DOCSLIB.ORG

Heart of Borneo NI Newsletter October-Resized

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Heart of Borneo NI Newsletter October-Resized October 2009, Issue # 6 HoB Pulse Still Strong at Local and Regional Level Inside this issue: Agreements and resolutions announced at the Borneo and Coral Triangle Initiatives, and HoB’s peatland project in Brunei 222 third annual HoB tri-national meeting and the directed the concerned ministries to th on track for delivery 2010 6 BIMP-EAGA Summit prove that the local strengthen collaborative actions in protecting and regional ‘pulse’ of conservation and sus- Standard Chartered Bank spon- 222 the environment. sors forest survey in Brunei’s tainable development - the lifeblood of the HoB region HoB Initiative - is still strong. The statement also welcome Brunei Darussa- Building Indonesia’s future gen- 333 lam’s offer to host a ministerial conference eration at the border of Indonesia- Opening the HoB tri-national meeting held in focusing on the Heart of Borneo, particularly Malaysia in Kalimantan September in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia’s in supporting global efforts to address cli- Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Envi- mate change and help ensure a successful and Orangutan school campaign in 333 ronment, the honourable Tan Sri Datuk Seri Pan- the remote Heart of Borneo workable outcome at the forthcoming Cli- glima Joseh Kurup, said the HoB was a crucial mate Change Conference in Copenhagen in Charting the future of indigenous 444 part of South East Asia’s natural heritage. How- December, 2009. empowerment in Borneo ever, he warned that the task was far from com- plete and looked to the three governments in- WWF’s Heart of Borneo Initiative Leader, Sabah’s REDD workshop gener- 444 ates policy outcomes volved to agree on effective implementation of Adam Tomasek, said he was encouraged by agreements reached at the tri-national meeting. the local and regional support so publicly ar- Trialing underway for Malaysian 555 ticulated at both meetings. HCVF field testing tool kit The BIMP-EAGA Summit held in Thailand in MoU signed for restoration of 555 October, released a joint statement conveying its “As the world struggles with global climate Orangutan Habitat in Heart of support of the programs being undertaken to pro- change, it is vital for the governments of Borneo tect, conserve, and sustainably manage rich ma- Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia Heart of Borneo, New ecotourism 666 rine and terrestrial resources such as the Heart of to position the HoB Initiative as part of the Destination solution,” he said. Bukit Baka Bukit Raya Na- 666 tional Park’s twenty-year plan to final phase WWF Director General Jim Leape visits Heart of Borneo CONTACTS Adam J. Tomasek Leader [email protected] Anna van Paddenburg Leader Sustainable Finance [email protected] Katie Stafford Leader Photo © WWF-Malaysia Corporate Engagement [email protected] Chris Greenwood International Communications Manager chris.greenwood @wwf.panda.org Nancy (Ochie) Ariaini Communications Officer [email protected] WWF Director General (4 th from right, back row) explored the Heart of Borneo for the first time in October and was impressed Visit the Heart of Borneo on the web: by what he saw, both in terms of conservation outcomes and WWF staff dedication to the cause. “Via the Heart of Borneo Initiative, WWF has proven the power of how a solutions-oriented approach can work. We must continue to use the power of our www.panda.org/ heart_of_borneo vast Network to overcome some very daunting challenges,” he said. PageP age 222 Heart of Borneo Issue # 6 Peatland project in Brunei on track for 2010 The planning phase for a project in the HoB to “They also become very susceptible to fire rehabilitate degraded peatlands, reduce CO 2 and are major contributors to the haze that emissions and help mitigate climate change is envelopes parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Sin- on track for delivery of its final report next gapore and Brunei during dry periods. The year, according to project director, Dr Jon carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere Davies. from peatland drainage and fires in SE Asia is a major global contributor to climate The ultimate goal of the project is to reduce CO 2 change,” Dr Davies explained. emissions, fire and smog by creating awareness Undisturbed mixed swamp forest on on the wise use and rehabilitation of degraded Rehabilitation of peatlands requires restora- shallow peat in Belait District, Brunei. Photo: Jon Davies peatlands. tion of the hydrological regime (raising of the water table) by blocking