still celebrating the Christmas Eve because we are ahead of many millions by twenty-hours or more. There are others who had celebrated it hours before us- New Zealanders four hours ahead, Australians two hours ahead, etc all to the East of us. The Christians celebrate the official birthday of their LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST.

Six days later we will be welcoming the New Year throughout the World, while the Chinese will have to wait another twenty-seven days before their New Year bash.

The celebration is also the celebration of all of us to that very hour. What we have achieved is what we have been able to do to our varied goals and actions. Some just reap without effort to get more than they really need while other have toiled to their bones and yet may not be able to afford a decent meals to celebrate. To those with excesses obtained by guile and deceit we have to pity them for that will be all they can ever achieved. Normally they end with a dismal old age with less friends and more enemies… so pity and bless them that they realize futility of their greed in the coming years so they remember those who toil but not be able to afford a new shirt for Christmas…

For all who still have to struggle for a better living, I would like to give you food for thought so that the celebration for 2009 will be happier and better…. Tecman final eight lines to ponder while you celebrate this year…

IF YOU THINK YOU’RE OUTCLASSED, YOU ARE.

YOU’VE GOT TO THINK HIGH TO RISE,

YOU HAVE TO STAY WITH IT ,

IN ORDER TO WIN THE PRIZE.

LIFE’S BATTLES DON’T ALWAYS GO,

TO THE ONE WITH THE BETTER PLAN.

FOR MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, YOU WILL WIN

IF ONLY YOU THINK YOU CAN..

The above are for all Malaysians.

Now we are supposed to be developed along on the principles of RUKUN NEGARA which were the reasons for Malaysia to be born…..but now actually on the principles of inequality of four main pillars for wealth distribution while little or stress is made on wealth creation except as campaign promises….and political strategies to win support after the May 13 th riots heralding the birth of NEP.

While those who are in the corridors of power can make millions or billions just by dropping the right names at the right time or married to the right husbands or wives, there are many who work and work just to ensure that they food on their tables. While the BN MPS enjoyed their free and sponsored trip to Taiwan and Hong Kong to stop any possible political hijackings in September this year, many Malaysians cannot afford their airfares to visit families within the States they live in… If fact some of them even dared to complain to a senior journalist that they were given only RM1,000.00 in Taipei and US1,000.00 who they moved to Hong Kong when threatened by the typhoon in Taiwan. Imagine free trips etc and almost five thousands of pocket money they are still complaining, but they have a basis though because they alleged that they were promised FIFTY THOUSAND each!… Yes these are the “lucky” people but pity them for their dignity and souls are that cheap also. One would expect them to have better principles and goals to help this Nation…

But for the many Malaysians, who think that too much have been taken by the privileged few, it is important to remember that it is up to each one of us to make sure that to-morrow can be better by thinking positively what one can do to bring in the right changes. While the privileged will use all the advantages to reap and reap, you can determined how far and how long they can do that to you.

As this is Christmas day, be happy and be Merry. MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone…..

Tecman – If YOU THINK… YOU CAN- Part 2

Many have said behind my back that I have lost many elections already and that there is no more hope for me. I just smile… and pity them, especially those who think that with Anwar’s Tsunami they will easily topple Taib and his gang ,come next State Election… But what is worse is that they think they could not win without Anwar and PKR. Even this morning, such sentiment was expressed to me….. so what if PKR has other priorities?… what if Anwar is bogged down by West Malaysians’ problems? Just last weekend PAS vice President, revived its call for the implementation of the HUDUD law… DAP Secretary General and Chief Minister of Penang, quickly responded with a “NO”. He is going to seek clarification from Anwar, he told the press….

Let us think about a common case in point to see how we view the world ourselves, – take the scenario of a cup filled half way with water:- is it half full or half empty? Similarly if you do not win an election but the opponent uses all the dirty tricks to win by hook or by crook, is it a loss or yet-to-win situation? It is entirely depend on your point of view and your imprinted impression of life.

