Sarawak Headhunter's Email To The Oxford University Council On Taib Mahmud

The following is Sarawak Headhunter's email to the Oxford University Council on Taib Mahmud's invitation to speak at the "Oxford Global Islamic Branding and Marketing Forum" 26-27 July, 2010:

The Oxford University Council <council.sec@admin.ox.ac.uk>

Dear Sirs,

It has come to our attention that Taib Mahmud, erstwhile Chief Minister of Sarawak, has been invited to speak on "The role of Muslim nations in rebuilding today’s global economy" at the Oxford Global Islamic Branding and Marketing Forum to be held between 26-27 July 2010.

That is rather ironic considering the environmental and economic destruction and devastation he has brought to the land and native communities of his own State through uncontrolled logging, corruption, self-enrichment, dam-building, forcible displacement of natives from their ancestral (native customary rights) lands, etc.

You may read the full reports at Sarawak Headhunter's blog and Sarawak Report, amongst many other blogs and websites concerned about the dire plight of the poor natives and other people of Sarawak.

Taib Mahmud is certainly one of the most corrupt politicians in Malaysia and has cheated, bribed and intimidated his way into many electoral "victories". The only reason he has not been investigated or charged with corruption is the reluctance of the Federal Government to let the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to do its job, since the very survival of the present ruling party, the Barisan Nasional, having lost 5 states to the opposition in the previous national elections, depends on the number of seats which the state component parties led by him contribute.

No Sarawakian in his right mind would consider him to be "the most successful Chief Minister since Independence" - the most corrupt, surely!

His leadership has certainly not transformed Sarawak from a poor and backward State to one of the most progressive state in the country now as his "biography" on your website puts it. Sarawakians would certainly like to know who the people are that are enjoying five times better standard of living as compared to that in the early years of Independence.

At least 60% of the population of Sarawak are barely surviving on an income of RM300 (USD100) or less per month, way below the official poverty level. Tens of thousands of natives who have been unable to find jobs in the state or who have been kicked off their land by Taib's uncaring government to make way for his and his family's crony loggers and plantation developers, have migrated to Malaya and elsewhere to seek employment.

The so-called era of massive industrialisation and the implementation of High Income Economy heralded by the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy or SCORE is not going to benefit the ordinary people of Sarawak other than to keep them enslaved to the neo-feudal system set up by Taib. The "High Income" will only accrue to Taib, his family, their cronies and henchmen.

Indisputably, Taib is the architect of Sarawak's exploitation, corruption and devastation. He has spared no efforts in galvanizing his family, cronies and henchmen and various political parties and machinery of the government to become a dynamic force in that exploitation, corruption and devastation, which will ensure that Sarawak will remain their personal fiefdom up to the year 2020 and beyond.

Is this a man whom you would want to be associated with "Global Islamic Branding and Marketing"?

--
Al Tugauw
Sarawak Headhunter

This email was also sent to the following recipients:

Said Business School <oxfordislamicmarketing@sbs.ox.ac.uk>;
Muslim Council of Britain <admin@mcb.org.uk>;
Said Business School Conference Office <conference.egrove@sbs.ox.ac.uk>; <conference@sbs.ox.ac.uk>;
Said Business School Director Development & Corporate Relations <oliver.shiell@sbs.ox.ac.uk>;
Said Business School Press Office <clare.fisher@sbs.ox.ac.uk>;
Halalfocus.com <info@halalfocus.com>; <info@imaratconsultants.com>;
Emel.com <info@emel.com>;
Media Prima <communications@mediaprima.com.my>;
Dinar Standard <info@dinarstandard.com>

courtesy of Sarawak Headhunter