Saturday 06/10/07 - Venture into agricultural activities - Datuk Musa

SANDAKAN: Chief Minster Datuk Seri Musa Aman has urged the people living in rural areas to venture into agricultural activities to increase their source of income.

He said the State Government encouraged rural folks to grow fruits and vegetable, raise cattle and goat as well as rear caged fish.

“This is one way of gaining more income and it is something that people in the rural areas should engage more in,” he said when breaking fast with his supporters in his State constituency of Sungai Sibuga yesterday.

Musa, who is also the Sabab Umno chief and Libaran Umno divisional head, said he had asked the Ministry of Agriculture to provide assistance to those interested and guide them on better agricultural practices.

“The Government wants to help the people improve their livelihood. As such, the people should take advantage of the various agricultural programmes provided by the Government.” he said, adding this was one way to assist the people to increase their income and hence be more independent.

The Chief Minister said there were still many development projects in the pipeline for Sabah, including infrastructure projects such as roads and utility services.

He also said the people must put things into perspective and realize that the opposition could not bring development to the State.

“All they are able to do is to hurl unfounded allegations and make empty promises,” he said and also advised the people during the holy month of Ramadhan to be more charitable and help one another.

The Chief Minister who is making a two-day visit to Sandakan beginning yesterday, also visited several villages in the Libaran parliamentary constituency, including Sungai Sibuga to hand out aid to the orphans, the poor and less privileged people.

About 357 of the recipients from Kg Luboh, Kg Padas, Kg Sungai Manila, Kg Bahagia, Kg Sibait and Kg Sungai Daling received their assistance from the Chief Minister.

Other contributions were also provided by Sabah Tithes Centre, Baitumal of Sabah and Sabah Foundation. At all his stops, the Chief Minister also donated wall-clock to the respective mosques.

Among those who accompanied Musa during his visits were Libaran Member of Parliament Datuk Juslie Ajirol, Gum-Gum Assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Edris, Sabah Federal Development (JPPS) director Datuk Salleh Yaakub, Sabah Tithes Center director Mohd Zaratkhan Abdul Rahman, Sabah Baitumal general manager Baharuddin Abd Wahid, JASA director Datuk Yassin Amit, senior Sabah Foundation official Dr KarimSamsuri, Sandakan Municipal Council president Yeo Boon Hai and Sungai Sibuga people development leader Haji Basra Abdul Rahman

Saturday 06/10/07 - Birth Cert should do to prove Bumi status: District Chief

KOTA KINABALU: SinoKadazans who were born after the State Government had frozen the issuance of Native Certificate or Sijil Anak Negeri in 1982 should only be required to produce birth certificate to prove their Bumiputera status.

This was the view William view given by Kota Kinabalu District Chief OKK William Majimbun when asked to comment on the predicament of the people from Sino-Kadazan community relating to their status as native or Bumiputera.

“The particulars in their birth certificates clearly state the status of their parents,” he said, yesterday.

“When the parents are Sino, then the children are also Sino and as such, there should he no question regarding the status of the children.”

William pointed out that the birth certificates are issued by the National Registration Department (NRD) and are genuine documents which determine the status of the bearers as native.

William concurred with the view expressed recently by Senator Maijol Mahap, who said that from the interpretation under the Native Ordinance, the status of the Sino— Kadazans is native and as such, they are Bumiputera.

“It does not make any sense in a Sino family if some of the members are holding the native status, while others are not, just because the parents and the older family members were born before 1982 and the others were born after the Government had frozen the issuance of the native certificate,” said William.

“In fact, a few official committees have been tasked by the Government to handle the issue and flow the time has come for a decision to be made so that the people from the Sino— Kadazan community will no longer be left out,” he said.

On the Suham Amanah Bumiputera (ASB) investment scheme which is managed by the Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad (ASNB), William noted that Sino-Kadazans who are in possession of the Native Certificate are eligible to make investment in the scheme.

He said those who do not have the certificate are not eligible merely because of a technicality, that is they were born after the State Government had frozen the issuance of the document in 1982.

“The problem is not about the status of the Sino but the terms and conditions imposed by the ASNB which require the investors to produce the Native Certificate to prove their Bumiputera status… and this is merely a procedural problems,” he said.