SDNU openly champions Native Customary Rights and Lands!

Surprise! Surprise!

It has taken the Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) a week and a half to react to the Global Witness video. SDNU’s Vice President Anthony Banyan, in a statement published in the Borneo Post last February, was quite clear that “SDNU has no political affiliation and this is how it should always remain,” and I applaud him for his neutrality (see http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/02/25/no-place-for-politics-in-sdnu/). And today, Banyan has kept his word by coming out strongly against the allegations made in the Global Witness video (see http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/03/30/dayak-ngos-demand-apology-over-disparaging-remarks/).

Based on the report published today, SDNU issued its statement following the SDNU supreme council meeting on Wednesday, which we presume must have been chaired by its President William Mawan, whose other hat is, of course, President of the Sarawak People’s Democratic Party (SPDP), a Sarawak based party in the BN ruling coalition with a Dayak majority membership. However, the eye-brow raising statement was released and signed by its Vice-President, Anthony Banyan, and not by William Mawan. Which is intriguing, to say the least.

Why do I say intriguing? Well, SDNU did not mince its words. In fact, SDNU used very strong words, and the underlying message behind those words is even stronger. Just to quote several sentences from the SDNU statement:

“Whether the remark was designed to put a wedge between the Dayak community, particularly the Iban and the ruling government or uttered naturally by the subjects in the video, we still view such remark as demeaning and deplorable.”

Thank you SDNU for standing up for the Dayak community and calling a spade a spade. The remarks in the video were indeed demeaning, deplorable, disgusting, humiliating and most shockingly, uttered nonchalantly by subjects related very closely by blood to the Chief Minister. It must have taken SDNU a lot of courage to actually tell the Chief Minister off, in a roundabout sort of way, that it.

However, the real meat of the statement came blazing through loud and clear:

“We also condemn the remark suggesting that the Dayaks are squatters on state land as it is baseless.”

SDNU was being polite in using the word ‘suggesting’. Datin Norlia Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub did not ‘suggest’ that Dayaks are squatters. She said it outright. But let’s not quibble. The point is that SDNU has publicly declared that Dayaks living on state land are not squatters, and this in itself is a milestone and one that should be applauded by all sensible Dayaks. To put it in a nutshell, SDNU condemns anyone who is saying that Dayaks who live on so-called ‘state lands’ have no Native Customary Rights, and are therefore, in effect, agreeing with what Pakatan Rakyat has been saying all along.

At first reading of the statement, I was quite taken aback. I had to re-read the sentence, to be sure that this was the underlying message that SDNU was sending out. And sure enough, there it was, in black and white.

The next paragraph removed all doubts I had. No underlying theme, but an outright clarion call:

“We call upon all quarters to stand up for the Dayak community and recognise our rights over land as well as be sensitive towards the feelings of the Dayaks.”

Nothing can be clearer than what SDNU had just written; “recognise our rights over land.” This is an overt and direct statement relating to Native Customary Rights and Native Customary Lands, and follows the precedent set by the celebrated Mabo vs. Queensland Judgment and its implications worldwide where English Common Law overrides Constitutional Law in legal systems that are based on the English legal system. The precedent created by the Mabo Case was applied successfully by Baru Bian in the landmark Malaysian case of Nor Anak Nyawai vs. BPP & Ors, which went to the highest Malaysian court, the Federal Court, TWICE. And both times Baru Bian won. Dayaks HAVE rights over ‘state lands’. Yet, the Sarawak Government refuses to accept the Court’s decision and continues its policy of alienating ancient Dayak lands. 

Based on these very clear words, we can surmise and come to only one conclusion: that SDNU’s Supreme Council, made up of several BN senior politicians, has issued a statement that unequivocally says that it now agrees with Pakatan Rakyat’s policy on indigenous lands. Now this is why I say it is intriguing because this is definitely news! Big news! SDNU, despite being led by top Barisan Nasional Dayak leaders, are going against the grain and in no small way!

