Sabah authorities stunned by dead elephants

The Sabah Wildlife Department which is investigating
the mysterious deaths of several elephants have
not discounted poisoning.

KOTA KINABALU: The horrific discovery of a herd of dead pygmy elephants, including a cow elephant with its calf lingering by her side, all apparently poisoned within a Yayasan Sabah forestry concession area over the last two weeks has shocked wildlife authorities in the state.

A stunned State Tourism Minister Masidi Manjun has called for a thorough investigation into the “mysterious death” of the Bornean elephants that were found dead at at the Forestry Management Unit (FMU) 23, a Yayasan Sabah Concession area in the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, some 130km from Tawau.

Remember, we study history to try and understand the past, not to judge it

In 1991, the brother of the Sabah Chief Minister, Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for allegedly plotting to take Sabah out of Malaysia. With the detention of Dr Jeffrey, this more or less ‘confirmed’ the rumour of the plot to take Sabah out of Malaysia and subsequently for Sabah to join the Philippines.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

"Remember, we study history to try and understand the past, not to judge it." That was what my lecturer told me this morning. I think he is chiding me for being too judgemental in my comments regarding the English Civil War and the conflict between King Charles I and Parliament, the course I am currently taking.

With that spirit as the backdrop, I would like to give you my analysis regarding the current controversy raging in Malaysia -- and that is the controversy regarding the Sabah immigrants issue that is being investigated by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI).

Kurup’s son for Pensiangan

PBRS president Joseph Kurup who is eyeing the
Sepanggar parliamentary seat is aiming to
position his son for federal level politics.

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Joseph Kurup is unlikely to defend his Pensiangan parliamentary seat, a move that is seen as paving the way for his son Arthur’s active participation in federal level politics.

Arthur is expected to contest the Pensiangan seat for Barisan Nasional in the coming general election.

Since early last year, Kurup, the Federal Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Minister, has been touring his constituency introducing his son to the residents.

During the party’s congress last month, Arthur was unanimously made the party Youth chief, a post which automatically makes him one of PBRS’ vice-presidents.

Some Malay Groups Have 52% Chinese DNA

Dear Editors,

The news reports on the RCI findings have prompted me to do a bit of reading on the "Malays" and I found 2 articles which are very interesting.

One is a recent article called "Pendatang" by Syed Imran former Bernama reporter and the other a scientific study on the genetics of "Malays".

Syed Imran's beef is that "Malaysians" are 97 squatters- so what is the big deal about "pendatangs"?

Unfortunately UMNO and Perkasa think tankers are a bit thicker than others and have not accepted this conclusion (common knowledge for a long time). Or may be they are following the Nazis who dishonestly made up reasons to justify their pogroms against Jews and "sub-human" race.

God and religion, two separate matters

The raging ‘Allah” issue has left this writer
wondering if Jakim and National Fatwah Council
clerics who can both “see and read” are “blind”.

When I was young, my teacher  told me that if I want to study facts I should take up archaeology, but if I want to find out what truth is all about I should choose philosophy.

I ended up somewhere in the middle and discovered that between scientific evidence and logic, there are matters that require a 3rd element called faith -  to believe and accept in the absence of  facts and figures. And religion is one such matter.

Let me give an example: Many people will ref use to switch-off  the life supporting machine attached to a loved one who is in a comatose even though their religion tells them that there is a better place on the other side.

Bumburing: Umno thought I was ‘opposition’ even then

By Joseph Bingkasan of FMT

KOTA KINABALU: Former Barisan Nasional MP Wilfred Bumburing, stung by a remark from Sulaman assemblyman Hajiji Mohd Noor, said he was often labeled “an opposition” whilst in BN for raising matters affecting Sabahans in parliament.

Hajiji, who is Tuaran Umno chief, had accused Bumburing of being an “opportunist”.

Hajiji held that when Bumburing was in the government and a minister, he sang the praises of the BN every day but was now saying the opposite.

Voters, Hajiji said, should judge for themselves which is glass and which is crystal.

Candidates taking politics into schools

KUCHING: The opposition has accused potential candidates of Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) of politicising educational matters despite the call not to do so by deputy Parliament Speaker Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaffar.

Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen said SUPP election candidates were officiating at the distribution of the federal government’s RM100 aid to students of schools in constituencies where they will contest.

“They are using the education department and schools as their tools to project their image.

“This is typical of Barisan Nasional politicising educational matters even to the extent of bringing politics into primary schools,” claimed Chong, who is also Sarawak DAP secretary.

SAPP ticks off Sabah DAP over immigrant issue

Was Sabah DAP shooting blanks when it asked why
former chief minister Yong Teck Lee was silent
over RCI revelations?

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Progressive People’s Party (SAPP) has been a constant “thorn in the flesh” of Sabah Barisan Nasional since 1999 because of its demand that the influx of illegal immigrants in Sabah be investigated.

SAPP Youth said it was because of the party’s persistent demand for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the illegal immigrants that ties between the party and BN’s “top leadership” was strained.

SAPP was part of the BN coalition until it pulled out in 2008 after winning four seats.

Chiding state DAP assistant secretary Junz Wong’s ignorance, SAPP Youth Kota Kinabalu zone chief John Stephen Dionysius said: “SAPP has been consistent in demanding for an answer to the threat posed by illegal immigrants.

‘Enough with the warnings, haul up Ibrahim’

K Pragalath, FMT

MIC Youth wants stern action against Perkasa
chief Ibrahim Ali, who has called on
Muslims to burn the Al-Kitab.

MIC Youth has urged Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to stop pussy-footing around the contentious call by Perkasa chief, Ibrahim Ali, to burn the Malay Bible and instead take immediate action against him.

“MIC Youth wants Hishammuddin to take action against Ibrahim.

“Ibrahim’s irresponsible action of inciting hatred against another religion can lead to this nation’s instability,” said the party’s Youth secretary, C Sivarraajh.

Rise up, valiant people of Sabah

Unless united, we are now hopelessly and
hilariously outgunned by all these new,
instant, and duplicate Malaysians.

I have been telling all and sundry that our state is best administered by a party or coalition of parties which are rooted locally and that the people of Sabah really need to topple the current state government, which is both useless and inane through the ballot box.

Barisan Nasional has not changed even a bit and none of its so-called transformations are real. It only knows how to keep blowing trumpets about non-existent developments, offering nothing in terms of specifics, and jabbing at the opposition and critics.

From the ongoing hearings conducted at the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), we can now see the power of BN’s weapon of mass destruction and it is called “illegal immigrants” issued with identity cards and armed with voting rights.