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Indian rescue personnel conduct search operations after a bridge across the river Machchhu collapsed in Morbi October 31, 2022. – AFP photo
MORBI, India (Nov 1): Nine people were arrested yesterday in connection with the collapse of a pedestrian bridge in western India that killed at least 137 people, police said.
The bridge, which had reopened days earlier after renovation, collapsed on Sunday evening, sending hundreds tumbling into the river or clinging to the wreckage while screaming for help in the dark.
The nine — all associated with a company that maintained the bridge in Morbi — were being investigated for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, senior police officer Ashok Kumar Yadav said in a statement.
Crowds at the site had been celebrating the last day of the Deepavali holiday.
CCTV footage showed the nearly 150-year-old structure swaying — with a few people apparently deliberately rocking it — before it suddenly gave way.
“We were all standing on the bridge together when it violently shook and crashed suddenly. I heard screams and a loud thud and then there was silence. Then slowly cries and screams,” survivor Madhvi Ben, 30, told AFP.
Ben said one of his legs was “entangled in a steel rope”, leaving him almost entirely submerged and struggling to break free.
“I somehow blocked my nose and pulled myself up and released my leg from the wire. I grabbed another wire and climbed the remains of the bridge.
“Someone held my hand and pulled me out of the water before I reached the bank.”
Local police chief P. Dekavadiya said that by Monday afternoon the death toll from the catastrophe in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat had risen to 137.
They included around 50 children, the youngest being a two-year-old boy.
One local MP, Kalyanji Kundariya, told media he had lost 12 family members in the accident, including five children.
“My brother’s body was fished out at 9.00pm and my sister-in-law’s body was recovered at 1:00 am,” textile trader Puneet Pitroda, 35, told AFP at Morbi’s crematorium yesterday.
“The authorities are fully responsible for the tragedy. They allowed hundreds to gather on the bridge when it had a capacity to hold just a small number,” he said.
“We will never forget this night.”
‘No certificate’
Authorities launched a rescue operation immediately following the collapse, with boats and divers searching the river all night and throughout Monday.
The bridge, 233 metres (764 feet) long and just 1.5 metres wide, was inaugurated in 1880 by British colonial authorities and made with materials shipped from England, reports said.
The Gujarat tourist department describes the “grand suspension bridge” about 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of the state’s main city, Ahmedabad, as an “artistic and technological marvel”.
Sandeepsinh Jhala, Morbi municipality’s chief officer, said the bridge had not been issued a safety certificate after being closed for months of repair work.
Reports named the firm responsible as a unit of the Gujarat-based Oreva group, which describes itself as the world’s largest clock manufacturer, and also makes lighting products and e-bikes. The company could not immediately be reached for comment.
Modi, who was due to visit the site today, said that he “may rarely have experienced so much pain in my life”.
US President Joe Biden added his voice to the chorus of world leaders offering words of comfort, saying: “In this difficult hour, we will continue to stand with and support the Indian people.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences, as did UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he was “deeply saddened” while Nepal, Bhutan and Britain also sent messages of support.
Accidents from old and poorly maintained infrastructure, including bridges, are common in India.
In 2016, the collapse of a flyover onto a busy street in Kolkata killed at least 26 people.
Five years earlier, at least 32 people perished when a packed bridge collapsed in the hill resort of Darjeeling. — AFP
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SIBU (Nov 1): Three men were arrested here on suspicion of trafficking drugs during two raids carried out last week.
Sibu police chief ACP Zulkipli Suhaili said the first raid took place on Oct 27 at an entertainment outlet at Jalan Lanang which saw the arrest of two men, aged 40 and 45.
“An inspection found various plastic packets containing suspected powdered ecstasy weighing about 304.93g and worth RM2,400, in their possession.
“We also found 19 pills suspected to be ecstasy weighing 7.6g with an estimated value of RM1,600, and 11 packets containing substance believed to be methamphetamine weighing 15.49g worth RM770,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He added that urine tests conducted found the younger suspect positive for ketamine.
The second raid took place on Oct 28 at a rented room in Jalan Ulu Oya, where a 37-year-old man was arrested.
Zulkipli said the man was found in possession of 100 packets of suspected powdered ecstasy, weighing 3.27kg and worth RM30,000.
The suspect, however, tested negative for drugs, he added.
All three have been remanded for further investigation under various sections of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, including Section 39B which provides for the death penalty or life imprisonment with a minimum 15 strokes of the cane, if convicted.
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Wong (standing right) and Roderick (standing left) with the scholarship recipients.
SARIKEI (Nov 1): Sarikei incumbent Andrew Wong Ling Biu has called on the people not to fear giving their vote to a candidate of their choice as the country has shown its preparedness to embark on a two-party system.
He pointed out that in the past, the people had to support the ruling government as they would not be able to get development fund if their elected representatives were from the opposition parties.
“Before, elected representatives from opposition parties had never been given allocation from the government to serve their constituency, but after Pakatan Harapan (PH) won in the 14th general election, all elected representatives including those from the opposition parties have been allocated with funds to serve their constituents,” he said.
Wong said this when presenting scholarships to 18 needy students of institutions of higher learning in Bintangor recently.