canals, which will According to Dr Davies, most of Brunei’s peat- improve land’s humidity. Followed by refor- lands are within the HoB area and are largely in- estation of the degraded areas. tact. Moreover, Brunei peatlands are net carbon dioxide absorbers and hence very important in Experience in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia terms of mitigating climate change. has shown that peatland rehabilitation is vi- able and very cost-effective in contrast to However, peatlands are also very fragile ecosys- other carbon emission reduction schemes. tems. Once they are drained for logging and agri- culture, the peat starts to decompose and dry out The two year project is jointly funded by the and releases carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. In Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the the process they lose their carbon-accumulating UK and the Standard Chartered Bank, and Drainage and logging of peat swamp for- est in Pahang, Peninsula Malaysia. Such ability, flood control function and much of the strengthens regional cooperation by integrat- degraded areas are susceptible to fire, biodiversity is lost. ing peatlands experts from Indonesia and Ma- Photo: Jon Davies laysia in the studies. Standard Chartered Bank sponsors forest survey in Peatland restoration will help to stop carbon loss and in time the Brunei’s HoB region carbon-accumulating function can be recovered,” Dr Davies said. Standard Chartered Bank in partnership with Speaking at the launch of the survey pro- More information: WWF and the Heart of Borneo Council has posal, Danny Quah, CEO of Standard Char- [email protected] announced its sponsorship of a faunal biodi- tered Bank said the bank had a strong focus versity survey of the Sungei Ingei Protected on sustainability and the environment, and Forest. urged the community in Brunei to take steps to ramp up efforts for positive changes to- The survey project is the first of its kind in the wards our environment. Sungei forest and promises to reveal much about the biodiversity treasures to be found in the area. Dr Glyn Davies, Director of Programmes with WWF-UK, also at the launch added: According to the leader of the survey, Dr Joseph “Borneo is indeed nature’s Treasure Island K. Charles, from the Faculty of Science, Univer- and Brunei is its splendid green jewel. As the sity Brunei Darussalam, Brunei’s HoB region is world wakes up to the importance of forests home to some of the most biologically diverse in combating climate change, the conserva- forest habitats in the world with amazing wildlife. tion of the Heart of Borneo is being recog- Launch of faunal biodiversity survey of the nised as a crucial part of this effort. Sungei Ingei Protection Forest, in Brunei’s “It is a major hotspot for global biodiversity. The HoB region faunal survey will gather necessary scientific data Standard Chartered Bank’s funding for this Photo: Standard Chartered Bank to enable us to better manage Brunei’s natural Heart of Borneo Project is part of the habitats and their wildlife. Over a period of ap- US$500,000 prize donation from the Race proximately two years, much of the vertebrate For A Living Planet campaign which Brunei and invertebrate fauna will be surveyed through won in 2008. two major expeditions. More information: Chris Greenwood, [email protected] Heart of Borneo Issue # 6 PageP age 333 Building Indonesia’s future generation in the border region On 17 October 2009, the Heart of Borneo Pro- An experts’ forum, held as part of the semi- gram, in collaboration with national founda- nar was attended by members of People's tion, Yayasan Sampai, organized a national Consultative Assembly of Indonesia (MPR) seminar entitled Building Indonesia’s Future and Legislative (DPR), who recommended Generation at the Border of Indonesia- further workshops be held to have in-depth Malaysia in Kalimantan. discussions on infrastructure, ecotourism and bio-prospects. The seminar aimed to gain ideas and recommen- dations on how the government should govern the It was concluded at the end of the seminar, border area in relation to poverty reduction, im- that development of the border must not only provement of education, health issues, conserva- be based on “prosperity and security” but tion and the economy. now it needs to include conservation value as Adopting sustainable development to improve the wellwell----beingbeing of local commu- an important element for border governance. nities along the border of IndonesiaIndonesia---- The seminar was opened by Vice People's Con- Malaysia in Kalimantan sultative Assembly (MPR) of Indonesia, Mrs. Hj. This commitment further strengthens the Photo: © WWF—Indoensia/ Irza RINALDI Meilani Leimena Suharli and presented experts trans-boundary conservation and sustainable and officials of different expertise, both national development principles. and from Kalimantan. The result of the seminar was brought to the More information: president to be considered in the new cabinet's Dinda Trisnadi, [email protected] workplan. Orangutan school campaign in the remote Heart of Borneo About 300 students from 7 schools in Those areas are villages located along Building awareness and pride of young Batang Lupar, Kapuas Hulu District, West Labian-Leboyan River, a natural link be- people on the importance of forest conser- vation and orangutan as endemic species Kalimantan, participated in the orangutan tween Betung Kerihun National Park and Photo: © WWF-Indonesia / Sugeng HENDRATNO campaign organized by WWF-Indonesia West Danau Sentarum National Park.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Fall of Warisan in Sabah's Election
    ISSUE: 2021 No. 8 ISSN 2335-6677 RESEARCHERS AT ISEAS – YUSOF ISHAK INSTITUTE ANALYSE CURRENT EVENTS Singapore | 29 January 2021 The Fall of Warisan in Sabah’s Election: Telltale Signs, Causes and Salient Issues Arnold Puyok* President of the Sabah Heritage Party (Warisan) Shafie Apdal (centre), shows his inked finger after casting his vote at a polling station during state elections in Semporna, a town in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island, on September 26, 2020. Photo: AFP * Arnold Puyok is Senior Lecturer in Politics and Government Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). 1 ISSUE: 2021 No. 8 ISSN 2335-6677 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • Public opinion polls conducted prior to the 16th Sabah state election provided telltale signs of Warisan’s loss of support and impending electoral defeat. • Warisan’s fall from power was mostly due to the party’s inability to address the priority needs of the largely rural Muslim Bumiputera and Kadazandusun voters. • Research fieldwork during the election campaign and post-election analysis reveal that rural Sabah voters are more concerned with bread-and-butter issues, while their partisan loyalties are not steadfast. They are willing to trade their political support for programmes and policies that yield tangible benefits. • The new state government led by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) will face the twin challenges of appeasing increasingly demanding voters and delivering public goods effectively. • As GRS navigates these politically uncertain times, its future in Sabah looks unpromising. 2 ISSUE: 2021 No. 8 ISSN 2335-6677 INTRODUCTION In the recent Sabah state election, GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah), comprising BN (Barisan Nasional), PN (Perikatan Nasional) and PBS (Parti Bersatu Sabah), won 38 seats in the state legislative assembly, prevailing over a Warisan-led coalition by a six-seat margin.
    [Show full text]
  • PRODUCT UPDATE BB 17 Borneo Magic
    PRODUCT UPDATE BB 17 Borneo Magic (12 Days) A 12 days leisure tour showcasing the highlights of Sarawak and Sabah. Kick off the tour in Sarawak with a city tour and cruise through winding Lemanak River to experience the life of the longhouse community. Proceed to Sabah for light trekking and sun, sand & sea activities in nearby islands. Enjoy yourself with a visit to Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site, Kinabalu Park at 5000ft elevation before moving on to East Coast of Sabah on overland journey in search of exotic wildlife. Turtle Island, Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre and the alluring Sukau await visitors to explore their magical fascination. More details at: http://www.borneoecotours.com/tours_view.cfm?THE_ID=54 Agnes Lawrence ~ Assistant Operation Manager If you used to communicate with Agnes Lawrence, then there is more you need to know about this special personality. Joined Borneo Eco Tours as Tour Consultant in 1999, Agnes moved up in rank to Senior Tour Consultant (2004) and consequently, Assistant Operation Manager in 2006. With buoyant personality, Agnes is a cheerful leader in her reservation team and is an important source of reference in the department. To supervise the work of about 10 juniors is not easy task, yet Agnes sees that as a challenge. “I’ve been in those days when I’ve to learn reservation and operation from scratch. Having mustered the necessary skills and experience, now is the time I pass on these knowledge and skills to my juniors”, said Agnes. “Since the juniors lack working experience, I find that attentive guidance is crucial especially when a new Tour Consultant just come aboard”, she continued.
