Karim wants action against brains behind rogue radio, Sarawak Report

February 24, 2011

KUCHING: The people behind Radio Free Sarawak and Sarawak Report have been revealed at last.

They are Clare Rewcastle Brown, the sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and Peter John Jaban, an Iban activist known as Papa Orang Utan to his listeners.

Rewcastle Brown is also the author of the hard-hitting Sarawak Report — a blog that has been making several allegations against the Chief Minister —that gets 18,000 hits a day. They went public in a report by tabloid London Evening Standard on Wednesday, said an article by The Malaysian Insider.

Taib is a jewel of Sarawak -Karim

February 23, 2011

Abdul Karim says PBB leaders all for him to continue as chief minister

BINTULU: Leaders of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) have always given support to Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to continue as chief minister and never raised the issue of his retirement or forced him to step down.

Chief political secretary to the chief minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said Taib should be given the opportunity to be chief minister for another term because of his ability in designing and implementing the state’s development.

Abdul Karim, who is also a PBB supreme council member, said Taib was a politician willing to sacrifice his life for the welfare of the people.

“Pehin Sri (Taib) is like a jewel to the people of Sarawak and a leader who is very hard to find,” he said when asked to comment on Taib’s statement that he would retire after the state election at a function in Balingian recently.

Taib will celebrate his 30th anniversary as chief minister in May this year.

Asked about the various allegations brought up by the opposition and online media against Taib and state BN leaders, Abdul Karim said: “There is not much we can do (to solve the problem), just hope that those who are exposed to the Internet would not easily believe what is written.

“This is not the democracy that we should practise and teach the younger generation.”

Sarawakians don’t need Jeffrey to teach them politics — Abdul Karim

February 7, 2011

KUCHING: Sarawakians do not need a Sabahan ‘frog’ in the form of Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan and his United Borneo Front (UBF) to teach them politics.

Chief Political Secretary to the Chief Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said it was very absurd to see a person like Jeffrey coming to Sarawak, trying to advise its people on politics.

“His political career is so tainted by jumping from one party to another that I don’t see him as a good adviser or teacher to Sarawak except to those who wear the same feather as him,” he said when contacted recently.

Karim advised Sarawak National Party (SNAP) to be wary of Jeffrey and also his UBF because from the way he looked at it, the Sabahan was merely looking for a platform in Sarawak to sustain his political agenda. 

He pointed out that Jeffrey is known as a politician who has failed numerous times in his political career in Sabah.

The chief political secretary added it would be sad for the people of Sarawak if an illustrious party like SNAP would fall into Jeffrey’s trick in providing him a political platform for him to boost his political career.

“SNAP has an illustrious history in Sarawak politics and surely its present leaders would not want it tainted with flimsy political characters like Jeffrey,” he added.

PKR fighting for justice without justice within — Karim

January 4, 2011

KUCHING: Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, chief political secretary to the Chief Minister, yesterday chided Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) for claiming to fight for justice while failing to dispense justice within the party itself.

He reminded PKR vice-president Baru Bian to ‘cakap mesti mau serupa bikin’ (walk the talk) and not hoodwink the rakyat by brushing aside fundamental issues in PKR as petty issues.

“How can you claim to fight for justice, good governance and transparency when you and your party are not practising it?” he asked in reference to the many unresolved internal PKR issues as claimed by several party former leaders like Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

Baru, who is also PKR Sarawak chief, when asked last Sunday to comment on the resignation of Jeffrey said the party would not lose its strength in Sarawak.

He believed voters in Sarawak would still vote for PKR and Pakatan Rakyat for a change in government as there were more important issues like land rights and the need for better infrastructure to look into.

“Whether it will affect the ground support or not, it’s just speculation (at the moment). The bottom line is bread-and-butter issues for the people,” said Baru.

Karim, who is Asajaya assemblyman and State Barisan Nasional Backbenchers chairman, pointed out that Baru and PKR could not brush aside fundamental issues against the party.

 

BN tiada masalah memenangi pilihan raya negeri: Abdul Karim

December 3, 2010

MIRI: Barisan Nasional (BN) tidak akan berdepan masalah untuk memenangi pilihan raya akan datang melalui sokongan padu rakyat yang diletakkan ke atas bahu pentadbiran kerajaan sedia ada.

Pengerusi Kelab Penyokong BN Sarawak, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah berkata rakyat sentiasa memberikan sokongan kuat kepada pentadbiran kerajaan selama ini yang telah memberikan kemajuan terhadap pembangunan.

“Kerajaan BN mempunyai bukti-bukti kukuh memperjuangkan kepentingan rakyat dalam mentadbir negara dengan baik dan rakyat turut memberikan sokongan serta kerjasama mereka kepada BN,” jelas beliau.

Menurutnya, kerajaan BN telah membawa pelbagai per-ubahan terhadap kemajuan pembangunan termasuk perpaduan masyarakat yang berbilang kaum di negara ini.

Karim yang juga Ketua Setiausaha Politik Ketua Menteri turut memberitahu rakyat Sarawak kini bertambah yakin kerajaan BN merupakan landasan untuk mencapai kemajuan pembangunan dalam pentadbiran.

Beliau berkata demikian dalam jamuan teh Pra-Krismas dan Hari Wanita anjuran Wanita Persekutuan Persatuan Orang Ulu Sarawak Malaysia (FORUM) bertempat di Hotel ParkCity Everly Miri petang semalam.

Ujar beliau lanjut, sokongan berterusan daripada rakyat dapat dilihat melalui pelbagai program kemasyarakat yang dianjurkan bagi mengukuh-kan lagi hubungan antara masyarakt setempat dengan wakil rakyat.