He believed the policy would not only be continued, but further improved for the benefit of the people, which the people should appreciate as a sign of maturity in the country’s politics.
Wong added two-party system provides check and balance to ensure a clean government and demands transparency and high level of integrity from the government
“In other words, two-party system can contribute immensely in checking malpractice, particularly corruption,” he said.
He hoped the people appreciate the two-party system and to freely exercise their rights when choosing which party to form the next government.
“In the case of Sarikei parliamentary seat, although it had been represented by DAP for the past two terms while two state constituencies under it, namely Repok and Meradong, are represented by GPS, the people had been well served by both the state and federal governments,” he said.
“I hope the people of Sarikei would support a new candidate fielded by DAP-PH in the coming GE15,” Wong added.
Together with Wong was his son Roderick, who is replacing him as DAP’s candidate for Sarikei this election.
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File picture of travellers boarding the ro-ro ferry departing for Menumbok, Sabah at the main exit and entry gate at the Labuan International Ferry Terminal, October 13, 2021. — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 31): Starting tomorrow, all travellers between Labuan and Sabah will be subject to immigration checks.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud said this was in line with the need to improve security and border control in Sabah.
He said that currently, the department only conducted random checks on the movement of visitors between Labuan and Sabah.
“The home minister, during his official visit to Labuan on September 10, had instructed the Immigration Department to implement stricter enforcement on the movement of visitors via the Labuan International Ferry Terminal and the Labuan RO-RO Ferry Terminal to Sabah.
“This instruction was issued in line with the Sabah government’s request that immigration checks be carried out on visitors entering Sabah from Labuan,” he said in a statement today.
Khairul Dzaimee said the immigration checks on those travelling to and from Labuan via the Jesselton Point and Tanjung Pagar jetties in Sabah would be conducted at the Labuan International Ferry Terminal.
“As for travellers from Labuan entering Sabah via the Menumbok Jetty, the inspection will be conducted at the Labuan RO-RO Jetty and Labuan International Ferry Terminal, and at the Menumbok Jetty for those travelling from Sabah to Labuan,” he said.
He added that visitors who are subject to a travel ban issued by Sabah authorities need to apply for a release letter for movement.
“However, several exemptions will be given, especially to citizens who reside in Labuan and commute to Sabah for work purposes,” he said. — Bernama
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Anwar at the announcement of Sabah PH candidates in Tuaran. —photo courtesy of Anwar Ibrahim Facebook
TUARAN (Nov 1): Pakatan Harapan (PH) on Monday announced all its candidates in Sabah, except for Kinabatangan and Labuan.
Its chairman, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, revealed that PKR would contest in 10 seats, DAP seven, UPKO five and one each for Amanah and Muda.
PKR is retaining both its incumbents Datuk Christina Liew in Tawau and Awang Husaini Sahari in Putatan, while the other candidates are Datuk Sangkar Rasam (Pensiangan), Apirin Jahalan Taufik Sham (Ranau), Madely Modily Bangali (Kota Belud), Noraini Abdul Ghapur (Kalabakan), Mustapha Sakmud (Sepanggar), Dikin Musah (Beaufort) and Thonny Chee (Kudat).
DAP’s candidates are Vivian Wong Shir Yee (Sandakan), Chan Foong Hin (Kota Kinabalu), Liau Fui Fui (Batu Sapi), Sia Yu Hock (Lahad Datu), Henry Shim (Papar), Noorita Sual (Tenom) and Grelydia Gillod (Keningau).
Candidates from UPKO are Peter Jr Naintin (Libaran), Felix Joseph Saang (Beluran), Datuk Seri Panglima Madius Tangau (Tuaran), Datuk Ewon Benedick (Penampang) and Rowindy Lawrence Odong (Kimanis).
Lahirul Latigu from Amanah will be contesting in Sipitang while Shahrizan Denci of Muda in Kota Marudu.
“All PH contestants are not clashing and this decision was made based on our discussion with all members in PH coalition.
“Once PH become the government in the federal level, we will do something, to solve problems of 20 poorest districts in Malaysia. I purposely brought up this matter in the parliament and when we have the power, we must solve this as soon as possible not only in Sabah but all the poorest districts.
“I want to remind all Sabahans, that the hardcore poor problem in Sabah, dilapidated schools in Sabah … all these problems are not Sabah’s problems. This is the problem of our country.
“When people are talking about MA63, PH has been vocal on this issue in the parliament since many years ago. Lim Kit Siang was very consistent during Najib, and we even pushed the government to announce September 16, the formation of Malaysia as public holiday,” he said during the candidates announcement here.
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SWB said the repair works are estimated to take about 10 hours. — Malay Mail photo
SIBU (Oct 31): Sibu Water Board (SWB) will carry out repair works on the main 750mm mild steel pipe leakage in front of Foochow Association at Jalan Salim from 10pm today.
In a notice to customers posted on its Facebook last night, SWB said the leakage is caused by soil erosion and the repair works are estimated to take about 10 hours.
