MoCS march: A test of faith and fortitude
By Mariam Mokhtar, FMT
An insecure government which feels threatened by calls for democratic reform and proper governance will, for political gain, find a religious or racial issue to attempt to combat any of the rakyat’s demands.
In March, Francis Siah, the leader for the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS), lodged a police report against Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud for corruption, money laundering and abuse of power.
Siah confirmed that his report contained allegations and accusations which had been made by Sarawak Report, the Bruno Manser Fund and various news portals and blogs. He also urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation into Taib’s alleged crimes.
“It must be noted that most of the corruption and money laundering and blatant abuse of power have documentary evidence.”
The MoCS rally on Aug 13 is a public protest against Taib’s mis-rule and Siah is adamant that he has acted within the confines of the law.
“I want to assure the police that MoCS will not take part in any illegal gathering or rallies in Kuching or any other place.
“There is no need to monitor MoCS as we do things in accordance with the law.”
Just like Bersih 2.0, the MoCS is a non-political movement born from the rakyat’s desire to rid their nation of a dictator.
The rally by MoCS shares the same aims as the Bersih 2.0 “Walk for Democracy” in that Sarawakians also desire free, fair and clean elections and a demand to return to a government that listens to and works for the good of its people.
By Merdeka Day 2011, Sarawak will have celebrated 49 years of being part of Malaysia. For many Sarawakians, especially those from the interior, life has not progressed much in almost five decades.
The indigenous peoples may think they are liberated from colonial domination, only to find that they are shackled by the yoke of rule under Taib.
Sarawak has an abundance of natural resources and its people should be enjoying a reasonable standard of living from the riches of oil, minerals, timber and land. In reality, the wealth has not been shared equally. Taib and his cronies have helped themselves to Sarawak’s riches and shared very little with its people.
Taib’s target practice
Sarawak’s corrupt leaders are not made accountable for their actions and instead of developing the nation, have developed a taste for the high life by robbing the poor.
Rather than helping the people by creating jobs, these politicians create opportunities for themselves in the form of contracts and land-grabs.
Instead of recognising the native customary right (NCR) lands of the indigenous peoples, those in positions of power have recognised opportunities only for themselves and in the process denied the Sarawakians their way of life and their ancestral rights. They have also destroyed the environment.
While the old reminisce about a land that was once abundant with wild life and riches that could be shared by all, a majority of the young only know of poverty, a low standard of living, a poor health system, a sub-standard education, poor infrastructure and broken or scattered families whose members are forced to seek work for a paltry wage either in the coastal towns or elsewhere.
Sarawak is blessed in that the different races are more integrated and tolerant of each other than in peninsular Malaysia.
