Theft of workers serious

Published on Daily Express: Wednesday, February 16, 2011

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Kota Kinabalu: Pinching of workers among plantation companies in Sabah is becoming serious due to the current 20-30 per cent labour shortage in the oil palm industry and skilled Indonesian workers preferring to work in Kalimantan, instead.
East Malaysia Plantation Association (Empa) President Hj. Osman Walad urged enforcement agencies like Police, Immigration and Special Task Force to come up with comprehensive solutions to address this perennial problem of staff pinching.
There have been numerous cases whereby a plantation company brings in and legalises foreign workers, only to find them pinched by other plantation companies, usually at night in pick-ups.
"The enforcement agencies are too slow to act against these companies although reports have been lodged," said Osman, who is also Sawit Kinabalu General Manager.
He urged the enforcement agencies to act without fear or favour against firms caught employing foreign workers that had already been already registered by other companies or are in the process of having this done.
"If one company can get away without any action being taken, others will do the same and there will be chaos in the industry," said Osman, adding that the enforcement agencies must take action as a deterrent to others.
He also urged enforcement agencies to take action where foreign workers registered with plantation companies had absconded and were doing other tasks like selling fish and vegetables in markets or contraband cigarettes.
"Some of them move freely from one town to another without being apprehended. If no action is taken, it will make them even become more bold to the extent of committing crimes," he said.
In this context, Osman welcomed the State Government's move to allow oil palm plantations in Sabah to hire foreign workers from other countries.
So far only workers from Philippines (construction) and Indonesia (plantations and maids) are allowed.
He said the move was timely as the industry is currently hard-pressed in hiring workers from these traditional sources.
"While we are happy with the move, there is still a lot of work to do because we need to meet all the departments concerned and find out how to go about it.
"We cannot just go a country like Bangladesh and bring people here but go through proper procedure," said Osman, and hoped to meet with the Immigration Department and Labour Departments.
Even then, he expects it would take another three months before the latest move is effective.
He said Sabah had been experiencing labour shortage in plantations over the years due to Indonesians not coming anymore on account of expansion of oil palm areas in Kalimantan.
He said shortage of workers in the plantation sector, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, must be addressed immediately as the oil palm industry has become main economic contributors not only Sabah but also Malaysia.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman had on Jan. 18 announced that the State Cabinet decided to allow the recruitment of foreign labour from Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Vietnam to overcome the difficulty in sourcing foreign labour for certain tasks, mainly in the plantation and maid sectors.
However Musa said employees must give priority to locals when hiring workers. Musa also announced abolishment of the "cooling off period" allowing employers to hire their foreign workers continuously for 5 years plus another 5 years. There are 272,157 foreign workers in all sectors in Sabah with the majority from Indonesia and the Philippine.
"Our revenue from oil palm for the country is at RM55 billion per year and Sabah produces 30 per cent of the total production with revenue approximately at RM16.6 billion," said Osman.
With this year's good oil palm price, he projected revenue to soar to RM60 billion and Sabah's output to reach RM18 billion.
He said with that kind of revenue the State Government would stand to gain more than RM1 billion in sales tax, which makes the Oil Palm industry important to Sabah.
On whether the labour shortage is due to increased acreage of oil palm in Sabah, Osman said the acreage increase is minimal but the main problem being that Indonesian workers are not coming as before.
Also the "cooling off period" of 5 months imposed by the Immigration Department before this was a major contributor to the problem as these workers had to return to their country after working 5 years in Sabah.
According to Osman, these workers return to their country they find new jobs in Kalimantan which is now aggressively expanding their oil palm industry.
"These workers are experienced ones and their absence cause a big vacuum which even big organisations like Sawit Kinabalu are experiencing," he said.