The affected areas are Jalan Stabau/Jalan Kong Yit Khim until Jalan Nibong Tada (including Jalan Bukit Penyau, Jalan Senangin, SWB Stabau Booster dan JBALB Nibong Tada Booster, Jalan Durin Kiba, Jalan Durin Bazaar, Jalan KJD, Jalan Upper Durin, Jalan Lower Durin, Jalan Naman, Jalan Sungai Pak, Jalan Salim until Jalan Wong King Huo (including Lorong Salim 28, Jalan Kiew Nang, Jalan Helang, Jalan Siol, Lorong Salim 19, Lorong Salim 18, Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce L/20, L/28 dan L/32, Farley flat, Farley Supermarket, Sing Kwong Salim Supermarket, Jalan Sentosa, Lorong Salim 5, Jalan Kenari, Jalan Maludan, Jalan Poh Yew, Jalan Belatok, Jalan Bukit Lima Timur, Jalan Saujana and Medan Mall), Jalan Pedada until Jalan Dr Wong Soon Kai (including Rejang Medical Centre dan Delta Mall), Jalan Pelangi, Jalan Oya L/25-L/31, Jalan Maling, Jalan Kiong Tung, Jalan Diong Kik (including KFC and Li Hua Hotel), Jaya Li Hua (shops in Jalan Pahlawan and bus terminal), Lorong Pahlawan 9, Jalan Old Oya, Jalan RTM, Taman Swan City, Jalan Unggas, Jalan Sena, Jalan Kandis, Jalan Payung and Jalan Seladah, Jalan Ling Kai Cheng until traffic light junction of Ling Kai Cheng/Ulu Sungai Merah (including Jalan Nang Sang, Jalan Apollo, Jalan Kulas, Jalan Lilin, Jalan Kuang and Lorong Ulu Sungai Merah 8 until 36), Jalan Lada until Sibu town centre dan all kampung areas (including Jalan Sukun, Jalan Then Kung Suk, Jalan Paradom, Jalan Genting, Sungai Assan, Kampung Banyok, Telok Selalo, Tanjung Kunyit, Jalan Lanang Barat, Jalan Upper Lanang, Jalan Mantis, Jalan Lanang, Jalan Tekam, Jalan Selangan, Jalan Bunga Mawar, Jalan Kampung Nyabor, Tanahmas Hotel, Kingwood Hotel, Premier Hotel, Kawan Hotel, Jalan Delta, Jalan. Kuda, Kampung Nangka, Kampung Hilir and Kampung Dato), Jalan Brooke Drive until Jalan Teng Chin Hua (including KPJ Hospital, SWB Deshon Booster, Jalan Old Airport, Jalan Tiong Hin and Teku Booster), Jalan Quarry until Jalan Pasai Siong (including Jalan Indah, Jalan Miden, Jalan Tebu, Jalan Teku, Kampung Bahagia Jaya, Jalan Rantau Panjang Jaya, Jalan Rantau Panjang and SWB Pasai Siong Booster), Jalan Wawasan until Bawang Assan (including Jalan Serai, Jalan Setia, Sungai Bidut, Jalan Lau Kah Tu and Jalan Chew Kung), Jalan Teku Lama until Jalan Ding Lik Kong (including Jalan Sungai Merah, Jalan Igan, Jalan Teku Barat, Jalan Getah and Jalan Rumbia).
SWB said any inconvenience caused to customers is very much regretted and it will strive to complete the works as soon as possible.
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Lee (walking front, second right) joins the group representing the POKUFM in the Bomba Run 6.0. On the minister’s left is Khirudin.
MIRI (Oct 31): The persistent rain did not dampen the spirit of over 1,200 runners who came for a charity event conducted by the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) here yesterday.
The participants appeared cheerful and energetic as they gathered early at Marina Central Park, the starting and finishing line for the Bomba Run 6.0.
Organised by Bomba Zone 6 Miri, the event held the two men and two women’s categories for the 12km route, as well as the ‘Fun Run’ category for the 5km route.
It was supported from Northern Sarawak Journalists Association (NSJA), Bulatan Park Runners Club (BPRC), Miri Association of Persons with Physical Disabilities (POKUFM) and Miri City Council.
Sarawak Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin, who also joined in the fun, said the return of Bomba Run was highly anticipated after a hiatus of two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He hailed the event as one that would continue to build a good rapport between the firefighters and the local community.
“We’re a one big family.
“This run is one of the best ways for the Bomba and the people here to foster greater understanding between each other, and with such close cooperation, the Bomba should be able to perform their duties and responsibilities with excellence,” he said in a brief remark prior to flag-off.
Lee, who is Senadin assemblyman, also commended the Bomba for being always ready to serve not just during fires, but also in any incident that would require their assistance.
“I also hope that Bomba could hold various training and courses to recruit members of the local community as volunteer firefighters and additional manpower to assist in any case of emergency.
As Sarawakians, we must always work together and be united, not only in running various activities but also in ensuring that Sarawak remains stable and can be developed into a model state in Malaysia, in terms of unity and harmony,” he added.
This year, Mohammad Ikmal Sahdan won the 12km Men’s Open, with Ling Tai Ming and Azizul Zanjam emerging the first and second runners-up, respectively.
The winner of the 12km Women’s Open was Tho Siaw Khim, with Hii Win Nie and Josephine Precilla Dayak placing second and third, respectively.
