Jangan sampai negeri, negara berpecah: disebabkan tarikh Julai 22

June 29, 2015

Motif gerakan Sarawak for Sarawakians anjur perarakan memperingati kemerdekaan Sarawak diragui

KUCHING: Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia (Bandar) Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah meragui motif rancangan gerakan Sarawak for Sarawakians (S4S) untuk menganjurkan perarakan bagi memperingati kemerdekaan negeri ini pada 22 Julai depan.

Karim yang dihubungi semalam berkata, meskipun beliau bersetuju bahawa kita tidak seharusnya melupakan tarikh penting ini namun pada masa yang sama kita harus memastikan bahawa negeri dan negara ini tidak berpecah belah disebabkan tarikh ini.

“Kita di Sarawak ini telah mengambil 16 September sebagai tarikh kemerdekaan kita dalam Malaysia dan tarikh ini harus diberi keutamaan.

“Malah di Amerika Syarikat (AS), tidak semua 52 atau 53 negerinya mendapat kemerdekaan serentak tetapi satu tarikh umum telah dikenal pasti sebagai tarikh rasmi bagi hari kemerdekaan AS,” katanya.

Tambah Karim yang juga Menteri Muda Perumahan, gerakan S4S dan aktivis Peter John Jaban selaku pengerusi penganjur seharusnya tidak bersikap terlalu emosional terhadap tarikh 22 Julai melainkan mereka ada motif tersembunyi yang lain.

“Saya berharap tiada motif terselindung di sebalik rancangan S4S dan Peter John untuk menganjurkan perarakan ini pada 22 Julai nanti.

“Nasihat saya, demi kepentingan perpaduan kita seharusnya hanya menyambut 16 September sebagai tarikah kemerdekaan kita dalam Malaysia,” ujarnya.

DAP candidate for Katibas likely to turn heads

June 27, 2015

SIBU: DAP’s likely candidate for Katibas for the coming state election has certainly caught the attention of political observers, if not for his political wits at least his good look.

He is Paren Nyawi, who won the Mr Borneo Hornbill Festival 2011 title.

This native of Rumah Jarop, Song was introduced to the public as a likely candidate for DAP by party state chairman Chong Chieng Jen last Sunday at a function in Rajang Park here.

Putting Paren in the limelight has made him a talking point among political watchers, some of whom believe he could draw big support from the younger group.

The opposition believe he could pose a stiff challenge to Barisan Nasional.

Responding to the development, PBB Supreme Council member Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said Malaysia was a democratic country and any citizen could contest in the election.

Question of winning or losing is another matter, he added.

Abdul Karim: Ministry’s decision on target

June 23, 2015

SIBU: Allowing purchasers of completed housing units to apply for utility connections before the issuance of Occupation Permit (OP) is a development that Assistant Housing Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah is happy with.

Previously, he said, utilities could only be applied after the OP was issued.

“I am glad to hear that the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development agree in principle to allow purchasers of new completed houses to apply for connection of utilities to these houses before the issuance of Occupation Permits or OP.

“I believe this can help reduce the time for the release of new houses to the purchases,” Abdul Karim, who is Asajaya assemblyman, told The Borneo Post yesterday.

Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Sheda) had also lauded this decision by the ministry.

Sheda president Joseph Wong Kee Liong reportedly said in a statement recently that the leeway given by the ministry was valid, provided that the affected developers furnish a letter of undertaking to the relevant local councils.

Rural folk want devt — Abdul Karim

June 22, 2015

SIBU: Rural folk want development, stability, prosperity and a government that cares for their well-being, says Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

“It’s all there in BN party…unlike PKR which was set up purely to release Datuk Seri Annuar Ibrahim from prison.

“We have many elections held since Independence and we can see that the rural folk have made their decision which party they want to form the government. The reason is that they want development, stability, prosperity and a government that can look after them,” Abdul Karim, who is Asajaya assemblyman, told The Borneo Post yesterday.

PKR Kanowit secretary George Chen claimed at a press conference on Thursday that rural folk often received warnings from BN representatives that projects would be cancelled, services of tuai rumah (headmen) terminated, scholarships withdrawn and so on if they did not support the government of the day.