    [Show full text]
  • 17 Julai 2019
    Bil. 31 Rabu 17 Julai 2019 MALAYSIA PENYATA RASMI PARLIMEN DEWAN RAKYAT PARLIMEN KEEMPAT BELAS PENGGAL KEDUA MESYUARAT PERTAMA K A N D U N G A N JAWAPAN-JAWAPAN LISAN BAGI PERTANYAAN-PERTANYAAN (Halaman 1) USUL: Waktu Mesyuarat dan Urusan Dibebaskan Daripada Peraturan Mesyuarat (Halaman 24) USUL PERDANA MENTERI DI BAWAH P.M. 27(3): ■ Perintah Perlembagaan Persekutuan (Persempadanan Bahagian-bahagian Pilihan Raya) (Negeri Sabah) 2019 (Halaman 46) __________________________________________________________ Diterbit oleh: SEKSYEN PENYATA RASMI PARLIMEN MALAYSIA 2019 DR.17.7.2019 i AHLI-AHLI DEWAN RAKYAT 1. Yang Berhormat Tuan Yang di-Pertua, Dato’ Mohamad Ariff bin Md Yusof 2. “ Timbalan Yang di-Pertua, Dato’ Mohd Rashid Hasnon [Batu Pahat] – PKR 3. “ Timbalan Yang di-Pertua, Tuan Nga Kor Ming [Teluk Intan] – DAP MENTERI 1. Yang Amat Berhormat Perdana Menteri Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad [Langkawi] – PPBM 2. “ Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat, Dato’ Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, D.P.P.N. [Pandan] – PKR 3. Yang Berhormat Menteri Dalam Negeri, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Muhyiddin bin Mohd Yassin, P.S.M., S.P.M.P., S.P.M.J., S.M.J., P.I.S., B.S.I., S.H.M.S., S.P.S.A., S.P.M.P., S.U.N.S., S.P.D.K., D.P., P.N.B.S. [Pagoh] – PPBM 4. “ Menteri Kewangan, Tuan Lim Guan Eng [Bagan] – DAP 5. “ Menteri Pertahanan, Tuan Mohamad bin Sabu [Kota Raja] – AMANAH 6. “ Menteri Pendidikan, Dr. Maszlee bin Malik [Simpang Renggam] – PPBM 7. “ Menteri Pembangunan Luar Bandar, Datuk Seri Rina binti Mohd Harun, D.G.S.M.
    [Show full text]
  • Title Domination, Contestation, and Accommodation: 54 Years of Sabah
    Domination, Contestation, and Accommodation: 54 Years of Title Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia Author(s) Faisal, S. Hazis Citation Southeast Asian Studies (2018), 7(3): 341-361 Issue Date 2018-12 URL http://hdl.handle.net/2433/237246 Right © Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University Type Departmental Bulletin Paper Textversion publisher Kyoto University Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 49, No. 2, September 2011 Domination, Contestation, and Accommodation: 54 Years of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia Faisal S. Hazis* This article traces the major contestations that have taken place in Sabah and Sarawak throughout the 54 years of their independence. The two major areas of contestation are state power and local resources, pitting federal leaders against Sabah and Sarawak’s elites. These contestations have forced the federal govern- ment to accommodate the local elites, thus ensuring the stability of Barisan Nasional (BN) rule in the East Malaysian states. However, Sabah and Sarawak elites are not homogeneous since they have different degrees of power, agendas, and aspirations. These differences have led to open feuds between the elites, resulting in the col- lapse of political parties and the formation of new political alignments. Over almost four decades, a great majority of the people in Sabah and Sarawak have acceded to BN rule. However, in the last decade there have been pockets of resistance against the authoritarian rule of BN and the local elites. This article argues that without accountability and a system of checks and balances, the demand for more autonomy by the increasingly vocal Sabah and Sarawak elites will benefit only them and not the general public.
    [Show full text]
  • Watching the Watchdog 2.0 Utusan Borneo
    Watching the Watchdog 2.0 Utusan Borneo Section 1: Coverage of Political Parties and Coalitions 1.1 Volume of Coverage of Parties & Coalitions Figure 1: Volume of Coverage of Political Parties & Coalitions PSM 0.00 0.00 USNO 0.04 0.04 PDP 0.08 0.12 IKATAN 0.12 0.29 PRS 0.33 0.33 Gagasan Sejahtera 0.33 0.37 PBB 0.37 0.41 Gerakan 0.45 0.77 MCA 0.86 0.90 STAR 1.10 1.30 PH 1.96 2.24 DAP 2.28 2.69 Other 2.81 2.89 Warisan 7.17 7.54 BN 51.39 0.00 10.00 20.00 30.00 40.00 50.00 60.00 • BN received the most coverage (51.39%), followed by UMNO (7.54%) and Warisan (7.17%). 1 Figure 2: Volume of Coverage of Political Parties & Coalitions: Government vs. Opposition vs. Independent/Other GS 2.03 Independent 1.32 PH 16.61 BN 80.04 0.00 10.00 20.00 30.00 40.00 50.00 60.00 70.00 80.00 90.00 • Once parties/coalitions’ coverage volumes are combined, BN received the highest level of coverage (80.04%), followed by PH (16.61%) and GS (2.03%). 1.2 Tone of Coverage of Political Parties & Coalitions Figure 3: Raw Tonal Coverage Volume of Political Parties & Coalitions Attacked 0% Neutral 26% Positive Negative 62% 12% • The Positive tone was used the most (62%), followed by Neutral (26%) and Negative (12%). 2 Figure 4.1: Attacked Political Party & Coalition Coverage STAR 0.00 USNO 0.00 Warisan 0.00 LDP 0.00 Other 0.00 AMANAH 0.00 UPKO 0.00 SUPP 0.00 SAPP 0.00 PSM 0.00 PRM 0.00 PRS 0.00 PPBM 0.00 PH 0.00 PKR 0.00 PDP 0.00 PCM 0.00 PBS 0.00 PBRS 0.00 PBB 0.00 PAS 0.00 MIC 0.00 MCA 0.00 IKATAN 0.00 Gerakan 0.00 Gagasan Sejahtera 0.00 DAP 0.00 UMNO 14.29 BN 57.14 0.00 10.00 20.00 30.00 40.00 50.00 60.00 • BN received the highest coverage of Attacked tones (57.14%), with UMNO sharing the rest of the coverage (14.29%).