In the 12km Men’s Veterans, Azamaain Gembar outran Lee Kim Hing and Chai Kuet Bui to secure the top spot, while in the 12km Women’s Veterans, Rani Dawat reached the finishing line ahead of Doris L and Chua Hui Sii.
All the top 10 runners of every category received medals and cash prizes.
Moreover, Bomba Run 6.0 also included 20 individuals with special needs representing POKUFM, which was the beneficiary of the proceeds from the run amounting to RM5,000.
There were other activities held in conjunction with the event such as a mass aerobics session, lucky draws as well as a training performance staged by the Bomba’s Multi-Skills Team (MUST) and Air Unit.
The event sponsors included My Home Furniture and Electrical Store Sdn Bhd, Sarawak Plantation Bhd, Indocafe Malaysia, Speed Fitness Miri, Naim and Marina Parkcity.
Also present yesterday were Pujut assemblyman Mayor Adam Yii, Bomba Sarawak director Datu Khirudin Drahman, acting Zone 6 Bomba chief cum organising chairman Ahmad Nizam Sapaiee, BPRC chairman Tang Swee Ming, NSJA president Andy Jong and Pokufm chairman Mazlan Drahman.
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Wong (third left) and some 100 Tuai Rumah chant ‘Sa’ati’ as sign of unity.
SIBU (Oct 31): Village chieftains in the Dudong constituency should apply for Sarawak Housing Development Corporation (HDC) loans to renovate their longhouses, said Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Dudong branch chairman Wong Ching Yong.
He said the loans are interest-free during the 300 months’ repayment period, do not require any mortgage, and come with general insurance coverage.
“A total of 12 longhouses in Dudong constituency have received loans amounting to RM10 million from HDC since 2020.
“If a longhouse is damaged due to fire, flood and earthquake, there is insurance compensation. I strongly encourage all tuai rumah to apply for HDC (loans),” he said at an event here yesterday.
Additionally, Wong informed that he has received many requests from Tuai Rumah.
“They asked for a big rice pot for community activities. This is because in a longhouse, many families live together. There are many social activities, the most popular being cooking.
“Therefore, a large rice cooker is essential and convenient. I informed Sarawak Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian and he approved the funds to Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC).
“We thank Dr Sim for his support and help. I hope all will happily use the big rice pot,” he added.
According to Wong, only 100 Tuai Rumah received the rice pot yesterday due to insufficient stock in the market.
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Election Commission (EC) secretary Datuk Ikmalrudin Ishak, in a statement, said the DPT BLN4/2022 contained the names of 38,786 citizens aged 18 years and above from June 1 to 30, 2022, who were automatically registered as new voters. — Malay Mail photo
SIBU (Oct 31): The 49.79 per cent female Sarawakian voters have been urged to exercise their rights this coming 15th General Election (GE15).
Bukit Assek assemblyman Joseph Chieng, in making this call, said female voters play an equally pivotal role as their male counterparts.
“The 49.79 per cent of state voters are women and it is equally important to garner their support to shape our future Sarawak,” he told reporters after officiating at the Sarawak Central Region Single Mothers Association’s (Pitwits) health screening drive cum culinary workshop here yesterday.
“With the 35 per cent parliamentary seats allocated for Sabah and Sarawak, we need to have a strong mandate from Sarawakians in order for Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to have a bigger voice in the Parliament and to get back what belongs to Sarawak, according to Malaysia Agreement 1963,” he stressed.
“But we need to remember that it is only agreed in the committee (Special Council on Malaysia Agreement 1963), but has yet to pass through the parliament,” he added.
It was recently reported that restoring the 35 per cent East Malaysia’s parliamentary seats from the overall number was among the key issues discussed at the fifth Special Council on Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MKMA63) meeting in Putrajaya.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili, in disclosing this, said the issue was deliberated and endorsed by the MKMA63.
Of the 222 parliamentary seats, 166 or 75 per cent are in Peninsula Malaysia while the remaining 25 per cent or 56 seats are for the Borneo states, with 31 for Sarawak and Sabah 25.
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Thinaah and Pearly are seen with Ambassador of Malaysia to France Datuk Zamruni Khalid. — Photo from Facebook/Embassy of Malaysia in Paris
KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 31): National No. 1 women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah created history by winning the French Open at the Stade Pierre de Coubertine in Paris last night.
They defeated two-time world champions from Japan Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara 21-19, 18-21 21-15 in a pulsating final, making them the first Malaysian women’s pair to win the French Open.
It was their second championship title and the biggest success of the world number 11 pair in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour series after winning the Swiss Open in March last year.
The match that lasted for 72 minutes was the first between the two pairs.
In the first set, Pearly-Thinaah started slowly but soon got on their way to hold a 18-10 lead. However, they faced anxious moments when the Japanese pair caught up to 20-19 before they got the winning point.
Pearly-Thinaah, however, failed to capitalise on the first set win, and despite their best to keep pace, failed to check a resurgent Matsumoto-Nagahara who took the second set 21-18 in 20 minutes.
The Malaysian pair once again got off to a slow start in the rubber tie after trailing 2-6, but then found their rhythm and competitive spirit to take a 8-7 lead before going on to clinch the title with a 21-15 win.