Since we are talking about political philosophy, a viewpoint can be derived from your own stated goals. If the goals were for a quick win so that one could seen as a hero, then losing an election is definitely a loss. If on the other hand we establish a different goal, say to make sure that the ruling Party keep on their toes to serve particular interests or else they can be thrown out at later date then losing an election or two or many more does not matter a bit as long as the struggle can be sustained without going for a “cheap sale”. Look at PAS history, when I entered Parliament in 1986, Only one PAS lone ranger in Parliament and he was from Pengkalan Chepa, a quiet old man whom UMNO members could not “ruffle his feathers” so to speak debate after debate. He just did his things quietly with dignity… Now PAS holds power in three States, Kelantan, Kedah and Perak. Had they gave up earlier, UMNO will be the “rulers” in these States…

Thus for me, given the conditions of the mentality of the majority of Bidayuh voters to date, it is not time to win “at all costs yet.” STAR would have disappeared from the scene in no time had I won in 1996 or 2000 and so on… BN would have used their defeats to tell all the voters of Mas Gading that it is because of “my victory” that “this and that” are not done… If people asked for projects, they would have asked them to ask me…. and so on and so forth… Thus I had to take many steps backwards first … After all it is all right for the Allies to lose many battles during the Second World War, but they won in the end. As long as we keep on fighting against all odds till the day our Opposition collapse…under their own steam, it is all right not to win yet…..

Thus Part 2 of Tecman:

IF YOU THINK YOU’RE LOSING, YOU’VE LOST,

FOR OUT IN THIS WORLD WE FIND -

SUCCESS BEGINS WITH A PERSON’S WILL,

IT’S ALL IN THE STATE OF MIND.

This is very important to remember if one is to succeed in life and especially in politics and fighting against the might of an Incumbent Government with all the facilities and Departments behind them, we must be prepared to step backwards and dodged the bullets and so on. Time will come when we will win….Don’t rush for a quick victory or predict a victory…

PBDS always wanted a quick victory but when denied they quickly surrendered like in 1991 after trying win in 1987 with Kumpulan Maju… They lasted only four years fighting, even then with one foot in BN…Now the Party is gone with the wind.. a new offshoot, PRS will never win power on their own… Yet some remnants are taking a quick ride with PKR after failing to register MDC… DAP’S Tanjong 1, Tanjong 2… all failed till the last one, only then his son became CM of Penang now…

For The IBANS..

It is honorable to fight for the cause of all the Ibans who are losing their right as “the sons of the soil” as promised to Tun Jugah and other Iban leaders in the sixties to agree to form Malaysia in September 1963. It was the Dayaks objections and reservations which delayed the formation of Malaysia to September 16th 1963. The target date was August 31st that year. It was by divine intervention that it is delayed otherwise the present propaganda that Sarawak and Sabah joined Malaysia “holds water” since the Federal Constitution was amended to make Sarawak and Sabah as one of the thirteen States now.

Be not surprised if both Ningkan and Jugah are not turning and turning in their graves now knowing how they were misled to believe that their grandchildren will be treated as BUMIPUTRAS but NOT “ORANG LAIN LAIN”. Furthermore if they were told that Sarawak will be below par with PERLIS, their collective response would be “NGAI KAMI” to the COBBOLD COMMISSION. If the majority response be so then, there will be no Malaysia to-day. But we are in now and we cannot blame anyone but ourselves for not being able to know what will happen if PBDS were to surrender so easily in 1991 or the Dayaks in-fighting till to-day….

I know the feelings of many gentlemen IBANS and I had heard them expressed many times… I know the determination and uprightness, respect and courtesies of many IBAN longhouses. I know what needs to be done but …. many Iban leaders have failed to have the determination and courage of many longhouses gentlemen who dared to lose the post of Tuai rumahs or penghulus, etc… frankly no stamina to fight to death for many Iban leaders… although plenty in the longhouses if challenged, as shown by those in the Sungei Ulu Niah case…

It was also aptly expressed by one National Council Member from Katibas Division in our 1995 National Council Meeting… the last one I was allowed ever to attend since…. JAKO YA, ” KAMI, DATO(referring to Datuk Amar James, SNAP President then), DI BAROUH DIEN, AMAT KERING. TANG PINGARI KAMI TOK AMAT TUSAH. UDAH DIBESAI KAMI, DITABAN ORANG, UDAH DIBESAI KAMI, DI TABAN ORANG, … ” He repeated it three times… and what happened next … He got an outstanding APPLAUSE from all the DELEGATES who ALL STOOD UP…

The above dilemma need to be resolved. I have “touched and helped” to groom many “IBANS’ to become Honorable Members of both Houses only to see them destroy SNAP, which was the only Party which have made an IBAN, the Chief MINISTER. Sure, PBB made another Iban, to become the Second Chief Minister of Sarawak, Chief Minister but only as a political move to get rid of Ningkan, the first Iban Chief Minister.

