Old school friends may battle for Serian

Posted on September 11, 2011, Sunday

KUCHING: The Serian parliamentary seat may see a battle between two old friends.

EDWARD ANDREW LUAK

Incumbent Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Richard Riot, who has indicated his readiness to defend the seat for the sixth term, may face his former schoolmate Edward Andrew Luak.

Edward, who is Democratic Action Party (DAP) Serian chairman, is a strong favourite to be nominated as Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) candidate for the seat.

When contacted, Riot said he is aware of DAP’s movements on the ground in Serian to canvass for support.

Like a true gentleman, Riot said he did not want to run down his opponent and wished Edward the best of luck.

“Edward was my schoolmate. He was two years my junior in school. I know his family too.

DATUK RICHARD RIOT

“But I don’t like to run down my opponents. I know they (DAP) have moved around (in Serian). We live in a democratic system, and may the best man win,” he said in a telephone interview. On Friday, Edward, 58, a retired Shell employee, said he is ready to face off with Riot, who is a Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) central working committee member, in the coming general election.

“If given the chance by my party, I will be ready to face my friend Datuk Richard in Serian in the coming election,” Edward said. “There is a strong wind of change among the Bidayuh (in Serian) for better governance, better accountability and to fight corruption and cronyism.”

He also stressed that he was never a Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) member, but admitted offering himself as a candidate for PBB in the Kedup seat during the last state election.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/09/11/old-school-friends-may-battle-for-serian/#ixzz1f0VjeOZc

There is hope for Tebedu

by Phyllis Wong. Posted on June 26, 2011, Sunday

In May, a land dispute there led to the villagers torching the equipment belonging to a logging company.

TEBEDU has been in the limelight recently but for the wrong reasons.

SLEEPY HALLOW: A row of wooden shops at the old Tebedu town.

In June, some 100 farmers, villagers and traders residing near Tebedu staged a demonstration to protest the charges imposed by SM Inland Port.

Last week, thesundaypost (myself and two colleagues) ventured a trip to this quiescent border town and found it to be a sleepy hallow. Many now say it is practically a “dead” town. The old town has two rows of shops with only three still in business – a sundry shop, a footwear shop and a coffee shop. An old-timer, Bong Kim Khai, 73, operates the shop that sells footwear and sundry goods.

 Bong, formerly a salesman in Kuching has been running the shop which belongs to his brother, for nine years. “There is not much hope. Both Indons (Indonesians) and locals prefer going to shop in Serian. But business elsewhere is also stiff,” he reckoned. “Life is difficult for a small shopkeeper earning not enough to cover everyday expenses,” he lamented.

But he is staying on in Tebedu because life is simpler there.

However, after ‘sizing us up’ and learning that our intentions were honourable, she felt more at ease in our company.

Next, introducing ourselves as visitors, we got to talk to a woman looking after the sundry shop. As soon as she learned we were journalists, she became a bit wary.

This was followed by the declaration of the Emergency in 1965 and the launching of Ops Buaya a year later.It was during this time that she, together with many Chinese from Tebedu, moved to Beratok, Tapah and Siburan before  returning in 1976. Recalling the early troubled years, she said during the communist insurgency in 1963, Indonesian commandos and communist cadres were active in the area. “This is where we belong. We moved back because business was good at the border after peace was restored. “Many made their fortune during the boom time when Indonesians and locals shopped here. But things changed with infrastructural improvements in the area,” she noted.

“There are more choices in Serian or even Kuching,” she said, adding that goods elsewhere were also cheaper. In a small town, there is a lot of trust among the residents. Shops extend credit to customers. Accessibility provided by better roads has resulted in people bypassing Tebedu and moving to bigger towns. “Some still owe us money, so they come to our shop less now,” she revealed.

 According to her, the traders collect jungle produce from the surrounding areas and sell them in Serian and other towns. They bring back goods and sell them to the local people.  She was honest enough to confess that high profit margins helped cover the losses she may otherwise have suffered due to the debts. She regretted that the younger generation were no longer all that keen on retail business.

 Our team was quickly spotted by the Kapitan of Tebedu, Bong Kim Yuk, who ushered us into a coffeeshop.

