Jaban: Stop harassing my family

Attack me if you want, but leave my family alone, says Peter John Jaban, the voice behind Radio Free Sarawak.

KUALA LUMPUR: Peter John Jaban, the voice behind Radio Free Sarawak (RFS), said his family is being harassed by people linked to the ruling Sarawak government.

“Attack me if you want, but leave my family alone,” said Jaban, who, with British journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown, runs the online radio highly critical of Chief Minister Taib Mahmud.

Jaban claimed his family-related businesses have been facing a number of problems from the Kuching local council which issues the business licences.

A staff member of the council, claimed Jaban, warned his son that the family’s name has been “blacklisted” and advised him to quit or change the name of all their business operations.

A business associate of his son was also approached by the council and told that his business licence would be terminated if he continued to sub-let the premises to Jaban’s family.

Jaban and Clare Rewcastle Brown, the sister-in-law of former British prime minister Gordon Brown, who runs the anti-Taib website Sarawak Report, started RFS daily broadcasts on Nov 16, last year.

Together, they have been exposing a string of allegations against Taib, including land grabs, and administrative and financial abuse ahead of Sarawak’s most politically defining state election.

Contracts terminated

Jaban said his problems started in January when it became widely known that he was the voice behind the broadcasts.

Landlords of a family-run lodging house and restaurant, who Jaban claimed were BN supporters, have terminated their contracts abruptly with his family without any explanation.

“One of the landlords is a BN supporter and the other is associated with one of Sarawak’s big timber companies closely linked to the chief minister,” he claimed.

The harassments intensified after Jaban’s identity was made public last month. Authorities have since been visiting his family-owned businesses asking the staff of his whereabouts.

Jaban currently resides in London, where RFS is also broadcast. He said he is more concerned with the intimidation of his family than the death threats he had received.

Jaban, however, said it will not deter him from continuing with his work to expose Taib’s corrupt administration and provide an alternative view to rural Sarawak.

“They can go for me, but whatever happens I will never stop barking. If you kill me I will stop, but the other blogs will continue.” - FMT