The closest a Malaysian women’s doubles pair got to the French Open title was in 2008 when Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui emerged as runners-up.
Meanwhile, World No. 1, Viktor Axelsen of Denmark won the men’s singles title after defeating compatriot Rasmus Gemke 21-14, 21-15. — Bernama
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KUCHING (Oct 30): The Registrar of Societies (RoS) has confirmed that Datuk Larry Sng is the recognised president of Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM).
RoS director-general Mohd Nawardi Saad said based on their records, Sng is still heading the party.
He said if PBM has any dispute over its presidency, it should resolve the matter within the party.
“That is an internal matter of their party. If there is a dispute, they have to resolve it themselves and this does not involve RoS,” Mohd Nawardi was quoted saying in a Berita Harian report yesterday.
Last Thursday, PBM deputy president Haniza Mohamed Talha claimed that Ampang incumbent Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin was the legitimate PBM president following a meeting on Oct 7.
Sng, however, has repeatedly insisted that he remains party president as he had never relinquished the post.
He said as per RoS records, he is the valid president of PBM for the 2021-2024 term following his election to the post at a special PBM meeting in Sibu on Jan 8.
Sng had last Thursday announced that he had suspended PBM secretary-general Nor Hizwan Ahmad and Information chief Zakaria Abdul Hamid with immediate effect.
He followed it up by announcing the suspension of “ordinary member” Zuraida and 12 other supreme council members for allegedly undermining the interest of the party and his leadership.
Sng was scheduled yesterday to convene a supreme council meeting in Sarikei to discuss and settle the issue pertaining to the party presidency.
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KUCHING (Oct 30): Young electors are urged to do their homework by getting to know more about their candidates representing various parties before casting their votes come Nov 19.
In making this call yesterday, Kuching South Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng said they would need to gain a better understanding of what their candidates have to offer in order to arrive at a wise decision.
“After the nomination on Nov 5, the campaigning including ceramah will commence. Our young friends can grab this opportunity to get to know about their candidates.
“They ought to dig deeper into what development or progress their candidates can bring about for their own community, or if their candidates are capable of solving problems for them,” he said during his Facebook Live session.
Wee believed that individuals aged as young as 18 have the wisdom and are capable of conducting analysis on various and current situations.
He advised these young ones to observe what their candidates would deliberate during the campaigning period.
For incumbents, he said young voters could learn to judge their performances in the last five years.
“Do not just judge the book by its cover,” he said, hoping that young voters would make a wise call in this general election.
On Chinese-majority seats, Wee felt that the Chinese community should focus on having a stronger voice to bring up their needs.
He said only through stronger representation could the Chinese community have access to better welfare and development.
He thus hoped that Chinese voters would think twice before casting their votes on polling day.
The Election Commission has fixed Nov 5 and Nov 19 as nomination day and polling day respectively for the 15th general election.
Yesterday, caretaker Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Dato Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said Sarawak recorded a total of 1,943,074 voters for GE15.
He said this marked an increase of 59.14 per cent compared to the 1,220,960 voters registered during the 2018 general polls.
He added that 129,034 voters out of the total are aged between 18 and 20.
Wan Junaidi further said that 50.21 per cent or 975,618 voters in Sarawak are male, and the remaining 49.79 per cent or 967,456 voters female.
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Muda president Syed Saddiq arriving at MUDA headquarters in Petaling Jaya to announce the party’s candidates for the15th general election, October 29,2022. – Malay Mail photo
PETALING JAYA (Oct 30): The Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) yesterday revealed three of its candidates who will be contesting in the 15th general election (GE15), with more to be announced next week.
Its deputy president Amira Aisya Abd Aziz said the party, formed in September 2020, will contest in Kepala Batas (Penang), Tanjong Karang (Selangor) and Tanjung Piai (Johor).
Amira Aisya, who is also Muda election director, named Danial Abdul Majeed as the candidate for Kepala Batas; Central Executive Committee member Siti Rahayu Baharin (Tanjung Karang) and party co-founder Lim Wei Jiet in Tanjung Piai.
Without disclosing the number of seats allocated to Muda through negotiations with Pakatan Harapan (PH), she said candidates for several other seats will be announced soon, including Sabah, on Tuesday.
Amira Aisya said negotiations with PH this evening finalised three key issues under the election package, including backing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister candidate.
“There will also be no clash of seats between PH and Muda and Muda will be given the flexibility to use its own party logo,” she said at a media conference at the party headquarters here tonight.
Amira Aisya also said the party will be using PH’s manifesto to woo voters in the upcoming polls, adding that all of the seats to be contested by the party were either rural seats or those held by Barisan Nasional (BN) ministers or deputy prime ministers
Meanwhile, Muda president, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said he will be making an announcement on the status of his candidacy for the Muar parliamentary seat, in which he is incumbent, on Wednesday.
This is after the Kuala Lumpur High Court ordered him to enter his defence on four charges involving criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of assets and money laundering on Friday.
In GE14, Syed Saddiq, then a PH candidate from Bersatu, defeated the incumbent from BN Datuk Seri Razali Ibrahim and Abdul Aziz Talib (PAS) with a 6,953-vote majority.
