No logs, no jobs, no future

Sabah's domestic timber industry has hit a crossroads and unless the government revamps its policy, it will see a natural death.

TAWAU: Nasir, 27, a father of three has been living on RM200 a month since May 2011. He and his wife work in a sawmill in Tanjung Batu Laut colony, near here.

To compensate for a cutback in his pay, he has been doing odd jobs but these too are rare.

“I keep hoping the situation will improve. I only had 10 days work a month in the last two months. I earn a daily wage.

“Before when I worked a full month, I use to earn about RM400 to RM600 a month. Now I am lucky if I get RM200.”

In a makeshift shack, 30 minutes drive away from this colony, another group of women are wondering if there will be work for their husbands tomorrow.

Hamisah is weary of strangers. Peeling the skin off a tapioca, which she is preparing for family’s lunch, she said her husband worked at a sawmill but had been without a job for four months.

“He has gone to work now but I don’t know if he has a job today.

“Some days he has work but many days he has nothing. Last month he earned RM200.

“It is difficult to find money now. We grow some vegetables like this tapioca and share the cooking,” she said, her views echoed by the two other women whose husbands are also working in the industry.

Nasir and Hamisah are not alone in their worry.

Some 10,000 others, who work in Sabah’s timber industry, are also in the same predicament.

But the state government does not seem to care.

No interest
The local operators have blamed the government’s policies and disinterest for the woes of the domestic timber industry.

Countless complaints over the government’s export of round logs despite an acute domestic need has been met with stony silence.

The Tanjung Batu Laut sawmill colony which was once a thriving hub is today almost a “ghost town”.

At its peak this colony was among those which contributed to Sabah’s export revenue.

According to Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Bernard Dompok, “the major commodities exported from Sabah are plywood (RM1.2 billion) and sawn timber (RM641 million)”.

But these once active mills are now deserted.

Those that are still in operation are barely surviving, said one operator Gary Yap, who has predicted that at the current rate Sabah’s timber industry would see a natural death sooner than later.

Yap, 53, who has been in the business since the 1999, believes the industry is at a crossroads and the government must decide whether it wants to invest and develop the production and export of value-added products from Sabah, which is currently still low.

“The situation now is such that there is no timber for us. The state is exporting all its round logs. The government is not interested in the local operators or our arguments.

“We don’t see any interest from them in developing downstream activities. For now, the government doesn’t see that developing downstream activities can be profitable.

“Exporting round logs is a billion-ringgit industry for the state government,” he said, adding that the industry was monopolised by five players closely linked to the state leadership.

No work

Yap said another fact is that the majority of the workers in the sawmill industry are foreigners or Indonesians.

“These workers and their livelihood are of no concern to the government. The situation and urgency would be different if the workers were local Sabahans,” he said, while driving the FMT team through Tanjung Batu Laut.

Yap, who is the managing partner of Rinvision Sdn Bhd, stopped operations eight months ago when he could not get good quality logs for use.

“I stopped operations at my mill after failing to get good wood. I don’t mind paying the export rate for the round logs but the government doesn’t want to sell the logs to us.

“Now the mills here (Tanjung Batu Laut) are operating on scraps and poor quality timber.

“I can’t use this. I need good quality timber because I make wood window frames for export to Europe,” he said, adding that he was luckier than most operators because he owned the land on which he built his factory.

According to Yap, who is a chemical engineer by profession and a father of four, he has been losing RM300,000 since shutting down operations eight month ago.

“But I’m luckier than the other operators. This is my land and factory. I don’t have to worry about rental and debts. Some of the mill operators are paying RM50,000 a month in rent.

“I don’t have that worry. Now we are just maintaining a skeleton staff at half-pay to maintain the factory. There is no real work,” he said, adding that he was now looking at alternative business.

Yap cannot see a future for the timber industry in Sabah, not with the current policies in place.

“If the situation doesn’t change, I don’t see a safe future for the timber industry here. The government can say Sabah still has a lot of timber, but I don’t believe so.

“The forest is being depleted. Look at the forest reserve land in Meratoi. I still remember how dense it was… now you can see it thinning.