AirAsia must consider national interest: Masidi

Published on Daily Express: Wednesday, February 16, 2011

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Kota Kinabalu: State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun urged low-cost carrier AirAsia to consider national interest and not just profit when relocating operations to Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminal 1.
He urged the Transport Ministry and the budget airline to settle the matter amicably. "AirAsia has some good points, but I think they also need to look into the rationale, the points raised by the Government. If the issue is cost, I'm sure the government will be more than happy to discuss.
"Being a low-cost airline, I know AirAsia wants to be efficient and want to cut cost, but we have to consider national interest than just profit," he said.
He was commenting on AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes' remark last week that the airline was reluctant to move from Terminal 2, where AirAsia is currently operating now, to the newly-expanded KKIA Terminal 1, as costs would increase and force the airline to reduce flights, causing Sabah to lose some one million tourists.
The Terminal 2 is to be converted for cargo handling.
Meanwhile, Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri said the Ministry was surprised by Fernandes' remarks as AirAsia had signed an undertaking letter to shift its operations to Terminal 1.
He said the Kota Kinabalu International Airport has been upgraded at a cost of RM1.6 billion to cater for airlines' needs and growth.
Meanwhile, regarding three primary schools in Tawau that were declared unsafe for occupation, Masidi who is also Sabah education exco member said the Education Ministry officials should turun padang (visit) and see for themselves and take appropriate action.
"We cannot put the safety of our children in jeopardy. I know they (school authority) are probably doing some funding and I think when it comes to the lives of our children, that should entitle them priority in getting it fast.
"I was told the Ministry is aware and the Director has given them all the necessary input to make sure that decision is made immediately."
It was reported that over 1,000 pupils of three primary schools in Sekolah Tiga Dalam Satu are facing safety risk due to the dilapidated school buildings.
The schools are SK Bahagia, SK Jambatan Putih and SK Kukusan.
State Education Director Datuk Dr Haji Muhiddin Yusin said the issue has been highlighted to the Education Ministry for further action.
He said that they were forced to temporarily utilise the buildings although it was not safe while waiting for construction of new buildings.
Masidi said he had not visited the school but that another school in Ranau, SMK Kundasang, is also facing the same problem.

Signature drive by SAPP

Published on Daily Express on Wenesday, February 16, 2011

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Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Youth is starting a campaign targeting 100,000 signatures to demand the setting up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the perennial illegal immigrant problem in Sabah.
SAPP Youth Chief Edward Dagul said the movement demanded that the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) be set up soon as possible so that this problem is resolved once and for all.
He said the month-long campaign would culminate in a gathering where leaders would be invited as guest speakers.
"We shall be seeking the cooperation of all NGOs and like-minded political parties for this mammoth task. It is important to show the leaders, especially the Federal leaders, of Sabahans feelings to this 'Mother of all threats'," he said.
Dagul said SAPP Youth found Datuk Hishamuddin Tun Hussein as the Minister of Home Affairs statement that there will be no setting up of a Royal commission of Inquiry as too dismissive and not at all sympathetic to the plight of Sabahans.
"Despite the current uproar regarding the Akjan Sultan of Sulu case, where this is seen to be a direct result of the PTI issue, SAPP Youth finds it unbelievable that the Minister still does not see through the serious nature of this problem," he said.
Further, he said the statement of the Minister that the findings of the so called special laboratories for the PTI issue has been submitted to the State Government for consideration are deemed as "passing the buck."
"Many are of the opinion that there are no such proposals.
That the response by the Minister was an afterthought.
Why were these proposals not disclosed by the Chief Minister beforehand when the issue first came to the light?" he asked.

Mayor must not pass buck on complex' safety: Liew

Published on Daily Express: Tuesday, February 01, 2011

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Kota Kinabalu: PKR Sabah Public Complaints Bureau Chief, Christina Liew said, Monday, it is bounden on City Hall to state publicly whether the extensive renovations carried out so far at Karamunsing Complex were after its signed approval.
She said the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), State Health Department and Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) have also been silent on the matter.

Liew said she received many calls from the public expressing concern for the safety of shoppers ever since the structural problem of Block C Tower came to light.
"According to them the extensions are so extensive that not only the corridors have become narrow and a risk in the event of an emergency but that the smoke indicators seem no longer visible," she said.
She noted that other than explaining the status of the Block C Tower, the Mayor has kept mum on the structural integrity or otherwise of the shopping complex.
"We, therefore, call on DBKK as the main approving body to clarify whether the changes have been approved accordingly and not to pass the buck to whoever may be taking over the Mayor's job to answer," she said.

"It is incumbent upon the Mayor to give this assurance to allay the fears of shoppers," Liew said in a statement.

Forces paid by foreigners to enter Sabah illegally' claim

Published on Daily Express: Tuesday, February 01, 2011

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Keningau: Thousands of foreigners from Indonesia and the Philippines are entering Sabah illegally by paying between RM350 and RM1,000 per person to the security forces at the border.
Sakag Sabah President Haji Masmin Kadad, who visited Nabawan/Kalabakan, alleged that he received complaints from the public that foreigners from Sebatik were sent by security personnel to Kalabakan after receiving RM350 to ensure their entrance into Sabah.

Similarly, he claimed this also happened in Tungku, Lahad Datu where foreigners without travel documents were sent to the interior, especially Keningau, by the security personnel after paying them RM1,000 each.
He did not say whether a police report was lodged.
He said the coastline and riverbank in Kalabakan had been turned into the landing point for contrabands like cigarettes from the neighbouring country and also for goods from Sabah to be smuggled out.
Haji Masmin also questioned the seemingly difficulty on the part of the authorities to halt illegal logging activities here.

