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- Top 7 sexy workouts
- Tribal Scoops: Traditional Kelabit offering
- Jeffrey’s STAR blows hot and cold
- Time to stop the land grabs
- Beri perhatian kepada anak muda
- Ahli PAS undi calon bukan Islam Pakatan
- MCA rejects Hee’s Jelapang talk
- Pakatan’s AES will benefit poor
- Another shocking case of police brutality
- Talking about orangutans is different to saving them
| Posted: 14 Nov 2012 11:32 PM PST
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| Tribal Scoops: Traditional Kelabit offering Posted: 14 Nov 2012 11:27 PM PST
Nestled just next to Tune Hotel at the Taman Sri Sarawak complex and facing the Kuching Hilton, it celebrates the unique food, farming, forest and cultural heritage of the Bario Highlands – one of the last surviving intact traditionally farmed and forested highland watersheds in Sarawak and East Malaysia. In order to fully appreciate the Tribal Scoops dining experience, a little history and geography lesson is in order. Bario is a village located in the centre of the Kelabit Highlands in the north east of Sarawak, very close to the international border with Indonesian Kalimantan, and 3280 feet above sea level. It is the main settlement in the Kelabit Highlands. The Kelabit, at approximately 6,000 people, is one of the smallest ethnic groups in Sarawak. Like many other indigenous communities in Sarawak, the Kelabit live in longhouses in the Bario Highlands. It is estimated that only 1,200 Kelabit are still living in the highlands. The community’s main economic activity is agriculture, mainly growing Bario rice. The cool climate at an average 20℃ enables the residents to cultivate citrus fruits besides rice. Bario is also famous for its high-potash salt and the refreshing, juicy Bario pineapple.
Her aim is to promote authentic ethnic food which is healthy and organic yet affordable, while also promoting Sarawak's rich cultural heritage through the unique and authentic products being sold in her outlet, including Kek Lapis, ethnic headbands, Bario Highland salt and cinnamon, ethnic artworks and crafts, CDs of ethnic Sarawak music and recipe books. This charitable lady reveals her soft side by allotting space on the walls to showcase artworks by talented but handicapped local artists, and never fails to encourage her customers to support them. With that rather long introduction, let's get down to the business of food. We opted for the buffet line instead of Ala Carte, and came face to face with Nubaq Layag which is mashed rice, either red or white, wrapped in a fragrant Isip leaf. Before we could inquire, Esther explained that in the old days when people went to the farm, they didn't have plates. So they used leaves for plates and even scoops for soup. We also use bamboo to bake fish and meats, and use them as serving dishes, cups and spoons, she said.
More tapioca leaves were to be found in the savory Udung Ubih, which was stir- fried with tangy lemongrass. Tribal Scoops boasts many other ethnic cuisines which are a must-try, such as A'beng (deboned fish), Pa'uh Ab'pa (jungle fern) fish cooked with Dayak brinjal, cucumber and black fungus soup, Labo Senutuq (shredded beef/serunding style beef), stir-fried bamboo shoots, bunga kantan salad and many more delicious dishes all cooked using organic ingredients and flavored with local herbs and spices as well as the mineral-rich Highland organic salt. Esther stressed that they don't use MSG in their cooking, their greens are all organic, and that all meat and fish at Tribal Scoops are obtained from Halal suppliers. No pork or lard is used in their cooking.
