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.

Lai juggles between job and caring for cancer-striken daughter

Story and photo by NG AI FERN aifern@thestar.com.my
Friday April 16, 2010

AMBER Chin has been in and out of Sarawak General Hospital (SGH). This seven-month-old infant started suffering from liver cancer when she was only three months old.

Her mother Lai Sze Wei, 26, said that Amber had to go to the hospital every two weeks for chemotherapy. She has to stay in the hospital for three to four days each time and Lai can never leave her alone.

“Normally, my in-laws look after her when I go to work, but when she has to go to the hospital, I have to apply for leave to keep her company ” said Lai, who works as a clerk.

Amber is Lai’s first child.

During a recent visit by Asajaya assemblyman Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and members of the Indian Association of Kuching, Amber was all smiles.

Karim will not contest for the PBB Youth Chief post

February 22, 2010

KUCHING: Abdul Karim Hamzah’s withdrawal from the contest for the PBB Youth Chief post shows how much the party has matured over the years, where leaders are groomed, says PBB President and Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

“I don’t want to claim ourselves as a (good) example but the principle is there. I regard PBB as a party where we can groom good leaders,” he said when asked if PBB’s way of solving internal conflict should be made an example for other BN component parties, at PBB Headquarters here yesterday.

He said that gradually, the well-groomed leaders would take over by moving up the leadership ladder, which a ‘senior party’ like PBB had been practising.

“You must remember that when you want to have a working democracy, you must have someone with good leadership skill in order to exercise the mandate that the people has entrusted upon you.

“If you don’t have good leadership in the party, which is built over the years, and if there is no desire on the part of the people to serve the country from the beginning, then you will find out that politics is no more than just politicking,” said Taib. 

He also believed that Karim’s withdrawal was proof that “we (PBB) have a good and stable party”, which meant a lot. 

“We did not start yesterday. If we did, we would have a lot of quarrels now. We are a party in the government, and as such, there is a sense of responsibility in all of us, and we understand that we must prepare ourselves to serve the nation,” he said.

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.

Sarawak aiming for beef self-sufficiency

BY JACK WONG

Wednesday May 16, 2007

KUCHING: Sarawak's import bill on beef was slashed by more than half to RM24mil in 2005.

State Assistant Minister for Food Production Datuk David Teng Lung Chi said the value of imports had dropped from RM50mil in 1998.

To increase the cattle population for beef production, the state Agriculture Department had distributed nearly 3,900 heads of cattle to 24 oil palm plantations for breeding purposes, he said.

"The State Economic Development Corporation is invoilved in the import of suitable cattle breeds for sale to the department," he told Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah during question time at the Sarawak State Assembly on Wednesday.

Teng said to meet the state's beef sufficiency level of 15% at 3.26kg per capita consumption, some 1,262 metric tonnes of beef (equivalent to 7,000 heads of cattle) were required.