Dato’ Shahrir avoid rural issues

Posted by Uchu Keling on 7th June 2008 in National Politics, Sarawak Politics

I was really pissed off with Dato’ Shahrir’s interview during the Exchange (TV3 program) last night. Obviously he was not going to answer the host’s question on the impact of the petrol price hike on the rural population.

Despite the various subsidies for agriculture, did he know that the rural Dayaks are paying a high price of fertiliser, pesticides, etc.?

Being the Minister Of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, Dato’ Shahrir should know that majority of Dayak homes are powered by generator sets that runs on diesel. Now, Dato’ this generator sets are not motor vehicles!

To make it worst, I do not know what his deputy is doing! The Deputy Minister Of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs is YB Jelaing Mersat, my fellow Sarawakian and one that comes from the same area as I am. Didn’t YB Jelaing advise Dato’ Shahrir that most longhouses in Saratok are powered by generator sets. Didn’t YB Jelaing told Dato’ Shahrir that SK Ng. Gerenjang have not been getting electricity from the nearby (less than 5km) high tension power lines from Batang Ai Hydroelectric Dam?

YB Jelaing, please tell the people of rural Sarawak what you have done in your ministry, and that, the ministry is seen to have ignored or neglect the rural Sarawak population.

Ari Kawit datai ke Nanga Batang din… semua rumah panjai kitai Iban agi ngena injin api. Injin api tu ngena minyak disel. Kati ko nuan tak enda terpadah ke pemerinsa kitai di menua ulu. Lebu meh kami ke udah niri ke nuan, niri ke parti, udah nya maia ke patut alai nuan mantai ke pemerinsa kitai.. and you have failed. I am very disappointed with you being the Deputy Minister Of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, the ministry that can (at least) assist our rural populations during this hard time.

We are waiting for your press statement! Come back to Saratok, check on the prices of petrol and diesel, and explain to us.

Finally, it is clear that the BN Cabinet have forgotten about rural Sarawak who are still without electricity from our own cheap hydroelectric dam.

4 Comment(s)

Ian | 7th June 2008 | Reply

That’s crazy. >:(
Uchu Keling | 7th June 2008 | Reply

And in today’s Borneo Post, it seems that our Chinese leaders are more vocal. What are all the Dayak politicians thinking of?

Extract from Borneo Post

Direct subsidies needed
By Philip Kiew

Assistant minister asks KL to give subsidies to operators of public transport in Sarawak

MIRI: The federal government has been requested to give special consideration to Sarawak and channel appropriate subsidies to operators of public transport such as buses, taxis, express boats and others.

Making the call yesterday, Infrastructure Development and Communication Assistant Minister Lee Kim Shin said Sarawak which was an oil producer still lacked good public transport systems and roads.

“The main thing is Sarawak needs direct subsidies for its public transport operators, and there should be no abuses or leaks as in the old system,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post for comments on the recent oil price hike.

He said the government should also ensure the efficiency of public transportation systems to entice more people to use them instead of their own vehicles. Lee said public transport including express passenger boats played a vital role in the transportation of goods and people, especially in the rural areas.

“The fares should not be increased so as not to burden the public, and the federal government should give special consideration to the public transport sector in Sarawak,” he said.

The assistant minister was referring to the logistical challenges in the state which is heavily dependent on road and riverine transport which have been impacted by the recent drastic increase in prices of petrol and diesel by 40 and 63 per cent respectively.

“Fuel is also needed by rural schools, longhouses and villages for their power generators as they are not connected to the state power grid,” he said.

He pointed out that many rural places in the state also relied on powerful four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles to transport their essentials and people to and from town.

“This is common in rural Sarawak, stretching from Medamit in Ulu Limbang to Baram, Bintulu, Sibu, Kapit, Julau and beyond,” he said.

“Most of these places don’t have public transport of any kind as defined by the federal Ministry of Transport. They are served by enterprising individuals who run privately-owned vehicles.”

He believed that dearer fuel would inevitably be passed on to passengers in rural Sarawak.

Prices have skyrocketed 400 per cent in the past three years, and the latest has Malaysians reeling from the shock.

At the border villages in Ba Kelalan near the East Kalimantan border, petrol is said to be sold at RM3.50 a litre and diesel RM3 per litre prior to the hike.

A trader said these could almost double following the new price hike.

Village headman of Long Muda, Udan Meru, 53, could not help lamenting the hardships faced by the Lun Bawang community in the highlands.

“Life is already hard before the price hike, and now it will only get harder for us in the interior,” he said.

The most expensive fuel in the country is in the Kelabit Highlands as it is flown in chartered Skyvans.

It can easily cost 10 times more than in town when supply runs low.
kimi | 8th June 2008 | Reply

kasih bala aki ini aku di ulu balleh ngena lampu minyak tanah laban nadai duit meli minyak kena injin api. terima kasih BN.
Uchu Keling | 8th June 2008 | Reply

Extract from Nadai Nama Nama

Source of Power: Uncle Umpang refilling the generator which generates electricity for the house. It can provide electricity for about 18 hours - guzzling about 5 gallons of gas. The price of gas per gallon is RM12 here (before the price hike on 4th June 2008) so during this Gawai the price of lighting can reach up to RM60 per day. A week of festivity translates into RM400. Multiply that with 40 plus doors in our longhouse with each bilik having its own gen set.