Tribal Scoops offers free Wifi, and caters for private functions and events. They can also arrange for activities like rice wrapping demonstrations where participants will learn to wrap their own rice. Tribal Scoops Restaurant and Snack Bar is located at No.10, 1st Floor, Block H, Jalan Borneo, Taman Sri Sarawak. Tel: 082-234873. You can also find more at their website. Or their Facebook. [photo credit: Veronica Ng] |
| Jeffrey’s STAR blows hot and cold Posted: 14 Nov 2012 11:00 PM PST
The party is seeing a slowdown in membership applications, it has failed to attract high profile former Barisan Nasional leaders who have quit the ruling coalition and its campaign is disjointed. Tongues are wagging and party leader, maverick local politician Jeffrey Kitingan, is taking most of the flak. He is being blamed for being indecisive in the face manifold problems confronting the local opposition party that was formed 10 months ago. Hints of despair in the party are surfacing and Kitingan who is no stranger to controversy may fall into a political abyss yet again by “refusing to listen to good and alert colleagues”, according to people with knowledge of the situation in the party. Insiders say party leaders are worried local politicians such as independent MPs Lajim Ukin and Wilfred Bumburing who resigned from the ruling coalition three months ago, do not see STAR as a viable option. While it is widely known that BN component parties like Umno, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut organisation (Upko) are experiencing a leak in their membership, the former BN parties’ supporters are shunning the local opposition parties for PKR. The latest example is former Lahad Datu PBS strongman, Mohamadin Ketapi, who like Bumburing and Lajim, is known to have met Kitingan a few times but did not join the party. STAR has a few Muslim leaders within its fold but their influence is limited. Despite the drawback, the party is not giving up its bid to contest in mainly Muslim areas for a bigger share of power in the 60-seat state assembly. But the party may also have other organisational and management problems. While its financial status is unknown, PKR and even fellow local opposition party, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) are deemed to be in a better position in this area. STAR’s two separate wings – youth and women – on the other hand are said to lack cohesion. SAPP may get a free ride from Pakatan Rakyat in three Chinese dominated state seats – Likas which was once held by SAPP president Yong Teck Lee, Api-Api where Yong’s nemesis PBS Yee Moh Chai is incumbent and Luyang, where the party’s incumbent Melanie Chia remains popular. STAR, on the other hand, remains unsettled as the 13th general election gets closer. It is sending out conflicting signals and giving “false hope” according to some within the party. STAR’s leaders pessimistic Such is Ghani’s popularity in the constituency that he is reportedly being pursued by Sabah Umno. STAR’s search for credible leaders who can pose a challenge is bogged down. Of its four deputy state chairmen, only Nicholas Guntobon, a young medical practitioner is certain to contest in Liawan, Keningau. Another, Paul Voon is said to be hesitant, while outspoken Daniel John Jambun is said to be struggling to get his party’s endorsement for contesting in Inanam which is also being eyed by SAPP’s Sepanggar MP Eric Majimbun. Jambun could also be good for the Sepanggar parliamentary seat but since Kitingan has agreed to the status quo with SAPP, his deputy chairman is in a fix. He may still go up against the SAPP candidate in Inanam but this would split the opposition vote. Another deputy, Awang Ahmad Sah Sahari from Petagas, is said to be reluctant to stand in his own area as it has over 4,000 postal votes from the army base in Kem Lok Kawi. Awang was initially said to be keen to be fielded in Sekong, Sandakan but later switched to nearby Kimanis parliamentary seat where the Kadazandusun population is fairly substantial. However he may end up having to now wait and see what happens in the Muslim-Chinese state seat of Tanjong Aru adjacent to Petagas. But even here its a toss up as SAPP secretary-general Richard Yong is also said to be the favoured opposition candidate. Leaders of STAR who recently returned from the party’s recent SWOT analysis meeting in Tambunan are pessimistic about the party’s direction. They said that despite strong grassroots support, there are many issues the party has not addressed including on funds for advertising and media campaigns. “We cannot be operating on free services. We need strategists. We must have our party organs. Even our website was only recently put up. “STAR must wake up and harness the strength of support of Sabahans. We cannot be complacent. The problem is some are already over-confident of winning, but this could be a false hope as many are still fence-sitters,” said one leader who asked not to be identified. In the end, it will be all up to the mercurial Kitingan, a Harvard University trained academic-turned-politician. What his colleagues in the party are worried about is that he may add credibility to saying that leaders only want to hear nice things about them. |