Asked why she had not moved to the new township of Bandar Mutiara, she said the new shops were far away whereas in the old town, the clinic and schools were nearby.

Bong has lived through the good times in Tebedu, established more than 100 years ago by a group of Chinese immigrants from Singkawang and Pontianak in Indonesia. Sensing that we were journalists, he said “you can get all the information here” as he showed us the materials he had in hand. During the glorious early days, this predominantly Bidayuh area was reputed to be the main land-crossing between Malaysia and Indonesia with the highest number of tourist arrivals in the state being recorded annually.

Bong whose children are all educated overseas, has obviously made his millions. It was apparent that the bulk of Sarawak’s export trade also passed through this area.  “If you invest a few million, you would expect good returns. The principle is that if you invest more, you can expect better returns. “The rental here is cheap. If the government can extend the land lease to 60 or 99 years, there is hope for Tebedu,” he surmised. The lease of land and shops in the old Tebedu town will expire in 2014.

“If the government allows land and shop leases in other towns to be extended, we should also be given the same treatment,” he said.

He has, on behalf of the local residents, also requested the government through the media to extend the lease terms of their land and shops. Bong has been “selling” Tebedu and Bandar Mutiara through the media with the message of hope, and inviting investors to start business there.

Bandar Mutiara was developed in the early 1990’s. Sixty shophouses were built and they sold like hot cakes.

“But the shop has been left unoccupied for the past 20 years. We were told business and economic activities would boom soon.” A electrical goods trader known as Wong from Sibu revealed he and his friends each bought one lot for about RM175,000. Now with the influx of cheaper electrical goods from China, Wong and his friends have ceased their business trips to Pontianak.

While Bong did not agree with the general opinion that Bandar Mutiara was a failure, he, however, admitted people from Tebedu and Entikong in Indonesia preferred going directly to Serian town or Kuching to sell their goods and do their shopping .

“With tar-sealed roads and van services, it’s now convenient to travel to Serian or Kuching,” he said, pointing out that business at Tebedu was good before the roads came through.

Our team subsequently drove into the sleepy town of Bandar Mutiara. Only some food outlets and a sundry shop are operating there.

A maid training centre, occupying three shoplots, is closed. It should be doing well, considering the number the Indonesian helpers entering Sarawak through Pontianak. We were unable to obtain much information on the actual situation.

In the middle of the town stands a clock tower – a landmark with a large community hall looming amidst a nice landscape.One busy point is the new SM Inland Port with a cargo and container yard for cargo transiting between borders and warehousing for goods. The other busy area is the immigration checkpoint.


Tebedu has the rare distinction of hosting two Prime Ministers Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razah and his late father, Tun Razak Hussein, the second premier.The border town has earned its fame. The new township has been planned. The facilities are upgraded. It is easily accessible and strategically located. The task now is to bring in the businessmen.Kapitan Bong is optimistic this once glorious town will get a new lease on life with the commitment of both Bidayuh leaders to improve its 200,000-strong community in Serian District. Tebedu is served by two Bidayuh leaders – State assemblyman Datuk Seri Michael Manyin from PBB and Datuk Richard Riot from SUPP, both from Kampung Pichin.

Village halls in Kedup to be refurbished under 10MP

The Borneo Post

Posted on April 16, 2011, Saturday

SERIAN: Several halls in Kedup will be upgraded in the next five years under the ongoing 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP).

Announcing this yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said these projects are
included in the RM86.8 million allocation to Kedup.

He mentioned this during the meet-the-people session at Bunan Gega, 45 kilometres from
here.

Bunan Gega headman Albert Andrew Ruha, when contacted yesterday, said the refurbishment of the Babuk Barum hall in
the village was approved at the cost of RM200,000.

This hall was the
venue where Muhyiddin officiated at yesterday.

He said allocations were also approved for the Balai Kebudayaan (Cultural Centre) and
the hall at neighbouring Bunan Punok.

BN Win All Bidayuh Seats

Now that the BN has win all the Bidayuh seats, we are hoping that more developments and projects to be implemented.

The Borneo Post

Terbat-Mapu road will be on schedule – Naim

by Peter Sibon. Posted on April 16, 2011, Saturday

SERIAN: Naim Holdings has given an assurance that the RM30 million 9.5km Terbat-Mapu road project would be completed on time.