YBs William Mawan and his deputy in SDNU, Alex Nanta Linggi, may not have signed the statement but getting their subordinate Vice-President Anthony Banyan to sign the statement is telling. What is William Mawan, boss of SPDP and Alex Linggi, senior member of PBB, exactly saying with the issuance of this very bold statement via SDNU? Are they striking out at Taib through the backdoor? Is this a veiled condemnation of Taib’s policies on NCR lands?

Most shocking of all, the Women’s Wing of SDNU, which is headed by Empiang Jabu, the wife of the Deputy Chief Minister, also gave its fullest backing to the statement. Stunning! Is Jabu now tacitly telling his ‘beloved Pehin Sri’ that he too is upset by the slur on the Dayaks and that he has finally had an epiphany on the eve of Easter? Are our Dayak ‘leaders’ finally staging a silent protest against Taib and family? 

The plot gets thicker and I am literally at the edge of my seat with excitement! The political landscape is shifting, and it seems clear now why our Dayak leaders did not come to Taib’s aid and rescue when the debacle exploded last two weeks ago.

The Game of Thrones is afoot in Sarawak and the first very public crack in the polished façade of BN Sarawak’s frail unity is now vividly clear, thanks to SDNU's unmistakably refreshing and about-turn statement. And by any account, this is a big crack which Taib cannot ignore and hope will go away. SDNU has spoken loud and clear. Are the daggers finally drawn? We wait with bated breath for the next public reaction from either Taib or Mawan or for that matter, from the self-proclaimed Paramount Chief of the Dayaks, Jabu himself. Mutiny is always fun to watch from a distance.

WELL DONE, SDNU!

NAMA KEBUAH KITAI TAKUT?

Kitai takut laban enggaika rumah panjai kitai badu agi diberi orang projek-projek MRP? Takut enggaika bantu E-Kasih dibatak pulai? Kitai takut enggaika bala anak kita kena ‘marked’ orang lalu ngujungka sida enda ulih nerima bantu scholarship ila? Kitai takut enggaika kitai diri sebilik tauka kaban belayan kitai dipindahka orang bekereja ngagai endur bukai ti jauh-jauh? Kitai takut enggaika kitai diukum enggau chara enda diberi pemansang?

MAYUH ARI BALA KITAI TAKUT SERETA NANGI KE RUMAH KITAI DITIKI RABAN PKR. KITAI NANGIKA DIRI EMPU ENGGAU RUANG BILIK KITAI DIPECHAT BALA MATA GELAP BN. MAYUH ARI BALA KITAI TAKUT NGUNDI PKR. KITAI PECHAYA KE KERTAS UNDI KITAI NYA ULIH DITEMU ORANG. Tang utai tu bula magang - ngemba pengundi nya udah nyadika chara BN ngulihka undi kitai. Undi kitai nya RESIA (dipelalaika) - laban atur nya nitihka undang-undang. Penyampau keretas undi nya diitung, dikunchi dalam peti undi, dilakri ba mua raban pengari ari parti-parti ti bediri minta pilih, disimpan dalam pengelama 100 hari dalam District Office lalu enti sema nadai penyelai tauka penyarut ba kertas undi nya sepengudah 100 hari, kertas undi nya deka dikeluarka ari peti undi lalu ditunu, disaksika pengari-pengari ti udah bediri minta pilih. Enti sema sekeda ari lakri nya bisi dibali tauka dibuai sebedau timpuh 100 hari nya abis, pengari-pengari ti bediri minta pilih tau ngangauka undi diatur baru! Nya kebuah undi kita nya RESIA lalu nadai orang ulih ngelala sapa ti udah diundi kita. Lumur siri ba atas kertas undi nya enda senutuk enggau nama kita - lumur-lumur siri nya semina dikena raban polling agent betipakka penyampau undi enggau penyampau keretas undi. Anang mudah dikemulaka orang ti madahka lumur siri ba keretas undi nya senutuk enggau nama kita.

