DG’s instruction on scholarship applications very improper – STAR

KOTA KINABALU: The State Reform Party finds the instruction by Director General of the Higher Learning Department, Prof. Datuk Dr Rujhan Mustafa, to channel scholarship applications through the KDM Malaysia association as shocking and totally improper.

“I am flabbergasted that such a high-ranking government official could be so loose with rules of government protocol,” said STAR Deputy Chairman, Daniel John Jambun is a statement here. “I simply cannot believe that a supposedly apolitical and a non-governmental organization (NGO) has suddenly been asked to be an agent of the Federal Government’s administration.”

Pujian melulu Pairin kepada Musa dan kerajaan UMNO mengganggu nurani Orang Asal Sabah

Oleh Daniel John Jambun

KOTA KINABALU : Saya amat terkejut membaca laporan akhbar hari ini menyatakan Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan memuji-muji dan mengangkat kempimpinan Ketua Menteri Musa Aman sebagai seseorang yang amat prihatin kepada rakyat Sabah.

Tidakkah Huguan Siou Kadazandusun itu sedar pujiannya adalah janggal sekali sebab di bawah pimpinan Musa dari UMNO lah, masyarakat Kadazandusun dan juga Orang Asal lain semakin terhimpit di bumi sendiri?

Bagaimanakah Pairin mengangkat Musa sedangkan ketika pemerintahannya rakyat Sabah terus merempat sebagai yang paling miskin di Malaysia? Ini laporan Bank Dunia yang menyatakan demikian !

CM should sue those politicizing illegals

By Daniel John

The Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Aman, in a speech this week had said that the opposition is politicizing the issue of illegal immigrants, and that the BN leaders should go to the ground more to explain issues to the people. This is another one of those talks by BN leaders asking their leaders to go and “answer the slanders of the opposition” (pergi dan tangkis tohmanan-tohmahan pembangkang). Note that tohmah, according to Kamus Milenium, is “tuduhan atau anggapan buruk yang berasaskan syak tanpa bukti nyata” or slander. But most of the time the media translates “tohmanan-tohmahan” as “lies”, and we seldom here BN leaders say “pembohongan-pembohongan pembangkang” because “tohmahan” is better for them since it paints the opposition as evil-hearted slanderers (pemfitnah), and because “tohmahan” doesn’t suggest that they are liars. But truth is truth and there is nothing you can do to escape it. It always catches up with you in the end. And the truth will trap and punish you.

STAR explains why ‘outdated’ Sabah for Sabahans concept is rousing support

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah for Sabahans is not the slogan of the Borneo Alliance, but “rights and autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak” is, say the state Reform Party (STAR).

“But if the BN leaders feel this is the slogan of the Borneo Alliance, so be it,” said STAR Sabah’s Deputy Chairman, Daniel John Jambun in a statement here. He was responding to the speech in Parliament  on wednesday by Kota Belud MP, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan that the slogan “Sabah for Sabahans” being played up by the opposition “to confuse the people” is outdated while it is detrimental to national integration.

Mositun’s criticisms are actually compliments on Jeffrey

By Daniel John

Believe it or not, there are times in your political life when you think you are criticizing someone but in reality you are actually complimenting him or her. This is what Datuk Johnny Mositun had done when he criticized Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan a few days ago. He said that Dr. Jeffrey “is deliberately playing on the people’s sensitivities and parochial sentiments.”

Jambun to Mositun: Let’s debate on what’s best for Sabah

By Daniel John

KOTA KINABALU: State Reform Party (STAR) has taken exception to the statement by PBS’ Information Chief Datuk Johnny Mositun who said Datuk Dr. Jefrrey Kitingan and STAR have been making unrealistic promises to fish for support.

STAR Deputy Chairman, Daniel John Jambun, said here today that there is a fundamental difference between the PBS mentality and the vision of STAR.

Insulting the people by denying poverty

By Daniel John

Of all the many current issues being debated in the media, Najib’s ‘assurance’ during his recent visit to Sabah that the state is no longer the poorest in Malaysia is the one that currently hitting the most sensitive nerves among Sabahans.

While the statement was supported by local BN leaders, the opposition leaders have expressed shock at the Najib’s statement. People on the ground  are scornful and believe it is all a desperate political spin to give a positive impact for Najib’s visit to Sabah prior to the general election.

Najib asked to explain heaps of financial scandals

Najib asked to clarify on heaps of financial scandals / extravaganza that defy ordinary Malaysians' logic

KOTA KINABALU: Numerous financial scandals have rocked this country. However the current ruling party led by UMNO seems to be immune of any critics, or seem to appear that everything is in order. Let me ask the visiting PM Najib Razak over some of the most notorious scandals and extravaganza so that he may have the opportunity to clarify and quash them if he may, while he is on Sabah soil.

Opposition promises worrying the BN leaders

By Daniel John Jambun

The promises being made by the opposition leaders are so attractive and reasonable, and the support the opposition is getting from the people is now so strong, that the BN leaders are genuinely worried.

The recent visit by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim this week was even more troublesome for them because Anwar made new additional promises that are causing the people to think again more positively about their future.

BR1M is not the right economic solutions for the people

By Daniel John Jambun

I feel it is rather amusing to read so many leaders calling for us not to politicize the RM500 BR1M handouts, some even going to the extend of warning people not to link it to any political motive, because the handouts are “the government’s sincere way of trying to assist the people in today’s difficult economic climate.” But the problem is, after so many BN leaders make this warning, we can’t help thinking this must be very political indeed! It is quite clear that their intention to warn us not to politicize the matter is their way of telling us that it is all actually political. Ironically, by warning us not to politicize the matter, they are the ones ending up politicizing it!

