Fwd: Malaya will have cheap electricity but not Sarawak and Sabah

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Ir. Hj. Othman bin Hj. Ahmad" <othm...@lycos.com>
Date: Apr 27, 10:49 am
Subject: Malaya will have cheap electricity but not Sarawak and Sabah
To: soc.culture.malaysia

Malaya does not need to build polluting power plants but Sarawak and
Sabah will still need to build polluting coal powered plants despite
being so near to Bakun compared to Malaya, or is it Malaysia.

The resources of Sabah and Sarawak are only to be enjoyed by
Malaysians, but certainly Sabah and Sarawak had never been considered
as Malaysia.

http://my.ebay.com.my/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MyMessagesFolderView&&FClassic...

Go-ahead for Sabah-Johor undersea electricity cable
By STEPHEN THEN

MIRI: At least10,000megawatts of electricity from the RM6bill-Bakun
hydro-electric dam project in central Sarawak will be supplied to
peninsula Malaysia so that every states there will have adequate and
uninterrupted supply of power for households and industries.

The Cabinet has decided that the undersea-power transmission cable
project between the southern tip of Sarawak and Johor must proceed so
that energy from Bakun can be channeled via the bed of the South China
Sea to Johor and then to the rest of peninsula Malaysia.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui
said the Cabinet during its recent meeting agreed that it would be
better to undertake the undersea-power cable project rather than to
continue building new power plants in the peninsula states.

''Over the long term, it will be more economical and viable to
transmit power from Bakun to peninsula Malaysia even though the
undersea-cable project would be very costly.

''This project will ensure that folks in peninsula Malaysia get
constant and adequate supply of electricity at a rate that would be
much better compared to what they will have to pay if we (Government)
were to allow more power plants to be build in the states in the
peninsula.

''The costs of having to build more power plants in peninsula states
will be much more as compared to the costs of the undersea-cable
project,'' he said when interviewed after presenting grants for minor
projects at the Sarawak United People's Party here.

Chin said that the10,000MWs from Bakun should be enough to meet the
needs of the whole of the peninsula, but stressed that the amount
could be increased as and when the needs arise.

The great benefit of hydro-power is that it can be increased when
needed, he said, pointing out that Sarawak itself will have an
abundant source of hydro-power that will be enough to meet not just
the nation's needs, but also the needs of regional countries.

Asked who will handle the undersea-cable project, Chin said a joint-
venture would be undertaken by Tenaga Nasional Bhd and Sarawak
Elctricity Board to carry out the job.

The cost of the undersea-cable project has not been finalised as yet,
he said, adding that the rates at which power would be sold to the
peninsula is also being worked out.

Bakun is expected to be operational by2011.

''Sarawak will sell to Kalimantan, Sabah and even the southern
Philippines as well because there will be much electricity to be
generated not only from Bakun, but also from the other hydro-dams that
will be build under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE)
project,'' he said.

Chin said Sarawak will have the capacity to generate electricity
reserve of up to28,000Mws from the SCORE project.

Further violations of Malaysia Agreement means that Malaysia is dissolved

Even if the inconsistent Federal Court of Malaysia were to decide that
Malaysian Agreement has no bearing on the Constitution of Malaysia,
there is the International Court, and the courts of many nations such
as UK and Spain that will uphold justice all over the world.

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=64416

Sabah's safeguards retained

Published on: Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Email to a friend Printer Friendly

Kota Kinabalu: The Federal Court has decided that only advocates
admitted to the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak may appear and argue
cases when the Appellate Courts sitting in Putrajaya hear appeals
originating from the two States.

Sabah Law Association (SLA) President Datuk John Sikayun, in a
statement, Tuesday, said the Federal Court's judgement had also
cleared the air as to whether advocates from their respective states
could appear in the Appellate Court at Putrajaya.

Sikayun said the Federal Court's judgement was delivered in Kuching on
April 15, 2009 after hearing submissions from various parties on March
15, this year on two issues which have been vexing the members of both
the Sabah and Sarawak Bars for a long time.

The issues were:

- Whether an advocate and solicitor from Peninsular Malaysia is
entitled to appear as advocate in an appeal to be heard in Putrajaya
arising from a matter originating from the High Court in Sarawak and
Sabah at Kuching or Kota Kinabalu and;

- Whether an advocate from Sarawak or Sabah is entitled to appear as
advocate in a appeal to be heard in Putrajaya arising from a matter
originating from the High Court in Sarawak and Sabah at Kuching or
Kota Kinabalu.