Pengasai ati mensia mayuh di serata menua kitai tu udah berubah. Mensia mayuh di nengeri besai enggau di Semenanjung Malaysia enggau Sabah deka ke ubah ke perintah ti baru. Kami pechaya bendar KITA mega begunaka ubah laban deka ke perintah ti manah agi, lurus agi, enggau mentas agi. Semua kelai tu nunjukka Pakatan Rakyat ulih menang ba bepilihbesai ke-13 tu ila. Nya kebuah Najib Razak takut sereta nangi bendar deka mutuska runding enggau penemu diri empu ba milih haribulan ti betul endur ngatur bepilibesai lalu iya berupai bendar betangguh-tangguh! LEBUH PAKATAN RAKYAT UDAH MENANG ILA, BN DEKA LENYAU KUASA SIDA DIKENA NGEMEDIS KITA SEBILIK, KITA SERUMAH TAUKA KITA SEMENUA!

BN meri kita mayuh macham projek MRP. Lebuh Pakatan Rakyat menang, kami mega ulih meri kita projek-projek MRP enggau LEBIH AGI ari nya! Kami deka mulaika tanah-tanah ti udah diambi ari kita, melakin semua jalai alun awakka nyamai ditengah, masang paip ai kena mekal kita enggau ai beresi lalu mega enggau kuasa elektrik ti murah! Ke diatu BN meri kita bantu E-Kasih RM300. Lebuh Pakatan Rakyat menang, kami deka nambahka bantu E-Kasih nya ngagai RM550! BN mantu anak kita nyambung pelajar ngena scholarship ti ke bendar iya dijali ngagai sida tang udah nya sida dipinta mayar duit scholarship nya ngagai perintah ninting bulan? Lebuh Pakatan Rakyat menang kami deka ngapuska scholarship jali nya! Lalu bala anak kita tau minta bantu SCHOLARSHIP PECHUMA NYENTUK KE SIDA TEMBU BELAJAR BA IKAS UNIVERSITI! Lebuh Pakatan Rakyat menang, bisi BN kuasa mindah-mindahka sapa-sapa orang ti kereja perintah ti udah nyukung PKR, DAP tauka PAS? 

Bala INDAI ENGGAU BINI ORANG, bisi BN mantu kita ngena duit simpan EPF? Ba perintah Pakatan Rakyat ti chukup mentas, SEMUA indai enggau bini orang deka nerima bantu EPF RM50 sebulan ti dipejalaika dalam atur SKIM CARUMAN WANITA NASIONAL!

RABAN ORANG TI TUAI UMUR deka nerima bantu RM1,000 SETAUN, lalu ruang bilik ti seranta deka nerima RM1,000 KE SIKU ANAK ARI BARUH UMUR 12 TAUN NINTING TAUN! Ulih BN mantu kita baka nya? Nemuai mih kita ke menua Selangor enggau Pulau Pinang ti endur perintah Pakatan Rakyat benung bekuasa diatu, lalu peratika baka ni rakyat sida diidupka. Semua tu utai ti bendar sereta amat magang, enda baka pemula BN ti seruran besemaya tiap kali musim bepilihbesai tang jarang bendar dikamatka.

KE BENDAR, BN NYA MIH RABAN ORANG TI TAKUT SERETA NANGI! BN nemu bala orang di Semenanjung enda agi takut, bala orang di Sabah mega enda agi takut lalu PIA MEGA BALA ORANG DI SITAK SARATOK ENDA AGI TAKUT! Nya alai, nama kebuah kitai di Betong agi takut sereta nangi? BN nyau majak TAKUT laban sida nemu diri deka alah ba bepilihbesai ti deka diatur tu ila. Nya mih kebuah BN ngatur semua macham pengawa dikena ngambi ati kita awakka ngundi BN enggau chara besemaya manis-manis lalu ngemba kita enggau penerang bula pasal Pakatan Rakyat. Numbas mih! BADU AGI BEGADAI SERETA BEJUDIKA REBAK DUDI RABAN ANAK UCHU KITA. BERUNDING MIH PANJAI-PANJAI, PERENING MIH JAUH-JAUH, KE PEMANAH ENGGAU PENGUNTUNG BALA ANAK UCHU KITA. TU MIH MAYA KITA NGENA PELUANG NGUBAH SERETA MANTU SIDA TI REBAK DUDI.

