GRANNY 'BACK FROM THE DEAD'

A 95-year-old Chinese woman climbed out of her coffin after being ‘dead’ for six days. Li Xiufeng was found motionless after tripping and hurting her head at home, a fortnight ago.

When she failed to wake up, she was assumed to have died in her sleep. Her son Qingwang son proceeded to prepare for her funeral.

The coffin was kept in the house for several days for friends and relatives to pay their last respects. However, the coffin was not nailed shut. The day before the funeral, the coffin was found to be empty.

"We were so terrified, and immediately asked the neighbours to come for help," he said.

The villagers were stunned to find Xiufeng in her kitchen cooking.

She reportedly told villagers: “I slept for a long time. After waking up, I felt so hungry, and wanted to cook something to eat.

"I pushed the lid for a long time to climb out."

It is believed that Xiufeng suffered an artificial death, during which the person has no breath, but the body remains warm.

However, despite being given a second lease on life, the same local tradition has left Xiufeng with nothing as her belongings were burnt, in line with tradition. (The Daily Mirror)

SABAH IS DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY

By : DR NICHOLAS JAMES GUNTOBON

DATUK Sairin Karno should not be unduly worried about Sabahan civil servants who support the vision of United Borneo Front (UBF) which now has its own political wing, the State Reform Party (STAR).

These civil servants came on their own accord to UBF 'tea parties' to listen to our leaders, to learn what is the 7-point Borneo Agenda all about.

Now this country is a democratic country and that civil servants are free to listen to any campaign, including by UBF, STAR, UMNO and even Perkasa or Amanah for that matter.

The people are attracted to UBF and STAR because of their struggle to reclaim and restore state rights and autonomous power and make Sabah relevant again in the Federation.

We thank and salute these civil servants including brave teachers who subscribe to UBF and STAR visions. They know we have a clear vision and not opposing for the sake of opposition as Sairin believed. We shall not fail the people with empty promises.

INVESTORS MAY SHIFT REFINING TO INDONESIA

FOREIGN investors in Malaysia may shift some existing palm oil refining operations to top producer Indonesia to tap higher margins after Jakarta lowered its processed edible oil export taxes, said a top Malaysian industry official.

That may put Malaysia’s over US$20 billion (RM59.91 billion) industry in jeopardy as foreign investors and smaller palm oil refiners process 60 per cent of the country’s output, said Palm Oil Refiners Association of Malaysia (PORAM) Chief Executive Mohammad Jaaffar Ahmad.

“Malaysia cannot afford to lose the investment already made by these non-integrated refineries,” Mohammad said in an interview today ahead of the Bursa Malaysia Palm Oil Conference next week.

“The consequence could be catastrophic especially for the smallholders and private millers which are depending on them now to off-load their fresh fruit bunches and crude palm oil.”

Mohammad did not give a value for the investments at stake but firms like US agribusiness Cargill and Japan’s Nisshin Olio operate refineries in Malaysia where the margins have come under severe pressure in recent months.

This is due to Indonesians offering discounts on processed palm oil to markets in India and Pakistan as they enjoy a price advantage of US$100 per tonne because of lower export taxes, Mohammad said.

Eyes On Indonesia

Malaysia’s Commodities Minister said yesterday that Jakarta’s export tax change may hurt plans for 25 new refineries with a combined capacity of 9.6 million tonnes.

Independent Singaporean refiner Mewah, which owns some of the biggest factories in Malaysia, has already said it would delay ongoing plans for a new processor in Malaysia’s Sabah state to focus on building one in Indonesia.

Now existing players may follow Mewah so long as the government keeps an annual tax-free crude palm oil (CPO) export quota of 3 million tonnes, which tightens supply, raises feedstock costs and reduces factory use rates, Mohammad said.

Malaysia taxes crude palm oil exports to protect its refining sector where capacity stands at nearly 24 million tonnes but imposes the quota to help firms like Sime Darby and IOI Corp feed their overseas refineries.

Mohammad said the duty free export quota will reduce the average refining capacity utilisation this year to about 68 per cent.

The impact will be more pronounced with the quota estimated to mop up about 15 per cent of Malaysia’s projected crude palm oil output this year of over 19 million tonnes.

“For some refineries with a refining capacity utilisation rate of less than 60 per cent, it would be difficult to sustain their operations,” Mohammad said.

The bigger blow for these standalone refiners will come from Indonesia where greater refining capacity use and lower export taxes will see less crude palm oil shipped to Malaysia.

Last year, Malaysia imported a record 1.3 million tonnes of crude palm oil from Indonesia to keep its refineries running and Mohammad said this year the limited imports could be costly and further depress margins.