“It’s not just the deforestation… it’s also the encroachment of illegals and foreigners into these forest reservations,” said Yap, who supports environmental conservation in Sabah.

Time for revamp

Last week, the Sabah Timber Industry Association (STIA), after months of silence, called for the reduction of log exports from Sabah.

According to STIA, there was a need for the local mills to restructure and for the government to revamp its policy on log procurements and distribution systems in Sabah.

While noting the benefits of the timber industry’s economic spin-offs, which included the transport and warehousing industry, shipping and forwarding service, the construction and infrastructure development of factories, it also called for the local industry to be given equal opportuntiy to purchase all logs extracted before they are exported.

“A fair system should be worked out by the state government in full consultation with the industry for log procurement and distribution policy.

“The log export royalty should be increased to reflect the fair profit margin for the log exporter and the state government.

“At least 20,000 M3 of round logs per month should be put on the open market for tender, open to all purchasers, local and overseas.

“And as there is insufficient supply of raw material, it is only logical for the state government to open up the importation of logs.

“No permit or quota should be imposed on importation.

“The industry should have a free hand to purchase from any source countries, ” noted STIA in its recommendations to the state government.

But it remains to be seen if the Chief Minister Musa Aman-led administration will take up on STIA’s recommendations.

Read More

‘Anwar’s Indonesian plot to topple BN’

Umno mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia claims that Anwar is strengthening links with his Indonesian counterparts to put pressure on the Malaysian government.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia is at it again. After the tirade against the Christians and Bersih, it was quiet for awhile.

Now, the newspaper is back to its stirring best by claiming that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is working hand in glove with Indonesia.

The paper claims that Anwar is strengthening links with Indonesia to put international pressure on Putrajaya.

The article is among the many published by the Malay daily in an apparent attempt to paint the PKR de facto leader and the Pakatan Rakyat bloc as “foreign agents”.

In an article titled, “Anwar bina rangkaian di Indonesia? (Anwar establishing links in Indonesia?)”, Utusan quoted an unnamed source who said that the former deputy prime minister had embarked on a series of dialogues with civil society groups there.

“Anwar is believed to be active in strengthening his ties with the Indonesian Republic to put pressure on the Malaysian government,” said the article which carried no byline.

The source in the report said Anwar had targeted the lower income group, students, NGOs, the Indonesian media, ministers and former politicians for his dialogue sessions.

“Anwar is active in spreading ‘Anwarism’ especially the political target group that is the 70% of the people who are from the middle to lower income group.

“These groups are badly in need of attention by the Indonesian government but are made into targets for political exploitation and manipulation,” the source was quoted as saying.

Anwar’s close relations with prominent Indonesian politicians had also been subject to attacks by his political rivals. He was accused of leading an effort to tarnish Malaysia’s image to serve his political interest, an accusation he rubbished off as “absurd”.

The Utusan article said the source had urged Putrajaya to consolidate ties with Jakarta and use all resources to counter Anwar’s spreading influence there.

Read More

And the prince makes his move…

Tengku Razaleigh's Amanah has sent the speculation mills into overdrive. Has the prince given up on Umno? Or will he now lead the third force?

KUALA LUMPUR: The new organisation set up by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah may signal the Kelantan prince’s disenchantment with Umno, suggested a prominent blogger.

He also believes that the veteran politician will not defend his Gua Musang parliamentary seat under the Barisan Nasional ticket.

In his blog MSOMalaysia, Mohd Sayuti Omar said Razaleigh’s Amanah (Angkatan Amanah Merdeka) reflected his frustration towards Umno and that the latter no longer believes he can reform the party from within.

“The question is what is the purpose of Amanah?

“Will it move to support Umno or go against Umno? Will Amanah that is said to be based on the legacy of Tunku Abdul Rahman forge cooperation with the opposition in the coming election?

“The logic is Razaleigh will not be enthusiastic about leading the NGO if it is not to repair Umno… (but) he has given thought about his future and has lost confidence in Umno. I can see from this that he will not contest under the BN ticket anymore,” he added.

Amanah to lead third force?