Lebuh Pakatan Rakyat menang lalu ulih megai perintah di Putrajaya, enti orang Betong mengkang nyukung BN ketegal takut ke BN, lalu BN menang di Betong, ari nya bala pengari BN deka bekalih raung nyadi Penyakal, lalu iya enda ulih agi mai ke kita pemansang baka ti ulih diberi pengari Pakatan Rakyat ke kita! Iya deka nadai agi kuasa lalu iya mega enda diagihka perintah projek-projek MRP ti deka diberi iya ke kita lalu Betong deka tinggal jauh di belakang laban menua Betong nadai pengari Pakatan dalam kabint perintah. NYA ALAI, BALA ORANG DI BETONG, DEKA KITA SAUM ATI ENGGAU BALA ORANG BUKAI DI MALAYSIA LALU NGUBAH TAUKA DEKA KITA DITINGGALKA DI BELAKANG LALU BESAUM ENGGAU RABAN PENYAKAL?

Raban Dayak enggau Melayu di Betong endang chukup tebilang sereta tampak rita ketegal pemerani sida beperang lalu ngetanka Betong ari kena keruga Rajah James Brooke dulu menya. Kitai mengkang ingat sereta ulih ngenang pasal cherita sida aki ini kitai nya. TANG NAMA KEBUAH KITAI EMPU TI TAKUT DIATU? Pemerani sida aki ini kita endang mengkang dalam darah tubuh kitai tu. Angkat! Badu takut agi! Kitai enda ibuh belaban ngena duku, perambut enggau sangkuh baka sida aki ini kitai kelia; diatu kitai semina begunaka sebatang pinsil lebuh kitai ngundi! AYANKA NGAGAI DUNYA NYA RABAN DAYAK BETONG NYA ORANG TI BERANI SERETA KEMPANG ATI SEKALI AGI, LALU BADU AGI DIKEMELI SERETA DIKELESEKA BN!

“Laban Allah Taala ukai meri kitai roh penakut, tang roh kuasa, roh pengerindu enggau roh disiplin diri empu.” 2 Timoti 1:7

 

[TAU DIDOWNLOAD GAMBAR GAMBAR TU LALU DIAGIH]

 

 

 

  

TAIB, CAN YOU HEAR THE DEAFENING SILENCE ALL AROUND YOU?

Today is EXACTLY one week after the Global Witness exposé video hit the news and rocked the world of Malaysian politics – a game-changer, as the Americans say. The Chief Minister is denying the existence of the mammoth elephant in the room, the lawyers have allegedly left the country, and the famous sisters have gone missing. The whole of Sarawak is in uproar, coffee-shops and secluded private rooms in expensive restaurants are bustling with the talk of “tax evasions” and “squatters”, BN’s Dayak leaders are dumbfounded and have lost their tongues (and dare we hope silently fuming at the audacity of some cousins of the Chief Minister?), the rest of the country is asking questions and the spin-doctors from BN are in overdrive trying to shift the blame. What a week!

 

Besides fingering his cousins, Taib has also pointed the finger at Anwar Ibrahim, suggesting that the Opposition Leader has worked with Global Witness to “frame” him. So Taib, are you saying that Uncle Rahman Yakub sat down with Anwar Ibrahim and the environmental chaps from Global Witness and concocted this complicated story to “frame” you?

Alvin Chong, who is one of the legal representatives of the Lands and Survey Department, substantiated all that the sisters had said and more. His cock-sure confidence caught on camera was an award winning Oscar performance. Then there is the Hii family. The Hii family representative, lawyer Huang, admitted more than he should have. Best Supporting Actor award goes to him, if we are to believe the spin doctors.

So why would these lawyers want to “frame” the hands that feed them, kill the golden goose that lays the golden eggs and destroy their respective reputations all at the same time? Were all these different people, political opponents and NGOs and cronies and cousins and lawyers working together to “frame” Taib? Would it not be simpler to just accept the truth which is that his cousins, the lawyers and the businessmen were all indiscreet towards a person they thought they were doing a business deal with and in their bloated over-confidence spilled the fat beans, lifted the lid on Taib’s Pandora’s Box and opened his platinum coated can of worms? 

