Monday, March 10, 2008

SUPP NEVER WANTED TO HELP MILLAH OVER HER RIGHTS

Although DAP had lost in Stampin, supporters kept on ringing my phone expressing their shock and sadness over the result. To me the lost was in fact a victory because I was told that the St. Martin School issue was a grave that I dug to bury myself alive! The result showed otherwise. Some comrades for reasons known to themselves even advised me not to speak on the St. Martin issue, but, I had to take it as a personal political challenge. On the issue, I received many phone calls from supporters that gave me encouragement and advice on how to handle the issue. Many also phoned to me, to seek information about this St. Martin issue and I got much encouragement and strength from the Christian community many who decided to vote for me over the issue. The relevant authorities could not explain the reason why the chapel “ALL SAINTS’ CHAPEL” was demolished and why and when it was demolished. The land where the Sekolah Kebangsaan St. Martin was built belonged to an old 73 years old spinster, Millah anak Kitat, and when it was built was also not known as it was without the consent of Millah. How the name St. Martin came into being was also not known. Now there are no more Christian activities on the land after ALL SAINTS’ CHAPEL had been demolished! BN-SUPP must explain this! Many Christians were angry over the loss of a chapel! Freedom of religion is enshrined in Article 3 of the Federal Constitution and the Christians have the right to practise their religion.

ALL SAINTS’ CHAPEL was built with the consent of the late father of Millah, who himself was a Preacher.

After Millah discovered that a school had been built by the authorities on the land, Millah approached many BN YBs including her uncle, Datuk Ramsay Jitam, who at that moment was an Assistant Minister from the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) but, according to Millah, they were all a bunch of helpless people. Many of them persuaded Millah to surrender the land back to the government, but, Millah could not do this as it was her only property. No lawyers also wanted to take her case to be arbitrated by the Court as Millah, being unemployed had no money. Being a YB I had to hold true to my oath as a YB, that is to uphold the Federal Constitution as property rights are protected under the Federal Constitution.
Millah had given too long a time to the BN government to solve this matter, but, the BN government through its leaders including those from SUPP had chose to ignore her. When election was around the corner and when the matter was taken up by me, only then SUPP leaders wanted to help the people.

If the BN government was sincere, it was not difficult to solve the matter. The BN government instead of solving the matter chose to spend our money to send a medical doctor who knew nothing about space science to outer space, but, ignored the plight of Millah and St. Martin School.

Upon Millah’s instruction, I filed a suit in Court, after negotiation by with the relevant authorities also failed, but, before the matter could be settled by Court, the BN government took the decision to vacate the students to a nearby school, Sekolah Kebangsaan Jalan Muara Tuang. This later school has better facilities, equipped with computer.

One would imagine what would happen if one occupy a government land without permit or consent. I am sure the BN government would come with parangs, machine guns and policemen to demolish one’s hut and personal belongings! See what had happened in Ulu Niah some years ago and also Rh. Nyawin just months ago! The BN government came with parangs and trucks of policemen who were armed to the teeth to destroy their houses. Millah never wished to do what the BN government could do, but, preferred the matter to be settled by Court.

There was no reason why SUPP leaders had failed to come to an open debate on the matter when challenged by me, but, instead attacked by personal character. Likewise was also PKR, who instead of pointing their machineries on BN-SUPP during the campaign, took to attack me personally with the aim to destroy me politically assassinate me with the issue.

During the election campaign period, I was told some SUPP leaders had promised to find land to rebuild St. Martin School. Let them do it! At least the issue on St. Martin had forced SUPP to build a school for the community. If they want to do it, let not force money out from the pocket of the people in the community as in the Federal Constitution, schools should be maintained from public funds.

I also heard PKR will do the same. So let us see. I hope there will be two new schools for the community, that is, one to be built by SUPP while the other one by PKR! So please fulfill this promise, not mere talk.

1 comment:

mikesepul said...

Walaupun Voon kalah dalam pilihan raya umum kali ini, tapi saya masih berasa bangga kerana beza undi majoriti telah berkurangan. Kalau kali ini bukan asakan 3penjuru, sudah tentu jurangnya lagi dekat. Biar BN terasa ketidakadilan yang berlaku dalam masyarakat, yang mana usaha yang BN sendiri laksanakan kini telah makan mereka sendiri.
Malam Sabtu (malam pilihan raya), semasa saya dengan kawan-kawan saya sama-sama minum dan menonton pengumuman keputusan pilihan raya,saya nampak Voon dengan rakan seperjuangannya makan dekat tempat kami duduk. Saya dapat rasakan rasa kesal Voon terhadap keputusan malam itu.
Selepas makan Voon dan rakan beredar dari situ.
Pada pendapat saya, Voon sepatutnya,sebelum beredar, berdiri dan dengan suara yang lantang ucapkan "WALAU KAMI TELAH KALAH, TETAPI SAYA TAHU MAJORITY ANDA DI SINI TELAH MENGUNDI SAYA SIANG TADI, ATAS SOKONGAN KAMU SEMUALAH JURANG PERBEZAAN TELAH BERKURANGAN. SAYA NAMPAK SOKONGAN YANG BEGITU BANYAK UNTUK SAYA. SAYA AKAN TERUS BERUSAHA UNTUK RAKYAT DI KAWASAN INI, AGAR SOKONGAN ANDA SEMUA TIDAK DIPERSIA-SIAKAN. DAN SAYA JUGA MEMINTA SOKONGAN KALIAN YANG TIDAK PUTUS SEHINNGA KITA SEMUA BERJAYA.
TERIMA KASIH SEKALI LAGI KERANA MEMBERI UNDI ANDA KEPADA SAYA. KITA AKAN BERJAYA BERSAMA-SAMA PADA MASA YANG AKAN DATANG"