Our Election Commission (EC) should look into new standard operating procedures and guidelines

It is my opinion for the election commission (EC) should look into new standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidelines when conducting the state election here so that there will not be a repeat of an outbreak like that of the recent Sabah state elections. As there is there is no upcoming elections, I think the EC should be more proactive in looking for ways to hold elections, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Personally, since there is no election, they should also look into postal voting. If US, New Zealand can do it, we should look into it too. If we look at the we do banking right now we can have faith in telebanking, everything is safe, why can’t EC look into something like this. We are getting more advanced, it can’t be we don’t trust our system, until now want to show our inked fingers? Only in India they do that because India have billions of people.

I spoke on these when our media friends asked me on when the state election could be held, after which our Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had given some indication that it will depend a little on how the Covid-19 situation in the state progresses, and will find somewhere to slot it in between now and June next year. It might not be when CM initially had planned it. He wanted it much earlier this year. And with the recent spike in Covid-19 cases, we still have time (to hold it). And if  the EC is able or not to conduct election properly with new SOPs, new guidelines, they did not do this in Sabah, unfortunately. They should be more stringent and must be proactive.”

Every month next year will have its own holiday. In February, there’s the Lunar Chinese New Year, March there’s school exam, April there’s the fasting month, and in May we have Hari Raya Aidilfitri, while in June there’s Gawai. We will find a slot somewhere between Nov to June next year.

My comments and views on the National Budget 2021

I have to thank our media friends who have asked me about the upcoming National Budget 2021 which will be tabled on 6 November which should focus on relieving the people’s burden amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

To me, there is no need for us to have ‘big big’ infrastructures at the moment as the people are under pressure from the pandemic. I have also mentioned that the government needs to put effort in is to reduce the people’s burden and continue to progress and improve the economy of the country

I have also expressed high hope for the budget to also include the tourism industry as currently, there is a global fear of travelling. At the moment, people are simply not confident to travel overseas, and tourists were not confident to fly into the country, and if promotions are to be done overseas, it would not revive the industry.

However, I believe with the introduction of incentives, the domestic tourism, including the hotels, homestays, national parks, food industry and related transportation, can slowly be revived.

He said that if the Covid-19 pandemic does not worsen further, we may have to project that the tourism industry would improve by the second half of 2021 when people have built the confidence to travel once more.

Of course the desired situation will not accelerate in the fast matter but this can be helped with support from our state and federal government incentives and planning when we table the budget during the state legislative assembly (DUN) sitting on 9 to 13 November. The National Budget 2021 will be announced first, and during the second half of the DUN sitting we will table the state budget, which is the Supply Bill.

On another matter, I did mention that our youths are also affected by the pandemic whereby many had lost their jobs. In fact, the lost of jobs had affected many people and not just youths, and they have to be strong and improve self confidence and look into other opportunities. As times have changed with more things shifting online, like food delivery and shopping they can get opportunities there.

Our youths must also become more IT savvy so that they can look into how to use those apparatus for new opportunities to earn a living. I also believe that our youths will need to be included in the coming budget as they are very important in the nation’s development.

Belajawan 2021 diharap beri fokus untuk ringankan beban rakyat

Dalam ucapan perasmian di siri Jelajah Belia Sarawak 2020 peringkat kawasan dewan undangan negeri (DUN) Tupong di Kuching pada 30 Oktober lalu, saya telah berkata bahawa Kerajaan Sarawak pastinya akan menyalurkan lebih banyak dana untuk menambah serta meningkatkan kelajuan capaian internet dan digital di negeri ini.

Sesungguhnya kita amat bertuah kerana mempunyai seorang Ketua Menteri iaitu Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Abang Haji Openg yang begitu prihatin dan bersemangat dalam mentranformasikan ekonomi Sarawak daripada ekonomi konvensional kepada ekonomi berasaskan digital. 

Kita juga merupakan negeri pertama di Malaysia yang mempunyai pihak berkuasa multimedia iaitu Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) yang memberikan fokus kepada usaha-usaha kita untuk membolehkan penembusan dan kelajuan capaian internet, khususnya di kawasan luar bandar dapat ditingkatkan.