Big Malaysian palm oil firms with a huge plantation bank and refineries like Sime, IOI, KL Kepong and United Plantations will still survive, Mohammad said.

“But this will not stop them from investing in Indonesia because they have plantations there. Some have already joint-ventures in Indonesia in the downstream industry,” Mohammad said. (Reuters)

BAD IDEA FROM JAINAB

SABAH Dap State Vice Chairman, Edward Ewol Mujie said that is a bad idea doing away with the road roundabouts and replacing them with traffic light intersections as proposed by the Karambunai State Assembly Woman Datuk Jainab Ahmad.

He said she is wrong because her statement is unfounded and without proper technical knowledge of the situation. She just made wrong assumption ignoring the basic principle of traffic design and its practicality.

Edward said just look at the problems we had in the traffic lights controlled road intersection when the frequent power failure hits, the traffic congestion is immense. It may even cause many accidents once the traffic lights malfunction due to power failure.

As in the case of the roundabout, even though there is traffic jam, still the traffic can still move on. He said this is why the traffic light at the Inanam junction to Kiansom road has been replaced with a big roundabout.

JKR must have done a details study on this matter and found that roundabout is more practical than traffic lights to provide some maintenance free traffic control measures.

He said when Sabah DAP highlighted out the danger faced by drivers at the roundabout at Jalan Sepanggar to the KK Polytechnic road, it has never been intended to do away with roundabout, but merely requesting the authorities concerned to install more street lights on the roundabout and also put more signage indicating that there is a roundabout ahead. This is to warn and make the drivers aware that there is a roundabout infront especially during night time and rainy days.

Edward said Janiab must not forget that many road flyovers in KL, there are also roundabouts beneath them. Just imagined how much it would cost to demolish and modify all the hundreds of roundabouts in the Kota Kinabalu City, and replace them with traffic lights. What happen when there is power failure, the whole city will be jammed with traffic congestion, he said.

Will the JKR traffic light division be able to maintain and service all the traffic lights? At the moment, their crews and technician are already exhausted servicing the existing traffic lights.

If Janiab is so concerned about the roundabouts and traffic lights, she should immediately ask the JKR to start implementing design to build more flyovers in Kota Kinabalu if not for the whole of Sabah. For her, it is her responsibility to get the money to finance the work.

We need flyovers in Jalan Kolam with Jalan Lintas Junction, Foh Sang to Damai Junction, Mile 5.5 Tuaran Road with Jalan Lintas Junction, the Inanam to Jalan Kiansom Junction and many other major road junctions.

Edward said we are moving to a new era and we should not go back to the old fashion thing that has been phased out.

TAMBANUO PEOPLE SIDELINE BY BN GOVERNMENT

DILAPIDATED....The accompanying pics are some of the dilapidated houses of the natives in Minusuh which need help from the government.

"PLEASE don't forget and sideline us," that is the dire reminder for the government from Pengerusi JKKK of Kampung Minusuh in Kuamut, Kinabatangan near here.

Wilster Lawrance, said that his kampung and seven others here are left far behind without good roads, electricity and still do not have clean water supply even though pipes were finally installed about six months ago.

According to State Reform Party (STAR) leader, James Ait, who visited the kampungs last week, even Lawrance the Pengerusi JKKK seemed to have given up hope on the government, and that he was under extreme pressure to defend the ruling government.

"In my two-hour discussion with Lawrance on the well being of the Tambanuo people in the areas, he told me his own frustration for not being able to compel the government to resolve various development issues and also land-related matters.

"The chairman confided in me that he was very disappointed at the poor situation in his areas, furthermore he being the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) senior leader was asked to look after, besides Minusuh, seven other kampungs namely Minusuh, Namukon, Maliau, Tampasak, Liupampang, Mananam and Napagang,“ Ait said in a statement today.

According to Ait, while it is a pleasant news for him that many in the areas are now turning to STAR for guidance and leadership, he was sympathetic to Lawrance who was being deserted by the ordinary 'orang kampung'.

Kuamut is one of the areas in Sabah where land-grabs had been reported and that many natives are already being displaced by big palm oil plantations. Kinabatangan itself is notorious for the fact that illegal immigrants now outnumber the locals.

Ait said some of the land applications of the Tambanuo's had been lodged for 20 years but they never got answer. However outsiders and companies are allotted huge lands for palm oil plantation everywhere in Kinabatangan which is as big as the whole state of Pahang in Peninsular.

"The Tambanuo youths are restless now, there are no jobs, no opportunities for them. They do not enjoy the fruit of their grandparents' labour. This is pathetic." said Ait.

