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Extracted from Malaysiakini
Penan sexual abuse: DCM Jabu
ticks off blogger
Tony Thien | Oct 16,
A
blog posting urging the state authorities to probe
the alleged sexual abuse of young Penan women in Sarawak’s Baram has angered
Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Numpang
so much that he singled out the blogger for criticism
at the state cabinet meeting yesterday.
The blogger,
Joseph Tawie, a former police press liaison officer
and now freelance writer, accused state leaders of trying to cover up the
controversy in his blog, The
Broken Shield.
According to a state cabinet minister who asked not to be
identified, Jabu also expressed his displeasure at another article by Tawie, who lambasted Dayak ministers of not supporting the
inaugural Dayak Music Awards organised recently by the Sarawak Dayak Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (DCCI).
The weekly cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.
Another cabinet minister also confirmed that Jabu
also directed his scathing remarks at several individuals, including a
journalist of a national newspaper, in connection with the hard-hitting
postings in Tawie’s blog.
It is well-known that Jabu, who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputera
(PBB) deputy president (Pesaka wing), is echoing Taib’s views whenever there are public criticisms against
the state government, especially on land matters, such as the native customary
rights (
The DCCI president is Leo Moggie, a former state and
federal minister and now Tenaga Nasional
chairperson and deputy president is a former state minister Celestine Ujang.
State Dayak ministers also stayed away from the joint celebration of the DCCI
and its
The truth embarrassing for state
leaders
Writing under the headlines ‘Penan rape cases: Let the truth prevails’, Tawie said: “The instant formation of a task force by the
Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to look into the plight of the
Penan schoolgirls as a result of rapes and abuse allegedly perpetrated by
timber workers is timely to search for truth.
“Timely, because state leaders in particular (Chief Minister) Abdul Taib Mahmud, (Deputy Chief
Minister) George Chan and (Deputy Chief Minister) Alfred Jabu
have not only accused newspapers of deliberately publishing false news, but
have also accused them as saboteurs. ‘Saboteurs’ is a very strong word indeed.”
The blogger also referred to the reports in The
Star on Oct 6 where incidences of rape cases and abuse of Penan
schoolgirls by timber workers were confirmed.
“If there are some truth, then the truth will have an embarrassing
effect on our (state) government leaders.”
He added that if the truth could be established by the national task force,
then parents of the abused girls should seek compensation from the timber
companies as well as the state government.
Tawie also touched on the display of public anger by Taib Mahmud against newspapers
when they highlighted the 10,000 Kedayan Muslims who
were to be evicted from their century-old settlement in order to make way for
an oil palm plantation.
“Let take the case of the Kedayan Muslims. It seems
that the state government was embarrassed when the case was reported by the
media, as if they were unable to protect the Kedayans
who were their strong supporters,” he said.
In order to cover up for its seemingly nonchalant attitude, the state leaders
and Land and Survey Department director issued a number of statements blaming
the media for publishing false reports.
The purported eviction of the Kedayans is the second
of such cases in recent months, according to the blog.
Early last month, the government also denied being involved in the removal of 44 graves from a Muslim cemetery at Jalan
Keretapi in the capital city of
According to rumours, the land has been given to a company owned by an
individual who is related to a state government leader.
“Now the government has assured that the cemetery will not be removed,
compensations are being discussed for the damaged graves.” added Tawie.
Iban ministers no show at music
awards
On the Dayak Music Awards, the blogger
said the DCCI’s efforts are commendable and should be
given “all-out support”.
“But sadly, there seems to be lack of support coming from the Iban businessmen
and Iban ministers and assistant ministers and the absence of (state ministers)
William Mawan, James Lasing, Alfred Jabu, (federal minister) Douglas Uggah,
(federal deputy ministesr) Joseph Entulu
and Jelaing Mersat, (state
assistant ministers) Francis Harden, Gramong Juna and Peter Nyarok were
obvious.”
Only state minister Michael Manyin, assistant state
minister Naroden Majais and
deputy federal minister Joseph Salang were seen at
the event.
“Never mind Jabu, but what about the rest? We know
that Jabu has always been against the formation of
DCCI and its activities,” the blogger added.
The article argued that if Information Minister Ahmad Shabery
Cheek could come from
“That was the time our singers really needed our support and support is like a
horse trading (You scratch my back, I scratch yours),” he said, adding that
“you may not need them now, come election times, the Dayak singers are the most
wanted commodity.”
“Like in
Tawie told Malaysiakini he
was not bothered by Jabu’s remarks to his cabinet
colleagues as he had merely stated the facts in his blog.