The submissions were heard by five members of the Federal Court made
up of the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Malaya Tan Sri Zaki
Tun Azmi, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum,
Chief Justice of Malaya Datuk Ariffin Zakaria, President of the Court
of Appeal Datuk Sri Aluaddin Mohd Sheriff and Federal Court Judge
Datuk Zulkifli Ahmad Makinuddin.

Sikayun said the Federal Court's decision had reaffirmed the
Constitutional safeguards that were accorded to both Sabah and Sarawak
at the time of formation of Malaysia.

He said the arguments before the Federal Court involved the Malaysia
Agreement, the Malaysia Act 1963, the Inter-Governmental Committee
Report, the Cobbold Commission Report and the Federal Constitution.

"The Sabah Law Association undertook tremendous amount of research
into the history with regards to the formation of Malaysia, the
safeguards and the protection under the Malaysia Agreement and such
foundation documents that were instrumental and the basis upon which
the Malaysia Act and the Federal Constitution were formulated',
Sikayun said..

The issue arose in an appeal originating from Sarawak heard before the
Court of Appeal in Putrajaya where the appellant was represented by a
counsel from Kuala Lumpur together with the Sarawak counsel.

The respondent's counsel had raised a preliminary objection on the
right of the counsel from Kuala Lumpur to appear in the case without
first obtaining ad hoc admission under the Sarawak Advocates
Ordinance.

Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Gopal Sri Ram had ruled that the right of
a counsel to appear in cases heard in the Appellate Courts sitting in
Putrajaya was governed by the Legal Profession Act 1976 and,
therefore, only lawyers from the Malayan Bar could appeal and argue on
cases in Putrajaya in spite of such cases originating from Sabah and
Sarawak.

The Court of Appeal also said that the Sarawak Advocates Ordinance has
no extra territorial effect. The respondents, dissatisfied with the
decision, had appealed to the Federal Court.

On Feb. 22, this year, the Federal Court had granted the respondents'
leave to appeal and when doing so invited all interested parties to
address the Federal Court on the issue.

The Federal Court being mindful that the matter involved serious
Constitutional issues and indeed the Formation of Malaysia itself,
wanted to hear full arguments and empanelled five members Coram to
hear the matter.

The Federal Attorney-General, Sarawak Attorney-General, Sabah Attorney-
General, the Bar Council, the Sarawak Advocates Association and the
Sabah Law Association were some of the invitees by the Federal Court
as amicus curie (friends of the court) to address the court on the
Constitutional laws that govern the issues before the Federal Court.

The SLA was represented by Sikayun, Datuk Stephen Foo, Alex Decena and
Jeyan Marimuttu.

Sikayun said the full written judgement will be given in the not-too-
distant future.

Re: by-election at batang ai...massive cheating by BN

On Apr 22, 8:40 pm, "james" <jab2...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I was borned in Batang Ai
>
> I wish for my state, Batang Ai and my father home Rumah Ai, the best of
> everythings
>
> This election, I returned home to watch.
>
> My father was offered500to vote for BN, father told me to vote for BN.
> Uncle also received500to vote for BN also told me to vote for BN.

There is nothing wrong in taking the RM500 but it is corrupt and
unethical to vote for those who give out the money.

Take the money but think before you vote. You will be rewarded with
the money and by god in this world and hereafter. You get the best of
everything if you choose to think.

If you choose to be influenced by the RM500 to vote for the giver of
that money, you will be punished in this world and hereafter.

Why do you choose hell on earth and hereafter, when you can choose
heaven on earth and hereafter while getting RM500 also?

This is not corruption, but stupidity.

The giver of this RM500 had promised so many times for the past 22
years to give fair compensation and land rights guaranteed by the
constitution, but failed to do so. Why do you still believe him by
voting for him again and again.

As to BN being a local party instead of BR(Barisan Rakyat), it is just
blatantly stupid. BN is a West Malaysian party. Locals who join this
banner had been proven to be puppets in agreeing to ZERO Petroleum
Rights. What kind of person will give away their properties for
NOTHING? If not for thoughtless puppets???

The Petroleum agreement gives a maximum of 10% for Sarawak and Sabah
with NO MINIMUM, which means it can be ZERO. If you are Petronas,
which would you like to give? 10% or ZERO??? Certainly zero!!!

It is your vote that still prevented Petronas from giving much less
than the promised 5%, but in actual fact both states get less than 1%.

