SARAWAK LIVE: Sebastian Ting

Sebastian Ting a determined man

MIRI: Behind the warm smile and soft-spoken personality, Datuk Sebastian Ting has a strong will to serve the people.

His defeat by PKR’s Dr Teo Yu Kheng in the 13th general election in 2013 had not broken him.

Instead, in the ensuing two years, Ting persistently went around Miri City and rural areas to meet those in need of his assistance.

“Perhaps, it was my childhood experience that motivated me to keep going,” he told The Borneo Post in an interview yesterday.

Growing up in a huge family of nine, Ting shared that he understands the value of money and what it can do to make a difference to one’s life.

“My mum took up a few jobs including washing laundry, baby sitting, etc to support the whole family. Back in Sibu, life was hard yet the happiness my siblings and I felt were genuine. We did not complain on how we did not get to enjoy the luxury our peers had. Instead we made good use of what we had and still felt contented,” he said.

In mid-1960s, Ting’s parents decided to leave Sibu for Kuching, anticipating a better job opportunity.

It was in Kuching that he felt the importance of having a place that one could call home.

Life wasn’t better there, according to him, as they had to move house often because tenants wanted to increase the rental which his parents could not afford.

It went on for several years until he enrolled in St Joseph’s Boarding School, Kuching in 1970 when he was 15 years old.

The BN candidate for Piasau noted that soaring housing prices in Miri had become so drastic in recent years so much so that it deprived the younger generation, especially those from the middle-income and low-income groups, of their chance to own a house.

“The demand for affordable housing and low-cost houses is very high, therefore it is vital for the government to look into this matter, so that everyone can afford a house,” he said.

Ting further said education is another issue that concerns everyone and that the government should look into this matter very seriously.

“Education opens one’s horizon and their opportunity to work out a better life for themselves.

“Every child is born smart.However, it is the learning environment that matters, therefore, providing a conducive environment with at least basic facilities is vital to ensure that children are able to learn as much knowledge when given the opportunity,” he said.

Ting also shared his concern over the lack of utilities in rural and squatter areas.

“I had witnessed children struggling to study under a candle light and it breaks my heart to see this though Miri has already been elevated to city status for 11 years. The reason given by Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) for refusing the squatters the utility was that the residents do not have land title.”

Despite the criticism and negative comments, Ting insisted that he would follow his dream and continue to serve the people.

“Apparently, I am a positive person. Anything negative would automatically turn into a motivation for me to work harder.

“It is not about proving to people what I can do, it is about the satisfaction of giving and able to help those in need and those who require special help from the authority,” he said.-Borneo Post

NSC not enforceable in Sarawak – SUPP

MIRI: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) which supported the passing of National Security Council (NSC) Bill 2015 in Parliament said without the consent from Sarawak, the legislation would not be enforceable in the state.

Its secretary-general Dato Sebastian Ting Chew Yew said with or without the amendments, SUPP is of the opinion that the NSC Bill 2015 cannot be enforced in the state because the federal government has not obtained prior consent or any consent from the Sarawak state government.

In a press statement, he said the Federation of Malaysia is based on the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report in 1962 which are international treaties between four governments and registered with the United Nations that cannot be amended by the Malaysian Parliament.

On Dec 8 last year, the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly unanimously resolved to revisit all the key federal laws that contradicted the safeguards and covenants in the IGC and the MA63 provided for Sabah and Sarawak, and to find ways to reconcile these aberrations in our legislation and laws.

He hoped that Peninsular Malaysians would understand that the time has come for Sabah and Sarawak to claim what are rightfully theirs.

“Perhaps the details of the current NSC Bill can be a good test case for Sabah and Sarawak to review the documents in the light of our entrenched safeguards and state rights. We urge the federal government to hold back the Bill till the process of reconciliation with the MA63 and the IGC is done,” he added.

A minister in the Prime Minister’s Department recently commented that the NSC members were selected based on expertise on security and not in the spirit of including state representatives but SUPP suggested to include the chief ministers of Sabah and Sarawak to be among the permanent members of NSC.