My simple mind says YES. My political mind which attempts to deconstruct Machiavellian plots says MOST DEFINITELY YES.

Now that the whole world knows and Taib and his lawyers are desperately trying to pick up the pieces as they go into crisis management mode, one cannot but be intrigued by the apparent lack of public support that other Barisan Nasional leaders are expected to show him. Should they not be closing ranks and falling over themselves to come to his defence?

In the past, sycophants would be competing with one another to come up with the most credible counter-spin to protect their lord and master, but a week has come and gone and all we hear is TOTAL SILENCE. Except for some yelps from insignificant politicos and the youth wing of PBB condemning reports on the internet (and not an outright defence of their Chief Minister, mind you) in the last two days. 

Where is Taib’s Chief Political Secretary, the ever-faithful Karim Hamzah? Is it not his first duty and responsibility to immediately rally the troops and sound the trumpet and lead the charge and demonise Global Witness in every newspaper in Sarawak? Not a squeak from him.

Where is Awang Tengah, the supposed right hand man and heir apparent? Well, he did squeak a bit today in the Star but in no way was his whimper an outright rebuttal of the exposé and in defence of the Old Man; just a passing comment on how foreign NGOs are not to be trusted and how Sarawak will be re-forested. Political analysts would read his statement as more a personal defence, almost like a manifesto promising Sarawakians that under his watch, Sarawak would be re-forested.

Where is Jabu, the most loyal Dayak devotee there has ever been and ever will be of the ‘beloved’ Old Man? Absolute silence from Jabu of all people? What has this self-proclaimed ‘Paramount Chief’ of the Dayak has to say about being called a squatter by his beloved’s cousins?

Both factions in SUPP are also withholding their tongues. Smart.

Masing, are you silent because deep in your heart you are disgusted that Taib’s cousins called your own people squatters on their own lands, and you see this as a golden opportunity to let others roast the goose that has been laying the golden eggs so that you can walk in and take its place?

Mawan, are you silent because you too want to play the ‘wait-and-see’ game and shut your eyes and stop your ears? Would this not be the best opportunity to get back into the Old Man’s good books and earn some much needed brownie points? Or are you finally accepting the fact that your and your party have been used and abused so that we are all but mere squatters?

Never mind all these Sarawakians – the silence from Kuala Lumpur is deafening! What happened to BN comradeship and solidarity? The mighty warlords of UMNO, what’s left of MCA, the ‘new’ leadership of MIC…all silent.

It would seem that based on the evidence we have before us (see NST, Utusan, Berita Harian, Harian Metro, Borneo Post, Utusan Borneo, The Sarawak Tribune, The Star, TV1, TV2, TV3 et al) Taib is on his own this time. 

Taib is having to speak out for himself and is making all the denials and counter-claims without the usual backing of a harmonious chorus of BN leaders, politicians and its vast and awesome machinery singing his glorious innocence and praising his indomitable efficacy as the ‘Father of the Politics of Development.’ 

An injured animal that is cornered is mighty dangerous and will have a long memory, especially when its friends are just watching by the wayside. (And probably placing bets.)

I wonder why no one has come to Taib’s rescue openly, publicly and with practised gusto. And I am certain, many of you are wondering why too. But the ultimate question on my mind – is Taib himself wondering why his own people have not come to his aid yet? After all, a week has come and gone since the exposé and a week is a very long time in politics. I suppose we will all have to wait and see as another week unfolds and the drama intensifies.  

   

Who’s framing who now?

SQUATTER-GATE VS. MING COURT 2.0: DON'T SHIFT THE BLAME, OLD MAN!

I refer to a classic piece of spin doctoring on the recent Global Witness exposé by a blogger calling himself/herself The Benchmark entitled “Global Witness on Taib: Was it really a sting operation?” Click on http://thebenchmark0.blogspot.com/2013/03/global-witness-on-taib-was-it-really.html to read this rather lame attempt at shifting the blame.

