Wanita PKR slams Jabu over 'half-truths'
Ang Ngan TohPublished: Jun 30, 2011 10:06 AM | Updated: Jun 30, 2011 10:10 AM
Wanita PKR has slammed Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Numpang for his “most unsatisfactory and inconsistent answers” on Penan issues when replying to queries raised in the just-concluded state assembly sitting.
Wanita PKR has slammed Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Numpang for his “most unsatisfactory and inconsistent answers” on Penan issues when replying to queries raised in the just-concluded state assembly sitting.
“We believe that Jabu is giving half-truths when answering the queries,” Wanita PKR national vice-chief Voon Shiak Nie (right) told reporters today.
Jabu, who is the state minister in charge of Penan affairs, had said that the state government had allocated a sum of RM1.2 million funding for the transportation of Penan students to schools and back since 2008.
He had said the Penan students from Baram, Limbang and Belaga benefitted from the fund.
Jabu had also said that the state and federal governments were working closely to implement the pertinent recommendations in a report by the national-level action committee investigating sexual harassment of Penan women and schoolgirls.
The recommendations include providing transportation, medical services and schools and registration of births and issuance of MyKad.
Voon said that from Wanita PKR’s sources, the state government had not implemented any of the recommendations in the action committee’s report and the empowerment programmes carried out by the Sarawak women for Women Society (SWWS).
“From the feedback that we received, the recommendations have not been carried out by the state government, contrary to what Jabu was telling the state legislative assembly.
“The funds for the women’s NGO, which is moving into Baram and Marudi for the empowerment programmes, which I knew of, were not from the state government,” she said.
“May I ask Jabu (left) what are the details of the implementations pertaining to the recommendations in the report that had been carried out by the state government or going to be implemented?” she asked.
She said Jabu should be truthful in his reply to the state assemblypersons’ queries on the Penan issues.
“We are working closely with the Penan support group and the local NGOs, and based on the feedback that we have received, much of what Jabu was saying could not be proven and were without basis,” Voon said.
Voon said Sarawak PKR leaders had worked together with the local NGOs in Baram to look for funds for continual help to the community.
She said the Selangor state government had donated RM80,000 and Penang government gave RM50,000 to acquire a four-wheel drive vehicle for use to transport the Penan students from their settlements to schools and back, in middle Baram.
“The two state governments are also paying for the salary of a driver,” she said.
‘Money didn’t reach target group’
On the RM1.2 million fund said to have come from the state government, Voon expressed her disappointment that the money had not reached the target group.
“While indeed there is state funding for the purpose of transportation of Penan students, we are of the opinion that the system of delivery of the funding is unclear, inconsistent and personal-driven.
“The routing of the funds from the State Planning Unit under the Chief Minister’s Office down to the relevant schools with the Penan students intake is fraught with red-tape and uncertainties.
“One particular headmaster even told us that he has become fed-up with it after his first application submitted to the Resident’s Office of Miri Division went unanswered, and he never bothered to apply again since last year,” Voon said.
She said the headmaster had sought other means to get the funds to pay for the transport charges to ferry the Penan students.
“Another headmaster told us that he did not know of the existence of such a fund, although his school is located in a Penan area in upper Baram and therefore should be eligible to apply,” Voon said.
She said a secondary school in Baram had not received any funds, although it had applied.
Voon said almost all the schools in Baram indicated that they had not received any money for this year.
“We were informed that they had to look for money from other sources,” she said.
Voon called on the state government to channel such funds, if there were any, directly to the Education Ministry, not to the Resident’s Office, for distribution to the Penan schools.
She alleged that the Resident’s Office could have channelled the money elsewhere instead of helping the Penan students.
“There should be transparency and accountability in the distribution of the fund,” she said, adding: “We don’t want to see the Penan students to continue suffering because of the state government’s sheer inefficiency”.
“We believe that Jabu is giving half-truths when answering the queries,” Wanita PKR national vice-chief Voon Shiak Nie (right) told reporters today.Jabu, who is the state minister in charge of Penan affairs, had said that the state government had allocated a sum of RM1.2 million funding for the transportation of Penan students to schools and back since 2008.
He had said the Penan students from Baram, Limbang and Belaga benefitted from the fund.
Jabu had also said that the state and federal governments were working closely to implement the pertinent recommendations in a report by the national-level action committee investigating sexual harassment of Penan women and schoolgirls.
The recommendations include providing transportation, medical services and schools and registration of births and issuance of MyKad.
Voon said that from Wanita PKR’s sources, the state government had not implemented any of the recommendations in the action committee’s report and the empowerment programmes carried out by the Sarawak women for Women Society (SWWS).
“From the feedback that we received, the recommendations have not been carried out by the state government, contrary to what Jabu was telling the state legislative assembly.
“The funds for the women’s NGO, which is moving into Baram and Marudi for the empowerment programmes, which I knew of, were not from the state government,” she said.
“May I ask Jabu (left) what are the details of the implementations pertaining to the recommendations in the report that had been carried out by the state government or going to be implemented?” she asked.She said Jabu should be truthful in his reply to the state assemblypersons’ queries on the Penan issues.
“We are working closely with the Penan support group and the local NGOs, and based on the feedback that we have received, much of what Jabu was saying could not be proven and were without basis,” Voon said.
Voon said Sarawak PKR leaders had worked together with the local NGOs in Baram to look for funds for continual help to the community.
She said the Selangor state government had donated RM80,000 and Penang government gave RM50,000 to acquire a four-wheel drive vehicle for use to transport the Penan students from their settlements to schools and back, in middle Baram.
“The two state governments are also paying for the salary of a driver,” she said.
‘Money didn’t reach target group’
On the RM1.2 million fund said to have come from the state government, Voon expressed her disappointment that the money had not reached the target group.
“While indeed there is state funding for the purpose of transportation of Penan students, we are of the opinion that the system of delivery of the funding is unclear, inconsistent and personal-driven.
“The routing of the funds from the State Planning Unit under the Chief Minister’s Office down to the relevant schools with the Penan students intake is fraught with red-tape and uncertainties.
“One particular headmaster even told us that he has become fed-up with it after his first application submitted to the Resident’s Office of Miri Division went unanswered, and he never bothered to apply again since last year,” Voon said.She said the headmaster had sought other means to get the funds to pay for the transport charges to ferry the Penan students.
“Another headmaster told us that he did not know of the existence of such a fund, although his school is located in a Penan area in upper Baram and therefore should be eligible to apply,” Voon said.
She said a secondary school in Baram had not received any funds, although it had applied.
Voon said almost all the schools in Baram indicated that they had not received any money for this year.
“We were informed that they had to look for money from other sources,” she said.
Voon called on the state government to channel such funds, if there were any, directly to the Education Ministry, not to the Resident’s Office, for distribution to the Penan schools.
She alleged that the Resident’s Office could have channelled the money elsewhere instead of helping the Penan students.
“There should be transparency and accountability in the distribution of the fund,” she said, adding: “We don’t want to see the Penan students to continue suffering because of the state government’s sheer inefficiency”.
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