My friend and classmate, Joseph Tawie has written down most of the sad episodes of the Ibans losing their power…in his book, The Broken Shield.. It is worth reading to relive the sad history …

So this is plenty for the younger generation of the Ibans to do or sacrifice to make up for lost grounds. It must be understood that success is in only the State Of Mind. If most of you are frightened or are unable to face the common challenge by drunken longhouse petty politicians who would tell you, “NADAI DUIT, ANANG JAKO” or “NADAI DUIT, NADAI JAKO” or “NO MONEY, NO TALK”. Then you have already lost… Blame no one now or in the future but yourself….

But please remember, I don’t think NINGKAN had the money then, but he had two Chinese friends who contributed five thousands each every month to get SNAP moving on the ground, but James Wong was not one of them… Nor did Jugah then… My father didn’t have the money but he moved around for Negara then… Now all of us who talked about all the “coffee shop” politics have more money compared to our parents or grandparents…but why are we so helpless. The Melanaus without the sacrifices of their elders like Tun Salahuddin( Abang Louis Barieng then) would not have made to the present political heights.

So if you want to lead, then lead at the hardest time without complaints or easy surrender. If you can’t, then give full and unequivocal support to anyone else who does but not those who are in BN now… Udah nemu bulu, anang nyabong balu agih, ditaban uhang balu.

Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS…. Let us hope for a better and happier 2009 ….

Tecman- If you think…. You Can – Part 1.

What gifts can I give you, my friends who visit my blog site and hope for something better. It will be Christmas in three days now. Here I am in a cool overcast morning after a few days of rain in Kuching , Sarawak thinking about all of you who always ask me to write for more…..

Now I want to share with my guiding principle to day. Like most of our fellow humans all over the world, I had to scrap through against all roadblocks and made it to where I am to-day. Prior to the present I received, I already have always placed the highest goal possible for myself, such in the fifties to be a medical Doctor when amongst my village peers, even going to school means to be ridiculed. I was branded as “OTAK BATU”, meaning it just could not learn anything because I have been studying for “eight long” years ( FORM 2 only lah) then and yet I was ridiculed for not working with a Government like those who failed to pass the “COMMON ENTRANCE” examinations at Primary Six and were working with the various Government Departments. Then even “standard one” as they were known then or Primary 3 leavers could find a job working with the Government as police men, clerks, etc.

When told about the ridicule at my kampong level then by my first cousin who was concerned about me, I told him there and then, ” I will not stop studying until I pass the hardest course in the world!” At that time everybody I knew then keep telling that Medicine is the hardest course. Like a fool I believed them and here I am doing Politics full time and Medicine, part time. I am pretty sure many of you want a political change now but I have to apologize that I did not prepare myself for my present role. So now, we have to work at it together to succeed. Yes together we can, Yes We Can… Obama said it and he is the President- Elect now. Now we must all say it….. YEEESSSS WE CAN……

Even before Obama says it, TECMAN(I don’t who he is) said it in a quartet( which was present to me years back). So my Christmas present to you all, to-day is Part 1 of that quartet;

IF YOU THINK

…….. …… YOU CAN

If YOU THINK YOU ARE BEATEN, YOU ARE,

IF YOU THINK YOU DARE NOT, YOU DON”T,

IF YOU’D LIKE TO WIN, BUT THINK YOU CAN’T,

IT IS ALMOST FOR SURE, YOU WON’T.

The above is the first part and think about it. We have been bombarded with many false assumptions of what we can achieved in life. Roadblocks are deliberately placed in front of us especially the Christians in Malaysia and especially the Dayaks…who are categorized as “OTHERS”. Many are stumped by these and believed that the only solution is DAYAK NATIONALISM.

