Racists Bigots In Malaya Daylight Robbers In Sarawak

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I believe that Malaysians have reasons to feel very disturbed of late. I will not lie, I am one of them

Why? For those who bother to keep up with what’s going on, things seem to be going from bad to worse. No, it’s not about the daily struggle many have to go through to put food on the table for their families or to keep afloat
It’s worse. Racists and bigots are on the loose in the peninsula and these nitwits within political circles are getting braver each passing day. Over in my homeland, Sarawak, it also seems to be business as usual. Daylight robbery in the corridors of power goes unabated, according to press reports and reliable information sent to me personally. I will go into that later
The extremists and bigots have no qualms about publicly spewing venom of the racial and religious kind as if they are the almighty protectors of their race and possess the divine right to do whatever they want in the name of their religion
The Semenyih by-election has brought up some very disturbing episodes. Although racial slurs are nothing new, it has proven one sad fact. As a nation, we are still wrapped in a world where race and religion reign supreme. Where is this “New Malaysia” that we are talking about
We understand the new Pakatan Harapan government needs time to put everything back on track and we are prepared to give the leeway
Rescuing the nation from kleptocracy, charging the corrupt, recovering their loot and putting them behind bars is important. But as long as we do nothing, especially when we are in power, to put in their place the opportunistic politicians who are constantly stoking the fires of racial and religious bigotry, I honestly doubt we will be able to get anywhere. Therefore, the “New Malaysia” is but a farce
Sad to say, Harapan leaders are also responsible for this lie they want us to believe in. Think Icerd. Think of the public declaration of support for Dr Mahathir Mohamad from PAS “in the name of the Malay race and Islam”
Think of BN secretary-general Nazri Abdul Aziz’s inflammatory speech in Semenyih. What was the punishment? Hauled up by the police to record a statement. Is that about it
I would put this uncouth fella in the lock-up for 48 hours and get him to write 1,000 times what is stated in the Federal Constitution regarding the racial composition of public officials. A punishment for school kids when they err is what Nazri deserves as he appears clueless on the constitution. You talk and act like a kid, we will treat you like one
Then attorney-general Tommy Thomas found a social media post saying that he is anti-Islam and it was serious enough for him to warrant lodging a police report. Surely, the AG could do without this nonsense and stress upon his personal self. Don’t blame Thomas if he ponders at times whether his job is worth his time and energy
And what is controversial preacher Zakir Naik (below) still doing in Malaysia? Why is he allowed to roam freely here as a fugitive when he is a wanted man in his native India? Who monitors his movements? How much more time do we need to decide whether Zakir is a preacher or a terrorist? The Penang government was right not to welcome his attempt to preach in the island state
And then we have PAS trying to defend their indefensible RM1.4 million payment to Sarawak Report by conjuring up lies even after they were caught with their pants down. So, it must really be okay to tell lies to protect the religion, as PAS leader Hadi Abdul Awang had declared
Only yesterday, Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki warned of a mega-rally following the government's purported lack of action against certain quarters whom he said have insulted the Malays and Islam. What else is going on
Palace next to squatter hutYes, we seem to be sinking deeper and deeper into the racial and religious abyss and those up there do not seem to care. Do we need more reasons to show why the people are getting restless
Over in Sarawak, two articles by Sarawak Report over the past week or so have cast a dark shadow on the perceived “no tolerance for corruption” stance in my homeland since Abdul Taib Mahmud’s retirement from politics in 2014. This also turned out to be one big farce
The two stories are enough to show that it’s business as usual with the same old stories of power abuses in high places repeating themselves. Clearly, thugs hired by companies with political connections still rule in Sarawak
When the late Adenan Satem (above) took over as chief minister, he stopped the issuance of timber licences. Logging halted but after his demise, the matter is not that clear
In any event, when corrupt political leaders and their cohorts have no more timber to steal, they started grabbing land. This has become a big problem in Sarawak, as the two Sarawak Report articles can testify
I’m also glad to be receiving materials regularly from the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), including their press releases, on various happenings in Sarawak. Their last few statements were also about land grabs with the one near the Mulu National Park now a subject of international scrutiny
Late last year, I was also informed that a senior GPS leader allegedly flaunted his new-found wealth by building a sprawling RM20 million mansion in Petrajaya, just outside Kuching. Photos of the mansion were also sent to me
Upon receiving this message from my friend, I wrote to him: “Probably 200 metres from his palace, his fellow Sarawakian has to make do with a one-bedroom squatter hut with his wife and six children, possibly without electricity and running water. I hope his majesty in the palace with his life of luxury is able to sleep soundly at night.”That, my dear friends, is the sad and sorry state of affairs in Sarawak. It’s a peep into the disparity of how rich politicians and their less-fortunate fellow Sarawakians survive in this land of plenty which we proudly call The Land of the Hornbills
Three days ago, another friend passed me some information regarding the collection of parking fees in Miri. He told me that RM2 million was collected monthly by a company allegedly linked to a PBB politician
File pixI have since learned that the state government had privatised the collection of parking fees five years ago. This means that a total sum of RM120 million was collected over a five-year period. Of that sum, I am keen to know how much actually went to the council
I have nothing against privatisation but what worries me is that its implementation has led to a widespread practice of crony-capitalism. Are we not only too aware that those in power have found it convenient to award contracts to companies and individuals closely linked to them?
That is a form of daylight robbery to me, perpetuated by 33 long years of blatant abuse of power. And it has not stopped yet. Politics of development, my foot
FRANCIS PAUL SIAH heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) and can be reached at [email protected] - Mkini

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