Syed Saddiq said seat negotiations with PH went well and the total number of seats to be contested will be announced soon.
The Election Commission has fixed Nov 19 as polling day, Nov 5 for nominations while early voting will take place on Nov 15. – Bernama
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MIRI (Oct 30): Residents here have been urged to comply with Miri City Council’s (MCC) payment of assessment rates to enable the council to maintain local infrastructure and provide public services.
Mayor Adam Yii, in making this call, said the state government through its Post Covid-19 Initiative has given a 25 per cent off in the first and second half of this year’s assessment bills for all holdings where there are a total of 72,458 properties in Miri as of October this year.
“For those who have made advance payment, the overpayment amount shall be credited into 2023 assessment bill,” said Yii, also a Pujut assemblyman, in his address at the launching of the ‘Assessment Rates 2022 Awareness Promotion’ roadshow in Tudan here yesterday.
In line with the digital economy and in gearing Miri towards a smart city status, he advised ratepayers to make online payment via the S Pay Global app, Service Sarawak website and app, as well as the Pay Bills Malaysia website.
“The payment methods are at your fingertips to avoid the inconvenience of queuing at the counter,” he said.
“MCC would also like to advise ratepayers to update details such as contact numbers, email addresses and correspondence addresses with the Rating and Valuation Department,” he said, adding that this was to ensure that all assessment rates, notices and letters could reach the recipients.
“I would like to thank all Mirians for their payment contributions and together we will develop Miri into a lovely resort city where we can proudly say ‘Miri is my home, my pride’,” he noted.
The two-day roadshow which ends today (Oct 30) , is organised by MCC’s Rating and Valuation Department in collaboration with Service Sarawak.
It runs from 9am to 5pm at Everwin Supermarket in Tudan.
Those who make assessment rate payment at the roadshow are eligible to redeem a 2kg bottle of Merris Cooking Oil from the council, while stocks last.
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Lawas incumbent Datuk Henry Sum Agong (left) and Baru Bian.
BOTH have created history in their own right but only one will return to parliament when the votes are cast on Nov 19 this year.
Lawas incumbent Datuk Henry Sum Agong will be gunning for his sixth term if he is again given the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) ticket in the coming polls.
He was Bukit Mas MP for two terms, from 1999 to 2008, before the parliamentary seat was redelineated into Limbang and Lawas constituencies.
Before parliament was dissolved on Oct 10, he was the Deputy Minister of Transport since March 2020 and before that, Deputy Minister of Rural Development II when the country was led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
He is the first Lun Bawang to be a member of the federal cabinet when he was appointed Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism from June 2016 to May 2018 during the administration of Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak.
Humble and approachable, with his soft-spoken wife Datin Tunung Palong as his pillar of strength, Henry has quietly served his constituents irrespective of race or creed and continues to enjoy popular support, particularly in the crucial Bukit Sari state constituency.
His contributions to Lawas included the many federal rural development projects, the new Lawas airport project, ports and others.
Standing in his way for re-election is another Lun Bawang political heavyweight Baru Bian.
In the state polls last year, he was returned for a third term as Ba Kelalan assemblyman with an even bigger majority than previously.
Known for his native customary land rights activism in and outside the court, Baru was the first Lun Bawang to be appointed federal minister in 2018 while he was Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak chairman.
However, his Putrajaya stint as Minister of Works was cut short when the Pakatan Harapan government collapsed after barely 22 months following the Sheraton Move, a defining political moment in Malaysia’s history which led to three prime ministers taking office until parliament was dissolved on Oct 10 this year.
Down but not out, this resilient Lun Bawang boy from Long Semadoh had bounced back to secure Ba kelalan on the Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) ticket and is now the party’s secretary-general.
Baru has a colourful history of being in different political parties but the ‘political frog’ tag has not deterred him in the last election, and is unlikely to stick either in the coming election campaign.
Before heading the state PKR, he was once also a vice president of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak.
Baru started his political career by challenging current deputy premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan in 1991 in Lawas.
In 2004, he stood as an independent candidate in the Ba Kelalan by-election following the death of the incumbent Datuk Dr Judson Sakai in July that year.
He was defeated by BN’s Datuk Nelson Balang Rining that election and again in the following state election in 2006 where he narrowly lost by 475 votes while contesting as a candidate of the now defunct Sarawak National Party (SNAP).
After joining PKR in April 2008 and leading it a year later, Baru’s political fortune took a turn for the better when he finally won Ba Kelalan in 2011 by a slim margin of 473 votes against BN’s Willie Liau, who is his nephew.
He faced his nephew again in 2016, and this time won by a bigger margin of 538 votes.
And in the state polls last year, he increased his winning margin to 680 votes in a five-cornered fight by defeating Sam Laya (GPS), Peter Asut (PBK), Martin Labo (PKR) and Agnes Padan (Independent).
However, Baru’s past record in general elections in Lawas and Limbang has been anything but stellar.
In 2013, he was soundly defeated by BN’s new face Hasbi Habibollah, an engineer. Baru garnered only 4,698 votes against Hasbi’s 12,999 votes.