But wait a minute, have they thought long and hard about the solution…Are the roadblocks there for the Dayaks alone? What about the others, the Malays, the Chinese, the Indians or even the Melanaus in Sarawak. What about them, no poverty or hardships amongst them? Have you visited any Melanau village and, if so, are all of them as rich as the privileged Melanaus who have made used of them to get the political power those privileged Melanaus wielded to-day? Do they problems with their land like the Dayaks? Are those Melanaus who owned land in Mukah town before, having shop houses under their names now? Unlikely, just like the Malays of Jalan Satok or Jalan P Ramlee, how many of them own the shop houses built on their land? But who could they blame, had the owners ever believe that they deserve the shop houses in the first place or they sold the land for quick gains?

Why do people lose their rights to a better future? Is it because of the Government policies or pure trickery by another smarter, sleeker and ruthless human being? Or is it purely our own lack of vision and goal? Christmas is indeed a time for CELEBRATION but if we do have problems to resolve it could also be used for reflection, quiet discussion and action…. All our problems are man made, only we, as humans, can resolve them… But only, IF YOU THINK……. YOU CAN…

YES YOU CAN…. and Yes WE CAN.

For the Bidayuhs…

Blame no one, that we are where we are… We have been told upteen times, “ATA CHE’UK, MA LAWAN”.. meaning we are small, don’t fight… It is an unnecessary message but it is message to scare all the Bidayuhs. “Unnecessary” because the Bidayuhs have yet to fight, like the Communists did in the sixties or like the warriors of Bung Beratak in the seventeenth century. What they have done to date is to exercise their freedom to choose with their votes. While we are still practicing Parliamentary democracy, it is unfair to deprive them the right to choose especially after I was sacked because I was doing my job not only helping the Bidayuhs but also the Melanaus and other races. “SCARING” equating voting against BN as voting against the Government is another misnomer. BN can become the OPPOSITION like in KELANTAN, KEDAH, PENANG, PERAK and SELANGOR now. Without Sarawakians and Sabahans full support for BN, BN would the Opposition at Federal level as well.

Meaning the power is still with us all, the voters! Yes YOU ALSO CAN… WE CAN contribute to a better future…. I believe that GOD has a plan for all of us, yet the plan will not materialize unless we dare to work for what we need and want. We need to be creative, loving and INCLUSIVE in the process ……

FOR THE IBANS … better wait for Part 2 to-morrow…….. Nganti meh wei..

PKR alone toppling Taib??

PKR had their General Assembly over the weekend, and Anwar, its de Facto leader, had promised to take over Sarawak before 2011, apparently in the next State General Election. Thus the next State Government will either be led by Dominic Ng, PKR or Chong CJ, DAP, as the Chief Minister or another character yet to come to the fold. He announced that the PR will comprise of PKR, DAP and PAS and had asked its MPS to adopt a seat each and to start to visit their seat starting this week. Thus with 31 MPS in hand, 31 seats will be taken care of by PKR alone. Under this strategy, some seats will even have two Members of Parliament assigned to it if PR fully agrees to implement his recommendation.

PKR has been very active to recruit the Dayaks in Dayak areas, after they have so far unable to win any Muslim majority areas since the 2000 blackout when they could have won Santubong and Petra Jaya seats but lost with a small margin after the blackout. In the last Parliament, they tried to get a foothold in the Chinese areas, only to lose their deposits in certain seats but importantly ensure the return of at least five seats to BN. Now they want to capture the Dayak majority areas with Nicholas Bawin and his MDC group minus John Nichol Rayong, the former Deputy President of Malaysian Dayak Congress(MDC), who still waits for his acceptance into SUPP.

Taib quickly “scoffed” Anwar’s mission as a mere dream. He must have his reasons to be confident and Anwar should be fully aware of it. Yet nothing is impossible and only time will tell.

In 2006, even with Taib at his weakest, he managed to survive PKR, DAP, PAS and SNAP/MDC assault, although he lost the most number of seats to the BAS, Barisan Alternative Sarawak, since 1987, the Ming Court attempted coup de tat which failed. BN lost eight of the 71 seats available for grabs to BAS. But BN won two seats uncontested namely Daro and Dalat. DAP won the most seats, six in total. Now with the defection of the Independent from Ngemah to PKR, PK(Pakatan Rakyat) has now nine seats in the State Assembly.