Use your head. How can it be 5% when the same amount RM150 million was
given our for the past 20 years??? Prices of petrol had increased by
leaps and yet Sabah still get the same amount of Petroleum revenue.

PKR, although a West Malaysian party, had promised to give 20%.
What had BN promised??? ZERO %. Why do you still vote for those who
PROMISE to give you ZERO %?

Why don't you take the RM500, the roads etc. while still use you brain
to think????

Only stupid fools will do that. No wonder Sabah and Sarawak are the
poorest states in Malaysia. The poorest are those who got these RM500.

>
> When I asked father, what had BN done for us, why had BN done on the promise
> to compensate of our family land taken for development. My father and uncle
> said, it is coming. It had been coming for22years and still yet to be
> seen.
>
> I told my father and uncle, I cannot. They got angry and telling me that I
> am voting for west Malaysian party.
>
> I explained,
>
> WHAT IS BN WHEN IT WANTED TO CHEAT ON THIS ELECTION BY GIVING YOU500
> WHAT IS IT THAT BN WANTED SO BAD TO CHEAT NEXT
> PKR IS WEST MALAYSIAN BUT WHAT OF BN, ITS POLICIES IS ALSO FROM WEST
> MALAYSIA
> IF WE DAYAK TAKES MONEY AND VOTE FOR BN, DAYAK PROSTITUTED THEMSELVES
> DAYAK WILL EVEN HAD PROSTITUTED THEIR FAMILY, CHILDREN AND THEIR FUTURE FOR500
> NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE FOR US IN THE PAST, FOR45YEARS
> EVERY ELECTION WE HEARD PROMISES
> NOTHING EVER CHANGE
> IT IS TIME TO GIVE CHANGE A CHANCE
> EVEN IF WE ARE WRONG, EVERYTHING WILL STILL BE THE SAME IF BN HAD WON
>
> Further I explained, BN giving money to you serve the purpose to prove that
> they are crooks. They had no purpose other then to gain power to cheat the
> people. It is time Dayak stopped prostituting themselves to the crooks, the
> cheaters and the corruptors, for these are using our money to turn us into
> prostitute.
>
> My father cried, my uncle hung his head, and he said, you know others will
> still take the money and vote for BN. I told them to take the money and vote
> for anybody other than BN. TO STOP MONEY POLITIC.

Sabah the worst Slavery Case in the Whole World

Borneo Post, English Sabah Edition on the 15th of April, 2009.
This shows to you that US government had labelled Malaysia as the hottest 3 spots in the world for Human Trafficking which includes Sex and Labour slavery.

With the cases happening 80% of the time in Sabah, this certainly makes Sabah, the worst in Human Slavery in the whole world.

Re: Reason why Malaysia is World's top Centre for Sex and Labour Slavery

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=64257

NGO: Sabah among 3 human trafficking hotspots

Published on: Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Email to a friend Printer Friendly

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah has earned the dubious distinction of being a
hotbed for human trafficking in the country, the victims being women
and children forced into prostitution.

The situation, according to the NGO Tenaganita, has become quite
serious in Sabah because the problem is being monitored more closely
in the peninsula.

Because of that the culprits are moving their modus operandi to Sabah
and Sarawak, claimed its Director Dr Irene Fernandez.

She said of the 119 cases of human trafficking in the country, thus
far 80 per cent of the victims were rescued in Sabah.

A worrying trend is that among those rescued were children below 16
some as young as 14 and 13, she said.

"This means that children are being brought in for forced
prostitution," she said at the opening of a two-day workshop on "Role
of the Media in Countering Trafficking in Persons" at Likas Square,
Tuesday.

She identified Labuan, Sandakan and Limbang as the latest "hotspots"
for human trafficking and prostitution in the country based on the
victims they rescued who had been forced into prostitution.

She said most of the women and girls rescued were from neighbouring
countries like the Philippines and Indonesia as well as from Vietnam
and India.

According to her, prostitution is bound to increase whenever there are
huge development projects such as the Bakun dam in Sarawak.

In this respect, it is very important to train municipal councils and
town councils since they are the authorities with power to approve and
revoke trading licences of entertainment outlets.

But at the same time, Fernandez said many Sabahan girls had also
fallen victims to trafficking after they were duped by employment
agencies who then forced them into prostitution once they reached
Singapore.

"Our partner in Singapore said there's been an increasing number of
Sabahans forced into prostitution," she said.

