Daniel John raised issue of tainted Sabah electoral roll at Bersih Congress in KL

             Daniel John Jambun raised the issue of "Projek IC" voters in Sabah at the Bersih Congress at KLSCAH in Kuala Lumpur today.

KUALA LUMPUR : A senior Sabah activist has raised again the issues of tainted electoral roll for Sabah at the Bersih Congress here today, calling on the NGO to help pressure the authorities to rectify things.

Daniel John Jambun, president of Borneo's Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo), told delegates that the Projek IC was exposed during the RCI hearing in 2013 but nothing much has since been done.

"The tainted electoral roll issue in Sabah was filed in the high court of Kota Kinabalu two years ago by four Sabah assemblymen.

"The court ruled that the Election Commission (EC) can rectify the tainted electoral roll through administrative procedure, but we have yet to hear what have been done by authorities," he pointed out.

He raised this after the Bersih Executive Director, Ooi Kok Hin, presented his paper titled "Electoral Reform - Quoting Anwar Ibrahim's fierce movement to reform Malaysian election system" at the day-long congress held at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall here today.

     Daniel John Jambun with outspoken lawyer-activist Siti Kasim.

Daniel said holders of 'Projek IC' in Sabah have been registered in the electoral rolls and allowed to vote in elections.

"I urge Bersih to assist the genuine Sabahans to pressure the Election Commission to clean the electoral roll," he said.

          With EC deputy chairman Azmi Sharom.

Speaking to Borneo Herald, Daniel said he had also met deputy chairman of EC, Azmi Sharom, and invited him to meet NGOs from Sabah who would like to meet him on the issue.

"Azmi told me he would gladly do so and he has no problem coming to Kota Kinabalu and meet NGOs and concerned individuals," Daniel said.#

June 18, 2024 decision whether SLS can continue to pursue Sabahan's right to 40% revenues

By Luke Rintod

KOTA KINABALU : In an about turn, the GRS state government in Sabah, retracted all the "sensitive" arguments by Tengku Fuad Tengku Ahmad, earlier its appointed lawyer in the on-going court case of Sabah's claim to 40% of the revenue collected by the Federal government from the state.

The state attorney general, Datuk Nor Asiah Mohd Yusof, who appeared, via zoom meeting, at the Court of Appeal case management here today, presented a new three-point stand of the state government on the matter.

In fact the state government's new stand was in a written letter dated 23 May, 2024 to the appelate court by Nor Asiah, and was affirmed at the court today.

First, that the state government now did not want to challenge the leave granted by the High Court earlier in November 11, 2022 to Sabah Law Society (SLS) to proceed with the substantive hearing of its judicial review application in respect of the 40% Special Grant Entitlement of the State of Sabah.

Second, that the GRS government now retracts all submissions made by its lawyer Tengku Fuad in the Court of Appeal recently on May 16 2024, on the issue of locus standi of the SLS in pursuing the tax right claim.

Third, the state government also retracted Tengku Fuad's submissions in the same court on the Article 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution as being  "an aspiration" and not a mandatory or absolute right of the State of Sabah.

Nor Asiah also informed the Court of Appeal today that Tengku Fuad has ceased to act for the Sabah state government, and that the State Attorney has taken over.

Both Tengku Fuad and Nor Asiah along with the Chief Minister, Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor, had become targets of severe criticisms and foul comments in social media until today for the "sensitive" assertions by Tengku Fuad in the Court of Appeal last week, something unseen for a long time in Sabah.

In fact the night of the appelate court hearing last week, three of Hajiji's colleagues in GRS namely Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Datuk Yong Teck Lee and Tan Sri Pandikar Amin went to Sri Gaya (CM official residence) and registered a very strong views to Hajiji on Tengku Fuad's line of arguments and advised (rather demanded) Hajiji to do something right to avoid further public backlash.

The trio, and the president of Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri, Datuk Henrynus Amin, and former president of Upko, Datuk Madius Tangau, were among senior politicians seen mingling with a large crowd at the court compound last week. A few hundred Sabahans, activists, NGO leaders, politicians, young and old of various races, some in traditional gears, thronged the court compound in support of the SLS effort.

They brought along banners, some with words expressively supporting the 40% claim by Sabah.

This case has become a hot topic as it involves what Sabah claims to be its constitutional right, but which the federal government has successively failed or reluctant to adhere, affecting badly the ability of the state government to raise fund to develop the large state which is more than half of the whole size of the 11-state Peninsular or Malaya as is more commonly known in Sabah.

What irked Sabahans more is the reluctance of Hajiji to pursue the case, instead he agreed in 2022, without getting the consensus of the state legislative assembly, to a Federal proposal of special yearly grant of RM200-300 million for a period of five years, in lieu of the 40% claim which some claimed, if realised, could get Sabah fund in the region of RM4-5 billion annually.

