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Kristoffer for Pelagus in 11th state polls? BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sabah - New 2 Borneo

Kristoffer for Pelagus in 11th state polls?

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 11:59 AM PST

KAPIT: PRS Supreme Council member Dato Kristoffer Nyuak Bajok may end up as the party's candidate to wrest Pelagus from Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) in the 11th state election.

During a gathering at Rumah Engking on Sunday, Kristoffer, who is also Saberkas Baleh branch chairman, said he had the "urge" to contest in the polls, but he would only do it if there were enough support from the ground and the party.

"I never say I am the candidate who has been decided by the party (PRS). Furthermore, the election is still far away and the party has yet to announce its candidate.

"But I have the urge to contest, and if I am nominated and elected as the people's representative, I would serve the people with much determination.

"If I fail, and if any one or two 'tuai rumah' ask me to step down, then I will."

The current term of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly expires on June 200, 2016, but the chief minister has the prerogative to dissolve the Assembly earlier.

Kristoffer gave his assurance that he would not want to contest as an independent candidate as he did not want to disappoint the people.

At the gathering, several community leaders from Pelagus constituency pledged their support for Kristoffer to contest in Pelagus.

They felt that the issue of a local being a candidate was not an issue here.

"What we want is a candidate who is close to the people. We want a candidate who is generous and is able to lend a helping hand. Former Pelagus assemblyman Larry Sng (SWP chief) is going to stand in the 11th state polls, so we must select the correct and winnable candidate to wrest back Pelagus for the BN (Barisan Nasional)," they said.

Pelagus is currently held by SWP deputy president George Lagong.

The `tuai rumah' present said they planned to meet PRS president Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing to convey their proposal to nominate Kristoffer .

At the gathering, Kristoffer presented PRS membership cards to 86 new members. He had earlier presented PRS membership to about 200 people in several longhouses including Belawai, Yong and Sungai Anggau.

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Fatimah praises ‘Suspended Meals’ as a spirit of giving

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 11:58 AM PST

KUCHING: In a fast-track society where there is 'no free lunch', a simple meal can go a long way to show compassion, love and empathy toward the less fortunate like the aged, poor and hungry.

Welfare, Women and Community Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah highlighted this yesterday that every individual in society is capable of making Kuching a better place to live.

"While our society is fast developing, we must make sure that the less fortunate are not neglected and isolated from the rest of the community," she said at a lunch with the less fortunate at Absolute Tribal Sarakraf Pavillion in Jalan Tabuan here.

"We need to break the barriers and allow the poor and needy to be a bigger part of the community," she added.

Absolute Tribal introduced its 'Suspended Meals for the Needy', which is a community project that allows diners or any individual and organisation to pre-purchase meals for someone in need to claim at a future time.

Restaurant owner Gerald Goh initiated the project out of love as he sees it as a stream of warmth brought about by a ray of light in the hope tunnel of the needy.

"The concept was borrowed from Suspended Coffee which started in Italy which is aimed at reaching out and spreading some warmth to the poor and needy in our community," he explained.

Goh pointed out that he was startled to learn that there were at least 300,000 people in need in our community including orphans, homeless elderly, single parents, people with illness, physically disabled and more.

"While we note that the number is constantly on the rise, we feel the need to show them that we care and encourage them to keep going. We want to make them feel better," he said.

"It would also serve as a platform for donors who wish to extend their helping hand while spreading the message to the poor and needy that we do care," he added.

Fatimah, in commending the young entrepreneur for his initiative, pointed out that the concept was essential to help break down the barriers which segregate the poor and needy in the community.

"Suspended Meals (will) allow the less privileged people to go inside decent food establishments and enjoy a good meal where they could not previously," she emphasised.

"They open doors and invite the poor and needy to eat with the rest of the community with Suspended Meals and let them know that we care, love and respect them as well," she added.

Fatimah hopes that more food establishments and even organisations will follow suit.

"Also, we hope more individuals, corporations, private and public sectors as well as organisations and associations will come in and support Suspended Meals," she said.

"While Christmas is fast approaching and in this season of giving and sharing, this is a good opportunity to start the ball rolling," she added.

Fatimah also hopes the spirit of giving can continue well beyond the festive season.

Some 150 less fortunate from 11 charitable, welfare and social organisations (NGOs) including Pibakat, Sarawak Society for the Blind, Cheshire Home, Mental Health Association of Sarawak, Green Ribbon and Hung Nam Siang Tng were treated to a sumptuous lunch yesterday.

Suspended Meals can be bought at Absolute Tribal Restaurant at RM10 each while the restaurant would in turn invite the poor and needy in Kuching identified by its partners to redeem the meals worth RM15 per person.

Meal redemption will be done at Sarakraf Pavilion coupled with tours of the Pavilion where diminishing craft heritage of Sarawak are intricately documented and preserved.

Short term courses featuring this diminishing heritage could also be conducted to selected recipients.

Also present was Social Welfare Council of Sarawak president Joan Irene Yong.

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Man in limbo over IC replacement

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 11:56 AM PST

by Jenifer Laeng, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on December 10, 2013, Tuesday

MIRI: A 55-year-old man from Rh Ricky Marai Nanga Lait Tinjar Baram is seeking answers from the National Registration Department (JPN) as to why he has not been issued a new identity card (IC) even though he applied for a replacement in 2003.

Speaking to The Borneo Post here yesterday, Gagah Brundang said he lost his IC and all other important documents when their longhouse, previously known as Rh Ramba Nanga Lait, was razed by fire in 2003.

