The plight of Sabah today vis yesterday...

The issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah today is mounting to as a matter of national sovereignty -the Land Below the Wind that was once so blessed with abundant natural resources but now stricken with appalling poverty level with overpopulated `aliens`.

Anthea Mulakala,Asia Foundation`s representative in Malaysia reported recently that 24% of households in Sabah live below the national poverty line.Child poverty rate is 42% and more than one fifth of the population aged six and above has never been to school.

It has been estimated too that there are between 1.7 million and two million illegal immigrants both from the Philippines and Indonesia.About half of them reputedly hold Malaysian identity cards,enjoying all the rights of citizenship,including voting.

To top it in there are loads of glue-sniffing street kids, abandoned offspring of illegal immigrants,groups classified as refugees, and hordes that move freely from the permeable Sabah coastline to islands in Philippines and Indonesia. No wonder the citizens are feeling the strain and fed up with this decade old problem that had never been resolved .

To make matters worse, this age-old illegal immigrants problem has heightened in the wake of the Moro National Liberation Fronts`s former leader Nur Misuari`s touted threat to contest the ownwership claim of Sabah at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).What if the matter goes to ICJ? Which side will the immigrant with ICs vote for?

The breaking point has come for Sabahans.Besides the loss of jobs and opportunities, the locals fear that this rising numbers of illegal immigrants could dilute their political strength and influence.Like what the Tuaran MP has once warned-` ..if this problem is not taken seriously,Malaysia could end up losing a much bigger piece of land than Batu Puteh...`

Let us hope that the plans of the Federal government to deport 150,000 illegal immigrants from Sabah in August be an urgent cohesive massive operation that is addressed squarely in the face and not just a lip service to the citizens of Sabah.

Perhaps imposing tighter immigration controls and even suspending ferry services from Zamboanga in Philppines and Sandakan can be seen as some wise measures.Is the fear of losing historical ties as the result of closing the borders to the people or disrupting traditional business such as dried seafood trade and other sources of income be compromised for the future of the citizens of Sabah.Other matters are of more importance now.

We can not afford to loose Sabah to the illegal immigrants in any way...Deportation is the word of the day for them and the rest will fall in place..

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MASS DEPORTATION FROM MALAYSIAN BORNEO TO BEGIN THIS AUGUST

It is on!!! The government plans to deport 150,000 mostly Filipinos and Indonesians illegal migrants from Borneo Island in a massive operation to begin in August.

In a press conference yesterday the Deputy Prime Minister said, Parliament has agreed to allocate RM50 millions meant to purchase utilities needed for the operation.

On 17th July 2008 Radio Australia reported that during the operation, foreigners found without legal visas in Sabah, would be sent home. The deportations will be carried out by the police, immigration authorities and RELA. It is also stated that it would be an ongoing program until the state is clear of illegal migrants.

In a respond to the operation the Philipines government on 16th July 2008 admits that they don’t have enough space for the outcast. But they have also expressed their concern for the deportees and hopes that the Malaysian government will treat them properly.

The huge amount of illegal migrant in Sabah has become one of the hottest issues debated in the Parliament this year. There are a lot of issues roused by the locals, especially regarding their safety. It brings relief to them for such steps can also provide space for them to find jobs which has been recently filled by the migrants.

I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts

-John Locke (1632 - 1704)

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Abdullah Serah Kuasa Jun 2010

"There are many things and programs I want to achieve before I hand over and I hope Najib will continue as my deputy in carrying this out "

-Dato' Seri Abdullah Hj Ahmad Badawi,
BBC London, 10th July 2008

10Julai - Abdullah hari ini mengumumkan akan menyerahkan jawatan Perdana Menteri dan Presiden UMNO kepada timbalannya, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak pada pertengahan 2010. Pun begitu, pada persidangan akhbar selepas Mesyuarat Majlis Tertinggi UMNO dan perjumpaan dengan Exco Pemuda, Wanita, Puteri dan Ketua UMNO bahagian seluruh negara di PWTC, kedua-duanya menyuarakan hasrat untuk tetap mempertahankan jawatan masing-masing pada pemilihan parti Disember ini.

Akhbar Utusan Malaysia, 10 Julai memetik beliau sebagai berkata;

"Saya tidak akan memimpin parti Barisan Nasional (BN) dan UMNO dalam pilihan raya umum(PRU) akan datang iaitu yang ke-13."

"Saya bercadang menyerahkan jawatan kepada Najib untuk mengambil alih jawatan Presiden parti dalam Jun atau pertengahan 2010."

Ditanya mengapa beliau memilih Jun 2010 sebagai tarikh peralihan kuasa beliau menjawab, tempoh dua tahun itu cukup untuk melaksanakan projek pembangunan yang dirancang khususnya membasmi kemiskinan tegar. Ianya juga akan memberi masa kepada Najib untuk membuat persediaan mengambil alih jawatan dan menerajui BN bagi menghadapi PRU ke-13 (selewat-lewatnya 2013).

Ditanya kemungkinan beliau mengubah pendirian dalam tempoh dua tahun itu, Abdullah menegaskan : "Ia tidak mungkin berlaku. Keputusan saya adalah muktamad."

