Radio Free Sarawak gets seal of approval from BN minister James Masing
Speaking in a set piece interview on the Rajang River log jam disaster, broadcast Friday 19th November on Radio Free Sarawak , James Masing, who is the Iban representative of the area and a senior minister in Taib’s BN government said that he welcomed the new radio station’s arrival on the scene.
Speaking in Iban he said he “liked the idea” of the alternative radio station and said “other ministers would be happy to talk on your show, it is very nice”. Coming out in favour of allowing Sarawak a free media, he also signalled his approval of Sarawak’s blogging community, such as Sarawak Report and Malaysia Today. He said, “bloggers are everywhere you cannot stop them”.
In a wide ranging interview, conducted in a mixture of Iban and Malay with RFS’s anchor man, Papa Orang Utan, Masing confessed that the government has been getting it wrong on a number of important fronts including logging he said “God is angry with us for taking the logs”. He admitted there was not enough supervision from the NREB or The Forest Dept. By doing so he effectively contradicted the government’s claims that this is a natural disaster and not a man-made disaster.
He also acknowledged BN’s lamentable failure to implement key human rights in native areas, accepting that many indigenous people still suffer grievously because they have not received birth certificates or ID cards over the last 30 years of Taib’s government.
James Masing, who is minister of land and the leader of the key Iban PRS party with 9 seats in the coalition, had just completed a traditional Miring ceremony in Balleh to appease the gods over what had happened with the logging disaster. Despite his obvious reservations, he nevertheless resisted repeated questions about whether he was planning to ‘jump ship’ before the next election.
The full interview can be heard on Radio Free Sarawak on Friday 19th November at 6.30-7.30 am – 7590 kHz
and repeated at 1800-1900 – 15680 kHz, alternatively log on to our podcast at www.radiofreesarawak.org.
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5 comments:
How pretentious!
Isn't James Masing in the BN government so why is he pointing fingers when it's obvious he can speak up for the people and make things work in a week than for the ordinary natives in a year?
Comeon, stop the crap! Seriously, it has been half a century now with BN in power in Sarawak and what have you been doing for your people Mr Iban!
James Masing is singing a different tune lately. Is he seeing the writings on the wall that his colleagues do not? Or is he falling out of favor with Taib? I think he should switch his support to the opposition if he thinks he still can do something for the Dayaks, after the many wasted years in the BN with nothing except making the Dayaks dirt poor. It's time he repent and do good instead of being part and parcel of an evil government.
Masing is riding into the Taib's career sunset thus change tune to hopefully ride the PR's new dawn. He is not worth the effort to interview period.Iban God is equally upset with him the betrayer of the Iban.
Nothing James Masing can say now will make any difference as the people affected in the Rejang Hinterland are NOT pleased. What could James do when he has to kowtow to Taib?
His PRS Youth Chief Mong Dagang has infuriated former civil servants and ex-teachers by damning them simply as frustrated when the policies the Sarawak BN implemented have made rural folkd poorer and life more difficult in these times, aside from their lands being grabbed by James Masing's cronies.
Is James Masing doing firefighting to douse the flames of anger? How,ah? Rejang River got little water, lor! How to douse that anger?
Now the Sarawakians can get their myKad in 1 day, surely BN will get more votes.
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