Amanah, to be launched this Friday, aims to rekindle the spirit of unity, justice and good governance as espoused by the country’s founding fathers which Razaleigh said is the duty of Umno to preserve.

The Gua Musang MP, however, has been critical towards the ruling party and made statements that Umno has deviated from its original struggle and is now corrupt.

The setting up of Amanah is seen as a platform to pursue this objective while some observers claim that the NGO may potentially be the leading platform for a third force given Razaleigh’s calibre as a respected politician.

A news report quoted Amanah central committee and PAS member Wan Saiful Wan Jan as saying that the NGO will have “prominent leaders” on its committee.

It is understood that the 15-20 member committee will also include leaders from BN as well as Pakatan Rakyat.

“You might be surprised when you see who is in the committee,” Wan Saiful said.

‘Those who lost faith in Najib’

Commenting on the composition of the committee, Sayuti said while there are no details, he is however confident that it will include Umno politicians who have lost faith in the party’s struggle.

“It will also comprise ex-top civil servants who no longer believe in Umno’s struggle and the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

“Who are they (members of the committee)? There are a few Umno veterans with Razaleigh and his loyal supporters. It also includes the children of Umno leaders who no longer believe in Umno, which has gone astray from its original struggle,” added the blogger.

Razaleigh was touted as the best candidate to lead the country next to his former Umno comrade, current Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, and was said to be in talks with Pakatan over such a prospect, but he denied the speculation.

Amanah will be launched at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Memorial here where Razaleigh will be giving his keynote address.

In 1987, Razaleigh, a former finance minister, challenged the then Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the top post.

While Mahathir won the elections with a razor-thin majority, a dissatisfied Razaleigh took the matter to court and Umno was declared illegal.

Mahathir then re-established Umno as Umno Baru, and Razaleigh, who is affectionately known as Ku Li, formed Semangat 46.

Seven years later, he disbanded Semangat 46 and rejoined Umno.

In 2004, he announced his interest for the Umno top post yet again but failed to garner enough nominations to contest the presidency.

Read More

Giant croc killed after five-year hunt

Rangers finally catch up with the 17-foot Terror of Long Patau.

LAHAD DATU: Villagers who live on the banks of the Long Patau can now breathe their sigh of relief. The giant crocodile that terrorised them for more than five years is finally dead.

Wildlife rangers said they had no choice but to shoot it when they saw that it might succeed as it struggled to escape the hook that caught it.

It measured 17 feet long and the Wildlife Department believes it was responsible for at least three deaths and more than a dozen cases of serious injuries. The dead include a plantation worker and two policemen attached to Felda’s Sahabat 24 resettlement scheme.

“Only parts of the plantation worker were found,” said Mohamad Suffian Abu Bakar, who heads the the Wildlife Department here. “The two policemen remain missing.”

The first attack happened in 2005. For years, rangers tried various means of trapping the crocodile, but principally by using meat as bait on a hook or in a 2ft by 2ft by 14 ft cage floated on the river. That was before they knew how big it was.

“For so long, we thought this was a smart reptile that refused to enter our trap,” said Mohamad Suffian. “But recently, we spotted it sunbathing on the river bank. It was then that we realised it was too big to crawl into our cage.”

The department then decided to the use the traditional method of crocodile trapping, which involves tying a long piece of hardwood to a hook.

“When it swallows the bait, it also swallows the hardwood,” Mohamad Suffian explained. “It wouldn’t be easy for a crocodile to free itself from the hook and hardwood stuck in its throat.”

That was the method that finally did in the Terror of Long Patau.

Meanwhile, the State Wildlife Department has advised the public to reduce their activities in rivers and ponds where crocodiles have been sighted.

The department’s deputy director, Augustine Tuga, said crocodiles would normally hunt in the afternoon and evening.

He said crocodiles were turning to humans as food because they had lost much of their natural prey with the clearing of forests for agriculture.

He also said his department recently started tracking crocodile movements by satellite.

Read More

Bersih warns of rally for EO6

Steering committee members reject a police allegation that the six PSM leaders were prime movers of the July 9 march.