Saya pasti akan lebih banyak dana akan disalurkan dalam usaha untuk menjadikan seluruh kawasan di negeri ini mempunyai kelajuan internet sekaligus memenuhi aspirasi beliau yang mahu menjadikan rakyat Sarawak termasuk golongan belia yang mempunyai kemahiran digital yang tinggi.  Isu mengenai kelajuan capaian internet dan digital menjadi perkara yang sering disuarakan oleh belia di Sarawak, khususnya yang tinggal di kawasan pinggir bandar dan luar bandar.

Perkara ini seringkali diutarakan oleh golongan terbabit setiap kali kementerian itu melakukan atau melaksanakan siri jelajah belia di seluruh Sarawak.

Walaupun masalah kelajuan capaian internet tidak menjadi masalah dikawasan bandar namun keadaan berbeza apabila berada di kawasan luar bandar.

Kesukaran itu menjadikan perkara tersebut menjadi antara fokus yang sering diutarakan oleh belia agar kerajaan mempecepatkan proses menaik taraf kelajuan komunikasi digital di kawasan terlibat.

Saya turut menegaskan bahawa kepimpinan utama negeri kita amat faham akan situasi tersebut dan usaha ke arah penambahbaikan dalam meningkatkan penembusan serta kelajuan capaian internet terutama di kawasan luar bandar sentiasa dan sedang dilaksanakan.

Sarawak election will happen when the time comes as there is no state of emergency declared

We fully support the statement made by the Right Honourable Chief Minister of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Abang Haji Openg who said our state election will happen when the time comes as there is no state of emergency declared.

As what he has mentioned, we also hope for the Election Commission (EC) or National Security Council (MKN), to come up with the appropriate Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that would allow an election to be conducted in a controlled environment so that it would not be dangerous. In fact, the EC will look at what has been implemented in Singapore and in New Zealandin order to get ideas on how to conduct election during this time of Covid-19.

Abang Johari had also pointed out that Sarawak did not have any option, as the state government’s term was coming to an end soon.With no emergency, the government institutions are still functioning as usual and for us in Sarawak because our mandate will end soon. Together with our Chief Minister, we are thankful to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for giving very good advice to politicians to not to politick too much and to people to stay united in this fight against Covid-19.

“For us in Sarawak, we will abide by the advice.We will continue to do our duty to the people even as we face a situation where our mandate is finishing soon," the Chief Minister was quoted saying by our local media fraternity.

Sarawak poised to set world record of having longest artificial reef balls project.

Recently the Right Honourable Chief Minister of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Abang Haji Openg had called on our local fishermen’s association members to work closely with Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) and other agencies in preventing the encroachment of foreign fishermen in state's waters.

According to him, our local fishermen must immediately report any illegal activities to the authorities and that is why Sarawak Government is planting artificial reef balls which also serves as a passive form of enforcement. This is because the reefs were found to have successfully torn the trawler nets that were stuck and this caused the illegal trawlers to avoid the areas.

I had the opportunity to join the Chief Minister in the symbolic ceremony for the deployment of artificial reef balls in Sampadi-Tanjung Datu waters in Sematan which was organised by SFC. Sarawak had started planting artificial reef balls in Talang Satang area since 1998 after many turtles were found dead in the area due to illegal trawling activities mostly by foreign vessels.

As a result of the artificial reef balls deployment, the number of dead turtles recorded in the area not only decreased by 90 per cent (less than 10 per year) but the income of fishermen also increased up to three times.The socio-economic status of traditional fishermen in this area is also increasing while the turtle conservation programme have begun showing results whereby the number which have returned to their original habitat not only on the island but also the beaches in the area.

To date, SFC has successfully planted 600 artificial reef balls in Belawai-Paloh waters in 2018, 600 units in Lawas waters and 1,200 units in Igan to Mukah waters in 2019. In 2020, a total of 1,200 reef balls had been planted in the waters of Muara Tebas-Sebuyau, 660 units in the northern waters of Pulau Bruit-Igan and now 1,100 units in the waters of Sampadi-Tanjung Datu. The local community had also come forward to volunteer as ‘Turtle Rangers’ as part of the turtle conservation programme. When all these reef balls are fully implemented, Sarawak waters will set a record as the area that has the longest artificial reef ball project in the world.