PK now needs to win at least twenty seven more seats in the coming State Election to form the next Government to get a minimum of 36 seats to form a simple majority to take over, assuming PK can retain all its present seats. DAP can surely win three more if they can get proper candidates to stand in REPOK, DUDONG and PELAWAN where they lost by 576, 408 and 263 votes respectively in 2006. Thus assuming that the Chinese voters continue its present trend to reject BN, with twelve seats in hand, PR still need to work on a minimum of 24 more seats. To-day it is rumored that PKR has at least five more seats in hand, if PR works together honestly otherwise it may even lose Padungan.

But will Dominic Ng retain his Padungan seat without DAP support? He had angered the rank and file of DAP by putting up candidates against DAP and BN in the last Parliamentary election ensuring that BN won at least Stampin, Sarikei and Sibu back. Knowing Taib as a political heavyweight, he will know how to placate certain “opposition weaklings” to help him win again in the coming state election. Thus the real challenge for Anwar to do is to appease all the contending parties within his PK first before he can topple Taib. If he can appease all the former DAP factions to genuinely work together, then there will be at least TEN seats from the Chinese area alone. If not, the sure Chinese seats will go back to BN SUPP again just like the last General Election where SUPP managed to retain the Sarikei seat with the skin of their teeth.

Much are heard now of a potential Sarawak political Tsunami in the next general Election. Given the right conditions, it can happen. Amongst these are genuine co-operation amongst the current PK partners, with a good and respectable local Muslim leader for PKR commanding the respect of the Muslim constituencies, an additional strong and viable locally based party as a partner and sufficient finance for them to do the needed ground work. However even with all these in place, if the younger and eligible voters don’t register to vote and mobilize themselves, the older generation will remain to become the Taib’s bastion of support, especially in rural constituencies. PK cannot win unless they can challenge effectively in the Muslim areas and win some seats there. The failure of Ming Court and KUMPULAN MAJU was because they failed miserably in Muslim and Chinese majority areas. They won only one Chinese majority area and only two Muslim areas while the other seventeen were Dayaks majority areas out of forty eight State Assembly seats then. If fact, had KUMPULAN MAJU had worked closely with DAP at that time, BN would have lost in 1987. But now, there seventy-one seats and most of them have been made to favor a BN win.

For Anwar to succeed he has to work very hard, invest time and money to “conquer” Sarawak by getting the right person to do right job. If he is going by his 2006 crew again as what he has done so far, he may fail in his mission to win Sarawak. Winning Sarawak is crucial for him to become the next Prime Minister. If Sarawak and Sabah remains to be the main “battle ground” to become Malaysia’s Prime Minister, then he should know that this coming Sarawak State Election will be critical both for him and Najib.

In the last State Election, PKR contested in 27 seats and PAS Beting Maro. PKR won only Padungan seat with a majority of 1,417 votes or 3.7% of the popular vote. It lost its deposits in 4 seats namely Bukit Sari, Balingian, Muara Tuang, and Tanjong Datu. In Saribas, its candidate lost by only 94 votes. Overall popular votes obtained was 17.3% while won in the same areas with a popular vote of 47.2% on an overall turnout of 64.5% in the Muslim majority areas and one Chinese majority area of Padungan. With this in mind, no wonder, Taib “scoffed off” Anwar’s next mission.

Most Sarawakians have told me they want Taib out, but very few can really commit themselves to work at it. Many of them are just waiting for a sponsor to even “pay for their car loans before they have the stomach to fight on” and other needs before they can fight. With such needs and spirit by the present Opposition pact, no wonder Taib still has the command despite various “handicaps” and is confident to form the next Government.

In 2006, many Dayak politicians sprinted past STAR to join BAS when they heard “rumors” that they would be given RM50,000.00 as pre-election expenses and RM 200,000.00 for the election expenses. I was told at the last minute that no seats would be given to STAR, even though we were supposed “to look after the Bidayuh areas” initially. They were so confident of winning that only one SNAP candidate asked for my help. Surprisingly after we announced that we would forgo the election, it was my friend in BN who asked me whether I could help Peter Namsiam in Tasik Biru. The rest is history, but up to to-day they failed to see why I did it. They could spread rumors trying destroy my reputation without bothering to look into their own mirrors to examine their egos and greed.