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dalam pada itu melahirkan rasa terharu atas kepercayaan PM memlilih beliau sebagai pengganti melalui proses peralihan kuasa yang akan berlaku pada Jun 2010

"Saya berasa terharu di atas kerelaan Abdullah melepaskan jawatan mengikut tempoh yang disebutkan. Ini bukan satu perkara mudah untuk melepaskan jawatan sebagai Presiden parti dan Perdana Menteri", ujarnya.

Dalam sidang akhbar yang padat dibanjiri para media itu, Najib sekali lagi mengulangi bahawa hubungan beliau dengan PM amat akrab. Beliau berharap ianya akan dapat diteruskan di masa yang akan datang.

Reaksi

Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye, Setiausaha Agung Gerakan

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"Keputusan Perdana Menteri itu perlu kita hormati kerana ia sememangnya sudah menjadi tradisi parti apabila tiba masanya seseorang pemimpin itu menyerahkan kuasa kepada penggantinya. Apa yang penting, kita sebagai rakan-rakan dalam komponen BN akan terus menyokong kepimpinan PM dan TPM."

Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai, Naib Presiden MCA

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"MCA amat mengharapkan penyerahan kuasa itu akan berjalan dengan lancar dan tidak menimbulkan sebarang masalah."

Datuk S. Veerasingam, Naib Presiden MIC

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"MIC menghormati keputusan PM itu tetapi pada masa yang sama semua rakan-rakan dalam BN perlu memastikan parti terus menjadi kuat dan sentiasa menjadi pilihan rakyat."

Datuk M. Kayveas, Presiden Parti Progresif Penduduk (PPP)

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"PPP tidak kisah siapa pemimpin akan mengetuai BN tetapi yang paling penting adalah semua parti komponen perlu bekerja keras. Tugas kita adalah untuk memenangi hati rakyat dan merampas kembali kerusi yang dimenangi oleh pembangkang."

Sumber: Utusan Malaysia

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Anwar Ibrahim - Another Chaos?

Is it just me or all the Malaysian feel the same way as I do? In the recent 2 years we've been logged with lots of 'hot issues' regarding politics and not forgetting, the arising of living cost. For me, the chaos started with the HINDRAF tragedy, followed by the on-the-street demonstrations formed by the lawyers, NGOs and others, Pulau Batu Putih sovereignty issue, the 12th General Election, oil prices (the list goes on..) and now, Anwar Ibrahim.

Again, this man has been accused with sodomy. The aide - Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan,23 has lodged a police report saying he has been sodomised in a luxury condominium in Damansara. However, according to BBC London reports on 28 June 2008, the ex-Deputy Prime Minister denied the claim, saying it is designed to block his political resurgence after success at the polls.

In a written statement he said: "I believe we are witnessing a repeat of the methods used against me in 1998 when false allegations were made under duress." One of his senior aides told the BBC: "This is a photocopy of the script from 10 years ago."

But, the problem now is, is it true?

In the meantime, his wife - Wan Azizah has also aroused the public interest with her fear for his husband's safety. On 29 June 2008, she told Radio Australia they received warnings four months ago that Mr. Anwar must watch out for his personal safety.

Wan Azizah : "We have been taking precautions. So based on what's happened to him in the past, (where) he was detained and he was beaten to a pulp, we are not taking this lightly. Now we have to think about his personal safety and there may be an attempt on his life, even." Wan Azizah says this latest accusation is groundless, just as past allegations against Anwar have been proven to be false.

It is also reported later on that Anwar has sought refuge in the Turkish embassy in Kuala Lumpur. It is said that he has been invited to seek refuge within the embassy. It is reported by the Radio Corporation of Singapore, about 100 of Anwar's supporters have gathered outside the Turkish ambassy, watched by a handful of riot police. They chanted the word 'REFORMASI', the movement's battle cry and 'down with the oppressive government'. But interestingly, Mr Anwar left the embassy after a meeting between Malaysia's Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, and Turkish ambassador Barlas Ozener. Mr Rais has also claimed that' "the ambassador is of the view that he would like Anwar to be out of the premises as soon as possible." (Earlier, the ambassador claimed that Anwar had come on “his own accord for a visit” and at the end of the visit asked if he could be there for some time)

But Anwar denied he had been forced out, telling the Associated Press news agency he had made the decision to leave after the government had made 'all the undertakings to assure his personal safety.'

Outside the Turkish embassy he told reporters he had been due to announce his candidacy in a by-election and unveil four government MPs who were defecting to his coalition. As answers to all the accusations against the government (to be precise Barisan Nasional) on the 'fabrication', Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi denied that the government has fabricated a case against him. There was no conspiracy "to cause [Anwar] trouble or harass him or raise such issues to undermine him", he said. In a meeting with Azizah, he has also guaranteed that there is nothing to be worry about Anwar's safety.

Meanwhile, the police has also ensure that they will handle the case in a fair manner purely from the legal perspective and not from political angles. On the 1 July 2008, it is reported that he plans to stage a public rally on Tuesday night to fight back over allegations of sodomy. There are also report he had lodged a defamation suit against the 23 year old aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

However, above all the facts mentioned before and lots of others that stated in the media, the questions are, is there really 'a case' or is it just another chaos created by others for individual gain? As a Malaysian, whatever it is, I just want Malaysia to be back to normal, where everyone can live peacefully everafter. As for this case, just let the police do their job, investigate and all without any interference.. the truth will be reveal.. isn't it?

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