An open letter to the nudists: Our culture makes us who we are; who are you to question it, let alone defile it?

Dear Emil, Monkeetime, and the rest,

I haven’t been this angry in a long time. In fact, I doubt I have ever been this angry. I was raised to respect people as equals, and I am doing my best to keep that in mind. I am truly, however, disappointed and ashamed to have to call you as such. Please know that there is nothing more I would like to do than cuss you out, but I am a better person – not better than you, but better than that.

I cannot understand and I cannot even begin to fathom how utterly and completely selfish you must be. It is not a joke. It is not even remotely funny. People have lost families and loved ones because of the earthquake. If you did or did not cause it is not the point. If the mountain has spirits or not is not the point.

The point is you.

The point is your disrespect, and your continual disrespect of Malaysia. You have not insulted just the locals of Borneo – you have insulted Malaysia. Every. Single. One of us who call it home, whether we live here or overseas.

The point is your insolence for who we are. This is not your home. This is not your country. You are but a visitor, with no right to do what you did. Our culture makes us who we are; who are you to question it, let alone defile it?

The point is your ignorance of the current situation. People have lost lives. People have lost family and loved ones. People have lost their homes. People are suffering. And you don’t care. Don’t tell me otherwise, because it’s evident in the way you speak.

The point is your inability to take responsibility for what you have done. I don’t mean the earthquake – I mean the incivility you have displayed by taking those pictures. You would not go to France and draw on the Mona Lisa. You would not go to England and vandalise the Buckingham Palace. You would not go to Egypt and take a dump on the pyramids. And yet, you have taken nude pictures on sacred land. It’s the same thing; you have come into our land and blatantly, and without any sign of remorse, desecrated something that is special to us.

Own up. Take responsibility. Apologize. These are basic manners ingrained into me since I was a child. I don’t know what background you’ve had, nor how you were raised. I only know the bare basics of how to behave. You have taken those pictures. You have shown nothing but a complete and utter effrontery for us as a country. You have damaged the sacredness of our mountain, and then you have the sheer audacity to insult us and our culture after that.

I am angry, but I am also disgusted. I am disgusted by your hard heart – your lack of empathy towards those who are suffering. I am disgusted that you have such a small mind and such a shallow appreciation for different cultures that you can’t understand what you have done wrong. I am disgusted that you cannot and will not take responsibility for what you have done. I am disgusted by your continual insulting of our culture and our people.

You alone know why you did such horrible acts, and you alone know why you have shown such disrespect towards us as a nation. All I know is that I truly and honestly pity you, because only someone with absolutely no moral standards would ever do something like this. What truly horrible lives you must live and have lived to have turned out this way.

I can only hope that, one day, you find your way back to humanity.

Sincerely,

Written by Melanie Lim

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Formation following quake said to resemble first Dusun man to scale Mt Kinabalu

KUNDASANG, June 8, 2015: Surface formation following the earthquake aftermath is said to resemble Datuk Gunting Lagadan, the first Dusun man to scale Mount Kinabalu.

Dusun is one of the more than 70 ethnic groups in Sabah.

A lodge on the mountain has also been named in his honour.

The “image” was initially thought to be of Aki Nabalu, which is the mountain’s name in the Dusun language.

A photo of the surface formation and that of Lagadan have gone viral and are being circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp.

The images hold a lot of fascination following the earthquake tragedy on Friday that has resulted in at least 16 deaths and many injuries on the revered mountain and property damage in the surrounding areas.

The Kadazan Dusun Murut (KDM) community believes that the spirits of their ancestors dwell among the bare rocks of Mount Kinabalu top.

According to local folklore, Aki Nabalu, which literally means “the revered place of the dead”, is the story of a broken-hearted wife who turned into stone waiting for the return of her husband.

Some say it is a giant king and it remained unshaken until Friday morning after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit most parts of Sabah.

Since the quake, the people have been lifting their eyes to the mountains seeking help from their god.

Many blamed the sacrilegious act by a group of Europeans who posed butt naked on Mount Kinabalu recently and thus desecrated the site revered as sacred to the people of Sabah.

The group of 10 tourists, believed to include two Canadians, two Dutch and a German national, were butt naked when they posed upon reaching the peak of Mount Kinabalu on May 29 morning.

Of the 187 climbers,  a total of 16 deaths have been recorded and two more have not been accounted for.

Source: http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2015/06/08/formation-following-quake-said-to-resemble-first-dusun-man-to-scale-mt-kinabalu/

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‘EC must refer to Malaysia Agreement 1963 for delineation plans involving Sarawak, Sabah’

KUCHING: The Election Commission (EC) should adhere to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 as the reference for any proposed constituency delineation exercise.

