Taib’s global reputation in tatters

An environmental magazine's timely report on Chief Minister Taib Mahmud has given MoCS' call for reforms a boost

KUCHING: Sarawak’s “Walk For Democracy and Reform” rally will take place at the Museum Garden grounds at 2pm tomorrow. But whether it will succeed in drawing droves of demonstrators is not as important as the fact that Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s international reputation is getting a massive beating.

It appears that his US$5 million contract with FBC Media, an UK-based public relations consultancy, to position and showcase Sarawak, Taib and his administration’s policies in the most positive light is not working.

On Wednesday, UK’s most respected and influential environment magazine “The Ecologist” ran a character-ripping report about Taib and Sarawak’s lost rainforest.

According to the report, “three decades of government land seizures, rampant logging and oil palm expansion has decimated Sarawak’s rainforest and disenfranchised its native population”.

And it blamed the devastation on Taib and his policies.

However, it noted that a “seismic political shift” was occurring within Sarawak that offered hope.

“Through the work of tireless activists, a reform movement is rapidly gaining ground and exposing the duplicity of the existing government, and its ‘Godfather’, the Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud”.

The Ecologist is a 40-year-old publications which prides itself on its indepth investigative journalisim.

The report, is a shot-in-the-arm for Movement of Change Sarawak (MoCS) and for campaigners abroad who have been relentless in their call for global governments to investigate Taib’s billion dollar businesses abroad and in wanting an end to his corrupt regime.

Swiss-based Bruno Manser Fund, for instance, has blacklisted 49 Taib-linked companies in eight countries and has appealed to get these countries to investigate his dealings.

A series of anti-Taib rallies were also held in key cities in UK and in the US.

Here in Kuching, the MoCS’s “Walk For Democracy and Reform” has already got the local police on the edge, especially after seeing the voluminous support for the Bersih 2.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur on July 9.

The rally was inspired by massive success of Bersih 2.0′s call for electoral reforms in the country.

The rally, however, has also been closely linked to MoCS’ call for Taib to step down over allegations of corruption and abuse of power.

MoCS has been urging Taib to step down for sometime now but after the April 16 state election, Siah had issued Taib with an ultimate to “resign by Aug 13 or face consequences”.

Stop harassing public

Yesterday, Sarawak police threatened to arrest participants and any persons in the vicinity of the rally tomorrow.

Following a disappointing meeting with police, an upset MoCS chief Francis Siah said: “They (police) have denied us a permit… but the event will go on.”

“We are unsure how many will attend from Kuching but many people have contacted us to say they wish to participate,” he said, adding that he had advised friends and supporters from outside Kuching to cancel their trip to the city after hearing of the threats.

Meanwhile, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar was the first to tick off Sarawak police for harassing innocent people.

“The police should stop harassing MoCS and its supporters. Please respect their rights to march peacefully, which is guaranteed under the Federal Constitution,” said Nurul.

Throwing her support behind MoCS’s call for reforms, she said the march was a boon for those who clamoured for change in Sarawak.

When asked if PKR leaders will participate in the march, Nurul said: “The party will only play a supporting role in the rally.

“But I will support any party member who wished to join the march.”

On MoCS’ calls for Taib to step down, Nurul said: “Removing Taib alone may not be enough to bring reforms in Sarawak… the entire administration is tainted with allegations of corruption and abuse of power.

“But removing Taib from office will be a good start.”