"I immediately went to lodge a police report at Miri Police Station in 2003 and then was asked to do a new one at JPN Miri. I went there but was told that one of my fingerprints did not match with the old one," he said.

He related that he went to JPN Miri many times and had been calling the office since 2003 to ask for the progress on his application, but could not get any answer.

After waiting for about eight years for JPN Miri to update him on the status, he said he went to JPN office in Putrajaya in 2011 in the hope that he could get help from them.

"I went to Putrajaya five times already since 2011. The last was in 2012 when I went to JPN Sabah and Sarawak department in Putrajaya but their answer was that I have to apply for a birth certificate," Gagah said.

Not satisfied with the answer he received, Gagah went to JPN Kuching in February this year, where he was given the same answer.

"Apart from that, they also said that I did not bring along my headman, thus they asked me to return to Miri," he said.

At JPN Miri, Gagah was also asked to apply for a birth certificate, which he did on April 11 this year.

However, he was frustrated that until today there had been no answer from JPN.

"I have been waiting for so long for the IC. I have no job because I have IC problem. I hope that JPN will contact me as soon as possible so that I know the status of my application.

"And if my application is rejected because of incomplete information, then let me know so that I can provide and bring it to them," Gagah said.

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Fong calls on DAP to transform too

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 11:54 AM PST

KUCHING: While calling on Barisan Nasional(BN) to transform, DAP itself must do some soul searching and initiate its own transformation.

This statement was made by Pujut assemblyman Fong Pau Teck who was sacked by the opposition party on Nov 18, the first day of the last State Assembly sitting.

"It is time to transform lest DAP would be back sliding and declining," he said.

Speaking to the Borneo Post yesterday, Fong claimed he and the party's top leaders were willing to reconcile but disciplinary committee (DC) chairman Tan Kok Wai put paid to this effort by announcing his sacking before any solution could be worked out.

Fong said DAP leader Lim Kit Siang had wanted conflicts within the party to be solved through internal channels.

"However, many cases have shown that internal channels are seriously clogged. Disciplinary committee is unable to handle incidents fairly and it has become the largest source of chaos.

Using his case as an example, Fong said all the efforts by the mediation committee were destroyed by Tan who insisted on sacking him.

"I appreciate the sympathies shown by our comrades and decided to compromise without any condition. I started paying back my contribution by installments. However, chairman of DC announced the notice of expulsion on the first day of the Sarawak state assembly meeting.

"This action greatly embarrassed the comrades representing mediation committee as well as our party leader Lim Kit Siang. The credibility of our leaders had been destroyed because they were unable to fulfill their promises."

Fong believed that if Tan remained chairman of DC, there would not be any justice in the party.

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SMEs vital for devt of entrepreneurship — Sharifah Hasidah

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 11:53 AM PST

KUCHING: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are essential to the development of the country as entrepreneurship is the pulse of a country's development.

Furthermore, the country's development and social stability tie in directly with the rise of business and economics in the country, said political secretary to the chief minister Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali in her speech when officiating at the biennial meeting of Kek Lapis Sarawak Entrepreneurs Association (PPKLS) at The Hills Shopping Mall here yesterday.

"Sarawak's SMEs have contributed as much as 5.5 per cent to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is expected to rise by 6.8 per cent with the rapidly developing growth of the industry from year to year," said Hasidah, representing Assistant Minister of Resource Planning Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais.

She added that according to SME Corp, SME contributions to the country's GDP in 2013 grew by 33 per cent and was expected to grow to 40 per cent by 2020, concomitant with the main strategy of the High Impact Programme (HIP) under the SME Blueprints (2010-2012).

She continued that the development of 'kek lapis' as an iconic Sarawakian product was a responsibility of PPKLS as an association, in addition to encouraging and coordinating the association's members to market and promote the product.

"PPKLS also should be committed towards the quality and exclusive image acknowledged by the Property Corporation of Malaysia under the Geographical Indication Act 2000 (Geographical Indication Rules 2000) that recognises quality, reputation and features of Kek Lapis Sarawak," she added.

She continued that the acknowledgement was an appreciation to PPKLS and therefore should be their responsibility to guard the Kek Lapis Sarawak brand to avoid being used by those not in the association.

Hasidah also mentioned that aside from Kek Lapis Sarawak, other sectors of entrepreneurship like agriculture, food and beverages, medicine and cosmetics among others, whether in urban or rural areas, could be tackled.

"Perhaps a lot of people don't know that the entrepreneurship sector is not limited to selling products but with the advancement of technology, more entrepreneurs are choosing online business or mail order," she added.

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Road repaired, but ‘kings of the road’ remain a concern

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 11:52 AM PST

KUCHING: The already repaired Bakun-Bintulu road is still dangerous for motorists because of the hazard posed by illegal timber lorries using the road.

Barisan Nasional (BN) Belaga Youth spokesman Henry Kilah Talek said there had been many complaints regarding haphazard driving of these lorries that could lead to accidents and loss of lives.

He revealed that recently a local BN leader and his family were almost involved in an accident when an overloaded lorry nearly knocked into them.

As such, he urged the government to find a solution to bar these lorries from using the public road, and to limit them to the parallel logging road from Bakun to Bintulu that was supposed to be used by timber companies

"BN Belaga Youth wish to thank (Works Minister) Datuk Fadillah Yusof for his effort in getting the road repaired. The road is now in perfect condition, but will get damaged soon.

"The government has to find a long-term solution to control the logging lorries from using them. They not only damage the road, but have always been a threat to other road users. These lorries must go back to use their logging roads."

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