    [Show full text]
  • Will Pakatan Harapan's Hold on Selangor Continue?
    WILL PAKATAN HARAPAN’S HOLD ON SELANGOR CONTINUE? Tricia Yeoh TRENDS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ISSN 0219-3213 TRS3/21s ISSUE ISBN 978-981-4951-43-2 30 Heng Mui Keng Terrace 3 Singapore 119614 http://bookshop.iseas.edu.sg 9 7 8 9 8 1 4 9 5 1 4 3 2 2021 TRENDS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA 21-J07406 01 Trends_2021-03.indd 1 19/1/21 10:14 AM The ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute (formerly Institute of Southeast Asian Studies) is an autonomous organization established in 1968. It is a regional centre dedicated to the study of socio-political, security, and economic trends and developments in Southeast Asia and its wider geostrategic and economic environment. The Institute’s research programmes are grouped under Regional Economic Studies (RES), Regional Strategic and Political Studies (RSPS), and Regional Social and Cultural Studies (RSCS). The Institute is also home to the ASEAN Studies Centre (ASC), the Singapore APEC Study Centre and the Temasek History Research Centre (THRC). ISEAS Publishing, an established academic press, has issued more than 2,000 books and journals. It is the largest scholarly publisher of research about Southeast Asia from within the region. ISEAS Publishing works with many other academic and trade publishers and distributors to disseminate important research and analyses from and about Southeast Asia to the rest of the world. 21-J07406 01 Trends_2021-03.indd 2 19/1/21 10:14 AM WILL PAKATAN HARAPAN’S HOLD ON SELANGOR CONTINUE? Tricia Yeoh ISSUE 3 2021 21-J07406 01 Trends_2021-03.indd 3 19/1/21 10:14 AM Published by: ISEAS Publishing 30 Heng Mui Keng Terrace Singapore 119614 [email protected] http://bookshop.iseas.edu.sg © 2021 ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore All rights reserved.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rise and Fall of State Governments in Malaysia: Institutions, Constitutions and Political Alignment
    ISSUE: 2020 No. 103 ISSN 2335-6677 RESEARCHERS AT ISEAS – YUSOF ISHAK INSTITUTE ANALYSE CURRENT EVENTS Singapore | 11 September 2020 The Rise and Fall of State Governments in Malaysia: Institutions, Constitutions and Political Alignment Tricia Yeoh* EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • The Pakatan Harapan-aligned Sabah state government held by Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) fell in late July 2020 when 13 state assemblypersons defected to align with former Sabah Chief Minister and Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman Musa Aman. • The Sabah state election will be held on 26 September 2020, ahead of a general election which is widely expected to be called before the end of the year. The outcome of the Sabah state election will therefore carry important lessons for all political parties at the national level in crafting their political strategies. • Historically, political alignment with the federal government seemed to be the most decisive factor in shaping the outcome of state government formation. Nonetheless, the Rulers or governors of respective states have played a crucial role on various occasions, by exercising their discretion on whether it was appropriate to appoint a new Chief Minister or allow the dissolution of a state legislature to hold new elections. The Rulers in turn have to operate within the framework of the state constitutions. • The electoral strategies at state level have become extremely complicated, given the existence of multiple parties, the fluidity of their collective and individual members’ political loyalties, and the ongoing negotiations over leadership and prime ministerial candidacies. *Tricia Yeoh is Visiting Research Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, CEO of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) and PhD Candidate at the University of Nottingham Malaysia.