PRS Youth deputy chief Sempurai Petrus Ngelai concurred with party president Land Development Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing who recently said the legality of the Malaysian Federation could be questioned if the 1963 Agreement was not honoured.

Sempurai feared that any act to the contrary would breach the said Agreement and in turn, could open a floodgate in which any federal bodies would begin to ignore or refuse to abide by the said accord.

“It is puzzling to us as to why the EC said it’s not bound by the 1963 Agreement when it has clearly spelt out that East Malaysia should be given one-third of parliamentary seats. We urge the commission to observe the Agreement and allocate one-third of the parliamentary seats accordingly.

“We must uphold the fundamental principles under the Malaysia Agreement. Therefore, any act to the contrary clearly denies the existence of this accord,” he said in a statement to The Borneo Post yesterday.

On Thursday, Masing was quoted as having said that EC should honour and uphold the terms entailed in the 1963 Agreement as it remains the foundation for the country’s formation.

“If the accord is not honoured, then the Federation of Malaysia should be declared null and void,” he said.

Masing was responding to EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, who said that any allocation of seats must be dealt with according to the constitution; not by way of any agreement that would not be binding on the commission’s part.

On this, PRS Youth publicity chief Bit Surang believed that the legality of the nation would be at stake should Abdul Aziz’s statement be taken into account.

“The EC chairman is obviously ignorant about the history of the formation of Malaysia. By saying that EC is not bound by the Malaysia Agreement 1963, he is in fact, questioning the validity of the Agreement.

“Abdul Aziz said any review on the matter must take into account the composition ratio of the parliamentary seats agreed at the formation of the (Malaysian) Federation. Back then, Malaya was allocated 104 seats representing 65 per cent of the parliamentary seats; with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore combined getting 55 seats or 35 per cent. But after Singapore left, where did the 15 seats go to?

“Sabah and Sarawak must collectively be given 35 per cent of the seats in Parliament, which means a combine minimum of 78 seats out of 222 in Dewan Rakyat. Currently, Sabah and Sarawak have 56 seats in Parliament,” he pointed out.

Bit also said the government should revisit the recommendation in Paragraphs 165 and 190(g) of the Cobbold Commission Report, which states: “Representation of the Borneo territories shall take into account not only of their population but also their size and potentialities.”

He added: “We must also ensure fairer and more equitable distribution of funds for each constituency, as well as access to facilities and amenities by the people in both states.”

Source: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/06/06/ec-must-refer-to-malaysia-agreement-1963-for-delineation-plans-involving-sarawak-sabah/#ixzz3ck6hGvaw

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Sabah and Sarawak saviours, not fixed deposits, says academic

Describing voters in Sabah and Sarawak as "fixed deposits" for Barisan Nasional (BN) is degrading, an academic said, adding that the Bornean states were better called "saviours" of the ruling coalition.

University Putra Malaysia's politics and government expert professor Dr Jayum Anak Jawan said Sabah and Sarawak had time and again ensured Malay politics in the states survived for BN, which would otherwise be faring worse in elections.

"Sabah and Sarawak are not a fixed deposit, I think that is very degrading.

"Please don't use fixed deposit. Sabah and Sarawak are the saviour of a sunken ship. Without Sabah and Sarawak, Barisan Nasional is no where. We have been saving West Malaysian politics for more or less three or four times in history," he said at a conference today.

"Before this, we came over to save Malaya from the emergency in 1948. In 1963, we came to ensure Malay politics remained, as our population was to balance the Chinese population in Singapore," Jayum said, referring to the formation of Malaysia in 1963 when Sabah, Sarawak, Malaya and Singapore came together. Singapore left the federation two years later.

Jayum said BN's political problems were race-based between the Malay and Chinese votes and had little to do with Sarawak and the Dayaks –  the broad term used to collectively describe the indigenous people of the state.

"This is all Malay-Chinese problem, it is not a Sarawak and Dayak problem, but we have been coming to resolve, to bring peace between these two political warring ethnic groups," he said at a conference called "The 13th Malaysian General Elections: The Sarawak Perspective" in Kuala Lumpur.

Jayum said Sabah and Sarawak had again saved Malay politics in the 2008 and 2013 general elections, when BN leaders began using the term "fixed deposit" to describe the east Malaysian states which remained with the ruling coalition despite inroads by the opposition.

Jayum also said later during a question-and-answer session that it was unreasonable for Sabah and Sarawak's citizens to say they were still undeveloped, since they had chosen to vote for BN all this while.

"Is that the fault of federal government or the fault of state government, or your own fault?

"If the representation from Sabah and Sarawak is unfair, why do Sabah and Sarawak people still stay in Barisan Nasional?

