Jabu Unwilling to Open Door for Ladies
By Rosita Maja
The Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister and Minsiter in charge of Penan affiars, Alfred Jabu anak Nmpang, has refused to accept a memorandum concerning the plight of Penan girls and women, who had reportedly suffered sexual abuse by logging company workers.
The memorandum was from the national Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Wanita, or Women’s Chief, Hajjah Zuraidah Kamaruddin.
Hajjah Zuraidah Kamaruddin, the Member of Parliament for Ampang, traveled to Kuching to visit Sarawak state leaders and government departments.
She expressed the serious concern by the Keadilan Women’s Wing over the rape and sexual abuse of Penan girls and women in Sarawak, as revealed by the national Ministerial Task Force Report, released almost three weeks ago by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.
On September 25, a delegation of Keadilan women’s leaders, led by Zuraidah, went to Wisma Bapa Malaysia to present the memorandum to Jabu, the Chairman of the State Cabinet Committee on Penan Affairs.
The delegation arrived at the entrance to Wisma Bapa Malaysia at half past nine in the morning. The delegates said they were trying to seek justice for Penan women who had been found to have suffered sexual abuse.
However, the delegates were refused entry into the premises by security guards, who closed and locked the gate to the building.
A security guard said he had instructions from Jabu’s office to pass a letter to the PKR Women’s delegation. Jabu’s letter stated that he would not meet the delegates as he “had prior appointments”. In his letter, Jabu advised the PKR Women’s delegation to turn to the police for enquiries and advice on the rape issue and other crimes.
One of the security guards even shouted “Bawa balai polis saja (just take it to the police station)!” in an apparent attempt to intimidate the group of PKR women.
Zuraidah then contacted Jabu’s office by telephone, asking a member of Jabu’s staff to come down to the main gate to accept the memorandum on Jabu’s behalf. According to Zuraida, an unidentified staff member answered her rudely, saying, “I don’t want to be involved in your squabbles!”
Zuraidah Kamaruddin and her delegation strongly condemned the lack of courtesy and unbecoming behaviour of Jabu’s office.
Read more at: http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/4223/
