12 March 2024
On Today Show
— James Oli, Spokesperson for the residents of Usahaja Tukau Traditional Village (KTUT), Miri –Usahajaya Tukau Village Residents Skeptical of Resettlement Offer Without Official Dialogue
— Nick Kelesau, Penan Activist – Property Losses in Remote Village Fire Raise Accountability Concerns
— Maria Chin Abdullah, Ex-PKR lawmaker – Women's March Malaysia Organizers Face Investigation Despite Peaceful Intentions
Di Today Show
— James Oli, Jurucakap Penduduk Kampung Tradisional Usahaja Tukau (KTUT), Miri – Penduduk Kampung Usahaja Tukau Skeptikal Terhadap Tawaran Pemindahan Tanpa Dialog Rasmi
— Nick Kelesau, Aktivis Penan – Kerugian Harta Benda dalam Kebakaran Kampung Terpencil Menimbulkan Kebimbangan Pertanggungjawaban
— Maria Chin Abdullah, Bekas Ahli Parlimen PKR – Penganjur Women's March Malaysia Menghadapi Siasatan Walaupun Niatnya Damai
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*Special Randau*
1. Residents of Usahajaya Tukau Traditional Village - offered a resettlement scheme involving 106 complete settlements with various facilities. This is according to a memo issued by the Sarawak Land and Survey Department. But the residents are still suspicious because there is still no dialogue or black and white agreement. According to James Oly if everything is provided free of charge and compensation for our gardens and crops is paid in full. We will agree.
2. Members of Parliament Pokok Sena (PAS) requested that school canteens be closed during the month of fasting to respect Muslims. The education minister ordered all school canteens to open as usual. If all the school canteens are closed, how will non-Muslim students want to eat. Is that fair to them?
3. SRC Case Trial(2) involving RM27 million. This case has been delayed since 2019 due to various other cases facing Najib. However, the court has set 27 May 2024 as the mention of the case and 5 days in September 2024 as a full trial.
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James Oli, Spokesperson for the residents of Usahaja Tukau Traditional Village (KTUT), Miri.
*Usahajaya Tukau Village Residents Skeptical of Resettlement Offer Without Official Dialogue*
The residents of KTUT have been facing issues for several years now, as the PARABEBA Sdn.Bhd group has obtained approval from the Sarawak government to develop a commercial project on their village land.
PARABENA group is owned by Raziah Mahmud, the sister of Taib Mahmud. The village residents were evicted without any compensation, and the government does not recognize their ownership of the village land. The village area is adjacent to the Miri airport and is of high market value. After taking PARABENA to court, the KTUT residents lost the case as they failed to prove their ownership rights over more than 400 acres of land.
However, after various efforts, the latest development (based on an official memo from the Sarawak Land and Survey Department director dated 14 Feb 2023) states that the Sarawak government has agreed to fund a Relocation Scheme for the KTUT village residents with a budget of RM38.35 million.
This includes building 106 houses, a community hall site, a SESCo substation site, a surau site, and an open area. The residents generally agree with the government's offer but want it to be done legally through an agreement.
James is skeptical of this offer as there have been no formal discussions with the authorities. It might also be a trap to hasten the relocation of the residents, as they are excited about the offer of free houses. For now, more than half of the KTUT residents have relocated, and the rest are waiting for further dialogue and clarification from the government and PARABENA.
"If housing is given for free and compensation is provided for our crops and oil palm plantations, we will agree," says James. James also thanks RFS for allowing the KTUT residents to voice their concerns.
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Nick Kelesau, Penan Activist
*Property Losses in Remote Village Fire Raise Accountability Concerns*
A longhouse with 16 doors in Long Kerangan Village, Ulu Baram, was destroyed by the fire on 7 March, upon arrival at the location, which was 98 kilometers away, the Fire and Rescue Department (BBP) team from Marudi found that the fire did not involve any loss of life and only resulted in property damage, said the Sarawak Fire Department Operations Center spokesperson.
Nick Kelesau informed RFS about the recent fire issue in Long Kerangan Penan Village in Baram. As he know the road to Long Kerangan is in very bad condition, which delays emergency assistance, such as during fires.
Nick emphasized the importance of fire extinguishers in such critical situations. For example, in the Penan village, Nick had to use his own money to buy fire extinguishers for the village because the government does not provide them to each village. He finds this unfair as the government should take fire safety more seriously in the future.
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Maria Chin Abdullah, Ex-PKR lawmaker
*Women's March Malaysia Organizers Face Investigation Despite Peaceful Intentions*
On the investigation against the organizers of the Women's March Malaysia in conjunction with the celebration of International Women's Day, Maria believes that it is unnecessary for the police to conduct an investigation. She asserts that the march is protected under the federal constitution, which guarantees freedom of assembly. Despite the existence of the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA), the movement was peaceful and did not violate any laws that would warrant police action. The organizers had submitted written notices to the police on five occasions, indicating their intention to hold the march. The fact that the police did not receive these notices until the fifth submission raises questions about the handling of the situation. Maria views the investigation as unreasonable and worries that it may have a negative impact on future movements.