KUALA LUMPUR, 29 APRIL, 2011: Sarawakans who attended tonight’s Teh Tarik Session featuring Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian wants the issue of Native Customary Rights (NCR) issue to be disclosed more to the public, especially to Peninsular Malaysians.

KOMAS volunteer Kath Livan, 25, finds a Teh Tarik Session as an effective medium to relate essential issues in Sarawak to West Malaysians.

According to Kath, it is very important for the people especially Peninsular Malaysians to know what is really happening in Sarawak as this information are not available in mainstream media.

“So if you come here (Teh Tarik Session) and listen to this kind of discussion you will have an idea of what is really happening in Sarawak,” said Kath.

Commenting on the issues brought up by guest speaker Baru, Kath said the NCR matter is very interesting because the land in Sarawak is the Orang Asal’s ‘life’.

She also pointed out that the NCR issue is not a new as it has been brought up and disputed over since so long ago.

However, she said not many people know about it and it is important for people from West Malaysia to join in and understand the real situation as the mainstream media’s version of the issue are not entirely accurate.

“We don’t see these kinds of discussions in the mainstream media. Maybe we can also have a casual discussion between people from the ruling government and the Opposition which could be very good for everyone,” said Kath.

Kath suggested Sarawak chief minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud to be the next guest speaker for Teh Tarik Session as she would like to hear what he has to say on the NCR and other issues relating to Sarawak. She also thinks it would be interesting to feature Baru together with Taib so that the two can discuss about pressing matters relating to and how the two can help Sarawakians by going on the ground.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old student Aloysius Cornelius said many people, especially Peninsular Malaysians, are not well informed on the NCR issues and other matters concerning Sarawak and its people.

“(Tonight’s Teh Tarik Session was) an eye opener to the Malaysians and informational for people to know what is happening in Sarawak today,” he said.

Aloysius feels that the media should do more coverage on the forum to create more awareness on the issue.

“I think the media today is actually biased and pro government and for this reason the voice of the people is not actually heard,” said the UiTM Shah Alam student.

“If they (mainstream media) address the NCR issue then people will know that the media is not biased. They should be neutral,” said Aloysius.

He added that people and the media prefers more sensational news such as the sex video allegedly featuring Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim rather than the NCR issue and other issues that are more important. Because of this, he said that a UK online news portal has reported that Malaysia is a pornographic country.

Aloysius added that the welfare of the rakyat is more important than the sex video issue.

On suggesting on who he would like to see as the next Teh Tarik Session speaker, he said he wants to see Anwar Ibrahim speak as he wants to see him elaborate further on the sex video.

Malaysian Digest held its eighth Teh Tarik Session at Killiney Kopitiam in Sooka Sentral featuring Baru. The newly elected assemblyman for Ba’Kelalan gave a talk on Bakun: State Vanity Corporate ‘Vouchers and Human Victims.
 

- Malaysiandigest.com