Lion of Layar becomes prey

Alfred Jabu faces his toughest battle in nearly four decades as Fighter Cock Embat and other fierce rivals close in for the kill.

KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang, the Barisan Nasional candidate for Layar, is facing what may be the toughest challenge he has encountered in his 37-year career as state assemblyman.

As he attempts to secure his eighth term as the Layar representative, his three rivals have been relentless in exposing what they say is his string of failures.

Leading the charge is PKR candidate Stanny Embat, who claims to know the “ins and outs” of the incumbent. There is credibility in the claim because Embat is a relative of the incumbent and a former Special Branch officer. He has recently acquired the nickname of Fighter Cock Embat.

Another rival, independent candidate Tedewin Ngumbang, is also a former police officer. He says he is baring all the “dirty things that Jabu has done”.

Equally potent is Snap’s candidate, the popular Joe Unggang.

Jabu, known as the Lion of Layar, was never seriously challenged in past elections. “Nobody dared to raise a finger against him,” said a retired teacher. “But this time around, he is being ridiculed, chastised and condemned. The undercurrents against him are very strong now.”

Another pensioner said many people in Layar were unhappy but dared not express dissatisfaction for fear of a political backlash. He described Jabu as a vindictive person who kept a coterie of agents to spy for him.

These spies, he added, held positions as tuai rumah (longhouse chiefs), penghulu, pemanca, temenggong and councillors.

“The villagers of Entanak and Empaong have not even dared to complain about their native customary rights (NCR) land being taken away.”

The pensioner admitted that the villagers received compensation for losing their land, but complained that the government gave away 50% of the land to a private company for it to build shophouses. This was wrong, he said because the land was acquired under Section 47 of the Land Code, which means it should be used for public purposes.

Despite the spies, more and more people feel emboldened by Embat’s speeches and have been coming forward to discredit Jabu.

Crony companies

Some admit that Jabu has done much for the people of Layar. Among other things, his efforts resulted in the raising of Betong’s status in 2002 from a district to a division. That led to infrastructural development, the building of schools, office blocks and shophouses and the development of agricultural schemes.

“But who have benefited from these developments?” asked Embat.

In the construction of roads, the contracts were given to Tintingmas Sdn Bhd, a company allegedly owned by Jabu’s son Rentap and daughter Umang Nangku.

Tintingmas also carried out improvement works for the Ulu Layar-Nanga Tiga road. The contract was worth RM50 million.

Other road projects, such as routine maintenance works on a federal road that stretches for 300km from Sri Aman to the Sarikei division, are allegedly given to a company that works closely with Betong Premix Sdn Bhd, whose directors include Jabu’s family members.

Jabu’s opponents also blame him for the migration of Layar youths to urban centres. The locals refuse to work in the plantations as the wages are too low; so they have gone to the towns and cities in search of work as maids, waiters and construction labourers.

His rivals also say that many of the projects he initiated have failed, including the Salcra (Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority) oil palm schemes.

When the Salcra issue was raised, Jabu was furious, saying his critics were jealous. He insisted that Salcra was succesfull, pointing to the RM400 given in dividends to landowners.

However, the website Sarawak Report agrees that Salcra’s performance has been dismal under the chairmanship of Jabu.

It accuses Jabu of squandering Salcra’s earnings, which are meant for scheme participants, who are mainly Ibans.

Since its inception in 1976, Salcra’s accounts have never been audited.

‘Enough is enough’

Embat claims to have visited nearly all of the 90 longhouses in Layar. He said almost 70% of them had no clean water, no electricity and no proper roads.

“Enough is enough of Jabu’s 37 years as assemblyman,” he told a recent a gathering.

Layar has about 7,500 voters, with Ibans forming about 72%. Chinese and Malays constitute about 14.0% each.

In the last election, Jabu won with a majority of 2,677 votes, but observers said his opponents, Snap’s Dayrell Walter Entrie and independent Peter John Jaban put up only half-hearted fights.

They say his rivals this time around are serious contenders and one of them may drown the lion’s roar this Saturday.