KUALA LUMPUR: Bersih 2.0 today denied that the six detained Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members were prime movers of its July 9 rally and raised the possibility of another rally to demand their release.

“The allegation has no factual foundation,” Haris Ibrahim of the Bersih steering committee said in reference to a police response to affidavits submitted by families of the detained.

He called for their immediate release.

The six, held without trial under the 1969 Emergency Ordinance, are Sungai Siput MP Dr D Michael Jeyakumar, PSM deputy president M Sarasvathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M Sugumaran, Youth chief R Saratbabu and Sungai Siput branch secretary A Letchumanan.

“They were never part of the steering committee,” Haris said. “Neither were they involved in planning or mobilising the crowd” for the rally.

“Don’t force us to rally for the release of the six,” he added.

In attempting to justify the arrest and detention of the activists, Assistant Commissioner of Police Kamarul Zaman Mamat said police had to prevent the July 9 rally because a similar rally in 2007 had caused public disorder.

The police are confused, according to Dr Subramaniam Pillay, another member of the Bersih 2.0 steering committee.

He pointed out that the Bersih 2.0 steering committee had no members coming from any political party, unlike the committee for the 2007 rally.

“PSM cannot claim credit” for the recent rally, he added.

In a related development, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan blasted de facto Law Minister Nazri Aziz for his recent statement that the Emergency Ordinance was necessary because communism was “still around”.

“The law minister doesn’t understand law,” Arutchelvan said. “EO has nothing to do with curbing communism.”

The six detainees, he pointed out, were being punished for their alleged involvement with Bersih, not communism.

He also noted that Umno had direct links with China’s Communist Party.

Read More

Teoh RCI report to be made public

Minister Nazri confirms that the report on the findings of the RCI tasked with probing the political aide's death will be made public.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on the death of Teoh Beng Hock will be made public.

When contacted, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz confirmed this.

“Yes, we will announce the release tomorrow at the Parliament house at 2.30pm,” he told FMT.

However, he declined to divulge more details about the report but said that everything will be made clear tomorrow.

Teoh, 30, had fallen to his death at the then Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission office in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009, after being interrogated overnight.

Following a public outcry, an inquest was called and coroner Mohd Azmil Muntapha Abbas returned an open verdict, ruling out both suicide and homicide.

The coroner, however, found that the former DAP political aide had suffered injuries prior to his fall.

Following this, a RCI was formed to look into Teoh’s death and to also probe the MACC’s interrogation procedures.

Meanwhile, MACC lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said he had been informed that the report would be released tomorrow.

Bar Council representative Cheow Wee said lawyers on their side were eager to see the report.

“We’re hoping for a lot. We want to see what are the recommendations and more importantly, whether they will be followed and implemented,” he said.

Read More

Scorpene French Companies,DCNS, Boustead get RM10b contract?

French DCNS and Boustead Naval Shipyard are believed to have sealed a contract to build patrol vessels, according to Kita president Zaid Ibrahim.

KUALA LUMPUR: Controversial companies, French DCNS and Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS), are said to have received a contract to build patrol vessels worth RM10 billion, according to former law minister Zaid Ibrahim.

DCNS is currently being probed by French prosecutors for the scandalous Scorpene submarine deal with the Malaysian government, which is also linked to the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaaribuu.

“DCNS will build these patrol vessels in Perak this time (after all, our Defence Minister (Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) hails from Perak). Unsurprisingly, BNS has no idea how to build these patrol vessels, nor does it know what electronic and fighting equipment these vessels should be equipped with.

“BNS will not listen to advice of the Navy either. DCNS will decide and dictate everything, including the price of about RM10 billion (usually, it will announce a lower figure but these costs usually escalate further on various grounds (such as additional requirements).

“This is the same old modus operandi,” said Zaid, who is also the president of independent party Kita in his recent blog posting.

Second scandal for BNS

This is the second time BNS has been implicated in an arms contract scandal.

The only naval shipyard company in Malaysia was first linked to allegations of irregularities when an opposition lawmaker claimed the government was paying BNS 870% more than market price for six offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for RM6 billion.

Meanwhile, the French prosecution is ready to go on full trial over the submarine fiasco that could see Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor called to testify before the French court.