However, she said they are facing challenges in this aspect in the
Lion City because Singapore has legalised prostitution.

Fernandez said Singapore does not believe that anyone could be forced
into prostitution but that Tenaganita is challenging it since there
are syndicates operating and forcing foreign women into prostitution.
She said there is still much more to do in countering human
trafficking.

"Although the police now have a special (human trafficking) unit
established in Bukit Aman, we would also need a unit in Sabah," she
said.

This is so that the police here would be trained and be knowledgeable
in the law effectively and to enforce it in Sabah.

The migration of humans is now so fluid that there must be effort to
address it especially in terms of human trafficking, she said.

President of Sabah Journalist Association (SJA), Datuk Joniston
Bangkuai, said the media must play its role toward combating human
trafficking in the country.

He said that everyone including the Government, private sector and the
public must cooperate with the media to overcome the problem.

Reason why Malaysia is World's top Centre for Sex and Labour Slavery

Not only can employers deduct levy, they can also deduct all sorts of
deductions including food and transportation to the point of leaving
nothing to the workers.

It happened in Sinora, a Sabah State Government owned factory at
Sandakan.
It used to provide employment for locals but because of the deliberate
and inhumane BN policies, such as the following newspaper extract,
many locals are displaced by slave labours.

Among the slave labourers are also locals. So you think that by
supporting BN policies you will be sure of your prosperity, wait till
your children were forced into slavery.

Children from Sabah were forced into slavery in West Malaysia
thinking that they were continuing their studies. Their parents had to
sell their land in order to finance their so called study in West
Malaysia.

This was reported in Borneo Post, Sabah edition.

This article is a lie. Not Sabah, but Malaysia is among the top 3
hotspots in human trafficking.

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=64257

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=50401
Employers can deduct levy from wages: Labour DG

KUALA LUMPUR: There is good news for employers — they are now re-
allowed to deduct the levy from the wages of the their foreign workers
until the expiry of their present visas, Labour Director-General Datuk
Ismail Abdul Rahim said yesterday.

They had earlier been directed by the department to stop such
deduction, effective April 1, causing much uneasiness among employers
as they had to bear the cost of the levy and this upset their budget.

The directive was therefore reversed by the Human Resources Minister
Datuk S Subramaniam on Wednesday following numerous appeals by
employers, Ismail told Bernama.

However, Ismail explained that no deduction would be allowed for new
employees registered after April 1 in line with the government's
policy requiring employers from all sectors to bear the full cost of
the levy from that cut-off date.

The rationale to get employers to bear the levy was to discourage them
from employing foreigners, he said.

Nevertheless, Ismail hoped the new decision would lessen the burden of
employers during this economic downturn.

Meanwhile, the Immigration Department has yet to implement the new
levy rates for foreign workers in the manufacturing and services
sectors because it had not been gazetted by the Home Ministry.

The new levy had been doubled for workers in these two sectors from
RM1,800 to RM3,600 a year.

Immigration Director-General Datuk Mahmood Adam told Bernama that the
department expected to implement the new rates by May 1.

However, Bernama understands that the delay in gazetting the new rates
was due to the numerous protests and appeals by employers from the
affected sectors.

In fact the Indian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association had threatened
to increase the price of Malaysian favourite indulgence, roti canai
and teh tarik, if the new rates were implemented.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Employers Federation executive director
Shamsuddin Bardan welcomed the Human Resources Ministry's decision to
allow employers to deduct the levy from the workers wages, saying this
was a step in the right direction.

This decision would greatly benefit employers who had thousands of
foreign workers on their payroll.

He hoped the government would review the proposed new levy rate and
maintain the existing one at least until the economy improved.

"This will give some breathing space for employers and help them to
put back their businesses on a stronger footing," he said.

— Bernama

Discrimination against Sarawak by EC?

It costs the same for Batang Ai as Bukit Selambau despite the vast
differences in infrastructures.

It means that allowances of EC workers in Sarawak will be much less
than those in Kedah.

Less money and therefore less economic activity for Sarawak. No
wonder, Sarawak is among the poorest in Malaysia.

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=402044
April 06, 2009 13:16 PM

Three By-elections Cost EC RM1.5 Million

KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 (Bernama) -- The Election Commission (EC) is
spending about RM1.5 million to conduct the three by-elections
tomorrow, in the Bukit Gantang parliamentary constituency in Perak and
the state constituencies of Bukit Selambau in Kedah and Batang Ai in
Sarawak, the Dewan Negara was told today.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri
Aziz said the EC was spending RM700,000 to conduct the by-election in
Bukit Gantang and RM400,000 each to conduct the by-elections in Bukit
Selambau and Batang Ai.