The piece by The Benchmark desperately tries to deflect, distract and ‘turn the tables’ on Global Witness, which is why I call it a classic text-book case of Spin-Doctoring 101. In a nutshell, the writer is saying that the exposé is “a well crafted conspiracy against Taib by his own kin,” and supports his/her conspiracy theories by resurrecting the old and tired story of the Tun Rahman Yakub versus Taib Mahmud ‘feud’ of the 80s. Whether or not the ‘feud’ was real or simply a ‘sandiwara’ (shadow play) is beside the point. It was a very public spat, and Taib made a big show of withdrawing licences issued by his uncle to drive home the point that the fight was indeed genuine. 

Then, after Taib had allegedly identified and neutered his enemies (per kindness of the dramas that unfolded at a certain Ming Court Hotel in Kuala Lumpur many years ago), consolidated his position and solidified his political strength, this happened:

A heart-warming and tearful reunion of uncle and nephew was carefully choreographed and publicised, and the dynasty was intact. Nevertheless, in a very recent video interview by Taib, he retorts, “Are you trying to frame me?” suggesting that hidden hands are now at work to undermine him. Classic Taib!

Before we fall into this trap of being distracted by the conspiracy theories being espoused by The Benchmark, let us first examine the facts before us, and deconstruct the arguments advocated by The Benchmark one by one.

Conspiracy Theory No. 1 put forward by The Benchmark is that the sisters Fatimah and Norlia are allegedly conspiring, with the help of Global Witness, against Taib. This proposal sounds eerily familiar and seems to be following the lead given by Taib in that same recent video interview. In Hollywood, this would most likely be the plot a screen-writer would weave. But in real life Sarawak (and sisters Norlia and Fatimah are no Oscar award winning actresses, mind you), this plot would be stretching fantasy to its limit. 

Both sisters clearly said in the video exposé that their RM2 ringgit company, Ample Agro, owns the Provisional Licence to the piece of land in Julau which they were hoping to sell to the investor at RM4,000 per acre. Now if the relationship between Taib and the Tun Rahman side of the family is still indeed strained, then it begs one very important and crucial question – WHO issued the licence to Ample Agro in 2011 for a mere RM12,500 annual rent?  See Exhibit A below, which is a print screen from the video:

Sure, there are procedures and committees in place to ensure provisional licences are issued according to government process, but certainly it would be incredible to suggest that the Chief Minister was completely unaware of this one licence, especially if it was being applied for by a side of his family that was supposedly having a strained relationship with him. Taib suggested in his video interview that the sisters were trying to be intermediaries and trying to push their familial connection with Taib as bait. My point is simple – the sisters’ company already owned the licence! They were not fishing. They had already caught the fish! What they were trying to do in the video was sell the fish! So who gave them the fish in the first place, and how much was it sold for? Peanuts? Groundnuts? Cashew nuts? Pistachio nuts?  And how much were they offering Ample Agro for? RM4,000 per acre, which works out to a cool profit of USD$16 million (RM50 million). See Exhibit B below, which is a print screen from the video:

The next argument put forward by The Benchmark is that there is a sinister plot to derail Taib’s succession plan, and The Benchmark backs this Conspiracy Theory No. 2 with news that the Court of Appeal had recently dismissed Norlia’s other company’s case, also about….a provisional licence!  This apparent lost by Norlia is subtly suggested as the reason behind her taking revenge. But….the Court of Appeal’s decision was only reported on the 6^th of March this year! Just a week before the Global Witness story hit the news! 

Could Global Witness, the sisters and their lawyers, and the RECODA Officer who pointed Global Witness in the direction of the sisters have orchestrated this whole earth-shattering reveal and worked furiously to come up with a polished and water-tight exposé in just under a week, motivated by revenge? Basically, The Benchmark writer is trying to deflect our attention by implying that the sisters are plotting (together with Daddy and other prominent sisters?) to oust cousin Taib, and this is supported by the timing of the Court of Appeal decision. Does this theory hold water?