“Who would know and understand Sarawak better than the Chief Minister himself? He should be there not for the sake of ‘spirit’ as the minister suggested but it is for Malaya to start recognising the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners to Malaya in the Federation of Malaysia,” Ting pointed out.

He said Sabah and Sarawak must be consulted and have a say on how the funds are to be used as national security required huge financial allocations.

He advised that the NSC Bill 2015 should not be used in subduing movements such as ‘Sarawak for Sarawakians’ and others which mainly ask for the return of the state’s rights as agreed during the formation of Malaysia.

The National Security Council (NSC) was initially established on July 7, 1971 for the purpose of preventing racial riots such as the May 13, 1969 from happening again.

The newly passed Bill was drafted to extend the power of NSC to deal with the national security issues without invoking Article 150 – Emergency Power in the Federal Constitution.

Despite the passing of the Bill by both Houses of Parliament, SUPP called for six substantial amendments to cap the scope of authority:

• Amend Clause 6 of the NSC Bill 2015 for the Chief Minister of Sabah and of Sarawak (or state representative) to be included among the eight permanent members of the proposed National Security Council

• Amend Part IV, Clause 18 of the NSC Bill 2015 so that the Prime Minister’s role will be replaced by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in declaring ‘Security Area’, acting on the advice of the NSC

• Amend Clauses 15 and 20 of the NSC Bill 2015 so in the event that a ‘Security Area’ is identified in Sabah or Sarawak, the director general of the National Security and the director of Operations administering the ‘Security Area’ has to be a Sabahan or Sarawakian from the respective states for the whole duration of the specific emergency

• Amend the definition of ‘Government Entities’ in Clause 2 ‘Interpretation’ and Clause 5 of the NSC Bill 2015 so the powers of the NSC do not include any state government’s ministry, department, office, agency, authority, commission, committee, board or council because state matters must continue to remain under the control of Sabah and Sarawak as was agreed during the formation of Malaysia

• Amend the NSC Bill 2015 so that it will not contravene Article 9 ‘Prohibition of banishment and freedom of movement’ and Article 13 ‘Rights to property’ of the Federal Constitution that protects the fundamental liberties of any person, the freedom of movement and rights to property because this case is different from the State of Emergency (Article 150)

• Clause 4 of the NSC Bill 2015 on ‘National Security’ needs to be specifically defined because if otherwise, it has too broad in meaning.

- Borneo Post

SUPP akan terus berkhidmat, melindungi dan perjuang hak rakyat Sarawak

MIRI: Parti Rakyat Bersatu Sarawak (SUPP) akan terus berkhidmat dan melindungi rakyat Sarawak serta memperjuang hak-hak bangsanya dalam mencapai matlamat tahun baharu 2016.

Setiausaha Agungnya, Datuk Sebastian Ting berkata SUPP telah berkhidmat untuk rakyat Sarawak selama 56 tahun dan berjanji sentiasa bekerja keras mengekalkan kestabilan dan keamanan.

“Sempena tahun baharu 2016 ini, menjadi harapan SUPP terus berjuang bersama dan mencapai kemajuan dari semasa ke semasa bagi membolehkan rakyat negeri ini menikmati kemajuan,” katanya dalam mesej sempena Tahun Baharu 2016 semalam.

Ting yang juga pengerusi SUPP Piasau berkata, pelbagai perancangan bakal dilaksanakan oleh SUPP sepanjang 2016 dalam mencapai matlamatnya.

Antaranya berusaha memastikan pelaksanaan dasar-dasar meningkatkan kualiti sistem pendidikan dan kemudahan pendidikan semua sekolah.

“Ini adalah antara perkara amat dititikberatkan semua ibu bapa di sini dalam memastikan anak-anak mereka mendapat pendidikan sempurna,” katanya.

Jelasnya, SUPP memastikan pengisytiharan hak Sarawak seperti dinyatakan dalam Perjanjian Malaysia 1963 dan Laporan Jawatankuasa Antara Kerajaan.

Pihaknya mahu permulaan penyusunan semula hubungan persekutuan dan negeri mengambil kira Perjanjian Malaysia 1963, Laporan Jawatankuasa Antara Kerajaan dan aspirasi rakyat Sarawak.