The cost of the by-election in Bukit Gantang was higher because it was
a parliamentary constituency, he said when replying to a question from
Senator Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakar.

Replying to a supplementary question, from Senator Mumtaz Md Nawi,
Nazri said the people could not be subjected to automatic registration
as voters.

"Automatic registration would mean subjecting an individual to
coercion. In a democratic country, a citizen has the option of
registering as a voter.

"As such, in this matter, we cannot force anyone. When they are made
to register as voters and they don't exercise their right (when the
time comes), they would be regarded as having neglected their duty to
vote," he said.

-- BERNAMA

Why BN has to wait for 20 years to fulfil a promise?

But will BN still fulfil it after lying for the last 20 years.

A liar is always a liar. People should learn this.

Only idiots will keep on trusting anyone who has ever lied to them
once, let alone those that keep on lying for the last 20 years.

Similarly for Batang Air in Sarawak.
I don't think BN will ever keep its promise to develop Batang Air or
any Dayak area unless it loses big this time.

Why should BN fulfill its promise at great expense when the Dayak
voters keep on voting for BN for the last more than 20 years?

The great expense is in spending Sarawak resources for Sarawak
especially the interior Dayaks. After all, it is well documented and
proclaimed proudly that Sarawak is not worth developing because it is
not economical. It is only worthwhile to extract its resources cheaply
to be used by Malaya. You can read the photographed article in my blog
at sabahcolonised.blogspot.com.

If BN loses in Batang Air, there is some hope that other Dayak areas
will be developed to the level that is normal all over the world such
as what is happening in Indonesian Kalimantan. At least there are some
Dayaks who are clever enough to see if BN fulfil its promises since
more than 20 years ago in order to vote BN this time.

For Malayans who believe that it is a waste of money and resources to
develop Batang Air, please note that by developing this region, such
as building roads, electricity, water and education, it will improve
the productivity of the people here making them better consumers for
all Malaysians. Read OBAMA arguments.

Making the rich even richer will only destroy a nation, even as
powerful as USA, as Bush had done with his policies of supporting the
rich in the hope that they will develop the nation. In reality, it is
a fallacy as proven by the sorry state of US economy under Bush
administration, compared to the much more prosperous Clinton
Administration.

Now back to Bukit Gantang. Is it really a local that is representing
them? The candidate appears to be only a local information chief at
that. What has happened to the UMNO chief or his assistants?

What is the real story behind selecting this particular person who
cannot even get the vote of the majority of UMNO members in Bukit
Gantang?

Bkt Gantang folks torn between local and ousted Perak MB
By SAODAH ELIAS

TAIPING: Will Bukit Gantang Folks finally choose a local to air their
grouses in Parliament after 23 years, or will history repeat itself?

All will be answered by 10pm Tuesday when the result for Bukit Gantang
by-election is announced.

Barisan Nasional candidate Ismail Saffian is a local unlike Nizar who
is a registered voter in Pasir Panjang where he is also its state
assemblyman.

Another, independent candidate Kamarul Ramizu Idris is from Taiping,
but he is not considered a factor in the by-election.

Ismail, who is Bukit Gantang Umno information chief, is from Kampung
Kubu, Bukit Gantang while his wife is from Changkat Ibol in the same
constituency.

The choice of an outsider as a candidate has been oft cited by many
state Umno leaders as the main reason why Barisan lost in the last
general election.

Barisan had fielded Umno's treasurer Datuk Mohd Azim Zabidi from the
Bukit Bintang division as its candidate then, much to the anger of the
local Barisan supporters who had had to contend with "imported"
candidates for four consecutive general elections.

Mohd Azim lost to the late PAS' Roslan Shaharum by 1,566 votes.

In 2004, Barisan fielded Wanita Gerakan chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe in
Bukit Gantang.

Despite grumbling on the ground, the people of Bukit Gantang had voted
her in after being promised that a local would be fielded in the next
general election.

Despite the intense campaigning and various shows of strengths by both
sides in the last eight days, the outcome, in as far as Bukit Gantang
Umno division head Datuk Rosli Husin is concerned, is clear. The local
must win.

"Barisan will win. This is our stronghold and the people will choose
our candidate," he said.