Let us look at the facts – Global Witness had obviously shot this film months back, and I arrive at this conclusion by the simple fact that Global Witness had put their allegations to all those featured in the video after shooting was completed, and all of them responded except for the sisters. Global Witness states this clearly at the end of the video, and Taib himself was already well aware of the existence of the Global Witness exposé even before it was aired on Al-Jazeera and appeared online last week. His lawyers in London have been busy:

Taib, the sisters and the lawyers were all well aware of the Global Witness exposé probably months back (or at the very least a few weeks back) even before it hit the news and made the headlines last week because they were all consulted and asked to answer the allegations. This may have been explosive news to us last week, but it certainly was not news to Taib, the lawyers and the sisters. The time frame makes all the difference! So, for this exposé to be a well-crafted scheme in the time frame the writer suggests is next to impossible, not even with the best Hollywood producers and directors involved working 24 hours for a whole week.

Commercial break: Check out the fabulous jewellery.

Now we come to our learnéd friends Messrs. Chong and Huang. Now why would these lawyers risk their respective reputations and rice bowls just to frame Taib? The Benchmark may argue that they were mere pawns in a diabolical chess game and totally unaware that they were lambs led unwittingly to the slaughter by the sisters. Which could be probable and in which case we pray that Messrs Chong and Huang initiate the appropriate legal proceedings against the sisters to clear their names. (But is there such a recourse provided in law?) What if the sisters were really not acting? Were the lawyers acting then? Highly unlikely, if you study the confidence and demeanor portrayed by both lawyers.

The final and pivotal dynamic that dismantles and demolishes The Benchmark’s two conspiracy theories is the fact that YB Datuk Norah Abdul Rahman, currently the Member of Parliament for Tanjong Manis and sister to both Fatimah and Norlia, AND part owner of Ample Agro as alleged in the video, has far too much to lose from this whole debacle. The timing of the exposé could not have come at a worse time for her – GE13 is but around the corner. Why rock the boat now? Why bite the hands that feed you?

Exhibit C - Happy Family:

To recapitulate and summarise: Taib is now pointing the finger back at the sisters and insinuating that a Machiavellian scheme is being forged to discredit him, while horribly forgetting that the licence had already been given to the company owned by the sisters in 2011. Is he spin-doctoring and trying to throw us off the scent? Will the licence be revoked and withdrawn from Ample Agro? What will become of Norah, Sisters & Co? Most despicable of all, is he now throwing them to the dogs in order to save his own skin and crying Ming Court II to get us all frenzied and fired up and chasing shadows instead?

The final nail in the coffin of the credibility of The Benchmark is the obviously wrong information on Justin Jinggut promoting himself as PKR Supremo in Sarawak. Seriously? The writer should really research his/her story before putting foot in mouth.

Let us be clear. The two real issues flagged by the Global Witness exposé are (i) land-grab and (ii) tax evasion, and no matter how much the spin-doctors try to spin, the damage has been done. The crux of the whole fiasco is that the indigenous peoples of Sarawak are now regarded by Norlia (and dare we assume the entire clan?) as simply squatters on their own lands and those who have disenfranchised them evade tax on the transaction of these lands on a massive scale. 

The man whom the public is looking to for real answers now and not just flimsy regurgitated rhetoric is the Chief Minister of Sarawak. Will he man up and give us the answers or will he shift the blame, as what The Benchmark is trying desperately to do on his behalf? SQUATTER-GATE will be Taib's undoing, and he knows it too well, and that is why the next few days and weeks will be crucial - the peoples, mostly SQUATTERS (by definition of Datin Norlia Tun Abdul Rahman Yakub), of Sarawak are angry and even the Barisan Nasional supporters who are also SQUATTERS by definition are quietly angry. 

Shahrizat has her cows, now Taib has his squatters. SQUATTER-GATE is the silver bullet that Sarawak has been waiting for to finish off the werewolves. Shoot accurately and aim for the heart.

(Or if you watch The Walking Dead, aim for the brain.)