| Posted: 14 Nov 2012 10:51 PM PST
Then came Dr Mahathir Mohamad who, in 1991, amended the act to enable state governments to acquire land and then alienate such land to the private sector for property development. Since then, Barisan Nasional state governments have been abusing and exploiting the Act to launch land grabs for their unabated profiteering agenda. For example, in Johor's Pengerang where the RM60 billion Petronas Oil Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Complex (Rapid) is located, the Johor Petroleum Development Corporation Bhd (JPDC) has used the Act to acquire 22,500 acres at an average of RM2.80 psf. That is enough to buy three pieces of roti canai. According to property valuers, the current price of land in Pengerang is about RM12 psf. The big question: Why did Johor Menteri Besar Ghani Othman approve the acquisition of 22,500 acres when the Rapid petrochemical refinery and complex needed only 6,000 acres? The answer is clear, because some land has already been alienated to a private developer to build houses. Rapid is set to wipe out six mosques, 11 surau, nine non-Muslim religious structures, five national schools, five Islamic religious schools, three SJKCs (Chinese national type schools), three government quarters, three rural clinics, two police stations, 11 Muslim cemeteries, seven non-Muslim cemeteries and nine community halls. The BN is also deceiving the rakyat by claiming that Rapid will benefit Pengerang residents when it is only benefiting BN-Umno cronies. What's all the destruction for? It all points to greed and profiteering at the expense of the people, in this case the Malays who lost their customary land. Why must the BN state government acquire land belonging to individual Malay villagers when it can consider the vast tracks of land belonging to corporations, conglomerates and the state in south Johor? Project in Gelang Patah The land, belonging mostly to Malays in Gelang Patah, was acquired at only 64 sen psf from about 10,000 Malay villagers from 17 kampungs. It is clear the BN government abused and used the Act to grab the land and then alienated it to Umno's UEM Bhd for property and infrastructure play. Up to now, the public is not told how costly infrastructure for Nusajaya had been, to whom and at what price awards were given out. So much for Umno's Ketuanan Melayu (Malay Supremacy) or Umno's Pembela Melayu (Defender of Malays), etc. Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor state chief. He is also a former MCA vice-president and an ex-Cabinet member. |
| Beri perhatian kepada anak muda Posted: 14 Nov 2012 09:24 PM PST
Katanya, kepimpinan Pemuda perlu membuka ruang kepada anak muda untuk menyalurkan idea mereka dalam memajukan gerakan PAS. Beliau mencadangkan satu menifesto yang menfokuskan golongan muda diwujudkan. “Perjuangkan PTPTN juga satu tarikan minat golongan muda ini kepada PAS,” kata Mohd Nazri Justeru, pimpinan pemuda PAS disaran untuk turun bertemu golongan anak muda dengan mengadakan aktiviti-aktiviti yang meraikan jiwa mereka. Ia penting kerana mereka adalah komponen terpenting dalam masyarakat. Perbahasan ini Dewan Pemuda hari ini dipengerusikan oleh Ustaz Misbahul Munir, turut dibantu Kamal Ashaari. Seramai 660 orang perwakilan pemuda kawasan dari seluruh Malaysia memenuhi Dewan Jubli Perak, MPKB-BRI, Kota Bharu bermula dari jam 8.00 pagi lagi. |
| Ahli PAS undi calon bukan Islam Pakatan Posted: 14 Nov 2012 09:21 PM PST
Gesaan itu dibuat Ketua Dewan Ulama PAS, Datun Harun Taib semasa menyampaikan ucap utama dalam muktamar Dewan Ulamak PAS di Kota Baru.Teks ucapannya dibaca Naib Ketua Dewan Ulamak PAS Pusat, Dato' Dr Mahfudz Mohamad. Naib Ketua Dewan Ulamak PAS Pusat, Datuk Dr Mahfudz Mohamad yang juga Pesuruhjaya PAS Johor membacakan teks tersebut. PAS katanya membenarkan ahli-ahlinya mengundi parti lain sebagai satu wasilah mencapai kemenangan dalam pilihanraya. Beliau juga menekan kepentingan media baru kepada PAS terutama untuk tujuan dakwah. “Youtube, blog, laman web dan media alternatif lain perlu digunakan untuk tujuan tersebut,” katanya. Ulamak tambahnya boleh memainkan peranan memenuhi media baru dengan pemikiran dakwah, tarbiyah dan jihad menentang kezaliman. “Tidak hanya dengan lisan tetapi juga menggunaka mata pena penulisan.” tambah beliau lagi. |
| MCA rejects Hee’s Jelapang talk Posted: 14 Nov 2012 09:17 PM PST
MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek said that his party had not held any discussion with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak about giving up the Jelapang state seat in Perak. "The Jelapang MCA division and I had neither deliberated about allowing an outsider to stand in the seat under the MCA ticket," he said in a statement today. He was responding to a statement made by Hee yesterday that she would contest to retain the seat for Barisan Nasional. Hee won the Jepalang seat under the DAP banner in 2008 but in the following year quit the party to become a BN-friendly independent. Her defection, along with three others, caused the collapse of the Pakatan government in Perak. She told the Chinese media on Tuesday that she would be recontesting in Jelapang under the BN banner, adding that Najib would be making further announcement on it. Chua however said Hee would not win in Jelapang without the support from the MCA division and especially the grassroots members. "Winning the general election requires the support from all BN component parties, it is crucial that the candidate receives support not just from the people, but also the component parties. "I must stress that BN is a collective decision-making coalition, it is never a norm for the coalition to talk about its seat allocation and candidacy openly," he said. |
| Pakatan’s AES will benefit poor Posted: 14 Nov 2012 08:57 PM PST
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said by installing "1Malaysia" cameras without any open competitive tender, BN's AES would punish the people to just enrich private companies. He said BN’s AES was solely to benefit crony companies through commissions for traffic summonses issued. In contrary, he said Pakatan's AES (Agenda Ekonomi Saksama) was to make Penang the first state to be poverty free by 2013, benefiting some 2,000 poor families regardless of their ethnic, religion and language backgrounds. "This highlights the different policy approach towards economic development," Lim stressed in a blog posting. He boasted that Penang was the first state to wipe out hardcore poverty in 2009. Hardcore poverty is defined as households earning below RM400 monthly income. Under zero poverty scheme, he said Pakatan's AES would ensure all households in Penang have a minimum RM770 monthly income. Originally, the state government planned to wipe out poverty by 2015, but now had brought deadline two years forward. Lim's government confidence to achieve its zero poverty target by 2013 had been boosted by its good financial performance in 2011. He said some RM20 million had been allocated for this historic poverty eradication initiative. The federal government has defined poverty line below RM720 monthly household income, which Lim's administration had dismissed as low and outdated. But the state government has raised the bar by fixing RM770 as its minimum monthly income goal for all families in Penang. Lim believes due to his government can achieve zero poverty due to its CAT principles of competency, accountability and transparency. Under the state scheme, families with below RM770 per month after receiving all forms of aids will be "topped-up" by the state government to earn at least RM770 per month. For instance, if a family receives only RM500 after all financial assistance, the family will receive RM 270 monthly "top up" from the Pakatan government to earn RM 770. The scheme will begin by Jan 1, 2013 and Lim aims to achieve zero poverty by end of that year. Lim pointed out that the 2011 Auditor-General's Report had confirmed that Penang had reduced its debts by 95% and recorded the highest budget surplus ever in history of RM138 million, a 312% increase from 2010's budget surplus of RM33 million. He also noted Penang had managed to record a budget surplus every year since 2008 despite projecting a budget deficit every year due to CAT governance. He claimed that CAT governance focused on cutting down cost and maximising revenues without sacrificing quality through open competitive tenders, compliance with rule of law, choosing the competent or right person for the right job as well as adopting rigorous auditing and internal control mechanisms. "Hence the state government can achieve its zero poverty target by next year," Lim boasted. |
| Another shocking case of police brutality Posted: 14 Nov 2012 05:57 PM PST FMT LETTER: From R Thevarajan, via e-mail Suaram is shocked to see the image of a 29-year-old suspected snatch thief who is lying in critical condition at the Sarawak General Hospital after being seriously beaten by police. On Nov 7, 2012, Harian Metro published the news in its online media. This thuggish behaviour of two police officers from the Crime Investigation Department of Kuching Police District clearly shows that they were unprofessional in dealing with the suspect. Why do the police have to use force when interrogating suspects? Are the officers not being trained properly on handling suspects or is this the kind of training received by the police officers? Suaram welcomes the swift action of the force to apprehend two police officers whom were suspected to have caused injuries to the