Forget the old road, develop the whole state

By Paul Raja
COMMENT Finally, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has to come down himself to announce the grant to implement the Beluru-Lapok road project in the Baram district in Sarawak.
The Baram district is easily bigger than any one of the small Malaysian states. But strangely, in terms of budget allocation, the money for it is trickling in once in a while.

It is not surprising that Najib made the announcement. Many years ago during previous elections, former works minister S Samy Vellu had also mouthed the same thing: he promised that the road would tar-sealed but until now nothing has moved.

The state leaders – ministers and YBs alike – have also made similar statements but they are short on action. The people have lost count of the number of announcements that have been made.

So it is not so amusing to hear oft-repeated promises again. Those promises are the same as the name of the road – “Lapok” (old in Malay).

With or without announcement, people no longer care. Why should they? All that they want to see is that the road is tar-sealed. An announcement does not interest them at all and neither does it excite them.

Instead, it works the opposite way. It makes people more angry. You know why? Because all these public statements are more often than not just empty promises.

People now have higher expectations. The Baram folk are not only crying for the Lapok road. They are also yearning for an comprehensive development for Baram in particular and Sarawak as a whole.

They want tar-sealed roads to all the villagers in Baram and the state. They want electricity, healthcare, clean water, telecommunications and Internet services, education and any other public services that can be found in Putrajaya.

Why should a prime minister come all the way to Sarawak to distribue only goodies? Goodies are only for little children.

NCR land issue again
Najib also unveiled a RM20 million allocation to conduct a survey of native customary rights (NCR) land. But we do not harbour much hope.

A few years ago, the federal government had announced a RM100-million budget to develop NCR land. People were really looking forward to it to promote native economic interests.

However, until today we have not heard what had happened to the RM100-million allocation. The NCR landowners who genuinely wanted to develop their NCR land to plant oil palm don’t seem to get much assistance.

So this is another empty promise. What is the meaning of the slogan: "People First, Performance Now”?

When Najib and his grand entourage went to Long Banga, they flew in aboard 10 helicopters.

Media reports said: “Najib leaves indelible mark in Long Banga.”

I couldn't agree more with this. If the prime minister leads by example, he should take a 4WD from Miri to Long Banga, which is accessible by logging treks from Lapok. Why use helicopter?

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The Penans don't expect a miracle. They are as human as we are. They all expect what the other Sarawakians are entitled to.

Najib and his men should have taken the trouble to see for themselves how much hardship the people of Sarawak, particularly in the rural areas, have endured ever since Merdeka.

Najib missed this opportunity of seeing the people up close and rectifying the wrongs of past national leaders.

If he had taken the trouble to drive up the timber trek to the Baram River, he would have understood what the Baram folk are experiencing.

But now that is history. Yes, he did leave an indelible mark. But it is a mark that proves yet again that leaders only enjoy their power while the people continue to slog.

People were mesmerised to see a prime minister in the village. But what changes had taken place? Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had been to several villages in Sarawak, and these villagers are still no better off than the ones that were never visited. It makes no difference.

The only indelible mark that Najib has left in Long Banga is the “temporary excitement” that comes along every time a leader comes a calling.

The Penan issue

Now that Najib had visited Long Banga, a village located within the Penan tribe heartland, what will he do for the Penans?

The Penans don't expect a miracle. They are as human as we are. They all expect what the other Sarawakians are entitled to.

As far as the community is concerned, if Najib’s visit to the Penan heartland still cannot resolve their pressing problems – like exploitation and allegations of rape of their womenhood – then they wouldn’t know where else to seek relief.

So Najib better deliver what the Penan community expects – justice.

As the prime minister, he can do so much. But how much will he do, we will see. Our Penan friends deserve some kind of decent attention.

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Paul Raja is a human and native rights lawyer. He is also a state level PKR leader.