PARTI BERSATU RAKYAT SABAH (PBRS)

Monday, March 7, 2011

Najib, Muhyiddin temui rakyat Sarawak 19 Mac

Najib dan Mahyuddin

Penjelajahan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin untuk menemui rakyat yang bermula di Sarawak pada 19 Mac ini membabitkan pelbagai program yang dekat dengan rakyat. Setiausaha Agung Barisan Nasional (BN) Sarawak, Dr Stephen Rundi, berkata program turun padang dua pemimpin utama negara itu bermula di Serian, kira-kira 65 kilometer (km) dari sini.

Katanya, Najib dan isteri, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor mengikuti laluan darat ke Kampung Semera di Sadong Jaya, Kota Samarahan, kira-kira 100 kilometer dari sini.

Beliau berkata, Muhyiddin dan isteri, Puan Sri Norainee Abdul Rahman pula menaiki helikopter untuk berkunjung ke Kampung Melayu di Lingga, Bahagian Sri Aman, kira-kira 300km dari sini.“Perdana Menteri dan timbalannya akan melakukan tinjauan mesra di kampung dan beramah mesra dengan penduduk setempat.

Kedua-dua pemimpin turut makan tengah hari di sana dan menjamah sajian tempatan. Tinjauan mesra dan lawatan ke kampung akan menghubungkan mereka dengan rakyat,” katanya. Dr Rundi berkata, lawatan Najib dan Muhyiddin sebahagian daripada pusingan pertama sesi bertemu rakyat yang akan diadakan di seluruh negara.

Bulan lalu, Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, yang juga Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Operasi dan Pelaksanaan program itu, berkata pusingan pertama sesi dijangka selesai September ini, disusuli pusingan berikutnya yang akan diadakan sehingga berlangsung pilihan raya umum.

K'jaan peruntuk RM300 juta bantu rakyat miskin miliki rumah

Shafie Apdal

Kementerian Kemajuan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah memperuntukkan RM300 juta tahun ini menerusi Program Bantuan Rumah kementerian itu untuk membantu rakyat miskin memiliki rumah sendiri.

Menterinya Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal berkata kementerian berkenaan menyasarkan untuk membina kira-kira 9,000 buah rumah di bawah program itu berbanding 16,000 buah yang dibina tahun lalu. “Kita akan bantu rakyat memiliki rumah dengan membina rumah bernilai RM33,000 di Semenanjung dan bernilai RM45,000 di Sabah serta Sarawak untuk pastikan mereka ada rumah untuk didiami,” katanya kepada pemberita di sini kelmarin.

Selain itu, Shafie berkata kementerian juga akan menggalakkan golongan muda yang belajar di Pusat Giat Mara untuk terlibat dalam program berkenaan bagi membina dan membaik pulih rumah. “Kita mahu latihan yang mereka dapat dalam Giat Mara itu digunakan dalam program ini dan kita lihat setakat ini ramai yang berminat menyertai kita (kementerian) membina dan membaik pulih,” katanya.

Terdahulu, Shafie bersama dengan pelatih Pu- sat Giat Mara bergotong-royong mengecat rumah di Kampung Seri Ketumbit dekat sini bersama- sama kira-kira 200 penduduk kampung itu. Beliau turut meluangkan masa di Kampung Gunung Senyum dan beramah-mesra dengan penduduk dengan menaiki motosikal melawat dari rumah ke rumah.

EXCERPTS OF STATEMENT BY TAN SRI JOSEPH KURUP, AT THE 9TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS FORUM ON FORESTS (UNFF9), 31 Jan-7 February 2011

Tan Sri Joseph Kurup

DEPUTY MINISTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT MALAYSIA

1. I am pleased to highlight that Malaysia is bestowed with relatively large tracts of natural tropical forest which covers about 56.4 percent of our total land area. Malaysia has managed its forests in accordance with sustainable forest management (SFM) practices. While focusing on economic growth and development, Malaysia will continue to give equal attention to promote conservation of its natural resources and environmental protection, and to utilize forest resources sustainably particularly for the benefit of the people dependent on it.

2. In Malaysia, forests play a significant role in the socio-economic development of the country. In this regard, Malaysia strongly upholds its commitment to bring development to the local and forest dependent communities, particularly in fulfilling its obligation towards poverty eradication through their involvement in the various government development programs. This is to ensure that they will not be left behind and enjoy the benefit of the country’s development and prosperity.

3. The Malaysian government is committed to ensure that the interest and the welfare of the local and forest dependent communities are protected through the creation of employment opportunities, skills and entrepreneurship training in forestry related small and medium scale industries. In addition, priorities are given for the local and forest dependent communities to actively involve and participate in various projects under the Five Year Malaysia Development Plan such as the national mangrove and coastline tree planting programs by local communities and non-governmental organizations (NGO); community forestry projects and involvement of local communities in ecotourism activities.

4. Malaysia is pleased to inform the meeting on the growing involvement of the private sectors and multinational corporations through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs in supporting SFM activities with the participation of local communities. Some examples of this innovative financial mechanism are reflected in the 26 Million Tree Planting Campaign, the Heart of Borneo Initiative, the Central Forest Spine Project, the Forest Rehabilitation and Management Programs as well as the Voluntary Carbon Offset Scheme (VCOS) Project.

5. Malaysia would like to stress that one of the pertinent issues in the implementation of SFM particularly in developing countries are insufficient financial resources and lack of environmentally sound technologies. Due to the immense cost involved, Malaysia believes that financing of SFM cannot be discussed within the context of national boundaries alone. There is an urgent need to mobilize increased, new and additional financial resources to enhance capacity development and transfer of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries in order to support efforts in implementing SFM that contribute to sustainable development and poverty eradication. Therefore, Malaysia strongly supports the proposal to establish the voluntary Global Forest Fund (GFF) for SFM to be considered at the 10th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests in 2013.

6. Malaysia reiterates our commitment to the implementation of sustainable forest management. Realizing the importance of forest for economy, social and environmental stability, Malaysia is committed to maintain a minimum of 50 percent of its land area under forests and tree cover. Currently, about 56.4 percent of our land area is covered by forests.

7. Malaysia places great emphasis in the conservation and management of our forest resources on a sustainable manner which is costly, technically high and complex. We strongly uphold our commitment to improve the livelihood of our people and to fulfill our obligation in eradicating poverty. As a developing country, we are committed to mainstream the conservation and sustainable management of our biodiversity and forests in our socio-economic development agenda.

8. Malaysia welcomes Forests 2011 as an opportunity to highlight the importance of forests to all Malaysian, especially to strengthen our political commitment in achieving SFM as well as to increase awareness of the contribution of forests towards sustainable development. As the focal point, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Malaysia will coordinate activities with the involvement of various government agencies, private sectors, local communities, children and NGOs, and the International Year of Forests will be officially launched on 21st March 2011, in conjunction with the World Forestry Day and World Wetland Day celebration. The week of 21st to 29th March 2011 will be declared as “Forests 2011 Week of Malaysia”. The events for Forests 2011 are being incorporated with the existing “26 Million Trees Planting Campaign” under the theme “Greening the Earth: One Malaysian One Tree”.

9. On that note, in the spirit of the Forests 2011 celebration, Malaysia would like to reiterate the urgent need to develop an effective approach for forest financing from all sources, capacity building and the transfer of environmentally sound technology to support the efforts of developing countries to manage their forest resources sustainably.