However, lady luck smiled on him in the 2018 general election, where a PRS leadership crisis led him to contest in the Iban-majority seat of Selangau in central Sarawak and he defeated BN’s Rita Sarimah.
Elements of sabotage, disputes and revenge in the constituency handed him this famous victory in the Iban-majority seat as Baru is an Orang Ulu from the Lun Bawang heartland of Ba Kelalan.
With the victory, Baru, who was Sarawak PKR chairman at the time, was appointed as Works Minister by the 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
However, the political scenario in Selangau has changed and Baru has decided to head home to his familiar political battleground in Lawas this time round where he will contest on the PSB ticket.
In last general election, Henry won Sarawak’s northernmost parliamentary seat with a majority of 6,000 votes in a three-cornered fight.
With automatic registration in effect since January, the number of voters has increased drastically to 33,527 from 21,297 in 2018, and the biggest question mark is whether the new voters will come out to vote and if so, who will they choose as their MP?
Henry is 76 years old while Baru is 64.
The odds favour Henry, who has the advantage of not only being the incumbent and having the GPS election machinery and resources. Baru, however, has proven time and again that he is no pushover.
With the two Lun Bawang political giants locking horns, the race for Ba Kelalan will surely be one to watch.
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The rice farmers of Long Semadoh at work during the harvesting season.
IT is undeniable that Sarawak and Sabah hold rich historical and cultural significances, and are blessed with an abundance of resources, especially in agriculture.
However, when it comes to socio-economic progress in the rural areas, it is still not up to expectations as many rural communities in these two states still do not have access to facilities such as good transportation and logistics, and are likely to experience unfair pricing.
The situation leaves the rural farmers having to make do on an unreliable stream of income, says Melisa Lim, who is a co-founder of social enterprise Langit Collective.
According to her, the majority of the families living in the rural parts of Sabah and Sarawak rely on small-scale farming activities to sustain their livelihoods.
In this regard, addressing the challenges faced by the rural communities by helping the smallholder farmers develop a sustainable economic ecosystem and also providing them with the means and access to sell their produce to a wider market, becomes Langit Collective’s mission statement.
Social enterprise
Lim during her session at E.A.T. 2022 Conference, sharing Langit’s vision and mission with the participants.
Langit Collective is a social enterprise founded in December 2015 by four youths: Lim herself, Lilian Chen, Chan Zi Xiang and Chia Yong Ling.
Its establishment was realised after the four met during a non-governmental organisation (NGO) programme that was carried out in East Malaysia.
Under this NGO project, they travelled extensively into many rural areas in Sabah and Sarawak where they helped build gravity-fed water supply systems for the communities there.
Having lived with the rural folks and established familial bonds with them during the course of the programme, the four experienced the plight and the challenges that these communities faced.
The whole journey compelled the four to tap deeper into their potential to help these communities.
“In the first few years after the inception of Langit, we had worked closely with the rice farmers in Long Semadoh, Sarawak towards solving one of the major issues that they faced – having excess produce that could not be sold due to their remote location.
“What we did was procuring the excess rice from them at a fair price, turning this into a source of new income for the smallholder farmers.
“Such exercise helped them gain access to new markets.
“From there, we (Langit) would reinvest the proceeds (from the sales) into arranging capacity-building courses for the farmers for them to achieve sustainable farming practices that would still complement the traditional wisdom,” she told thesundaypost when met at the inaugural ‘E.A.T: Taste of Borneo Conference 2022’ held in Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) recently, where she was invited to deliver a presentation on ‘Empowering Rural Communities’.
She added that with a newfound goal set in course, they pursued a path to help improve the livelihood of rural communities through good agricultural practices and sustainable entrepreneurship education.
One another note, she also said Ling was no longer with Langit as he had gone on to a new path.
Empowerment through marketing
Langit’s subsequent involvement in the livelihoods of the farmers through the introduction and promotion of heirloom rice and grain varieties, many of which are still unknown to public, is now reaping a bountiful yield in the form of a dedicated group of followers comprising discerning consumers and chefs who recognise and appreciate the ‘planet-first’ efforts for health and nutritiously-grown produce.
Among the popular heirloom rice varieties highlighted are the ‘Beras Salleh’ (white), ‘Beras Sia’ (red rice) and ‘Beras Keladi’ (black).
The progress outcome of their mission to build rural communities’ resilience through regenerative agriculture has also netted in an encouraging prospect that is able to expand.
“The success of this venture has allowed us to broaden our farming partnerships beyond Long Semadoh, so as to also include farmers of other produce who practice the similar philosophy in caring and managing their land and crops,” said Lim.
Langit later approached a blackpepper farmer from Serian in Sarawak, and ginger farmers from Kundsasang in Sabah, asking them to ‘join the family’.
Riduan Jawen – or ‘Silan’ to his fellow villagers – a Bidayuh farmer based in Serian stands as one of Langit’s prime example of its extension towards small-scale producers.
“Being one of Sarawak’s famous ‘Lada (Pepper) Kuching’ farmers since the age of 19, Silan is a second-generation farmer whose single-variety pepper trees are located on the slopes of a mountain.
