“IGNORANCE IS NOT A CRIME – MASING SAID”
This is very grave concern when Jemut Masing sounds like admitted the letter was EXISTED and REAL indeed!
But as usual lah he give excuses that the application was ‘Rejected’ HE HE HE
Perhaps ignorance is OK
Ignorance of Crony Capitalism did exist in Sarawak is OK
Ignorance of Sarawak being run by bunch of Crooks is OK
Ignorance of Penan sex lifestyle and good storyteller is OK
WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL NOW MASING???
DENY, EXCUSES, ALASAN, IGNORANCE AND AT LAST PERFORM MIRING TO SEEK ANTU FORGIVENESS?
HA HA HA KEEP ON FOOLING DAYAKS LAH MASING GOOD JOB FOR TAIB!
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Masing unfazed by opposition’s MACC report
Masing: “Ignorance of procedures is not a crime. The application, I was told, was rejected. So what is the issue,”
by Churchill Edward, Borneo Post, March 9, 2012, Friday
KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri Dr James Masing is unfazed by the latest political development after state Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Women lodged a report against him and vice-president Datuk Mong Dagang with the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission.
Masing, also Land Development Minister, said the state PKR, and even DAP, which started the issue, were only doing ‘publicity stunt’ to fish for votes now that the general election is around the corner.
On one of two letters which the PKR Women tendered to the MACC yesterday, Masing said Mong had no authority to request for land and “therefore he (Mong) has done nothing wrong”.
“Ignorance of procedures is not a crime. The application, I was told, was rejected. So what is the issue,” he said in reference to the letter issued several years ago and which also had mentioned the name of Masing’s brother Henry Yan.
On the other letter which Mong wrote requesting that the State Agriculture Department terminate subsidies to a pro-opposition and handicapped farmer, Masing said: “The DAP is just making publicity stunt. Just ignore them.”
State PKR Women members led by national vice-chairperson Voon Shiak Ni lodged the report with the MACC against the two Barisan Nasional (BN) strong men following a complaint against Mong by the DAP in Sri Aman.
The DAP said Mong had no right to deprive a physically challenged farmer, Frusis Lebi, of government subsidies by writing a letter requesting the same to the Agriculture Department.
Masing and many headmen in Sri Aman subsequently came forward to defend Mong, saying that Frusis was a hardcore opposition member.
An officer of the Welfare Department even SMSed Masing stating that welfare assistance (including probably subsidies) was a privilege (or gift) and was not a right.
At a function here yesterday, Minister of Welfare, Women and Family Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah clarified that Mong’s letter to the Agriculture Department was issued much latter than the termination of Frusis’ welfare assistance.
Fatimah said Frusis was a well-to-do person.
Mong is Bukit Begunan assemblyman while Masing is Baleh assemblyman.
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Masing pleads ‘not guilty’ over indigenous displacement
Malaysia Kini, 21 March 2009
…Sarawak Land Development Minister James Masing told a tv news channel that he has absolutely no guilt over the displacement of indigenous people caused by the construction of hydro-electric dams in the state.
…“I don’t feel guilty. I feel that is the correct way of doing it. I don’t have any guilt feeling for trying to help my people,” said Masing on the Al-Jazeera’s 101 East programme Thursday night.
…Host Fauziah Ibrahim had asked Masing if he felt guilty, as a person of indigenous descent, over indigenous people being displaced to make way for economic development.
…Masing also defended the involvement of Cahaya Mata Sarawak (CMS), a company owned by family members of Chief Minister Taib Mahmud in the construction of the dams.
…“The dam constructions are done to legal tenders. The lowest tender gets it. It doesn’t matter if CMS or somebody else. It must be done on tender basis.
…“That is very transparent. The international community can take a look at it… it is an open book for everyone to look,” he said.
…When Fuziah pointed out that there are numerous cases in which projects were given to companies linked to Taib without open tenders, Masing said: “I was not aware of it”.
…Fuziah replied by that the Similajau aluminum smelting plant was given to CMS while the construction of several bridges were awarded to Titanium Management Sdn Bhd, which Taib’s eldest son Mahmud Abu Bekir holds substantial interest in.
