Two Tenom-based policemen have been selling police firearms to locals in the Sabah interior district without being detected for some time.

They have sold at least 30 various types of firearms since they started their illegal activity. Both men in their 30s and 40s and holding the rank of Lans Korporal were arrested earlier this week.

Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim said their illegal activity had been going on for some time but police only detected it a few months ago following an audit of the Tenom police station weapons store. ‘Our early investigations show that a policeman, in his 30s, who was in charge of the weapons store was the main person responsible for the sale of the firearms,’ he said.

27 people who purchased the weapons from the two policemen have been detained. They included farmers, government staff and teachers. Police believe the weapons were purchased to be used for hunting and guarding farms, he said, adding that they were not meant for criminal activities. Most of those who bought the weapons were unaware that doing so was an offence.

Those who purchased the weapons are liable to a jail sentence of up to seven years. There are 27 weapons seized and several more that have yet to be accounted for.

I came across this freshly baked Sabahan Portal on the Net and found an interesting development for the Sabahan Blogging atmosphere. As of 25th of January 2009, Sabahan Bloggers Association was officially established and chaired by local social activist and blogger Mutalib MD (Famous for his book “IC Palsu: Merampas Hak Anak Sabah” published 1999)

The pro-tem committee members consist of those who “actively blogging” since the recent General Election (2008) and some of its members have just started their own blog posting only 1 post in their blog, and mostly associated with some political agenda.

This is my take, we do not need such association (added that it had something to do with politics). Blogging for me is personal and fluctuate based on individual interest and practice. To have fun along the way is a necessity. The direction of the association also ambiguous and only aimed to protect some people of their own interest* (read : politics)

By the time im writing this, the registration is already open and to get yourself in is ‘SUPER’ easy… fill their online form and you’re in! (saya sudah TER-register this blog, and im in the middle of contacting the site admin to De-register) *sigh* Hope they allow ‘do-follow links’

The thing about the PBS committee that made me slapping my forehead is, NONE OF THEM SERVING NUFFNANG ADS!!

Those who intended to visit Tenom for the Kalimaran feast April this year will stand a chance to bring home not one but six livestock as part of the prizes attending the event on a given period of time.

They are offering six lucky individuals, who must arrived at the centre between 7am and 9am on April 4, to bring home lucky draw prizes of either a live cow, buffalo or goat. Visitors arriving during the period will be given lucky draw ticket. So you can bring your whole family of six or more, to attend the event at the same time in order to win all six of these livestocks.

Wearing a traditional Murut costume will boost your chance to win the prizes as the contest will be judged by a panel of judges.

Pesta Kalimaran is the annual cultural event for the Muruts that honours and celebrates the Murut people and their traditions. The Murut Ethnic is particularly from the largest sub-groups of the Tagol from Nabawan and Timugon from Tenom. These events will take place at the Tenom Murut Cultural Centre from 4 – 5 of April 2009. Lots of programmes have been lined up for the festival, including the Kalimaran Queen pageant, the Maginakan, traditional Murut dances and songs, handicraft and gong-beating competition.

The event will be highlighting the rich culture of the Murut people, through colourful and fascinating cultural performances, handicraft demonstrations and sale booths plus many other exciting activities.

Im looking forward for this one.

Picture courtesy of Julian from 81lions.blogspot.com

The NST has recently reported that Tenom constituency in Sabah is one of the largest spenders of budgets allocation amongst other reps. The allocation was claimed to be spent for several festivities.

Tenom PKR vice chief express his dissatisfaction and query regarding the matter as reported in Daily Express

“Tenom MP Raimi Unggi refuted claims that he had abused more than RM900,000 in allocations for 58 festivities, saying most of the allocations were for minor physical development projects in his constituency in 2007″

To personally reply the quoted text above, “If the money allocated for festival occasion, why bill it to other maintenance projects?” I do believe maintenance of roads, buildings and other developments had its own allocation. In short, The MP of Tenom misused the resources and cannot be trusted to handle people money. That’s the taxpayer money for God’s sake!

It’s time for people who responsible to manage the funds to be more dependable towards the people. Their dealings should be more transparent and the public should be in the know with what the government is planning to do with their money. It is the role of our elected Member of Parliament to analyze every project that involves the people’s money, not simply bouncing the money from one project to another. or is it? yet we do not know this.

UNDILAH UMNO!!

UMNO = UNITED MURUT NATIONAL ORGANIZATION??

I am not referring to the news posted in Daily Express about the umno divisional meeting in Tenom recently.

This is my question? Since when the Muruts become malay? I don’t really understand how the Muruts actually become members of umno. Yes, they have the rights to participate in whatever political party they eligible to. But why umno? Don’t we have our own local based political party that we can contribute just as the same while we are in umno? Or is it about the bling bling?! Let us get this straight; umno is a race based political party and it was established to protect the interest and rights of the malays. If you are a converted Muslim, did that makes you a malay?

I remember this controversial quote by Datuk Ali Rustam (the Malacca CM) during the BN assembly in Kota Kinabalu long time ago. He said “If you are a Muslim, eat, talk and act like one then you are malay”. My A**! I don’t know how an educated politician and a leader can actually say something stupid like that. Does that also make Ahmad Chong Abdullah a malay? Funny isn’t it?

Back to Tenom. I have lots of relatives and friends who are a converted Muslim. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not against them. We lived happily having each other around. Race and religion are two different things. You talk about it by means of your intelligence, bukan mengikut perasaan. Because it tends to lead us to a rough circumstances.

Joining umno for me, is like giving up your own pride and dignity, and lost the battle whilst the game isn’t started yet. Because you are fighting for the rights of others and assuming that you actually fought the right of your own. It is like, this kind of people is having an identity conflict. Born as a Murut lives as a malay?

“Consider this situation; you’re a delegate representing Tenom’s umno in umno’s annual assembly in PWTC, while they are shouting “hidup melayu, hidup melayu” will you do the same? Keeping mum is not the best solution because you know, at that very time, you don’t belong there.”

Umno should have never set foot in Sabah in the first place. It’s the Sabahan that grant them the gold. Take Sarawak for example, which part of its population are Sarawak Malays, they don’t even have the umno flag reserved in their closet. I urge my fellow keMurutan especially the Timugons, to reconsider their involvement in umno and enough of being fooled! Like the old saying “Dusun senang disusun, Murut senang diurut” bukan begitu Om?!

Rondo ralan, rondo guang. Only my 2 Cents!