Rosli who is the state assemblyman for Trong, one of the three state
constituencies under Bukit Gantang said there was no longer any reason
for the people of Bukit Gantang to vote for PAS as their wait of more
than 20 years for a local representative was now close at hands.

Similarly confident is Barisan director of election for Bukit Gantang
Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said Nizar's only hope of winning was to play on people's sympathy.

"He portrays himself as the victim, as the ousted mentri besar.

But that gimmick can only go so far.

"People now have a better understanding of the whole fiasco as we have
already explained to them what exactly happened and they are now back
with us," he stated.

Close to the ground however, campaigners on both sides were not that
confident of a win, one way or the other.

Statistics being bandied about by both sides was 50/50. Unlike the
Kuala Terengganu by-election in January, where the deciding factor was
said to have been the 11% Chinese votes, here in Bukit Gantang, the
intense campaigning was for the 63% Malay votes.

It is said that close to 60% of Malay voters are for Barisan while
about 70% of Chinese voters are with PAS.

Even as campaign period draws to a close, PAS national election
director Datuk Mustafa Ali said they needed to work very hard to
capture the hearts and minds of the Malay voters.

The by-election is called following Roslan's death of heart failure on
Feb 9.

Bukit Gantang has 55,562 voters comprising Malays (63.5 per cent),
Chinese (27.1 per cent), Indians (9.1 per cent) and others (0.3 per
cent).

The majority of the people in this constituency are involved in
agriculture while a significant percentage of its Chinese populace in
Kuala Sepetang are fishermen.

Many of the youths from this area have left to work in larger towns
and cities, including Penang, Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur.

Sabahans burned State Flags

What are the real issues?

The government would like it to appear as though it is just the
behaviour of a bunch of trouble makers. The Malaysian government would
like it to appear as though Malaysians are all a bunch of mad men who
want to cause trouble.

1) These are all mad men without any reason whatsoever, as alleged by
the government

2) They demand that Sabah be returned to the Philippine government,
via Sulu Sultanate. Illogical because one of them claim to be an heir
to the Sultan of Sulu in Sabah.

3) The heir wants his share of the lease money sent to the heirs of
the Sultan of Sulu which is more logical. I met a friend who make
arrangements for this sort of think but he is based in Sandakan but I
don't know who he is representing but in his case, he wanted to
surrender the rights of the Sultan of Sulu to Malaysia in return for
RM20 billion.

Published: Saturday April 4, 2009 MYT 7:04:00 PM
12 held for burning Sabah flags
By RUBEN SARIO

KOTA KINABALU: Police in Lahad Datu have arrested 12 men for burning
state flags in the east coast town Saturday.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim said they had
received a tip-off at 8.40am that a group of men had burned six flags
in front of the town's market.

"Some of the men were also seen carrying yellow flags bearing the
insignia of a red lion, believed to be the pre-independence flag of
the Governor of Sabah", he said.

He added that the flag has long fallen into disuse.

Noor Rashid said by the time police reached the scene, the men had
already fled.

They left behind burnt remains of the flags.

Some of the men were then seen running towards the district police
headquarters, where they were promptly arrested and investigated for
illegal assembly, he said.

Noor Rashid added that those detained were aged between 14 and 41
years.

"We are still investigating the motive of the incident. "The alleged
group leader has claimed to be a descendant of the Sulu Sultan," Noor
Rashid said.

Lahad Datu police immediately deployed more than 80 personnel around
the town area following the incident.

Meanwhile, Lahad Datu state assemblyman Datuk Nasrun Datu Mansor said
the flag burning was an isolated incident caused by individuals trying
to create a disturbance in the town.

"This was nothing more than actions of some irresponsible people," he
said, adding that Lahad Datu residents need not worry as police had
the situation under control.

Subsidy Discrimination Against Sabah and Sarawak

From Borneo Post, Sabah English Edition. Datuk Yong Teck Lee commented
on the extreme discrimination on the giving of subsidies to Sabah and
Sarawak, the poorest states in Malaysia.

Despite being the poorest states, and yet with huge resources in
Petroleum and other raw materials, subsidies given to them are the
lowest per quantity of essential items and even worse per capita
because these two statems account for more than 25% of the total
Malaysian population.

The subsidy for rice millers in Sabah and Sarawak is RM600 per ton vs
RM750 for West Malaysia. In all, the total spent is RM21.3 million vs
RM360 million which is more than 15 times or 6% for a population of
25%.

A picture of the article is in my blog sabahcolonised.blogspot.com