…Even with evidence presented before him, Masing maintained that these awards were given fairly and in accordance with the law.
…“We have rules and laws… If there is a decision made by people who have vested interest, there are laws which does not allow it. It is illegal for people in authority to give authority with vested interest.
…“Unfortunately, it was given to a company where the authority has some interest. But it is done legally,” he added.
…On whether there was “crony capitalism” going on in Sarawak, Masing replied in the negative because no one has been brought to book over such matters.
…“I don’t think so. If there is, those who deal in it would be dealt by the law. Until today, there is nothing. One must assume there is no cronyism as such,” he said.
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S’wak minister draws flak over Penan rape
By Keruah Usit, Malaysia Kini, 9 Dec 2009
…Sarawak Land Minister James Masing has come under fire for his scornful dismissal of claims that Penan girls and women have been sexually abused by employees of logging companies.
…In an interview with BBC Radio 4′s flagship Today programme, broadcast on Dec 7, Masing said: “I think this is where we get confused. I think… the Penan are a most interesting group of people and they operate on different social etiquette as us… a lot this sex by consensual sex.”
…Masing, however, told the BBC: “They change their stories, and when they feel like it. That’s why I say Penan are very good storytellers.”
…His remark is typical of the Sarawak government response. The official line has been to deny the rape of Penan girls and women by loggers, and to smear the Penan as primitive and promiscuous liars, while declaring that logging is a form of development.
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Masing Brands NCR Land Critic As Ignorant, Arrogant
Masing: “Made the government looked as if it was being run by a bunch of crooks”
December 24, 2010, Friday. The Borneo Post
KUCHING: The state government never grabbed Native Customary Rights (NCR) land from their owners, clarified Minister of Land Development Dato Sri Dr James Masing.
At present, he explained, there are 1.5 million hectares of NCR land in the state. Quite a sizeable of it had been acquired for setting up plantations after consent was obtained from the owners.
“When we acquire NCR land for plantation, such as for oil palm plantation, we have to follow very strict procedures and guidelines.
“We will seek the cooperation from every individual NCR land owner before we develop their land. If they disagree, we won’t come in,” Masing told the media here yesterday.
Masing was rebutting a letter which he received yesterday morning, purportedly written by one Robert E Rutkowski.
The letter was addressed to the Prime Minister and copies of it were also sent to the Chief Minister and Masing himself.
“As far as I am concerned the letter indicates two things about the writer. That he is both ignorant and arrogant,” said Masing.
He said the writer was ignorant because he did not know the laws of the land.
He was arrogant because he made the government looked as if it was being run by a bunch of crooks.
Masing revealed that currently, some 900,000 hectares of land were under palm oil, out of which some 200,000 hectares are NCR land.
“And by 2020, our target is to develop some 2 million hectares of land which belongs both to the state and the natives for plantation purposes. In our case, it will be for palm oil and rubber,” he said.
Masing pointed out that anyone who wished to know about the land development concept in Sarawak is free to check with his ministry.
On the allegation by Rutkowski that the Penans were the main victims of land grabbing by the government, Masing reiterated that the government had, in fact, been very kind to them.
Masing said under the law, the Penans did not own much land under the NCR land status as, prior to 1958, most of them were still nomadic.
“So, it is a blatant lie that we rob their land. In fact, we have never stopped the nomadic Penans from roaming the vast areas in Baram and Belaga to fish and hunt.
“Even in Mulu National Park, we allowed them to hunt for animals, gathered jungle produce and fish,” he said.
Masing stressed that in future, the Penans would be allowed to roam at the water catchment areas of Bakun and Murum dams.
He further stressed that anyone who deprived the government to develop the NCR land for the benefits of the owners to eradicate poverty as “irresponsible”.
“I do not apologise if I have to do it aggressively (develop the NCR land). I really want to develop the NCR land, otherwise if the land remains idle, then the owners will remain poor.
“I will continue to do it as it will be good for the people because we don’t want them to remain poor. Among the main objective to develop the NCR land is to eradicate poverty among the people in the rural area,” he stressed.