Green Cow and PSM wins significant injunction in Cameron Highland

It was a day dedicated to the Environment of Cameron Highland. The Star carried a surprising three page article including its front page on the environmental disaster in Cameron Highland. On the ground, another more significant decision was made in the High Court of Kuantan.

The Green Cow residents aided by PSM successfully obtained an injunction to stop the developer LTT from carrying out soil movement works near their homes. High Court Judge Mariana Yahya also set aside the plaintiff  LTT Development's ex parte and inter parte injunctions to stop the residents from encroaching or dwelling on the land located in Ulu Telom, Cameron Highlands.

Sabah consumer body treads fine line

State Reform Party member James Bagah says
he felt forced to give up his political
belief for the sake of his NGO.

By Luke Rintod of FMT

KOTA KINABALU: The Consumers Affairs and Protection Society of Sabah (Caps) has come under pressure from the state Barisan Nasional government to remain independent on the political front.

Its president James Bagah felt the government’s displeasure after he threw in his lot with the opposition but soldiered on until this weekend.

The State Reform Party (Star) member said he felt forced to give up his political belief for the sake of the NGO.

Bagah announced his resignation from Star that is led by Jeffrey Kitingan and showed a letter to the party at the end of Caps’ coordinators meeting at Hongkod Koisaan building on Friday.

Govt silence on palm oil price drop causing jitters

The government is accused of just waiting
for things to happen rather than plotting
new strategies to benefit smallholders.

By Luke Rintod of FMT

RANAU: The plummeting price of Sabah’s main commodity – palm oil – has made government leaders vulnerable to criticism from the opposition for failing to address the issue

Jalibin Paidi, a state committee member of State Reform Party (Star) is the latest to take to task both the federal and state governments for not taking any concrete step to alleviate the situation that threatened to push thousands of smallholders back into the poverty bracket.

Days ago, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president, Yong Teck Lee, highlighted the issue during a visit to the east coast of the state.

Close to 45,000 children don’t go to school

KUALA LUMPUR: Close to 45,000 children in Malaysia are denied access to education due to poverty, with most coming from the Orang Asli community, said a report by an NGO, the Child Rights Coalition Malaysia.

The report, published after a two-year research on the status of children in the country, also stated that birth registration remains among the major problems, especially for the “marginalised” groups like the urban and rural poor.

The research found that these children were denied access to education because of non-recognition of their citizenship.

Sabah, Sarawak: Overdrawn at the vote bank

"The country was in peril; he was jeopardising his traditional rights of freedom and independence by daring to exercise them." - Joseph Heller (Catch-22)

The reality is that Umno failed Sarawak and Sabah a long time ago. Even in those early days, there was an undercurrent of resentment towards West Malaysians; as if the indigenous peoples understood the future in that precious 18 (or should that be 20) point agreement was nothing but a pipe dream.