“In his first year of harvesting chemical-and-pesticide-free peppercorns, he was able to increase his income by 100 per cent. With him, we’re able to bring out an authentic taste of pepper to consumers around Malaysia.
Silan (left) explaining to Chen a few things about his pepper farming in Serian.
“Today, we are still experimenting with Silan, and trying out several regenerative methods for pepper farming, (different) from the rigid conventional practices,” shared Lim.
In Kundasang, Langit is working with two ambitious Dusun ginger farmers, Yulian Kundang and Marianeh Gonolon, who boast quality ground ginger called ‘Layo’.
“Having inherited their land from the generations before, they are continuously pushing the envelope with regard to chemical-free farming, on the aspiration of doing better.
“A fun part about them during procurement season is that they would also create micro-jobs within their community. So they are able to hire folks they know to contribute during the ginger processing season. The benefits will only add on within the community,” Lim said during her presentation, while showing a slide on Langit’s ‘Value Chain Impact’.
According to her, despite not fitting the typical narrative of big agriculture, smallholders like Silan, Yulian and Marianeh are a measure of a sustainable stepping stone towards an ecologically-driven economy that is inclusive, and also equitable to the concept of ‘by the community, for the community’.
“Although favouring individualised solutions may be more time-consuming, it’s able to build the context of the community and their environment; it builds relevant capabilities that are immediately applicable and highly contributing to the long-term sustainability of a community’s food security,” said Lim.
Facing adversities
In the beginning, Lim said the ideation behind Langit was not one that many people could empathise with.
“We had a lot of naysayers who were projecting our failure. But that aside, we also gained many strong supporters who believed in the vision of an equitable future, and they continue to walk alongside us as we grow,” she said.
She said as seven years ago, the awareness of high quality local produce was not as mature as it is today, and in this regard, the process to break consumer’s bias with pricing and quality was a hard challenge for them.
“It took a lot of time and courage to break this myth: that locally grown and produced products must be cheap. We continue to create awareness and education around this premise until today.
“There hasn’t been a lot of conversation revolving around regenerative agriculture; back then, it was mostly high-tech stuff and how we superseded to make things faster.
“Moving towards a chemical-free food future, we went out to look for answers around the region (Asean), and so we brought in ideas that we gained from there that could be melded with the community’s traditional farming methods,” said Lim.
Outlining another adversity faced in the early stages of Langit, Lim said they would often run into roadblocks upon discovering the need of applying multiple licences in adherence to local legislations in relation to logistics.
Still, she regarded the lack in the supply chain’s efficiency and the complex red tapes to navigate around the problem as among the most persistent issues still experienced by the Langit team.
“Due to the remoteness of our farmers’ locations, logistics are more costly and time-consuming aspects, affecting our ‘speed’ to the market.
“When it comes to cost-effectiveness, it’s definitely not the case for small set-ups like ours.
“As regulations are complex, not integrated and sometimes without clear SOPs (standard operating procedures), this (logistics) has been our greatest challenge since the beginning.
“It’s something that we have to learn the hard way, through trials and errors, throughout the different points of our growth,” said Lim.
The Dusun ginger farmers, Yulian (right) and Marianeh.
Milestones
As an impact-driven social enterprise, Langit was founded to help ‘friends from the rural areas’ sell excess harvested rice that, in turn, provided them with a more viable income stream, and this exercise has visibly evolved to enable it to extend assistance to other smallholder farmers in Sarawak and Sabah.
This tiny motivation has grown in size and intensity in the face of the unchecked commoditisation of natural resources for maximum profits, uprooting the work and livelihoods of hardworking individuals and communities like Langit’s farmer-partners, who now aim for self-sufficiency and environmental responsibility.
Among the milestones achieved by Langit is the development of Long Semadoh’s Community Rice Milling Centre.
“It took seven years for us to get here – all thanks to the development grant that we’ve obtained from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), The Gef Small Grants Programme, Yayasan Hartanah, and Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGic).
“Upon completion, this centre would serve as a centralised facility to mill rice of the highest quality and at the same time, it would help reduce loss and wastage for farmers.
“All these would lead to a higher income rate. This would also create at least five new job opportunities for locals,” said Lim.
Adding on, she said this centre could also serve as a hosting area, or ‘an experience centre’, for visitors to learn more about Long Semadoh’s rice, as well as the culture and livelihood of the locals.
On the subject of milestones, Lim said Langit had brought forth a new initiative called ‘Foodprints’, meant to help consumers understand the origins, features and producers of the products better.
Simply by scanning any product’s QR code, a user would gain access to all the information about that very product.
This system, as means to educate consumers with the right knowledge and information, subsequently empowers the farmers who produce the products.
Still on rural community empowerment, Lim said Langit would never shy away to work with or partner up alongside like-minded individuals, companies or communities who shared the same vision and mission towards the social enterprise’s goal.
“For me, it’s when we are able to bring farmers out to experience the extent of where their humble products have gone – at the retail shops and the reputable restaurants around Kuala Lumpur – it’s affirmation that they produce high-quality products that are not just another ‘produk kampung’ (village products),” said Lim.
Langit is currently working with 80 farmers in three communities, from nine different villages, with the direct payouts to these farmers amounting to US$150,000 (RM707,760).
