PRESS STATEMENT FROM UNITED BORNEO FRONT
“MASS RESIGNATION FROM PKR KINABATANGAN TO JOIN UBF’S BORNEO ALLIANCE” - 30 January 2011
Kinabatangan, Sabah, 30th January 2011.
At the largest ‘Borneo Tea Party’ event held so far for the leaders of United Borneo Front (UBF), villagers from various areas of the Kinabatangan region thronged a community centre in Kampung Entilibon 1 Tongod, a 5 hour drive into Borneo’s heartland from Kota Kinabalu, to receive a 4WD convoy of UBF supporters, preceded by 50 or more bikers clad in yellow t-shirts emblazoned with ‘United Borneo Front-Kinabatangan’.
The tea party, organised by UBF die-hards, Jalibin Paidi and James Aik, included a seminar presented by UBF leader Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan together with his advisers and co-founders, lawyer and activist Nilakrisna James and economist Zainal Ajamain.
The seminar focused upon the economic and land issues affecting the Kinabatangan region as well as the 5% oil share from PETRONAS recently raised by Dr. Jeffrey.
“We have no choice but to address the unfair economic policies and the laws which have silenced our voices of resentment and hindered our ability to be self-reliant. People are sick and tired of their poverty. There are smallholder farmers in the interior who have ventured into Palm Oil but feel cheated in the amounts they receive for their investment."
" The average price smallholders of Palm Oil receive for their Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) from privately owned Mills (some of which are listed companies and some of which are owned by local businessmen) is between RM700-RM800 per tonne. Smallholders would sell these FFB without realising that the biomass from FFB such as kernel, kernel cakes and empty fruit bunch are more profitable, selling in the international market for RM1,200—RM1,500 per tonne."
" The Mills extract crude palm oil from FFB and sell off the biomass as their own products. These by-products are important for fuel, especially for brick factories and animal feed. People are angry they are being short-changed by the Mills. The UBF therefore suggests that smallholders form their own cooperative to determine a better price from Mills or collect the biomass back from the Mills to sell internationally,” said Dr. Jeffrey in his statement.
Guests at the tea party also highlighted issues of compulsory land acquisitions and the necessity to find common ground to amalgamate Sabah and Sarawak people, regardless of race and religion, to push for equal representation in parliament which, in its current demographic, puts West Malaysian politicians in control of 75% of the seats so as to deny any voice of veto from Sabah and Sarawak.
“If they wish to continue to amend our Federal Constitution and erode our rights or pass unfair laws to our disadvantage, they have their 2/3 majority leaving us powerless in Sabah and Sarawak. This is a breach of our human rights and a breach of Article 8 of the 1963 Malaysia Agreement,” Dr. Jeffrey added.
At the conclusion of the seminar, supporters of UBF and Dr. Jeffrey’Kitingan's political followers tendered in a mass resignation from various Kinabatangan branches of the opposition party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), pledging their support to UBF and a political vehicle they hope to see arising out of the first popular civil rights movement in Sabah.
A total of 16 heads of PKR branches in the Entilibon zone resigned which includes Kampung Linayukan, Kampung Sanan, Kampung Semundoh, Kampung Entilibon Asal, Kampung Simpang and Kampung Singgahmata.
11 members of the PKR committee for the Kinabatangan region also resigned including the Secretary, Jalibin Paidi, and the Information Chief, Cyril Parantis.
Around 875 members have apparently tendered their resignation to follow their leaders to pursue UBF’s Borneo Agenda, with more members expected to follow in the next few days. The exodus from the Kinabatangan region is seen as the clearest pledge of support for Dr. Jeffrey and his United Borneo Front.
Well.... all the best Dr Jeffrey Kitingan...
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