The fact that Upko President Datuk Ewon Benedik and 11 other PH leaders, decided to retract similar suit much earlier, even though they promised would never do it, has further enraged Sabahans, accusing them of turn-coats and sold-souls, soon after they were given lucrative posts by the Federal Government.

Today, at case management, the Court's Deputy Registrar, Puan Norhamizah, informed that a decision by the three-member Court of Appeal, will be given on 18 June, 2024. 

At the case management today, the Federal Attorney-General was represented by Krishna Priya Veenagopal, while SLS was represented by David Fung, Jeyan Marimuttu and Janice Junie Lim. 

Nor Asiah appeared for the Sabah state government together with Datuk Brenndon Keith Soh, and Devina Teo.

The eagerly anticipated decision on June 18, will determine whether SLS can continue to pursue Sabahans' right to the 40% Entitlement for the lost years (1974 to 2021). 

From the law's perspective, it will indicate Malaysian courts' commitment to the path of justice for the public through Public Interest Litigation.

SLS, meanwhile, welcomes this latest development and is supportive of this latest position which is in line with the recent statement by the Chief Minister.#

JKDM adalah alat politik Umno kata Nilis Joseph, pemimpin SEDAR

                               Nilis Joseph 

TELUPID : Seorang lagi pemimpin kanan Parti Sedar Rakyat (SEDAR) dari Sabah menyifatkan keputusan menteri Umno menubuhkan Jawatankuasa Kemajuan Desa Madani (JKDM) untuk menyaingi JKKK di kampung-kampung Sabah sebagai bukti Umno tidak jujur.

Naib pengerusi Sedar Sabah, Nilis Joseph, berkata jika Umno jujur membantu kampung-kampung Sabah, kenapa ia tidak tubuhkan jawatankuasa itu sebelum ini ketika ia memegang tampuk pemerintahan Sabah.

"JKDM ini sebenarnya hanyalah untuk kepentingan politik Umno semata-mata, dan bukan untuk memajukan kampung-kampung di Sabah," katanya dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Menurut Nilis, Sedar menolak pewujudan JKDM kerana tiada kejujuran di dalamnya, dan Umno hanya mempergunakan rakyat Sabah supaya pemimpin cawangan Umno mendapat habuan.

"Kita tingulah sama ada pemimpin parti-parti politik lain Sabah dalam Kerajaan Perpaduan madani akan turut dilantik pengerusi JKDM atau adakah semua dibolot orang Umno," katanya.

Nilis mendakwa ada pihak tertentu yang hendak mengajar kerajaan GRS yang telah mengenepikan Umno di semua peringkat termasuklah pentadbiran di kawasan DUN dan kampung-kampung.

"Ini ada persamaan dengan tindakan kerajaan Umno ketika pemerintahan PBS dulu, di mana kerajaan Persekutuan telah memperkenalkan Jabatan Pembangunan Persekutuan Sabah (JPPS) dan menyalurkan peruntukan Sabah melalui JPPS dan bukan kerajaan negeri.

"Cuma kali ini, tindakan ini diperkira untuk dua tahun terakhir sebelum PRU. Difahamkan Pengerusi JKDM diberi gaji RM1,600 sebulan manakala Setiausaha JKDM RM800 berbanding Pengerusi JKKK di bawah kerajaan negeri hanya menerima RM900 sebulan manakala setiausaha JKKK tidak menerima sebarang elaun," katanya lagi.

Menurut Nilis lagi sudah tentu hal itu akan merendahkan lagi semangat JKKK, apalagi kalau JKDM menerima peruntukan yang lebih banyak berbanding diterima JKKK, di mana banyak JKKK dilaporkan gagal diberi apa-apa peruntukan kampung bertahun lamanya.

"Inilah yang berlaku apabila kerajaan negeri lemah dan para pemimpinnya tiada idea dan inisiatif yang menarik.

"Komitmen Sedar Sabah seperti dinyatakan Timbalan Pengerusi Sedar Sabah, Dr Julia Emelda Ongkili, memberi peluang kepada penduduk memilih sendiri pengerusi JKKK dan ketua kampung jika Sedar yang memerintah patut disokong oleh rakyat Sabah," tambahnya lagi.

Pengerusi JKKK dan Ketua Kampung Sabah dipilih oleh penduduk jika Parti Sedar Rakyat memerintah

TAMPARULI : Parti Sedar Rakyat (Sedar), sebuah parti berteraskan blok Borneo, akan membenarkan penduduk kampung memilih sendiri pengerusi JKKK dan ketua kampung mereka di Sabah jika parti itu memerintah.