Chen further claimed that such tactic did not work these days as the rural folk were more politically mature and knew how to judge for themselves.

Abdul Karim, who is PBB Supreme Council member, said: “PKR and the opposition must be thinking that rural folk are so stupid…that they would easily be cowed to threat and intimidation…and would vote for BN blindly just because they fear development projects would be withheld, tuai rumah services terminated or scholarship withdrawn if they refused to support the government of the day.

“This only exists in the mind of PKR and opposition leaders who feel that the non support of the people for them is because the BN government is playing dirty and using threats to hold on to power.”

Salam Ramadhan

Politeknik Kuching diyakini mampu melahirkan tenaga kerja separa mahir

June 18, 2015

KUCHING: Politeknik Kuching diyakini dapat menyumbang ke arah melahirkan sebahagian besar daripada tenaga kerja separa mahir seiring dengan keperluan semasa Sarawak menjelang 2030 nanti.

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah berkata, setakat ini kerajaan masih berhadapan dengan kekurangan tenaga kerja tempatan dalam bidang teknikal bagi mengisi keperluan industri.

“Pihak swasta khasnya para pelabur asing di Malaysia masih bergantung kepada pekerja dari negara luar bagi tujuan tersebut.

“Sebagai contoh, syarikat Tokuyama, Sakura Ferroalloys dan Press Metal di Taman Industri Samalaju, Bintulu masing-masing berhadapan dengan masalah kesukaran mendapatkan pekerja tempatan dan oleh itu, mereka terpaksa mencari alternatif dengan mengambil pekerja asing untuk beroperasi,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian dalam teks ucapan sempena Majlis Penutupan Minggu Suai Kenal Pelajar Sesi Jun 2015 yang dibacakan oleh Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Samariang Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali di Politeknik Kuching di sini, semalam.

Hadir sama, Pengarah Politeknik Kuching Sarawak Sahul Hamed Abdul Wahab, Timbalan Pengarah Akademik Mohd Anwar Dris, Timbalan Pengarah Sokongan Akademik Jemein Ental dan Ketua Jabatan Hal Ehwal Pelajar Saripah Siti Zulaini Wan Abdul Rahman.

Kewujudan Koridor Tenaga Diperbaharui Sarawak (SCORE) sejak 2006 merupakan wawasan 2030 kerajaan negeri bagi menjadikan Sarawak sebagai negeri terkaya di Malaysia.

Galeri: Pelancaran Skim Pinjaman Perumahan Mutiara

June 18, 2015

SIMBOLIK: Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg menandatangani plak logo Skim Pinjaman Perumahan Mutiara sebagai simbolik pelancaran sambil disaksikan Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (kiri), Pengerusi Mutiara Mortgage and Credit Sdn Bhd Dato Sri Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman (tiga kiri) serta tetamu jemputan lain.

PKS urged to produce students of calibre

June 18, 2015

Sharifah (seated centre) and Sahul on her right with the June intake of PKS students at the closing of Familiarisation Week.

KUCHING: Politeknik Kuching Sarawak (PKS) should produce graduates equipped with skills required by the job market, especially in the private sector.

Making these remark, Youth Development Assistant Minister Datuk Karim Rahman Hamzah said PKS should be able to produce multi-skilled graduates able to communicate in English, are smart and confident with leadership potential.

“Very often we hear that graduates these days lack exposure on soft skills – the main reason they could not find jobs in the private sector,” he said at the closing of Familiarisation Week for students in the June 2015 intake at the polytechnic’s Dewan Jubli Perak here yesterday.

“I remind the academic management of PKS not to focus on passing academics alone,” he added.

His text of speech was read by Semariang Assemblywoman Sharifah Hasidah Syeed Aman Ghazali representing him at the closing ceremony. Sharifah is also political secretary to the chief minister.

Karim said based on statistics from PKS, he is confident the polytechnic can produce semi-skilled workers for the state by 2030.

