Tony Thien

Former Sarawak National Dayak Congress president Nicholas Bawin will lead the new PKR division in Lubok Antu after its launching by Anwar Ibrahim next week.

updated 4.35pm The two states are seething over their seemingly lower political status in Barisan Nasional, and may just show Umno who’s boss.

The remarks by two key Sabah BN politicians has provided more fodder for the rumour mill in Kota Kinabalu about possible defections.

Pending DAP rep Violet Yong homes in housing developer and Class A contractor Naim Cendera said to belong to Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s cousins.

State PKR chief Dominique Ng asks BN elected reps in Sarawak to join the ranks of Pakatan Rakyat ‘to fulfill the phenomenal expectations of the people after the March 8 general election’.

An attempt by Kota Sentosa rep Chong Chieng Jen to bring up a Wikipedia report on CM Taib Mahmud in the state assembly was quickly shot down by the speaker.

Kidurong DAP rep Chiew Chin Sing asks why the Sarawak government is unable to take care of its own people in the same manner that plantation companies take care of their oil palm trees.

The Sarawak Legislative Assembly hears the opposition DAP rep for Batu Lintang Voon Lee Shan calling for the police force to be beefed up as the public are angry with the rising crime.

Lately, tourists visiting the Mulu National Park in Sarawak have been given pamphlets that are not of the promotional kind, but with pleas for help by a small indigenous group.

Should Pakatan form the federal government, Sarawak will get about a five-fold minimum wage from what the employment sector is earning now.

Its secretary-general Stanley Jugol says the party will reply officially to Star president Dr Patau Rubis on the matter.

Making a lightning visit to Sarawak yesterday, the PKR supremo inducted several prominent Dayak professionals into his party and also opened the new Mambong PKR division.

Star president Dr Patau Rubis says he has written to his Snap counterpart Edwin Dundang suggesting that their two parties merge into a single entity.

Accusing the local police of inaction, a group of Iban longhouse dwellers file a report with the state police headquarters in Kuching.

A Sarawak government agency involved in the development of NCR land for oil palm cultivation refuses to meet the reps who are on a fact-finding mission.

The five from a Miri longhouse were asked to go to the police station to give a statement but were arrested instead.

The PKR candidate for the Pensiagan constituency files a petition against Deputy Minister Joseph Kurup’s election to the seat in the March 8 polls.

The Parti Rakyat Sarawak crisis dragged on for two long years. Now, it appeared to be resolved in two days with Dr James Masing back at its helm.

A volunteer in the search-and-rescue operation in the 2004 crash is being sued by a private helicopter company in Sabah for unpaid bills of RM500,000.

Under the petroleum sharing agreement signed in the 1970s after national oil company Petronas was set up, the federal government pays 5% royalties to the states for oil and gas.

Another ‘unhappy’ Sarawak BN legislator, Mas Gading's Dr Tiki Lafe, is unwilling to deny speculations that he is thinking of crossing over to the opposition.

Is it the fi rst sign of a defection? Richard Riot, the five-term MP for Serian in Sarawak, has resigned from Supp after being snubbed over a cabinet post. His next stop - PKR?

A marked ballot paper for one constituency is found in the ballot box for another constituency in Sarawak.

updated 6.15pm As a result of the incident, all the ballot papers were wet and could not be saved.