Galeri: Chinese New Year Visit

First Day

SUPP Open House at the SUPP headquarters in Kuching

At the residence of Australian Business Council Chairman Roger Chan in Kuching

Karim: SNAP will be DAP's dogs if they merged

Posted on April 23, 2011, Saturday

KUCHING: SNAP will be the ‘dogs’ of DAP if they agree to merge with the latter, said chief political secretary to the chief minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

Abdul Karim, also Asajaya assemblyman, said when DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang proposed the idea for SNAP and DAP to merge, his (Lim’s) aim was to counter the public perception that DAP is a Chinese party, and not a genuine plan to merge.

SNAP used to be part of the state BN but in the just-concluded state election, its uphill battle to regain relevancy in Sarawak failed when 25 out of its 26 candidates including president Edwin Dundang Bugak lost their deposits.

Abdul Karim said when Lim proposed the idea, he wanted to tell people that DAP needed the support of the Dayak majority in order to strengthen its aim to topple the state BN through the control of rural seats.

DAP managed to secure urban seats, judging from its successful outing in the last state polls where it won all Chinese-majority seats in Kuching, Bintangor and Sarikei although failing to capture one each of such seats in Sibu and Miri.

“It (SNAP-DAP proposed merger) would only be a marriage for the benefit of DAP. At the moment, the marriage is impossible,” he said when asked to comment on the idea.

“I still believe SNAP leaders would not want to be played out by DAP,” he said.

Sarawak Election: All leaders of BN component parties to defend seats

April 3, 2011

KUCHING: All the four leaders of the component parties of Sarawak Barisan Nasional will be defending their respective seats in the upcoming April 16 state election.

Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, who is Sarawak Barisan chairman and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) president, will be defending his Balingian seat in Mukah.

Taib, 74, won uncontested his first state seat in the Sebandi (now known as Asajaya) by-election in March, 1981 before moving to the Balingian state constituency in the 2001 state election.

Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) president Tan Sri Dr George Chan, 74, who is also Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister, will be defending his Piasau state seat for his sixth term.

Chan first won the seat in 1983 (then known as Miri) uncontested.

Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Datuk Seri Dr James Masing will be defending his Baleh seat in Hulu Rajang, also for his sixth term since first winning it in 1983.

As for Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) president Datuk Seri William Mawan, he will be defending his Pakan constituency in Julau, which he has won six times consecutively since 1983.

Taib still keeps ’em guessing

Insight
By JOCELINE TAN
Sunday February 27, 2011

‘Not the time to talk about political transition’ - Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah 

Election fever, an ambitious opposition, a stunning new wife and hints about calling it a day: it is a mixed bag of emotions and issues for Tan Sri Taib Mahmud as he prepares to call for state polls.

TAN Sri Taib Mahmud went the extra mile during the recent Chinese New Year festivities.

He always spends at least three days calling on his Chinese political partners in Kuching, Miri and Sibu.

This time, he also stopped at Bintulu where he visited the home of local community leader Barry Yek, whose father is reputed to be Bintulu’s richest man.

Golden couple: Taib has hinted that he is ready to call it a day even though he is

about to seek a fresh political mandate. He has just begun a new life with his young

wife Ragad (right) and the couple is seen here at the SUPP open house in Kuching

on Feb 4.

In Sibu, he called on State Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, the town’s most powerful political warlord. He also visited Lanang MP Datuk Tiong Thai King, whose billionaire brother Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King is one of the wealthiest men in Malaysia.

But Taib’s Chinese New Year focus has usually been on Miri, the political base of Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan whose daughter is married to Taib’s son.

“He does that every year. It has become tradition for him,” said Dr Chan, president of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), the second biggest party in the state Barisan Nasional.

Proposed White Paper not meant to curtail media freedom

November 07, 2010

The proposed White Paper should not be seen as a regulation or guideline that was confined only to opposition parties but applied to all, irrespective of their political beliefs. -Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

MIRI, (Nov 6, 2010) : Media organisations should not worry about the White Paper proposed by the Sarawak Government to curb unhealthy political practices that could disrupt racial harmony or cause religious tension, said Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan today.

He said the proposed White Paper was not intended to curtail the freedom of the media in carrying out their duties.

Speaking to reporters after a presentation ceremony of education bursaries by the Miri Chinese Charitable Trust Board here today, he said the paper aimed to curb actions by any parties that could be detrimental to the state.

"It is okay for you (the media) to say this is not right or that is not right but you don't have to have a campaign to make somebody to hate some others so much," he added.

The Sarawak state assembly passed a motion on Tuesday for the state government to prepare and publish the white paper which covered individuals organisations and media to prevent the escalation of dangerous politics employed by outsiders, especially politicians.

Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (BN-Asajaya) when tabling the motion said the proposed White Paper should not be seen as a regulation or guideline that was confined only to opposition parties but applied to all, irrespective of their political beliefs.

Opposition front a mix of strange bedfellows, says George Chan

April 21, 2010

KUCHING: Despite the state Pakatan Rakyat (PR) presenting a more united front with the entry of Sarawak National Party (SNAP), Barisan Nasional leaders said the Opposition lacked a clear political stand.

SUPP president Tan Sri Dr George Chan said the Opposition front was too flexible in its ideology by working with different parties with different goals.

“Since the DAP can work with PAS, it shows they are willing to work with any party, despite their opposing ideologies,” Dr Chan told The Star yesterday.

“The Opposition front is a mix of strange bedfellows. I cannot see clearly what is their ideology. I think that is not going to work. Either you believe in certain things or you do not. You cannot have so many different ideologies working together.”

Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Datuk Seri Dr James Jemut Masing said SNAP itself did not know where it stood. Masing claimed SNAP had some members who preferred the party to be aligned to Barisan.

“It is not a united party. It is a party that does not know what it really wants. There are factions within it that believe in different things. Any party that is not united will end up confusing voters.”

Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB) supreme council member Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah agreed.

RM73mil to boost padi production in Sarawak

Friday May 15, 2009

KUCHING: The Federal Govern­ment has allocated nearly RM73mil to fund large-scale padi cultivation in Sarawak.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam said RM52.8mil would be used to build basic drainage and irrigration infrastructure in five of the eight areas earmarked for the projects.

He said the eight areas, covering a combined 43,000ha, were targeted to produce over 200,000 tonnes of padi a year.

Dr Chan, who is also state Agricul­ture Modernisation Minister, said the state’s rice consumption was about 220,000 tonnes a year, and that it only produced 54% of the rice it required.

He told Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (BN — Asajaya) during question time that RM20mil would be used to develop a seed processing complex and ancillary facilities.

“The state government has acquired 166ha in Stumbin for the development of a certified seed production and processing centre. About 58ha of the land has been cleared.

“The construction of the proposed complex is scheduled to start next year for completion in early 2011,” he added.