Timbalan pengerusi Sedar Sabah, Dr Julia Emelda Ongkili, menyatakan demikian dalam kenyataan akhbarnya hari ini yang mengulas isu pertindihan Jawatankuasa Kemajuan Desa Madani (JKDM) dan Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung (JKKK). 

"Pewujudan JKDM oleh Kerajaan Pusat di semua kampung di Sabah hanyalah bermotif politik dan akan menimbulkan pertindihan tidak sihat dengan JKKK sedia ada di bawah kerajaan negeri," katanya.

"Bukankah tugas JKDM ini sama saja dengan JKKK? Jadi apa motifnya? Kenapa hanya di Sabah, dan tidak di Sarawak? Adakah kerana di Sarawak tiada Umno? Jadi JKDM ini hanya untuk orang Umno saja?

"Adakah ini hanya untuk melemahkan dan meremehkan JKKK di bawah kerajaan negeri yang memangpun banyak kelemahan dan kekurangan peruntukan serta ketara bermotif politik juga?" ujarnya lagi.

Menurutnya lagi situasi ada dua platform pentadbiran kerajaan negeri dan persekutuan di peringkat kampung di Sabah itu boleh menimbulkan konflik di kalangan pemimpin kampung, jika tiada komunikasi yang baik.

Katanya lagi, yang terbaik ialah kerajaan atau kementerian pusat menyalurkan dana kepada kerajaan negeri ke kampung-kampung.

"Bagaimanapun situasi unik di Sabah ini bukan kesalahan pusat 100%. Menteri Pembangunan Desa dan Wilayah adalah presiden Umno, bagaimana beliau hendak menyalurkan dana dan kuasa kepada JKKK di bawah kerajaan GRS sedangkan GRS mengenepikan Umno dari kerajaan negeri? Ini kita fahami.

"Inilah akibat apabila semua jawatan Pengerusi JKKK dan Ketua Kampung dipolitikkan oleh GRS. Mereka main lantik di kalangan parti-parti anggota GRS sahaja, menidakkan pilihan penduduk kampung. Sepatutnya amalan demokrasi dilanjutkan kepada pemilihan "ketua menteri" peringkat kampung," tambahnya.

"Parti Sedar Rakyat jika diberi mandat memimpin kerajaan negeri, pasti menimbang dengan serius mengembalikan kuasa rakyat dalam memilih siapa mereka percaya menjadi pengerusi JKKK dan juga Ketua Kampung masing-masing.

"SEDAR mahu kerajaan negeri yang benar-benar menghormati demokrasi dan siapa saja pilihan penduduk setempat harus dilantik kerajaan sebagai pengerusi dan ketua kampung," katanya.

Menurutnya cara itu akan memastikan bukan ahli parti tertentu saja berpeluang dilantik mentadbir kampung, dan ia tidak akan menjemput masalah parti besar lain mengambil tindakan "membalas" seperti yang kini dialami rakyat Sabah.

"Rakyat harus berfikir. Mereka yang menjadi mangsa percaturan politik pemimpin yang berfikiran sempit hanya partinya saja boleh mentadbir kampung-kampung," katanya.#

Meeting Sarawak Premier is very uplifting, says Sabah Sedar leader

For Sabah Rotarian, Dr Julia Ongkili, personal face-to-face meeting with Sarawak Premier, Abang Jo was once in a lifetime uplifting experience.

KUCHING : "Meeting and listening to Sarawak Premier, Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, was a very uplifting experience to me."

That is how Dr Julia Emelda Ongkili, a Kota Kinabalu Rotarian, described her meeting with the Sarawak Premier at yesterday's (May 19, 2024) Malaysia Book of Records: Most Participants in Ethnic Attire In A Choreographed Dance Performance in Kuching.

Dr Julia who is also the Sabah state deputy chairman of Parti Sedar Rakyat, was one of the Sabah Rotary leaders invited to participate in the 1,275-member unique dance performance.

She wore the Ranau Sinulamba Dusun attire. In fact, she said, she was the only one wearing Sinulamba at the event.

"Premier Abang Jo's speech brought goosebumps. Sarawakians were so proud and lucky to have him as their premier.

"They chanted 'we love you Abang Jo', and i too felt very uplifted especially after knowing the many initiatives and achievements of Sarawak," she told Borneo Herald.

"People are very proud with the fact that Kuching is recognised the 11th cleanest city in the world.

"I also feel absolutely proud of Sarawak achievements in providing green energy and in establishing public transport using hydrogen as fuel, the first of its kind in this region," she further said.

This Colours of Harmony's Malaysia Book of Records: Most Participants in Ethnic Attire In A Choreographed Dance was organised by the Rotary Kuching in partnership with Kuching North City Hall (DBKU).#

Here are some relevant pictures at the Kuching event yesterday :