“My confidence is based on the essence of the Malaysian Education Development plan for higher education launched by the prime minister on April 7, 2015 with the main focus to strengthen the role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions under the Ministry of Education – namely polytechnics, community colleges and vocational colleges nationwide,” he said.

Saberkas unit holds Murai singing competition

June 17, 2015

Abdul Karim (third left) appreciating the singing birds kept inside the cages.

MIRI: Ahmad Saufi whose white-rumped shama bird competed in the Murai Batu Hitam category emerged as champion in the Sarawak Closed Murai Singing competition held at Kampung Ranchah-ranchah, Bekenu recently.

Another white-rumped shama owned by Hairie Akmal, which also took part in the competition, was second while Gregory Lim’s Murai Hitam bird took the third place.

Hairie Akmal’s bird also took the title of ‘Best of the Best Birds’.

The competition was organised by Saberkas Unit of Kampung Rancah-Rancah, Bekenu.

In the Murai Kampung category, the bird owned by Awang Abdul Hakim Awang Mahmud was declared as champion.

Nazri Mahli’s bird took second place while James Liew Vui Hing’s bird was third.

Others winners were Sela Sulaiman’s bird (fourth), Mohamad Raini Jini’s bird (fifth), Lan Rancah Rancah’s bird (sixth), Lan Rancah Rancah’s bird (seventh), Lee Tatau’s bird (eighth), Jolhan Lokman’s bird (ninth) and Awang Pengkalan’s bird in 10th place.

Masyarakat Islam harus mendalami al-Quran, kata Karim

June 12, 2015

KUCHING: Masyarakat Islam harus mendalami al-Quran bagi membangunkan generasi unggul dalam pelbagai aspek.

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia (Bandar) Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah berkata, cabaran umat Islam pada masa kini adalah begitu getir dengan pelbagai ancaman terutama berkaitan akidah di kalangan golongan belia.

“Al-Quran adalah mukjizat teragung yang dikurniakan Allah SWT kepada Rasulullah SAW sebagai pedoman hidup buat manusia dalam mencapai kebahagiaan di dunia dan akhirat.

Spain’s La Liga sparks a look at state of football here — Karim

June 13, 2015

KUCHING: Establishing well-organised teams and leagues at various divisions throughout the state is the way forward to improve the standard of football here.

Assistant Minister of Youth Development (Urban Areas) Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the state should look at Spain’s La Liga to observe how the 2010 World Cup champion nation orchestrated the development of its football league at every level.

He cited that some of the professional clubs in Spain come from cities that are no bigger than Kuching, Sibu and Miri in terms of population.

Yet, the football standards of these clubs are of high quality due to the well-established administrations and development programmes.

Abdul Karim, who was representing Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, believed that proper league and club establishments, developmental programmes and frequent exposure to competitive football environment would only help to increase the playing standard of footballers.

In the long run, he hoped that proper teams of quality standard would emerge to do the state proud.

“We were discussing recently, how impressed we were with the football league in Spain. The cities in Spain, some of them are not that big in terms of population but the football teams that they have at various cities are so well organised.

Peluang belia lontar pelbagai isu kepada KM dalam ‘Town Hall’

June 11, 2015

BINTULU: Golongan belia boleh mengemukakan apa juga isu dalam sesi `Town Hall’ bersama Ketua Menteri Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem sempena acara kemuncak pelancaran sambutan Hari Belia Peringkat Negeri Sarawak di Dewan Suarah pada 13 Jun ini.

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia (Bandar) merangkap pengerusi bersama jawatankuasa induk sambutan, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah berkata, pendekatan itu akan membolehkan kerajaan mengetahui sedikit sebanyak mengenai kemahuan dan keperluan belia bandar dan luar bandar negeri ini.

Katanya, sesi itu akan membincangkan apakah masalah dan harapan belia memandangkan golongan itu merupakan aset penting dalam pembangunan negara.

“Sesi diskusi itu tidak akan memfokuskan kepada satu-satu isu sahaja sebaliknya terpulang kepada isu dan persoalan yang dikemukakan oleh belia. Sebab itu Ketua Menteri bersetuju terlibat dalam sesi tersebut dan berkomunikasi secara langsung dengan belia mengenai apa sahaja masalah dihadapi belia di negeri ini,”katanya dalam sidang media di Wisma Residen semalam.