Ait quoted Lawrance who said: "I do not blame the people if they support the opposition this time. What i want from the state government is come over here and listen to us and do something for our kampungs and the natives before it is too late".

BADRULAMIN PATUT TUTUP MULUT

Oleh : AZMAN ARIFFIN

BANYAK yang telah penulis baca dan lihat berkenaan dengan kes khalwat membabitkan Penasihat Menteri Besar Selangor, Dr. Badrulamin Bahron. Malangnya, semua yang penulis lihat tidak langsung menyebelahi Dr. Badrulamin.

Antara yang mencetus lebih banyak persoalan ialah dakwaan Badrulamin yang dia dibelasah dan dikurung 20 orang lelaki yang dibawa suami perempuan berkenaan. Keengganannya membuat lapuran polis, keengganannya mendapatkan rawatan di hospital setelah mendakwa dibelasah 20 lelaki dan pihak hotel yang menafikan 20 samseng datang menceroboh hotel tersebut pada malam kejadian.

Terbaru, Badrulamin mendakwa pembantunya diberi rasuah supaya tidak menjadi saksinya dalam kes khalwat tersebut.

Kalau dirangkumkan semua sekali, seolah-olahnya Badrulamin kehilangan semua punca untuknya membela diri! Penulis tidak percaya keadaan ini boleh berlaku, paling tidak, sudah tentu ada rakaman CCTV hotel bagi membuktikan hotel itu diceroboh 20 orang samseng yang dibawa suami wanita tersebut.

Tapi paling penting, Badrulamin perlulah membuat laporan polis terlebih dahulu, kerana hanya dengan cara tersebut baru siasatan yang sewajarnya boleh dilakukan dan kebenaran disebalik kejadian tersebut boleh didedahkan kepada umum.

Yang penting dalam kes-kes sedemikian ialah bukti!

Badrulamin yang sudah boleh dianggap sebagai ahli politik veteran, sudah tentu sedia maklum akan hal ini. Rakyat mungkin boleh terbawa-bawa dengan persepsi, tapi itu dalam keadaan tertentu sahaja, bukan dalam semua keadaan.

Jadi amat penting sebenarnya Badrulamin membiarkan siasatan yang sewajarnya berjalan dan paling penting membuat apa yang sewajarnya dibuat bagi orang yang mendakwa dianiaya sepertinya, iaitu laporan polis. Itu adalah jauh lebih baik daripada bercakap tentang perkara-perkara yang tidak boleh dibuktikan bila disoal balik.

Dugaan yang ditimpakan Allah swt ke atas Badrulamin ini pada penulis kecil saja, jika nak dibandingkan dengan dugaan yang lebih besar seperti dihadapi Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Mungkin dengan statusnya sebagai Penasihat Agama Menteri Besar Selangor, hal-hal yang sedemikian sedikit sebanyak mencalarkan maruahnya sebagai seorang ahli agama.

Apatah lagi bila membabitkan kes khalwat dengan isteri orang.

Tapi, dengan membuat dakwaan-dakwaan balas yang sukar dibuktikan atau mudah dipatahkan pihak-pihak terbabit, itu akan lebih menjejaskan lagi reputasi Badrulamin.

Paling penulis takutkan ialah, kes ini juga akan menyebabkan persepsi rakyat terhadap PKR dan Pakatan Rakyat juga akan ikut berubah kerana penulis yakin, kalau itu berlaku, lebih baik Badrulamin melepaskan semua jawatannya dalam parti dan kerajaan Negeri Selangor.

Justeru penulis menggesa Badrulamin, menutup mulut dan menunggu sehingga siasatan kes ini selesai. Jika kita bercakap tentang keadilan, maka biarkanlah proses yang sepatutnya berjalan. Tanpa kita pula memburukkan lagi keadaan.

PUISI : SUKUNGO TOKOU AWASI RALAN (STAR)

Nukilan : DANIEL JEBON JANAUN

Perjalanan beribu batu bermula dari langkah pertama.

Langkah yang kita lakukan menuju destinasi yang jelas.

Destinasi yang kita tuju adalah kerajaan baru.

Kerajaan baru hanya akan dapat dibentuk jika kita bersatu

Kesatuan kita bermula dari permuafakatan dan kerjasama yang padu

Perpaduan yang kita seru adalah ABU

ABU berjaya di Malaya

UBA akan menang di Sabah

Kerajaan rakyat yang berberkat pasti membawa nikmat

Untuk kesejahteraan rakyat

Sukungo Tokou Awasi Ralan