detainee. The Sarawak State Police Commissioner, Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, promised they will be fair in handling the case, and the case was classified as causing grievous hurt. He stated that “No one is above the law. Even policemen are subject to the laws of the country" However, Suaram has doubts on this. How transparent are the force when it comes to investigating a police? The rakyat has lost faith in the mechanism of police investigating the police. The question now is, who bears the cost of medical treatment for the victim? If the victim is a breadwinner of a family, who supports the family now? He would not have been in comma but for the blood thirsty officers. Suaram urges the government to set up a support fund for the victims and their families when cases such as this happen. This fund should be used to help victims of state violence which is steadily rising over the years. Civil societies in Malaysia are advocating for the need for the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to be set up. A Stop State Violence Movement also has been formed by civil societies amidst the rise of violence in government agencies, especially the Royal Malaysian Police. The police institution needs an independent disciplinary mechanism before scot-free thuggish attitude becomes the official code of conduct of the institution. The writer is Suaram’s Right To Justice Coordinator |
| Talking about orangutans is different to saving them Posted: 14 Nov 2012 05:55 PM PST FMT LETTER: From Sean Whyte, via e-mail Three weeks ago I wrote a letter for this column titled 'Sabah orangutan shenanigans', which prompted an outcry from a few attending a then upcoming event on Oct 24-25 to discuss the future of orangutans in Sabah. The event was to be held at a luxury 5* holiday resort, the preferred choice of many who don't have to pick up the bill. My letter suggested the event was likely to be little more than a back slapping, glad-handing love-in of regular conference attendees designed to make them feel good and the palm oil industry look good. However, it appears to have done neither. Subsequently, I said to the organisers, if the event produced any significant benefits to orangutans I would write publicly congratulate them; can't say fairer than that, or so I thought. Regrettably the organisers make this impossible. Despite two requests to the Sabah Wildlife Department inviting them to list the achievements at their event, no official information has been forthcoming. I could, off course, rely on newspaper accounts of the event, but if I did, the organisers would surely be unhappy with this and criticise me for not asking them first. But, when asked, they won't provide any answers. For several reasons, all articulated to the organisers well in advance of the event, I declined to attend their conference. However, I did make it crystal clear, once again, I would meet with the movers and shakers in Sabah and the palm oil industry if in advance there were some clearly stated objectives, which were not evident with my invitation, and a meeting held in an appropriate business setting. This absence of answers to questions in the public interest is very typical throughout Malaysia. Send a private letter to a government department and you hear nothing in return. If you then write a public letter they can get all hot under the collar. Furthermore, I felt it wrong then and I still do now, people claiming to be conservationists or scientists should not accept such free and lavish hospitality at a luxury holiday resort. What's wrong with a conference room in a business setting? I was also troubled by the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) permitting the Rasa Ria Resort, a profit making company, to keep orangutans for reasons SWD refuse to explain. Maybe there are good reasons. If so, what is SWD's problem with telling us what they are? One prominent NGO director, by way of justifying in part to himself and a colleague’s attendance, said he would investigate the orangutans kept at Rasa Ria and report on his findings. We are still waiting for the report. I also wonder why they both went to this event when by his own admission 20 orangutans were at that very same time cornered and under threat from a palm oil company. How could they go and enjoy 5* luxury with the palm oil industry in Malaysia at a time when 20 orangutans in his own country (Indonesia) were at risk of death from the palm oil industry? Will donors tolerate this behaviour? Another concern to me was, SWD splashing around big money for this event at the same time as foreign donors and orangutan adopters are sending money to SWD to help pay towards the running costs of the SWD's Sepilok orangutan rescue centre. How can this be right or ethical? I wonder how much the SWD spent on this event? Will they tell us? It appears the all-important No Kill Zero Tolerance policy was not approved. I