Naim Holdings chief operating officer Datuk William Wei said the local construction giant had already deployed a full team on the ground to ensure the project would be completed within the stipulated time frame.

Wei added that 36 months would be sufficient to complete the project.

“All work related to the project such as design, survey and set up are already in place,” Wei told the media after the earth-breaking ceremony by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at Kampung Mapu, about 40km from here, on Thursday.

He added that land road alignment was ongoing and that 60 per cent had been completed. Once completed, the road would benefit 10 villages in the vicinity and enable villages in the area to be linked to Tebedu area, thus, opening a large tract of land for development.

In his speech, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong said the road would provide better linkage among villages along the border. “The government would not promise anything but suffice for us to do and implement projects that would benefit the people,” said Manyin.

He said the road of R3 standard would enable motorists from the area to reach Serian in less than half an hour.

Currently the condition of the road is rough and gravelled and only suitable for four-wheel drive vehicles.

Muhyiddin, in his speech, said more  projects and amenities would be implemented in the area as part of the government’s effort to improve the livelihood of the people, especially in rural areas.

Serian MP and Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Richard Riot Jaem also spoke at the function. Among those present were Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Communication Safri Zainuddin, JKR deputy director Cheng Fang Sing, Serian District Officer Sinde Muling and Kedup BN candidate Martin Ben.

Village halls in Kedup to be refurbished under 10MP

Posted on April 16, 2011, Saturday

SERIAN: Several halls in Kedup will be upgraded in the next five years under the ongoing 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP).

Announcing this yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said these projects are
included in the RM86.8 million allocation to Kedup.

He mentioned this during the meet-the-people session at Bunan Gega, 45 kilometres from
here.

Bunan Gega headman Albert Andrew Ruha, when contacted yesterday, said the refurbishment of the Babuk Barum hall in the village was approved at the cost of RM200,000.

This hall was the venue where Muhyiddin officiated at yesterday.

He said allocations were also approved for the Balai Kebudayaan (Cultural Centre) and
the hall at neighbouring Bunan Punok.

Ngundi Kita Andu Iti

Adu iti simua bala kita masu Serian samah-samah muhun ngundi supaya kita dapat tentu masa depan kawasan adup kita sien mah Serian. Majulah Serian demi masa depan anak cucu kita. Kawasan DUN du aduh kaitan dengan bandar Serian si-en mah Tarat, Tebedu dengan Kedup.

Kpg Krusen bamboo band going strong

by Peter Sibon. Posted on April 15, 2011, Friday

STRONG GROUP: Kuak (back, fourth left) with the Kpg Krusen pironcong band. Nicholas is at front, fourth left.

SERIAN: While many villages struggle to maintain their cultural heritage, Kpg Krusen’s traditional pironcong bamboo band has grown from strength to strength.This is thanks to band leader Kuak Saol, 64, who has succeeded in getting Bidayuh youths to join his classes.Pironcong was traditionally played by the Bidayuh community after they finished planting padi.“In the olden days, farmers would play the pironcong with a beautiful melody, especially to entertain each other after a hard day’s work and to call for rain and of course for a bountiful harvest,” Kuak explained.

Nicholas James Kon, 27, is one of Kuak’s many students.“I am glad to learn how to play the pironcong from Uncle Kuak,” he told The Borneo Post at Kpg Krusen some 12km from here, while awaiting the arrival of Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang on Tuesday.Nicholas is now part of the 18-strong band, which plays during various occasions including for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Abong Jangew, 74, one of the band’s eldest members, is also a qualified pironcong trainer who has taught the Bidayuh community in Miri how to play the instrument.“Our only hope is for our children to pick up the art of playing this instrument. And we are also glad that people like Kuak are teaching our children our cultural identity, otherwise when we are gone this treasure would vanish as well,” he stressed.Besides teaching the pironcong, Kuak has also trained youths to perform the bilanggi dance and konto, which is a Bidayuh martial art similar to the Malay silat.He is grateful to incumbent Tebedu assemblyman Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong for supporting his efforts.“He is very supportive of our efforts to preserve our culture by donating RM4,000 to our group to make our traditional costumes last year.”