However many of those “SNAP” candidates of 2006 do not even bother to chip in money to get the SNAP headquarters running fully and properly nor could they hold their annual Divisional Meeting. The Headquarters had been closed since October 2008. Only once, I saw the office open again. It is sickening to see how SNAP, a party with a good history, is being used by different people for different purposes, save to make it a strong local Party to over the State Government again. Hopefully it can hold all its Divisional Meetings properly with proper notices in accordance to its Constitution without resorting to the powers vested with CEC just to remain in control.

How Anwar moves to get all these diverging forces with vested interests together to win will determine whether he will become the next Prime Minister. It is not impossible to topple Taib, but it is not that easy also. It will take time, money, and better strategies to counter money politics, potential electoral frauds including potential blackouts and the promises of developments and projects in Sarawak Politics.

A day to remember- Part 3…Dayak Unity.

The December 4th gathering of almost a thousand concerned Dayaks under the auspices of Sarawak Dayak National Union is the first of its kind as political affiliation became a non criterion for the invitation. Dayaks from all works of life across the Board of the political spectrum. It is indeed an evening to remember and cherish. It is an example for NGOS, especially all Association which claim to represent a specific race or group to follow – let your event be representative of your race or just make an “official Branch of the ruling Party”. Politics should be thrown out of the window if the Association is really going to work for their respective races as SDNU did.

It is about time that all Associations follow the footsteps of the Melanau Association where every Melanau is welcomed to contribute and even to be elected to the Committee even if he is on the opposing camp. This was what was told to me by a senior corporate Melanau leader after the Ming Court event when pressure was applied to isolate the TUN Rahman faction. True enough that now Tun Rahman is back to support the “fledging” Taib with Nora, his daugther as the new Member Of Parliament. The Melanau is the only community in Sarawak which has reached that level of political maturity.

So it was a big step taken by the present SDNU committee to build alliance amongst the Dayaks without fear or favor. They should be encouraged to continue to become a forum for all the Dayaks where they can at least to sit down to eat together and exchange ideas as to how they can move forward socially, economically and if possible politically. We need to show the world and also all Malaysians that we can work together to help Malaysia. SDNU must now continue to become the catalyst for the Dayaks to work together irrespective of faiths, political beliefs or regional background. The borders which have divided us leading to the present exploitation of Dayak’s resources and land have to be dismantled.

The present Dayak status as “others” in Malaysia despite that they are also the natives in Malaysia is but the doings and mistakes committed by their past political leaders. Being categorized as “Others”, the Indians which ranked number three in Malaysia has better quotas for scholarships and places in the Universities for entries to certain degrees specially Medical degrees. All these are known to all Dayaks, the discriminations and exploitations, so I don’t have to give further details, but the remedies to these problems should be discussed and acted upon. Only the Dayaks will be able to resolve these problems as these are self-inflicted by the continued political divisions and continued slavery to money politics by the majority of the Dayak voters and Dayak political leaders and their followers.

If CHANGE is what we need, then the need for urgent and wise change amongst the Dayaks must be look into. It has to start with the Dayaks, themselves. Time to fear in their hearts must go. Time for bravery must be replaced by wisdom. Time to think with their head must take precedence over “bottle talk” and breast beating of “we, the majority” talk. They need the support of all Sarawakians for a CHANGE FOR THE BETTER FUTURE, just like the others also need their continued support and help for continued peace and progress to achieve Vision 2020. It will not be easy nor wanted by those who currently benefit from the present system, but it is indeed our common will and mission, then we will be half way there already.

SDNU leaders must remember the advice of the Governor of Kalimantan Tengah who told us that alone we cannot succeed. It is the people who are prepared to support and follow the leader make the leadership possible. We have many Dayaks who look himself in the mirror and decide that he is the BETTER LEADER and the others are not good enough for every conceivable reasons without asking “Am I ready to lead through Hell and snow without fear or favor?”. No Dayaks who cannot say “YES” to that question should lead any organisation trying to resolve any problem faced by their members under our present system of Government and administration. Whenever a leader cannot carry the present burden, then he/she must give in to the next in line to do so.