Beliau berkata, golongan belia terlibat dalam sesi tersebut disertai belia seluruh Sarawak termasuk ahli-ahli Pertubuhan Belia Kebangsaan Bersatu Sarawak (SABERKAS), partipolitik, pelajar universiti dan lain-lainnya.

Menurutnya, sesi `Town Hall’ itu juga bukan hanya berakhir pada hari tersebut sebaliknya akan diteruskan di tempat lain sehingga penghujung tahun ini.

Katanya, ia cara terbaik membolehkan kerajaan dan agensi terlibat mengetahui apa tindakan yang boleh dilaku bagi memenuhi keperluan dan kehendak belia negeri ini terutama keperluan dalam prasarana sukan, ekonomi, sosial dan sebagainya.

Civil servants in sarong case behave like they are ‘moral police’ — Abdul Karim

June 11, 2015

SIBU: The incident of a woman given a ‘sarong’ to wear before being attended to by Road Transport Department (RTD) officers draws brickbats from Assistant Minister of Social Development (Youth) Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

He said the Chief Secretary to the Government and his officers should not be overzealous when addressing this attire issue.

“Don’t make a mockery of Malaysia. Sarawak should tell the chief secretary that this ridiculous ruling is not applicable to federal government agencies in the state in order to preserve the existing racial and religious harmony.

“I feel sad for this beloved country if we have insensitive civil servants acting like ‘moral police’. Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural country,” said Abdul Karim, who is Asajaya assemblyman.

He was commenting on the Facebook posting where the woman included a photograph of herself wearing a blouse and a skirt that reached just above her knees, claiming that she was handed a ‘sarong’ by a RTD officer to wear before they could attend to her over the counter.

The woman also posted another picture of her in the premises wearing the ‘sarong’.

She was handed the ‘sarong’ while lining up to get the queue number to transfer ownership of her car which she had sold.

Abdul Karim: Sarawak, Sabah are like twins

June 10, 2015

KUCHING: The contribution of RM1 million and offer of logistics assistance by the Sarawak state government to Sabah in the wake of last Friday’s earthquake reflects the closeness of Sarawak to its neighbour Sabah, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said.

In fact, added the Assistant Minister of Youth Development when extending his heartfelt condolences to the Sabah earthquake victims yesterday, the two states were like twin brothers.

“Any pain that one incurs would be felt by the other brother. Our heartfelt condolence to the victims of the Sabah earthquake,” Abdul Karim, who is also Assistant Minister of Housing, said when contacted yesterday.

The Asajaya assemblyman was commenting on the state government’s gesture in donating RM1 million and offering logistics assistance to Sabah on Monday.

Second Resource Planning and Environment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan represented the state government in paying a courtesy call on Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman to convey sympathy to Sabah in relation to the 5.9 magnitude earthquake that had so far claimed 18 lives.

Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem in his Facebook posting said Sarawak sympathised with what happened in the neighbouring state and hoped the affected families would be patient in facing the tragedy.

Adenan’s chief political secretary Abdullah Saidol said the chief minister’s decision to assist Sabah was not just a diplomatic act but also represented his natural gesture as a caring person.

Pemimpin UPP, TERAS wajar diterima oleh BN: Abdul Karim

June 6, 2015

KUCHING: Pemimpin Parti Rakyat Bersatu (UPP) dan Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (TERAS) wajar diterima oleh Barisan Nasional (BN) kerana mereka mendukung prinsip-prinsip BN baik pada peringkat persekutuan mahupun negeri.

Menurut Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, pemimpin kedua-dua parti politik itu juga dipilih di bawah logo BN.

“Saya percaya harapan dan keinginan Perdana Menteri (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) adalah agar rakyat bersatu di bawah mana-mana saluran atau parti BN yang mendukung prinsip BN. Saya fikir ia juga prinsip-prinsip yang diguna pakai oleh BN negeri,” ujarnya semalam.