"If Sabah and Sarawak says that they are unfairly treated, yet keep on telling the people that we still (lag) behind, then what are (we) doing in Barisan Nasional the last 50 years?" Jayum said.

On that score, Jayum said he agreed with other analysts that BN would win the upcoming Sarawak elections, except for seats in urban Chinese areas which have swung to the opposition in recent polls.

But he also predicted a rough ride for BN now that greater political awareness had come to the Dayaks.

"The state elections will be challenging. I don't expect the state BN to lose, but I'm not sure whether they will be able to keep their two-thirds majority because the focus now is on the Dayaks," he said.

Dayak seats form some 45% of state seats in Sarawak, and Jayum said more natives were beginning to realise that there was nothing wrong in voting against the ruling party or government.

He said this "wind of change" among the Dayaks was coming from the younger generation, who were more politically aware and informed of their rights.

He said this would not have much impact on the coming state polls which must be held by August 2016, as such awareness was still new, but he believed it was an indication of things to come. – June 9, 2015.

Source: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/sabah-and-sarawak-saviours-not-fixed-deposits-says-academic#sthash.mb9VLumo.dpuf

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UNFINISHED PROCESS OF DECOLONIZATION UNDER UNDD 1960

You see, Singapore declared UDI (Unilateral Declaration of Independence) on 31 Aug 1963, which was not recognised by Britain and Malaya. For a British colony to have its independence restored, the British Parliament must pass the independence act for the colony.

Singapore merged with Malaya on 16 Sep 1963 to form Malaysia. Malaysia is a sovereign nation, Malaysia is Malaya as verified by United Nations on 16 Sep 1963, just name tweaked a bit. Westminster did not pass the Parliament Act to decolonize its colonies - Spore, Sarawak, North Borneo. instead Malaysia Act in 1963 was passed in the British Parliament, vesting the power in Malaysia to hold the sovereignty of these British colonies. this is a direct transfer of colonialism, sukarno called it neo-colonialism.

The british were fond of choosing friendly regimes to pass their colonies to, who would continue their military (and US too) and economic interests in this strategic region.

In 1965, Singapore left.

The British Parliament still had to pass the Singapore Act in Westminster in 1966.

Why would Britain need to do this if Spore was independent territory in Malaysia 63-65?

But this final step is the most important process to complete decolonization. i repeat, full and complete decolonization means the colony (non-self-governing territory) is given national independence with the colonial power passing an Act to grant independence UNCONDITIONALLY AND UNRESERVEDLY.

This is the final step wanting for Sarawak and Sabah.

This is what we had been saying all the time, that is why the Peoples' Petition to United Nations is addressed to the Special Decolonization Committee C-24. to put SS back on the decolonization path, like french polynesia. we still need British Parliament to pass the Sarawak Act and Sabah Act for us to gain national independence. I always said Singapore set the precedent.

So, Sarawak and Sabah are still in the unfinished process of decolonization under United Nations Decolonization Declaration 1514, 1960.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/233762186824908/permalink/384054185129040/

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‘S’wak only stating the obvious’ dues under M’sia Agreement – Masing

KUCHING: Sarawak’s demand for more autonomy is a case of wanting what was due to the state under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and nothing more.

Land Development Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing who said this, added that the state is merely requesting for rights that was agreed upon the formation of Malaysia and nothing less.

The senior minister added that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem was stating the obvious when the latter made this request during the meet-the-people rally with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak here on Thursday.

“The Federal boys shouldn’t get excited by Sarawak’s request. We just want what is due to us. Just don’t short-change Sarawak,” Masing told thesundaypost yesterday.

At Thursday’s programme attended by some 12,000 people comprising state Barisan Nasional (BN) component party members and BN affiliate members, Adenan said the state wants its autonomy to be reinstated. The chief minister added that both the state and federal governments were in negotiation on the terms for the devolution of powers to some of the state agencies.

Adenan was reported as saying that at the moment, decisions have to go through a lot of red tape before it is approved at federal level whereas some of the decisions could be done here. He also mentioned that implementation could be better as Sarawakians know the problem here better.

Najib, during his speech afterwards, acknowledged the need for the devolution while explaining it will expedite Sarawak’s development plan.

In this regards, Masing who is Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president, reminded that Peninsular Malaysia must understand that in essence, without Sarawak and Sabah, there is no Malaysia.

“It would only be the Federation of Malaya,” he quipped.

The state’s autonomy at present covers its right to manage land, forest resources and immigration in accordance with the Federation of Malaysia Agreement signed on Sept 13, 1963.

Some of the federal government agencies, namely health, education and immigration are currently headed by Sarawakians as part of the Borneonisation policy as stated in the accord.

Source: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/06/07/swak-only-stating-the-obvious-dues-under-msia-agreement-masing/#ixzz3chwbdv4Z

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