Sabah consumer body treads fine line

State Reform Party member James Bagah says
he felt forced to give up his political
belief for the sake of his NGO.

By Luke Rintod of FMT

KOTA KINABALU: The Consumers Affairs and Protection Society of Sabah (Caps) has come under pressure from the state Barisan Nasional government to remain independent on the political front.

Its president James Bagah felt the government’s displeasure after he threw in his lot with the opposition but soldiered on until this weekend.

The State Reform Party (Star) member said he felt forced to give up his political belief for the sake of the NGO.

Bagah announced his resignation from Star that is led by Jeffrey Kitingan and showed a letter to the party at the end of Caps’ coordinators meeting at Hongkod Koisaan building on Friday.

Govt silence on palm oil price drop causing jitters

The government is accused of just waiting
for things to happen rather than plotting
new strategies to benefit smallholders.

By Luke Rintod of FMT

RANAU: The plummeting price of Sabah’s main commodity – palm oil – has made government leaders vulnerable to criticism from the opposition for failing to address the issue

Jalibin Paidi, a state committee member of State Reform Party (Star) is the latest to take to task both the federal and state governments for not taking any concrete step to alleviate the situation that threatened to push thousands of smallholders back into the poverty bracket.

Days ago, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president, Yong Teck Lee, highlighted the issue during a visit to the east coast of the state.

Close to 45,000 children don’t go to school

KUALA LUMPUR: Close to 45,000 children in Malaysia are denied access to education due to poverty, with most coming from the Orang Asli community, said a report by an NGO, the Child Rights Coalition Malaysia.

The report, published after a two-year research on the status of children in the country, also stated that birth registration remains among the major problems, especially for the “marginalised” groups like the urban and rural poor.

The research found that these children were denied access to education because of non-recognition of their citizenship.

Sabah, Sarawak: Overdrawn at the vote bank

"The country was in peril; he was jeopardising his traditional rights of freedom and independence by daring to exercise them." - Joseph Heller (Catch-22)

The reality is that Umno failed Sarawak and Sabah a long time ago. Even in those early days, there was an undercurrent of resentment towards West Malaysians; as if the indigenous peoples understood the future in that precious 18 (or should that be 20) point agreement was nothing but a pipe dream.

Fantastic Article by IPOH Gal..... Must read

Letter to MM:

We know you want us to stay stupid, but it's time to let others clean up your mess.

Sorry to disappoint you guys, MM is not Marilyn Monroe, America’s legendary sex symbol, the beautiful blonde that drove all men wild and crazy.  Here, MM is the country’s fourth Prime Minister, the man we all loathed and wished he just fade away.

MM said Malaysians are not mature enough for debates. He said debates would only make the situation worse as Malaysians were too sentimental and emotional to appreciate arguments that were presented rationally.