http://radiofreesarawak.org/2012/01/womens-week-day-5-friday-27012012/

Women's week Day 5, Friday 27/01/2012
1800-2000 localtime 1000-1200 UTC SW 15420 kHz daily

Podcast: Download (Duration: 2:00:01 - 109.9MB)
http://media.blubrry.com/radiofreesarawak/p/sarawak.s3.amazonaws.com/TX_27_01_12\
.mp3

Coming to the close of Women's Week, Christina Suntai interviews Lumat anak
Lebong from Kampong Lebor, Serian. Lumat makes a decent living weaving
baskets out of materials she gathers from the jungle. Her day begins at 8 am
with a trip to Serian to sell her wares. She then returns home and works
until midnight weaving baskets.

Peter John Jaban talks to Doris Jones who is a lawyer from Sabah, living in
London as a single parent, narrating the kind of financial aids and support
she gets from the British Government, from housing to child care. How does
it compare with the help back home?

We will be talking with a Malaysian female doctor about the scandal that
only RM422 is spent per person on women's health care in Sabah and Sarawak
compared to RM1800 for each West Malaysian woman. Yet, with the distances
involved, it is far more costly to provide adequate maternity services in
Sarawak.

John Bara comments on witnessing the long lines of people scrambling for
Bantuan Malaysia Satu of RM500 and the disappointment of many due to lack of
information on how the money is being dispersed. YB Alan Ling from Piasau,
Miri, counters Peter Chin's fraudulent claim that the RM500 giveaway is
money from Barisanl National.

And we talk to some opposition candidates about the challenges of
campaigning in the distant and remote rural areas.

They need your support, so volunteers and sponsors are called for now!
____

http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/01/27/look-at-yourself-in-the-mirror-pas-told/

Look at yourself in the mirror, PAS told
by Mahathir Haroun. Posted on January 27, 2012, Friday

KUCHING: Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) should take their defeat in the last
state election as an indication of their actual strength before aiming to
cause ripples in the state in the coming parliamentary election.

When stressing this, Assistant Minister of Youth Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah
said the party should be more realistic and study all the facts before
making their move, including a dream to take over the Sarawak government

In the last state election on April 16 last year, PAS candidates in Tanjung
Datu, Beting Maro, Muara Tuang, Sadong Jaya and Sebuyau all lost to Barisan
Nasional (BN) candidates.

"They should not be day dreaming. If they had major losses during the state
election, then is it possible to take over BN stronghold seats?" he asked.

"Talk is cheap, but PAS should look forward. How many Muslims in Sarawak do
they want to divide?" he asked again.

Abdul Karim was commenting on PAS state deputy commissioner Jofri Jaraiee's
statement that he was confident the party would be able to take over BN
strongholds in the coming polls.

He then expressed his worry that PAS' political ideologies might affect the
unity among the various races in the state.

"PAS should not bring their political agenda to the state. Enough with their
effort in Kelantan and Terengganu," he added.

Commenting on the same issue, Parliament Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi
Tuanku Jaafar said although everyone was free to express what they wanted to
say at the end of the day their ability to serve the people would be known
after elections.

"PAS do not have good track record. What they are doing at the moment is
merely delivering empty promises," he pointed out.

Wan Junaidi, who is also Santubong MP, cited Kelantan which had been under
PAS control for several decades but was still lagging behind in terms of
development, and Kedah which PAS conquered in 2008 was "still at a loss".

"This is due to their (PAS) inexperience in administrating a country. On
that basis, we cannot rely on them to take care of the people's welfare.

"PAS should not be too proud because they have a lot to do to prove things,"
he said.

He, however, said BN would not take the challenge from the opposition
lightly.

"Incumbents of the respective seats should intensify their efforts to fulfil
their promises to the people and at the same time unite the people," he
said.
____

PAS mahu pecahkan tradisi Sarawak "fix deposit" BN
http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/berita-utama/7758-pas-mahu-pecahkan-tradisi\
-sarawak-qfix-depositq-bn

PAS mahu 12 kerusi Sarawak, 9 Sabah
http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/headline/7782-pas-mahu-12-kerusi-sarawak-9-\
sabah
____

http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/01/26/60-per-cent-of-sarawak-veterans-live-in-\
poverty/

60 per cent of Sarawak veterans live in poverty
by Wilfred Pilo . Posted on January 26, 2012, Thursday

FINANCIAL AID: Third Malaysian Infantry Brigade Commander Brigadier General
Hasagaya Abdullah looking at the cheques received by Chrisnalter Robertson
and Hersy Noveela Henry during a ceremony in Kuching yesterday.

Hasagaya had earlier officiated at the event to disburse RM31,500 to 21
individuals who benefited from the first series of the Malaysian Armed
Forces Veteran Affairs Department financial welfare aid programme for this
year.

http://cdn.theborneopost.com/newsimages/A013116919.jpg

KUCHING: Some 60 per cent of about 13,550 ex-servicemen in Sarawak are
living below the poverty line.

They comprised those without a pension after leaving the service, Malaysian
Armed Forces Veteran Affairs Department (JHEV) Sarawak branch director Lt
Col Monday Juhid told reporters at its office at Jalan Satok yesterday.

Records show that out of a total of 13,560 army veterans in the state, JHEV
had secured about 6,500 members throughout the years and is calling the
remaining 7,060 over ex-army personnel to register.

The department is intensifying its effort to register them.

"We are trying to find the rest through the 18 branches of the state's
ex-servicemen association," Monday told reporters after the handover of
welfare assistance to the veterans by Third Infantry Brigade Commander
Brig-Gen Hasagaya Abdullah.

Monday said a mobile counter programme would be launched in nine rural areas
throughout the state to locate and register all army veterans.

This is part of the effort to reach out to veterans in the state.

"There are ex-servicemen not interested to register on grounds that it won't
give them any benefit," he said.

"With JHEV's efforts, especially in trying to get the government to
legislate its economic principal for the betterment of army veterans, it is
hoped that veterans do not view ex-army associations and departments as no
longer relevant in today's society."

The department, set up in 2001, provides numerous services and
socio-economic assistance to ex-servicemen including education for their
children, business start-up help and so on.

"One of the problems encountered in locating the veterans is that most of
them are residing in the deep rural and interior areas which are hard to
reach. Accessibility to such areas is our main hurdle due to limited number
of JHEV staff in the state.

"JHEV will bring our mobile counter as far to the interior as possible in
our bid to find them. We will seek the help of various Malaysian ex-Army
Association (PBTM) throughout the state and other government bodies."

Monday said the department would seek the help of other army veterans and
family members to find and convince veterans to register as members.

"This year, we target to register at least 1,000 army veterans. If we can't
get to the ex-personnel, we will encourage their children to ask their
fathers to join. We are also gunning on the 'fellow veterans helping fellow
veterans to recruit' method," he continued.

Under the scheme, members could apply for aid for daily expenses,
school-level education and admission to public higher learning institutes
(IPTA) for their children, medical and health financial assistance and
natural disaster fund.

JHEV would introduce members to various consultants who could help improve
their finances.

Members should, in turn, disseminate such information to unregistered
veterans to convince them to sign up.

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