Mahathir forgot how he destroyed the judiciary

By Daniel John

I must I was flabbergasted to read Tun Mahathir Mohammad’s statement that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s intention to hiolod a rally against his conviction on January 9 was an attempt to attack the judiciary in Malaysia.

My dear Tun, you were the one who wrote a poem Melayu Mudah Lupa (Malays Forget Easily) which ended with the words: Ingatlah / Ingatlah / Ingatlah / Wahai bangsaku / Jangan mudah lupa lagi / Kerana perjuanganmu belum selesai (Remember / Remember / Remember / O my people / Forget easily no more / Because you struggle is not yet over).

Article 153 is not just for Malays but for every Malaysian!

Datuk Ibrahim Ali just came up with a gem of truth when he said there is no need for a Race Relations Act if people behave. “If everyone behaves, if nobody touches on (Article) 153, nobody questions this and that, condemns this and that, and at the same time recognises the disparity of wealth between Malays and non-Malays, I don’t think we need any additional Act,” he said.

UK-based Human Rights Foundation proposes a TOR for RCI on illegals in Sabah

The RCI for Sabah must charge wrongdoers with sedition and treason and not just for falsification of official documents, noted the Human Rights Foundation.

By Mr Daniel John Jambun (Advisor, UK-based Human Rights Foundation Malaysia)

My committee set-up under a United Kingdom-based Human Rights Foundation Malaysia to study Sabah problems especially in regards to issue of sovereignty, disenfranchisement and the Malaysia Agreement has come up with a comprehensive proposal for both the Federal Government of Malaysia and the Malaysian Parliament to consider as term of reference (TOR) for the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the large presence of illegal immigrants, dubious Malaysian identity cards and phantom voters in Sabah.

Government’s handout doesn’t mean freedom of religion

I can’t blame the head of the MIC in Sabah for heaping praises on the government for helping the Hindu temples in Kota Kinabalu with a gift of RM50,000. A thank you is only natural and expected for any gift but I feel he has gone overboard by saying it was a proof that there is freedom of religion in Malaysia!

UMNO not dominating, not racist?

I congratulate the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for his sterling performance in his speech at the on-going Umno General Assembly.

Even Tun Mahathir who had been so critical of Najib all this while was impressed and expressed support for him because now “he is a different man.”

Is Umno that patriotic?

Oh boy, here we go again with misguided concepts about patriotism! Datuk Yahya Hussein this week had accused the opposition for being unpatriotic following criticism of the state budget by DAP’s Jimmy Wong, Sri Tanjung’s opposition Assemblyman. Yahya took the opportunity to blurt out such extreme comments against him as, “To the opposition like … Jimmy Wong, the budget today is meaningless … no matter how much the budget is it is incorrect… it is opposed in a way that is membabi buta (blindly)… when the opposition talks about Sabah, everything about it is bad but when they talk about other states such as Penang and Selangor, it is all good.”

PAS cooking up a lot religious nonsense

By Daniel John

Which Christian can help being angered by the accusation by PAS’ problematic Hasan Ali that Christian missionaries are using eight ways to proselytize Muslims - one of which included using a rather far-fetched ‘solar-powered handheld talking Bible.’ He also said that Christians were setting up welfare groups that handed out financial and other forms of assistance to single mothers, the poor, the elderly and others with inducements including daily provisions, capital for business purposes and other aid.

Dangerous precedence in Sultan’s involvement in DUMC case

The decision to use the Sultan of Selangor to make decision with regards to the incidence of alleged proselytization at the Damansara Utama Methodist church dinner has set a dangerous precedence because of several reasons. The people of Malaysia, regardless of the ethnic background and creed are all directly involved and affected by this historic case in which the Sultan, as the head of Muslim affairs in Selangor, make a legal decision on the very sensitive matter.

A few things missing in the budget

It is understandable that the BN leaders are voicing out all sorts of support for the just presented budget. But I feel there is a need for us to be reminded that there are quite a few things which should have been included for Sabah.

Sabah, as we all know, is saddled with a lot of problems, mainly illegals, energy supply, crimes, and poverty. The budget concentrated too much on giving away goodies. But the first thing that needs to be done for Sabah is to introduce programs to jumpstart the sluggish economy.

The people in the villages and the interiors need to be given opportunities to participate in the economic process in more meaningful ways.

Pairin can’t solve illegals problem with his committee

It has been said that we shouldn’t have too many ambitions; we might achieve them! And Tan Sri Pairin’s appointment as head of the Sabah Committee on illegal immigrants is certainly case in which he got more than what he asked for. He had given the government until 2012 to solve the illegals problem, and now, as if to oversatisfy him, the government has given him the whip and said, “Now, it’s all yours.”

Which is not exactly a course for celebration, because the job he is given is impossible to do! The task at hand is a huge one, like a monster which had grown for 40 years, and he is expected to kill it within a few months. But can he? He might be a deputy chief minister, but how much can the committee do to solve the illegals problem? We know that the state had several committees already since the last few decades formed under the State Security Committee which was headed by the Chief Minister. Pairin as a former head of the State Security Committee must know very well that it is a very ineffective committee.