Baru Bian
Sarawak Report revealed on 25 February that the MP for Baram, Jacob Dungau Sagan, his wife and daughter are the secret holders of three timber concessions in Sagan's parliamentary constituency of Baram. Sagan's concessions, with an estimated worth of several million dollars, are specifically licensed to harvest Belian (Borneo ironwood), a particularly rare and sought-after South-East Asian tree species. Belian has been classified by IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, as a vulnerable species and is banned for export from Sarawak and from Indonesia.
Today, Sarawak Report revealed that Sagan's family company held by his wife, brother and sister-in-law (believed to be his proxies), Dema Tega Sdn Bhd has received RM63 mil in public contracts over the last 5 years, including a contract for a rural water supply system funded by the federal government and commissioned by the Sarawak Public Works Department.
These revelations provide the answers to those of us who have been wondering why Sagan has been such an eager supporter and defender of Taib. I refer to the Borneo Post 17 February 2012 "Baru draws flak from Sagan', which quotes Sagan as being upset by my statement that Taib's promise that Sarawak will be the richest state is nothing but another one of his hollow promises. He is quoted to have said 'The statement by (Baru Bian) clearly shows that he has no confidence in Sarawak people to develop the state … and does not know the programmes that the government (state) is working on.'
It is true that I have no confidence – I have no confidence in the BN government, whose members are only interested in lining their own pockets. On the other hand I have full confidence in the people of Sarawak to make a proper judgment of what is right even in this particular case.
It is now also crystal clear why Sagan has to throw his support for the construction of the dreaded Baram dam, which is set to drown 26 villages in his constituency, including his birthplace, Long Anap. It is estimated that the construction of the Baram dam will force the displacement of 20,000 indigenous people in Upper Baram. Saving the homes and livelihood of these villagers is low on his priority list.
By accepting the Belian concessions, he has put himself in a position where there is an obviously insurmountable conflict of interest, and where he cannot effectively perform his duties as an elected Member of Parliament. He has lost all legitimacy to continue as a Member of Parliament representing the people of Baram. The price of riches is high, and for him, the cost will be his self-respect and the respect of his constituency, and indeed, of the people of Malaysia. He should (unlike Sharizat) resign from his position if he has any shred of honour left in him in the light of these revelations.
PKR calls on the MACC to investigate this shocking abuse of power and breach of trust by a Federal Deputy Minister. We demand to know how and why Sagan was given the timber concessions and the lucrative contracts. Recognising, as the government does, that the giving of a bribe is also a crime, the MACC should also investigate the source of the giving of these very licences to Sagan a serving MP and determine whether indeed there has been a breach of the laws.
Baru Bian
State Assemblyman
N70 Ba' Kelalan/
Chairman
PKR Sarawak
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