    [Show full text]
  • Tourism Growth & Challenges
    Sharing P roperty Information in S abah with You PPH 260/7/2008(006770) Volume XIV, December 2007 Tourism GGGGGGrrrrrroooooowwwwwwtttttthhhhhh &&&&&& CCCCCChhhhhhaaaaaalllllllllllleeeeeennnnnnggggggeeeeeessssss Melapi Restaurant at Sukau Rainforest Lodge 1 Borneo Hypermall Inside this issue ● New Hotel Developments Of late, Sabah has been abuzz with talks of tourism-related ● Lahad Datu: Facts & Figures ● Happenings events. Sabah Tourism Board statistics show a 14% jump in ● New Developments visitor arrivals to 2.1 million from 2005 to 2006, generating ● Budget 2008 Highlights ● Feature Developments: Taman receipts of RM2.6billion. Arrivals up to October 2007 have Malakun & Puteri Damai reached 1.9million. Major resort and hotels in the State Capital are reporting good take up rates. Sabah is gearing up for more Lumpur and then to Sabah. Coupled active years ahead with the completion of the low cost carrier with new direct flights by other airlines from Asia, this has created a positive terminal in January 2007 and the massive upgrade of the Kota optimism that with the completion of Kinabalu International Airport, which is expected to see its first the airport extension, visitor arrivals to Sabah will increase manifold. Even phase completed by April 2008. Close to 2,000 hotel rooms of without the new airport extension, the various classifications are currently under construction in Kota Low Cost Carrier Terminal is already doing well through Air Asia. We were all caught flat footed as this has never happened to us WTWS: How would you describe tourism in Sabah? before. If the same thing happened to the international Teo: Sabah is entering a new and most exciting phase airport, the ripple effect will be even more significant.
    [Show full text]
  • Royal Visit to Sabah 05.09.12
    Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, Private Secretary to HRH Prince William of Wales, Clarence House Cc His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales Malaysia Desk of the Foreign Office 5 September 2012 Dear Mr Lowther-Pinkerton, We write to you as concerned Malaysian citizens living in the UK and members of SUARAM International, the UK campaign arm of a leading human rights organisation in Malaysia. Malaysia is soon to hold its 13th General Election that may affect the 55-year monopoly of the Barisan National (BN) government. Government corruption remains endemic in an environment where political kickbacks worth billions of ringgit are the norm. The excesses of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, at the centre of a French submarine scandal involving a commission worth over EUR 100 million is currently the subject of a criminal investigation in France. The wealth of Taib Mahmud, Sarawak’s Chief Minister of over 30 years, has long been in the public domain, the result of logging one of the World’s most unique ecosystems. However what has angered many Malaysians in recent months is the emerging scandal linking Sabah’s Chief Minister Musa Aman and his nominees with suspected money laundering of timber corruption proceeds through a number of UBS bank accounts in Hong Kong. A series of recent reports, published on the anti-corruption website www.sarawakreport.org clearly demonstrates that Musa Aman acquired vast sums of money by turning a blind eye to illegal logging practices of timber associates and issuing licences in formerly protected forest areas in Sabah. Last Friday, the Swiss Attorney General announced the start of a criminal case against UBS, in what is likely to be one of Malaysia’s biggest corruption scandals.