The case was filed by a local human rights group Suaram which questioned the alleged payment of 114 million euro (RM500 million) in commission to Perimekar Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of KS Ombak Laut Sdn Bhd, of which the wife of Najib’s aide Abdul Razak Baginda is a principal shareholder. Najib was the defence minister at the time of the deal.

Zaid did not state if he has the evidence to back his claims but urged opposition politicians to unearth more of these scandals.

He also opposes political involvements in military matters.

“Our army, navy and air force chiefs must be the judge of what we need and the appropriate price we should be paying for these purchases, not the politicians. These men, not the politicians, are the ones who are aware of what our country’s defence requires.”

Read More

Mr and Mrs Najib’s travels cost RM17 mil

From 2008 to June this year, Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor travels have cost RM17 million.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor spent slightly more than RM17 million of taxpayers’ money on travels from 2008 to June this year.

The figures were released by the Prime Minister’s Department in Parliament today in reply to a question from PKR Batu MP Tian Chua.

Najib and Rosmah’s travels in 2008 amounted to RM1.7 million, RM4.81 million the next year, RM5.41 million in 2010 and RM5.42 million up to June this year.

The opposition has in the past accused the ruling coalition of siphoning off public money to finance hefty private travels of the two, an allegation the government has denied.

Compared to her predecessors, Rosmah is seen as being more involved in government affairs, giving rise to the perception that she wields strong influence in her husband’s administration.

Rosmah, however, has denied the allegation.

In its reply, the Prime Minister’s Department said there were no specific allocations for the expenses of a prime minister’s wife.

“The PM’s Department only finances expenses involving the PM’s office,” it stated.

Meanwhile, the travel expenses of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his wife was 100% lower than that of Najib and Rosmah’s.

From 2008 to June this year, RM8 million was spent on their travels.

Some RM2.7 million was spent in 2008, RM609,185 the next year, RM1.38 million in 2010 and RM3.27 million up till June this year.

Read More

Malaysians are angry, said Marina Mahathir

"In Malaysia we are rarely of such demonstrations. So many are afraid to participatefor fear of violence occur," he said.





PETALING JAYA: The daughter of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he was angry with the personal attacks leaders including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to the Chief Minister Datuk S Ambiga Bersih 2.0.


"I think people are very surprised by this action. Also, the government arrestedmembers of the Socialist Party Malaysia (PSM) on the grounds of their "communist".One accusation is baseless, "said Datuk Marina Mahathir as published VIVANews.com.


The eldest son (former premier) Dr Mahathir participate in the Bersih rally in KualaKumpur on 9 July to demand a fair and clean elections.


He also pointed out, many do not participate in the Bersih rally but still sympathetic.


"In Malaysia we are rarely of such demonstrations. So many are afraid to participatefor fear of violence occur, "he said.


However, he said, he is difficult to predict whether the Bersih momentum will be remain .


"But if the co-ordinator stressed Bersih continues to warn the community about these important issues, perhaps there is hope that this momentum will continue to increase," he explained.


Marina said during the rally he was lucky, because walking in areas where the police did not direct the use of force.


All races


"The police provide an opportunity for the people who protested to walk towards thestadium, shouted, etc., and then dispersed peacefully.


"The police there, really professional. So I do not have or see the police violence in the least. And really no reason to be harsh. The protesters are very peaceful and disciplined in the streets around Kuala Lumpur.


"They represent all walks of life, young and old, from all communities and no one knowswho I see as being aggressive, and even there, such as the carnival atmosphere. Theyenliven the action with singing and dancing.

"But elsewhere, the protesters have excessive violence. There are many stories fromother players, including my colleague. They feel the tear gas, water cannon and turmoil,"he said.

Marina said, even if they do not do things that a provocative, but they attacked by the police. The police continue to be pursued despite the escape, and continued to attack and fired tear gas into the compound of Tung Shin Hospital.

TRANSFORMER SAID:


I think if Marina Mahathir just a plain RAKYAT,she will be into chaos too,as we can see,its obvious police is double standard when facing someone is higher rank than them.

Read More