Wealthy timber tycoons stingy

Wealthy timber tycoons from Sarawak are darn stingy !

The recent salt incident in Ulu Tatau, Sarawak, where a meagre amount of salt was given to about 600 Punan fire victims in Rumah Ado, showed a lack of generosity from the wealthy.

Non-governmental organisations and community rights groups want towkays in Sarawak, who earn from the wealth of the land, to respect minority natives, who are among the earliest settlers in Borneo, and help them during crises.

Borneo Resources Institute Malaysia said long before Sarawak timber companies were established, the natives had been living on the land from which timber tycoons now get their wealth.

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From TheStar

Action of timber tycoons leaves bad taste in Sarawak
By STEPHEN THEN

MIRI: In times of crisis and natural disasters in Sarawak, it seems that non-governmental organisations and volunteer groups are the fastest to respond, despite being short in finance.

The Red Crescent, Lions clubs, Tzu Chi Buddhist groups, church volunteers, rotary clubs and student organisations are among the first to respond to a SOS, even from rural folks hit by fire and floods.

It is sad to note that big firms and political organisations are the slowest.

The recent salt incident in Ulu Tatau, where a meagre amount of salt was given to about 600 Punan fire victims in Rumah Ado, showed a lack of generosity from the wealthy.

Non-governmental organisations and community rights groups want towkays in Sarawak, who earn from the wealth of the land, to respect minority natives, who are among the earliest settlers in Borneo, and help them during crises.

Borneo Resources Institute Malaysia said long before Sarawak timber companies were established, the natives had been living on the land from which timber tycoons now get their wealth.

Institute coordinator for Sarawak, Raymond Abin, told The Star that his research showed the Punans, Penans, Bukitans and the extinct Tataus were among the original settlers of Sarawak.

“Entrepreneurs must know where they stand in relation to natives.

“Centuries before the arrival of migrant races, the Punans lived in Ulu Tatau with the Bukitans and Tataus.

“Timber and oil palm people are earning from the land of the natives. They should be grateful and deploy fast aid during crises like fire outbreaks,” said Abin.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia field officer for Sarawak, Jok Jau Evong, said that Bukitan community chiefs in Tatau complained of land encroachment by private firms.

“These companies should not trespass on native land. They should instead give jobs and assimilate natives into development projects,” he said.

The salt incident received widespread criticism inside and outside Malaysia, with NGO websites in places like Japan condemning the unkind act.

Though the said company made up by giving aid in cash and kind, the incident leaves bad taste.