    [Show full text]
  • Abstrakmedia Memainkan Peranan Penting Membentuk Pemikiran
    Jurnal Kinabalu Edisi Khas, 171-198, 2018 E-ISSN 2600-867X© Lee Kuok Tiung, Rizal Zamani Idris & Rafiq Idris PROPAGANDA DAN DISINFORMASI:POLITIK PERSEPSI DALAM PILIHAN RAYA UMUM KE-14 (PRU-14) MALAYSIA PROPAGANDA AND DISINFORMATION: POLITICS OF PERCEPTION IN MALAYSIAN’S 14TH GENERAL ELECTION (GE-14) LEE KUOK TIUNG1, RIZAL ZAMANI IDRIS2, RAFIQ IDRIS3 Fakulti Kemanusiaan, Seni dan Warisan, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. [email protected] ABSTRAK Media memainkan peranan penting membentuk pemikiran pengundi. Media baharu sekali lagi dilihat memainkan peranan penting dalam menetapkan dan membentuk wacana publik pada PRU-14 di Malaysia. Media merupakan sumber maklumat politik yang utama kepada rakyat dalam masyarakat demokratik meskipun berita bukanlah kebenaran mutlak, apatah lagi fakta dan fiksyen sering kali dicampur aduk bagi maksud mencapai agenda tersembunyi. Pada dasarnya, bukan semua orang mempunyai pengalaman sebenar atau langsung dengan kebanyakan isu atau peristiwa yang hangat diperdebatkan sebagai topik yang mempunyai kepentingan publik. Sarjana kewartawanan seperti Tuchman (1978) sering menekankan bagaimana penerbit berita secara sistematik mengkonstruk suatu bentuk realiti yang spesifik dalam proses pemberitaan. Apa yang cuba dimaksudkan oleh beliau “berita merupakan jendela dunia” ialah pengetahuan dan kefahaman seseorang lazimnya bergantung kepada laporan media meskipun berita bukan cerminan kepada realiti dunia sebenar. Hal yang sama juga mendorong saintis-saintis politik tampil dengan hujah sesiapa yang mengusai media akan memenangi pilihan raya. Perubahan mediaskap di Malaysia telah menyaksikan publik tidak lagi dikawal oleh media arus perdana, sebaliknya media sosial yang mulai diperkenalkan mulai lewat 1990-an sebagai suara alternatif kepada rakyat. Perubahan drastik mulai berlaku dengan pengenalan telefon pintar dan media sosial.
    [Show full text]
  • Sabah and Sarawak in the 14Th General Election 2018 (GE14): Local Factors and State Nationalism, In: Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 37, 3, 173–192
    Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs Special Issue: The 2018 Malaysian General Elections Chin, James (2018), Sabah and Sarawak in the 14th General Election 2018 (GE14): Local Factors and State Nationalism, in: Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 37, 3, 173–192. URN: http://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:gbv:18-4-11524 ISSN: 1868-4882 (online), ISSN: 1868-1034 (print) The online version of this article can be found at: <www.CurrentSoutheastAsianAffairs.org> Published by GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Institute of Asian Studies and Hamburg University Press. The Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs is an Open Access publication. It may be read, copied and distributed free of charge according to the conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. To subscribe to the print edition: <[email protected]> For an e-mail alert please register at: <www.CurrentSoutheastAsianAffairs.org> The Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs is part of the GIGA Journal Family, which also includes Africa Spectrum, Journal of Current Chinese Affairs and Journal of Politics in Latin America: <www.giga-journal-family.org>. Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs 3/2018: 173–192 6DEDKDQG6DUDZDNLQWKHWK*HQHUDO (OHFWLRQ *( /RFDO)DFWRUVDQG 6WDWH1DWLRQDOLVP -DPHV&KLQ Abstract: Many would argue that the main factors in Pakatan Harapan’s victory were the 1MDB scandal, anti-Najib and anti-UMNO sentiments, and Mahathir’s ability to penetrate the rural Malay constituencies so as to split the UMNO/PAS vote. In the East Malaysia states of Sabah and Sa- rawak, however, it was local factors and state nationalism that largely de- cided the outcome of GE14.
    [Show full text]
  • Idss Commentaries
    RSIS COMMENTARIES RSIS Commentaries are intended to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy relevant background and analysis of contemporary developments. The views of the authors are their own and do not represent the official position of the S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU. These commentaries may be reproduced electronically or in print with prior permission from RSIS. Due recognition must be given to the author or authors and RSIS. Please email: [email protected] or call (+65) 6790 6982 to speak to the Editor RSIS Commentaries, Yang Razali Kassim. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ No. 057/2013 dated 9 April 2013 From Fixed Deposits to Kingmakers: Elections, East Malaysia and Federal-State Relations By Oh Ei Sun Synopsis The East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak are expected to play decisive roles in this general election. While federal-state relations, tense at times, remain generally stable, the political dynamics in the two states are changing. Commentary MALAYSIA’S 13th general election, widely characterised as potentially a “watershed” event, will see the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, as well as many first-time voters, play a decisive role in determining which way the country will go. Will they vote to retain the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, or opt for the opposition alliance, Pakatan Rakyat (PR)? Out of the 222 seats in parliament, 56 (or over 25%) are in Sabah (25) and Sarawak (31), leading some to label these states as “kingmakers” in the polls that are expected to be closely-contested. In West Malaysia, any potential loss by BN of its predominantly non-Bumiputra seats can be counterbalanced by gains in predominantly Bumiputra seats.
    [Show full text]