However, during the recent visit by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to Maliau Basin, he said the logging activities were "temporarily suspended" and shortly after Najib returned many of the timber lorries started to re-emerge.

Liew pays from her own pocket

Published on Daily Express: Tuesday, February 01, 2011

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KEPAYAN: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah KK Division Chief, Christina Liew, Monday, decided to use her own money to help solve the pothole problem affecting folks staying at Kepayan Ridge Low-Cost Housing Block A and Block B. The move followed the failure of the Assemblywoman concerned to respond to the residents' pleas.
Liew hired a lorry to transport 40 tonnes of crushed limestone to the muddy areas as well as a backhoe loader to fill the potholes and level the ground.
"The access roads in the housing area are dotted with potholes filled with rainwater and their complaints had fallen on deaf ears.

"I am not their elected representative.
But since both the BN and SAPP have failed to address the people's woe, I undertook to do it as a temporary measure to provide immediate relief.
"This is despite the elected representative having an allocation of RM1 million to assist the rakyat," she told reporters at the site.
The area was previously under Datuk Edward Yong of PBS but following the electoral dilenation, now comes under Datuk Melanie Chia of SAPP.
Liew hoped that after the festive season, the authorities concerned would provide a permanent solution. She thanked the contractor Liew Su On for his willingness to help out though Chinese New Year was just around the corner.

On hand to supervise the filling and leveling works was environmentalist Dr CY Vun who said the workers were willing to work until 6pm to get the job done.
Block A Residents' Spokeswoman, Peggy Lau, said she was earlier asked not to go to Liew for help. "I approached the Luyang People's Development Leader concerned and he said he would come the next day.
We waited and waited but he never showed up.

"Thanks to PKR, it's pointless for him to come now.
It seems they don't value the people's votes anymore," she said.
Meanwhile, Liew said the Society of Hope Kota Kinabalu would also despatch its natural disaster relief team comprising medical personnel and volunteers to Kota Marudu as soon as possible to render the necessary assistance to flood victims there.

The team would be moving in again in the wake of floods which affected a total of 477 people from 155 families in 16 villages in the district.
"I am very sorry to read from the newspaper today (Monday) that the deluge has claimed one life already. This is not very pleasant to hear just before Chinese New Year but we will do our best," she said.
Liew said it was the distressing situation resulting from the big flood in Kota Marudu five years ago that prompted her and concerned citizens to set up the Society of Hope Kota Kinabalu.

Pairin served longer: SAPP

Published on Daily Express: Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Progressive Party youth chief Edward Dagul reminded Parti Bersatu Sabah Information Chief Datuk Johnny Mositun that SAPP President Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee only served two years as Chief Minister unlike PBS counterpart Tan Sri Pairin Kitingan's nine.
Mositun had asked what Yong had achieved when he was CM. Yong was also a senior Cabinet Minister under both the BN and PBS' tenures.

To this, Dagul questioned what PBS has to show to Sabahans despite its leaders being given positions upon rejoining the Barisan Nasional.
Dagul said Mositun either did not comprehend Yong's recent statement (on the 11 issues to be tackled by SAPP when it comes to power) or chose to be ignorant of the facts presented.
Yong had likened Pairin to being a "Pak Turut" to the Umno leadership.
Dagul said PBS was undeniably a formidable opposition in Sabah until it decided to rejoin BN.
"The excuse given by PBS leaders was to effectively rid Sabah of all problems plaguing the State.
"But have the problems really been solved? Have the leaders in Kuala Lumpur even bothered responding?"
Dagul recalled Pairin stating during the party's 24th Congress that the PTI issue must be resolved by 2012 and noted that Pairin stopped short of saying what he would do if it was not resolved by then.
"After the announcement of the NKRA was made by the current Prime Minister, there was an uproar when the newly-appointed Minister-in-charge of NKRA, Datuk Seri Idris Jala admitted that the PTI issue was not listed.

"It was deemed not important enough to be included in the Federal Government's list of priorities.
As an afterthought, the setting up of a new Special Laboratory was hastily announced with the sole intention to pacify the Sabahans but alas, to date, still no results," he said.
"This 'Mother of all Threats is attributed by many to be the main contributing factor in Sabah's abnormal population increase in the years 1970 to 2000 from 636,431 people in 1970 to 2,449,389 in the year 2000; or an increase of 285pc compared to the nation's increase of 113pc or even Sarawak's 106pc.
"This highly irregular upsurge has meant that the indigenous natives have been displaced as the majority community in Sabah."

Dagul said the continued silence by PBS leaders on this and other pertinent issues affecting especially the KDMs had left them feeling hopeless and abandoned.