Leadership by oppression, force and enticement must give way to leadership of principle, transparency and performance. All Dayak leaders must remember that as leaders we will be treated like the Bidayuh Undertaker, the “PININUH”. However while we kindly accept the role we must play our role differently which is while PININUH buries all the dead, we, as leaders, should not do so. We should, where possible, resuscitate “the dead” and make them live again. We have nothing to lose as GOD will find a way to repay us and he can even punish them if they in turn do bad things to those who have helped them. This is a lesson which I have learned from my father. It has worked for him and is working for me now.

In politics, we must also be patient although it is said that, “Time waits for no man.” However for good things to come, it will take time. Never rush for the desired result may come. For example, if you were to shake or climb a durian tree when the fruits are not ripe, then all what you will get will be unripe durian fruits! Take them but do not complain. It will take time to regroup and rebuild. It will take time to have voters who can understand what politics mean to their future. The majority of our Dayak voters were committed for change in 1974 and 1987 but many have been betrayed and enticed by the very leaders they have believed in. Now they are at times of confusions.

Even Bidayuh nationalism was strong at one time but BN tactics have misled them to worship BN now. Through DBNA, it was aroused but now through the same organization we are being “shackled”. Only with a more mature and knowledgeable population they can be “unshackled”, but it may take time before they appreciate my sacrifices. In their desperations, many are now looking up to Anwar and PKR to become their Saviour. How many time will tell but DBNA turn down the offer to host the MADN visitors on the 6th December last minute according to the Organizing Committee. So it was Datuk Daniel Tajem who came to the fore to receive them at his own residence.

“Universal” Antidote- a case for Biodiversity and IP protection

Thanks to Bernama, The Borneo Posts and the late 24 year Iban Lady, Helen Mena, who died because conventional medicine had failed to “cure” her, most of you have read about the good and the bad news about the availability of a CURE which could have saved her life and many others if only greed, selfishness and “piracy” are not embedded in all our human system of Bureaucracies and Businesses. The old societies and cultures know a lot of cures which can contribute towards a better and less inefficient human journey on this earth. We could enjoy better health and longer life if proper nutrition, exercise and less societal pressure are available to all and lastly cheaper and better curative services are available to those who need them. For example, a friend of mine is still recuperating from just a scorpion bite, despite two months of hospitalization and nursing services. This is totally unnecessary. If only he had known that I have the herb to cure him within just a few hours, he does not have to suffer these last few months. The need for profit and the laws to protect Intellectual properties, however, have hampered the development and availability of many health supplements and natural cures taking away unnecessary lives or giving untold pains and miseries to the unfortunates.

Let’s take the case of this humble herb, which I would like to call it for the time being, DUH PENAWAR or if the husband and/or the parents of Helen agree later on we could call it, “Helenmenaia” in her memory.

It is there all the while but I was not taught about it in my formal medical education. I had to watch a number of people related to me dying from “PARAQUAT POISONING” and heard many more who had died because of it as well as other poisoning because we are not taught about the most effective antidote which can give the cure as demonstrated by this herb. I finally heard about it when I eventually asked a Traditional Healer whether he knows of any herb, good for Paraquat poisoning after the death of my nephew’s son who was hospitalized and waiting to die in a District hospital for two weeks, where conventional medicine and myself failed to save him because the needed knowledge is NOT KNOWN presently to conventional medicine. He told me that there is a herb which he had used to save two of his relatives from “PARAQUAT POISONING” who had been hospitalized but “were sent home to die”.

“Feeding them with a fresh preparation of the herb, they are still alive till to-day”. he said.

Being naturally curious and knowing that what is very important to me is NOT WHAT I ALREADY KNOW BUT WHAT I DO NOT YET! It is “what I don’t know” is what I need to learn and learning is an on-going process. I thus waited and waited for the opportunity to study its effectiveness, efficacy and safety of the herb.