don't know why because the SWD won't say. I do wish the MPOB and SWD would clarify their position regarding this policy. If there are any who feel a No Kill policy is not needed, what is their answer to stopping the killing? Let's hear it and how they intend to make it work. Orangutans are disappearing throughout their entire range, largely because the palm oil industry is killing them as well as countless other endangered species. So, isn't stopping the slaughter of these majestic animals the priority? This year the SWD has held two conferences to do with protecting orangutans, and on both occasions the organisers have failed to endorse a No Kill policy. Why might that be? The following are questions concerning the event I put last week to the SWD, twice, but they seem to have fallen on deaf ears. Answers to the questions may well have shown the event in a different light, but how are we to know when the organisers decline to reply? 1 (Were) any specific changes made to SOP's, etc. which will help orangutans? 2 If relevant, when will any changes take effect? 3 How will any new procedures, etc. measured to show later 'before and after' improvement(s)? 4 Have any new laws been introduced? 5 Was a No Kill Zero Tolerance Policy debated? 6 If so, who chaired the debate and what was the outcome? 7 Is it correct, this policy was not agreed? If so, what were the reasons? 8 Rasa Ria. Was the purpose of orangutans being held at this holiday resort discussed? If so, please could this be clarified? 9 Has anyone been nominated to follow up and report on all commitments made at the Dialogue? i.e. a named person responsible for ensuring any commitments made, actually happen. Overall, what I look for after any such meeting anywhere (including GRASP in Paris last week) is, has/will it make any meaningful difference – outcomes which can be measured later and if so when? And who can be held to account for turning talk into action which produces the desired outcomes? In the absence then of any evidence to the contrary, I can only conclude a jolly good time was had in Sabah by all except the orangutans. If this letter does happen to prompt a response from the SWD, look to see if they actually answer the questions above. And remember, before this letter they failed to answer two private requests for the same information. A few days after this event some attendees probably moved on to another plush hotel, this time in Singapore to attend the annual RSPO meetings, and one or two might even have travelled to Paris for the GRASP meeting. They must be clocking up a lot of air miles at someone's expense. Just the other day, Karl Ammann the distinguished wildlife trade investigative journalist had this to say about what I call 'conference groupies', in this instance those attending a great ape conference in Paris – of all places. "…..I concluded that I’m familiar with most of these players. Many have been in the great ape business for decades. My guess is that cumulatively they have spent tens of millions of dollars attending such venues and held thousands of such conversations about conservation. “However the players attending this GRASP meeting and generally flying from meeting to meeting are also the ones who have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on conservation projects supposedly doing something about the plight of the apes. Now they are telling us the apes are worse off than before." Ammann's article "More money for more conversations about conservation" drew this comment from the equally distinguished orangutan expert Dr Biruté Mary Galdikas: " …. I totally agree with Karl Ammann’s assessment! The great apes don’t need any more pontification." Are donors paying to help save orangutans or paying for lavish events and international travel? One thing is blindingly obvious, despite numerous conferences the orangutan population throughout its range keeps on plummeting and you don't need a PhD to see this is the reality or what is causing it. Having travelled extensively throughout Kalimantan in the past five years alone, it is clear to me that 'saving the orangutans' is an unmitigated disaster. It is not working and statistically it never has. Much like the 'save the tiger' campaign, both have consumed obscene amounts of donors money with little or no financial accountability and little or nothing to show for the money spent. I read somewhere there are now more tigers in Texas than in India, and those in Texas are mostly there for one reason – to be shot at close quarters by so-called big game hunters. Hardly a conservation success story. It's just a shame orangutans continue to be killed while some paid to protect them carry on talking amongst themselves, attending conferences and writing never-ending reports to their sponsors asking for ever more money. Sponsors and donors beware. The writer is CEO of Nature Alert |
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