SERIAN: October 2015

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Bayoi wants Bukit Semuja

SERIAN: Former five-term assemblyman Frederick Bayoi Manggie is making a serious bid to contest the new state seat of Bukit Semuja.

Bayoi, who was Tarat assemblyman for two terms before then chief minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud asked him to contest for the newly-created seat of Kedup in 1996, is heading the PBB Triboh/Bukit Semuja Project, a committee tasked with lobbying for the seat to be allocated to PBB in the coming state election.

Committee secretary Johnny Gondok said as of today, Bayoi is the only serious contender with a real chance to win Triboh or Bukit Semuja for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 11th state election which many believe will be held in the first quarter of next year.

Johnny said his assessment is based on Bayoi’s movements in the area including meeting up with PBB unit leaders in all the six polling districts which make up the new seat since the day the Election Commission (EC) proposed the creation of the seat among 10 others.

“From day one we have continued to work the grounds, meeting people and holding dialogues.

“Besides Bayoi we have yet to see any other personalities working the grounds of the new seat.

“With hardly six months to the election, anyone who hopes to make any impact on the voters in Triboh or Semuja at the 11th hour cannot hope to achieve what Bayoi has achieved,” Johnny told The Borneo Post in an interview yesterday.

Under EC’s initial proposal, the new seat was to be called Triboh. It was to consist of the polling districts of Triboh with 2,465 voters, Slabi (3,335), Pasar Serian (2,841), Kakai (755) Serian Hulu (1,163) and Sedihan (2,919).

Under EC’s second proposal, Triboh was renamed Bukit Semuja. Bukit Semuja retained all the polling districts except Sedihan which was replaced with Antayan (2,385 voters).

Bayoi has made all the necessary preparations in terms of ground machinery. It does not matter if it is Triboh or Bukit Semuja, the fact is he is ready for the election any time it is called.

“Until today, no one else has come out in the open, let alone gone to the ground, ready and willing to become the BN flag bearer in Triboh or Bukit Semuja,” Johnny said.

“This coming weekend (Sunday), if the police are satisfied with the security issue, we will be having a big dialogue in Kampung Riih Daso,” Johnny added.

BN can win all Bidayuh seats — Manyin

KUCHING: Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) chief advisor Dato Sri Michael Manyin is confident that BN can defend all the eight Bidayuh-majority seats in the coming state election.

The eight state constituencies are Bengoh (to be renamed Mambong), Opar, Tebedu, Tarat, Kedup, Tasik Biru and the newly created Serembu and Bukit Semuja seats.

“The support for BN is still solid among the Bidayuh community. I am confident that BN will retain all the Bidayuh-majority seats and winning the new ones if they are to be given to Bidayuh leaders,” Manyin, who is also PBB vice-president, told The Borneo Post yesterday.

He said the Bidayuh community was fortunate to be given a lot of attention by the government. Though he was not sure if the two new seats would be given to Bidayuh candidates, he was very certain that the Bidayuh community in the two new constituencies of Serembu and Bukit Semuja would give their support to BN candidates.

“For Bidayuh areas, facilities and infrastructure are there. There is no reason for the Bidayuhs not to support BN. In view of our small number, the Bidayuh community has also no choice but to support BN. That is the only way for us to survive. We have to continue to support BN if we want development to be continued in our areas,” said the Infrastructure Development and Communications Minister.

Out of the current six Bidayuh majority seats, candidacy for three of them had been announced: Manyin himself for Tebedu, Martin Ben for Kedup and Datuk Roland Sagah for Tarat. The fate of the other incumbents; namely Datuk Dr Jerip Susil (Bengoh), Datuk Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru) and Ranum Mina (Opar), is yet to be known.

On the candidacy of Dr Jerip and Nansian as well as Ranum, Manyin said it depended on their respective party leadership, and the state BN chairman who has the prerogative to make the final decision.

“I don’t have the authority to nominate any candidate for any election. But once candidates are decided by their respective parties and BN leadership, then it is our duty and responsibility to make sure that they win the seats.

“But when a Bidayuh leader stands in an election, we always stand as a representative of the Bidayuh community, through the BN,” Manyin elaborated.

Due to the strong allegiance the Bidayuh community has for BN all this while, he believed that the opposition would have no chance in the Bidayuh-majority areas.

“Let them (PKR and DAP) squabble among themselves. They can contest in those areas but they pose no threat to us.

“I am confident that the Bidayuhs will give Chief Minister (Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem) and BN full support in the coming state election. BN will win all Bidayuh seats. We are very confident,” Manyin reiterated, referring to recent reports that PKR and DAP were on a collision course over Bukit Semuja, Kedup and Tebedu seats.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Tebakang

Small Tebakang bazaar. The cave edible nest trade started here decade ago.

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Dahim Nadot appointed Serian Resident

SERIAN: The question of who would be picked first Resident of newly created Serian Division has been answered with the appointment of former Kapit and Sarikei Resident Dahim Nadot.

The appointment was announced by State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani at a packed community hall here yesterday which saw Kuching and Samarahan residents Shukarmin Chasemon and Abdul Rahman Sebli Senusi hand over duties to Dahim.

Speaking at the occasion, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communications Dato Sri Michael Manyin said the appointment marked the beginning of a new era and better prospects for the people of

Serian as they would be getting direct allocations from the government unlike when it was only a district before.

“We can now expect bigger allocation which means more development for the people.

We are very grateful to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem for making our dream comes true.”

He said for a start, the division was requesting RM100 million

from the state government to implement necessary infrastructure and facilities such as a state complex to house various government departments and agencies in Serian.

Manyin, who is Tebedu assemblyman, anticipated that in the next few years the new division would be undergoing tremendous changes, especially after the Serian extension programme was completed.

“In the next five years or so we will be able to see many new buildings come up at the Serian extension site which is now in the pipeline and this will be developed by both private and public sectors,” he said.

According to him, the proposed site covering 168 acres of land had been acquired and compensation settled.

He earlier said the proposal to raise Serian to a division was put forward several years ago and only materialised this year.

“So now we can look forward to brighter days ahead and with the capable team comprising the Resident, two district officers (Tebedu and Serian districts) I am confident that we can make it,” he said.

On politics, Manyin said the elevation of Serian to a division was one of the many great successes achieved by Adenan since taking over the helm in less than two years.

“If in that short span of time he (Adenan) can deliver that much imagine how much more he could do if he were to stay on for another five years.

“So I want to call on all the people of Serian and also other divisions to continue giving him undivided support to enable him to lead the state at least for another term,” he said.

Human Resource Minister and Serian MP Datuk Seri Richard Riot, State Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Datuk Roland Sagah, Assistant Minister of Public Health Datuk Dr Jerip

Susil, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development) Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais and other dignitaries were among those present to witness the historical occasion yesterday.

Earlier, Manyin and Riot attended a briefing at Serian District Office where extension work is being carried out on the offices of the Resident and Deputy Residents.

The construction of the office block started in August at a cost RM3 million is expected to be completed in December.