As for safety, it was simple. I just took a few leaves and taste and ate them. (Hey, wait don’t copy me “LAH” because some leaves are really poisonous. I tried one leaf in my friend’s garden, and it almost paralyzed my tongue until I took my antidote, only then my mouth became normal. Yea, what an Idiot i was and am….so don’t just simply try every leaf just to find out whether such is good to and safe or not… SAKIT PERCUMA NANTI….. KALAU MATI jangan salahkan saya… Bodoh sendiri jadi “copycat”….” However, by the simple tasting method, I know that the plant is safe to eat. I still eat or drink part of the potion which I make from the herb before I give it to the patients.

Next case study… Fortunately over time I was able to test the herb on two cases of weedicide poisonings, two snake bites, one wasp bite, one unknown bite. The last one was a case of poisoning from the urine of one type of caterpillars causing a “weeping skin reaction” on the left side of her neck as well as painful sensations under her skin and swelling on her left cheek, despite a week of conventional medical treatment. Treatment with the antidote, however, brought a cure in all cases: – for poisonings it took about two days for a complete recovery, the snake bites in less than twelve hours for total recovery with a single dose, bee bites a matter of few minutes, and for the caterpillar urine case in less than seven minutes the painful sensation was gone.

Yes, it is very effective in the seven cases tried so far. But what about other snakes like cobra, etc. Yet to be tested…. Other poisons, yet to be tried… Yes more studies and documentation to be done, this is why I wanted to work collaboratively with the Health Ministry, but to-date no response to my letter of offer. I understand their problem because our system won’t allow them to do so unless further testing and documentation said it is safe to do so. However it can be done as an adjunct therapy and study. It will take the courage of a decision maker to say, “YES”. Since the roadblocks are human created, any human being with the power to decide can take away the roadblocks. Worse still the world maybe deprive of this antidote, if for reasons best known to our present decision makers, more roadblocks can be created….. to its development and commercialization. So both expedition and destruction is possible. So let us hope SAVING MORE LIVES become our joint responsibility, duty and commitment. The lady needs NOT DIE!

IP protection is needed so that more stakeholders can benefit from any discovery. The process to obtain it has to be simplified so that it can do easily. Only benefits can be assured and the availability of the product to everyone is possible. Right now, because of the roadblocks put in place by the Ministries concerned, most of the good supplements and medicines, available in our jungle and known to the Indigenous population, are not available to those who need them. What have been leaked to the respective “experts” such as the “Bintangor tree” and “Tongkat Ali” now became the IP of others. But the knowledge belonged to the poor “sources” who remain poor and unknown and not recognized by the world.

Those supplements and medicine, which are already known to the world are beyond the reach of the poor. My pharmacist friend of mine told me of the high cost of registering any supplements also have increased the cost of the supplement.

The need to conserve of our tropical forest is now very obvious because of there GOD has provided us with all that we need for our survival on this planet. Before we destroy all the good plants which are of potential medicinal value, we have to take stock of our plant diversity. Biodiversity must be protected and studied so that full use of its availability can benefit all of us to lead a happy and healthy life besides economically.

Why do the Chinese and the Indians made the majority of the human population on this planet? From what I read, they are the only people who eat or drink the most diverse food in the world. Anything that “grows, swim or fly” becomes their sources of energy and wellbeing, except for beef amongst Hindus and pork amongst the Muslims. Foods are even classified in the Chinese diet into its various actions and functions: such hot, cold, bitter , sweet ,etc…
On top of their diverse dietary habits, they also use of a lot of herbs for medical purposes and drinking teas of various types for various reasons…… except those who want to make quick profit, they start to adulterate their foods and herbal medicines with harmful ingredients that we all know, read and/or hear of in the news- for example, Melamine in milk and milk products lately, Cortisone or others, known to those in our Public Health workers. So is the Indian system of Ayurvedic medical practice.

Thus as my old Chemistry Teacher, Dr. Sagunam who called, congratulated and told me, “Plant is life, without plant there will be no Life”. Take heed all. Plants are food, medicine and all. Without plants using the carbon dioxide we all emit, we will die in no time…. even if the potential absence of the OZONE layer will get all of us or the future generation roasted alive by the direct Sun radiations…. All those in the coastal cities will either move to higher grounds or get drowned as our ice cap will melt and flood even the New Yorkers! …