Selain itu, SUPP turut menyuarakan dan melobi bagi menyediakan lebih peluang pekerjaan dan skim keusahawanan di Sarawak.

“Dalam usaha mempunyai kemajuan berterusan, kita perlu mempunyai lebih banyak dasar dan pelaburan yang mencetuskan kemajuan dinamik.

“Salah satu caranya ialah mewujudkan lebih banyak peluang pekerjaan dan keusahawanan di Sarawak dan pemansuhan Dasar Kabotaj (Cabotage Policy) Kerajaan Persekutuan yang tidak adil dan tidak wajar,” ujarnya.

Dasar Kabotaj meletakkan beban kewangan yang tidak perlu pada rakyat Sarawak dengan mengarahkan semua perdagangan antarabangsa di Malaysia melalui Pelabuhan Klang di Semenanjung Malaysia.

Ia menambahkan kos import dan eksport bagi Sarawak serta melambatkan tempoh barang dibawa masuk sekali gus menyebabkan Sarawak ketinggalan.

“Pemansuhan dasar tersebut mengurangkan kos sara hidup di Sarawak dan pada masa sama membantu meningkatkan taraf hidup rakyat.

“Diharapkan Kerajaan Persekutuan memandang serius terhadap perkara tersebut dan mematuhi setiap Perjanjian Malaysia 1963 dan Laporan Jawatankuasa Antara Kerajaan bagi memberi jaminan Sarawak menjalankan Perdagangan Antarabangsa dengan negara-negara lain secara langsung dan membuat perniagaan Sarawak lebih baik bersaing di pasaran global,” katanya.

Jelas beliau, SUPP turut melobi memastikan Kerajaan Persekutuan membenarkan penerbangan secara terus di semua lapangan terbang di Sarawak.

Ini demi membolehkan rakyat Sarawak dan pelancong dalam serta luar untuk meneruskan perjalanan ke pelbagai destinasi dengan kadar kos tambang rendah tanpa melalui lapangan terbang antarabangsa di Kuala Lumpur.

2016 akan menjadi tahun penting bagi rakyat Sarawak dan kita berharap rakyat bersama membuat pilihan tepat demi mengukuhkan keamanan negeri ini.-Utusan Borneo

SUPP wants Sarawak, Sabah represented in National Security Council

KUCHING: The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) is gravely concerned over the impact of the proposed National Security Council law on Sarawak (and Sabah, being in the same position as Sarawak within the Federation of Malaysia) as there is no representation from Sarawak (and Sabah) in the council.

SUPP secretary-general Dato’ Sebastian Ting noted that the National Security Council Bill was tabled in Parliament for the first reading recently.

The proposed new law seeks to create a council which will have the power, amongst others, to declare certain area a ‘security area’ and the council will have wide ranging powers in particular concerning security.

The members of the proposed council are the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Inspector-General of Police and the Chief Secretary to the Federal Government.

Ting said SUPP had always been supportive of a stable and a strong government. The safety of the people and property should be the upmost concern for any political party and the nation.

At the same time, they were also mindful that the wide powers granted by the proposed law should not be misapplied or abused.

Ting said SUPP was concerned over the impact of the proposed law on Sarawak (and Sabah, being in the same position as Sarawak within the Federation of Malaysia) since there was no representation from Sarawak (and Sabah) in the council.

He said it was very important for Sarawak and Sabah to be represented in the proposed council for nation building.

Malaysia was formed as a federation of three separate entities –Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah (after the separation of Singapore in 1965).

“This new law should reflect this fact by including the views and voices from the other two partners of this nation. SUPP proposes that the council be expanded to include the chief ministers of Sarawak and Sabah as members of the council.

“Furthermore, before any part of Sarawak (or Sabah) is to be declared a security area, the consent of the respective chief ministers must be mandatory.

“We further propose that Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Communications and Multimedia be included in the council because these ministries are relevant.

“SUPP asks for the Bill to be amended to reflect the above requests,” Ting said in the press statement.-Borneo Post