Sabahans join Pekan Gawai in Pontianak, West Kalimantan

BORNEO Harvest Fiesta... The week-long Pekan Gawai in Pontianak, West Kalimantan being held for the 26th time from May 16 to 24, was joined by a group of 36 Dayaks from East Malaysia for a third year.

A delegation of five Borneo natives from Sabah was led by the Founder Chairman of newly-formed London-based NGO Borneo Rights International (BRI), Kanul Gindol. A representative from Borneo Dayak Forum (BDF), Peter Marajin, was also in the delegation. While in Pontianak, the delegation held various discussions with their counterparts in Kalimantan.

According to Kanul, their participation is meant to encourage a pan-Borneo exchange of cultural discussions and in tandem with the private initiative for Bornenisation. "We were impressed with the extravaganza of cultural shows by our Dayaks brothers here. The hosts hospitality and reception were also fantastic while we were there. We hope to go to Central Kalimantan and East Kalimantan next year which are closer to Sabah," he said in a statement mailed to the press.

Kanul in a traditional Dusun headgear which he
wore throughout the Kalimantan Gawai launching.

Kanul (right) with Ali Biju, the newly-elected assemblyman
of PKR for Krian who was also in the entourage.

Seated from right Marajin, Gindol and Biju with Dayak
elders at Hotel Mercure where they stayed for
the Gawai celebration.

Kanul with an Iban elder from Sarawak
among those in the crowd.

Kanul with a Bidayuh man from Sarawak, Alim Mideh (centre)
and a local Dusun from Central Kalimantan, Ferry, who
was also at the Pontianak Gawai as a photographer.

Pairin mahu Sabah anjur Kaamatan Kebangsaan

Kerajaan Persekutuan sebaiknya memberi kepercayaan kepada Kerajaan Sabah untuk menganjurkan perayaan Pesta Kaamatan peringkat kebangsaan, kata Timbalan Ketua Menteri Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

Beliau berkata kejayaan penganjuran Pesta Kaamatan di setiap kemuncak perayaan itu yang disambut pada 30 dan 31 Mei setiap tahun harus diangkat serta diiktiraf sebagai Pesta Kaamatan peringkat nasional.

Citizenship-for-votes in Sabah: I was not involved, says Anwar

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim conceded that he had some knowledge of the citizen-for-votes operation in Sabah, allegedly spearheaded by Umno in the early 1990s when he was the party's deputy president.


However, he said that whatever information he received were from "secondary sources" as he was kept out of loop in the highly covert operation popularly known as Project IC or Project M.

"It was a special operation under the Prime Minister's Office and the Home Ministry at that time directly under Mahathir (Mohamad) and Megat Junid (Megat Ayub).

Call Taib in first, Siah tells police

KUCHING – “Call Taib Mahmud in to the police station first and then I will also go in to have my statement recorded” was Francis Paul Siah’s request to the police today.

The Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) leader revealed that a police officer from the CID department in Kuching called him on Friday  afternoon asking him to go to the station to record a statement.

Umno, PBS squeeze insignificant ‘brother’

Pushed to a corner, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president
Joseph Kurup will have to decide on his party's political future.

The recent spat between Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) and Umno over the Pensiangan parliamentary seat in the coming general election, tells us at least two stories – one of arrogance and the other weakness.

PBRS, refered to here in Sabah as a “mosquito party”, is a weak party and cannot be counted on to deliver Pensiangan for Barisan Nasional but Umno is as arrogant as before, if not more emboldened now.