Ranau could be the poorest district, says STAR

By Ezra Haganez
RANAU : Ranau, a district surrounded by the rural-most parts of several poverty stricken districts, could be the poorest in Sabah, claimed State Reform Party (STAR) divisional head for Ranau, Jalibin Paidi.

Jalibin said, while it was never mentioned that Ranau is the poorest, the fact that it is at the centre of Sabah and that it is adjacent to the notoriously rural parts of Kota Marudu, Beluran, Tongod, Tambunan, Keningau, Kota Belud and Tuaran districts, might have concealed real facts on poverty in the district.

BN leaders urged to take action on Bingkor Lama's road

By: Roger Binson A.S

Road condition in Bingkor Lama.

Keningau: Nearly 500 folks in Bingkor Lama facing difficulties every day when they are forced through severe roads condition that have been damaged since eight months ago. The issue has been brought to the attention of authorities by JKKK Sumit Jood last year but till now no action or decision from the relevant authorities to improve the road conditions. The government's lack of action in this situation eventually raised dissatisfaction among the comunity and may cause their votes in favor of the opposition, especially the Star party which led by Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and SAPP, led by Yong Teck Lee.

Umno hand in ‘new’ illegal settlement?

By Luke Rintod of FMT

KENINGAU: An open recreational area meant for residents in a low-cost housing project here has “magically” turned into a settlement overnight for about 1,000 illegal Filipinos and Indonesian immigrants.

To make matters worse, Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) poles were allegedly put up at night to “supply” power to this illegal settlement, when thousands of other poor Sabah native kampungs are still living by kerosene lamps.

Tindak Mala​ysia challenges EC to a public debate

Civil society movement, Tindak Malaysia today issued a challenge to both the Election Commission (EC) and the Public Select Committee (PSC) to a public debate on how clean the electoral roll is.

The proposed dates have also been suggested – either on April 20, 21 or 22.

Its founder, Wong Piang Yow (for the Chinese press, 黄炳耀) who has submitted over 100 proposals on how to improve the electoral process to safeguard the interest of voters’ rights, said it is time that both the EC and PSC debate with concerned members of the public (Tindak Malaysia) on this important topic which, if broadcast, “live” on RTM will allow Malaysians from all walks of life to decide on the commitment of Prime Minister, Najib Razak’s administration to cleaning up the electoral roll.

Raw deal for the poor in Sabah

By Luke Rintod of FMT

TONGOD: The Umno-led Sabah government has been accused of providing the state’s poor with shoddily built houses minus the essential utilities.

Citing the houses in Kinabatangan, State Reform Party (STAR) community leader James Ait said the government was being “dangerously careless” in the construction of these houses just because the recipients were impoverishd.

Born in Sabah but no free MyKad

By Luke Rintod of FMT

KUALA PENYU: “Newly-arrived illegal immigrants from the Philippines and Indonesia can easily get Malaysian citizenship, but why can’t I get it after 65 years?” asks John Dismas, a man who has lived in Sabah all his life.

The 65-year-old who was born in Kuala Penyu a year after Second World War, ended is perplexed by his situation. His mother was a Dusun Tatana and he speaks the dialect fluently, while his father was an Australian soldier who abandoned the family soon after the war.

From Perlis to Sabah: Umno's legacy - a trail of disappointment and flops

Written by  Nawawi Mohamad, Malaysia Chronicle
In May 2010, Minister in Prime Minister's Department Idris Jala woke the nation up from its slumber by announcing that Malaysia will be bankrupt by 2019 if the government does not cut subsidies and rein in borrowings. By end of 2011 our National debt was at RM460 billon and still rising.

Then we were shocked by the findings of ecoomic think-tank MIER in in January 2012 that if nothing is done to reverse the current trends in government expenditures and revenues, extrapolation suggests that Malaysia’s national debt will explode to 100 per cent of GDP by 2019.
Yet UMNO-BN remains unconcerned about the matter, if not totally ignored it. Along the way we were shocked and still feel disgusted about the RM250 million NFC debacle, which Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's PKR party exposed.

Malaysia: Security Bill Threatens Basic Liberties

Replacement for Internal Security Act Offers Some Reform, but New Concerns

(Bangkok, April 11, 2012) – The government of Malaysia’s proposed law to replace the infamous Internal Security Act (ISA) of 1960 opens the door to a range of future abuses, Human Rights Watch said today. On April 10, 2012, the government submitted the Security Offences (Special Measures) Bill 2012 to parliament, where quick ratification is expected.

The administration of Prime Minister Najib Razak touted the bill as a significant improvement over the ISA because it reduces the period of detention without judicial review from 60 to 28 days and only for an “active investigation.” It also prohibits arrest solely on the basis of “political belief or political activity.”

Large Aceh quake triggers Indian Ocean tsunami warning

Source 

An earthquake with an magnitude of 8.7 has struck under the sea off Indonesia's northern Aceh province.

The quake triggered a tsunami warning across the Indian Ocean region.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said it was not yet known whether a tsunami had been generated, but advised authorities to "take appropriate action".

Such a sad state of affairs in Malaysia

By Abdul Haleem Abdul Rahiman

Kuala Lumpur,  April 05, 2012

I will join the Bersih 3.0 rally because I can’t stand the gross stupidity that is crippling the entire nation. Honestly, as much as I agree stupidity has no limit, I can’t take this absurdity which has been fed to us in high doses on a daily basis.

Day in, day out the events unfolding in Malaysia make you sick and drive you insane. With all the transformation programs and what-not, I believe we are on full speed in a very wrong direction. Almost every institution in this country is failing. Religious bigotry is at its peak.