Beliau berkata demikian berhubung kenyataan Parti Demokratik Progresif Sarawak (SPDP) yang menolak konsep BN Plus yang disokong oleh Najib pada Majlis Pemimpin Bersama Rakyat di Stadium Perpaduan, Khamis lepas.

Kenyataan ahli kanan SPDP menolak konsep tersebut kerana antara lain menurut mereka ia akan memusnahkan kerjasama antara parti komponen BN yang telah menyatu dan mengukuhkan perikatan pemerintah.

Abdul Karim menegaskan pendekatan mesra BN yang dibawa oleh TERAS dan UPP memastikan mereka terus berada dalam kabinet kerajaan negeri selain menghadiri acara rasmi.

“Kita melihat menteri, menteri muda dan ketua parti dari parti mesra BN menghadiri acara ini kerana pemimpin mereka mendukung prinsip BN selain dipilih di bawah logo BN,” katanya.

Inclusion of UPP, Teras in BN fold justified — Karim

June 6, 2015

KUCHING: Leaders of United People’s Party (UPP) and Parti Tenaga Rakyat Sarawak (Teras) are subscribing to Barisan Nasional (BN)’s principles both at federal and state levels and as such, making it right for both parties to be part of the ruling coalition.

Making such remarks, Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, added that the leaders of both parties were also elected under BN banner.

“I believe that Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) wishes and hopes are for the people to be united under any BN (component) party or vehicle that subscribes to its principles.

“I guess that they are also the principles adopted by the state BN,” he told The Borneo Post via WhatsApp yesterday.

Abdul Karim was asked on a statement by SPDP rejecting the BN-Plus concept endorsed by Najib during the ‘Leader-Meets-People’ session at Stadium Perpaduan here on Thursday.

The statement by senior SPDP members rejected such concept, saying that it – among other things – would destroy the cooperation between existing BN component parties that had served as the bedrock of unity and strength of the coalition.

On this, Abdul Karim – who is also Asajaya assemblyman – stressed that the BN-friendly approach by leaders of Teras and UPP had seen them being retained in the state cabinet and attending numerous state functions.

It is just a matter of time PR will collapse

 June 5, 2015

SIBU: Only BN can ensure stability, continuity and harmony of the nation as the opposition pact is constantly at loggerheads, said Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

It would just be a matter of time before Pakatan Rakyat collapsed, he said when asked to comment on the move by PAS Dewan Ulama on Wednesday to unanimously pass an emergency motion to annul political cooperation (tahaluf siyasi) and to cut ties with the DAP.

Pahang PAS Dewan Ulama chief Mokhtar Senik, who tabled the motion, reportedly said the move was necessary as PAS’s political ally, the DAP, had officially cut ties with the PAS president.

Mokhtar also reportedly said Pakatan Rakyat was dissolved in Sarawak and Sabah due to pressure from the DAP, who not only disagreed and opposed, but lobbied PAS members to reject efforts to enhance the Kelantan Syriah Criminal Code enacted in 1993.

To this, Abdul Karim, who is also PBB Supreme Council member, said: “I see this moment coming from the day Pakatan Rakyat or PR was formed.

“PR was just a ‘marriage of convenience’ to appease the leaders of the three parties, which differ totally in their political struggles.

“It is just a matter of time this union collapses, and we can see it coming now.

Baru urged to consider CM’s invite seriously

 June 1, 2015

SIBU: Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian should consider Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s offer to him to join the state BN if he is serious in wanting to help his people.

State BN secretary-general Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi believed the state PKR chairman was wise enough to know that his people needed development.

He reckoned this was also something for Krian assemblyman Ali Biju to think through.

“Why not … if he (Baru) is serious in wanting to help his people. There is no point just talking only, knowing that he cannot deliver or walk the talk.

“He is wise enough not to drag his people into the doldrums much longer. They are in dire need of development, and the chief minister is kind enough to make such offer in public.

“It is up to him and also YB Ali to ponder upon,” Dr Rundi, who is Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Electricity and Telecommunications), told The Borneo Post yesterday.

On Saturday, at the Irau Aco Lun Bawang 2015 festival in Long Tuma in Trusan, Adenan invited Baru to join the state BN.