Sarawak N29: Care for broken record?...That of development...

These are the true warriors. The ones who fights for their customary land...

46 long years under Malaysia and Batang Ai with electrical transmission lines run above their wooden dwellings are still waiting for electricity supply. The Iban-majority natives lives on average family monthly income of RM 650.

And now with by election around the corner, all eyes are on Batang Ai. Mong Dagang, PRS youth chief, came visiting and promised a grant of RM5,000 to one of the longhouse, Rumah Beranda Aluk, Nanga Bengap. A total of RM 2M to help repair the longhouses in Batang Ai. What is BN doing? Promise of development?

What about BN's candiate, Malcolm Mussen? Is he too detach with his lineage that he forgot how to act and speak Iban? Understand that his first public duty is to open the Lubok Antu branch of Sarawak Bumiputra entrepreneurs association on 3 April. And what will he promise this time?

Mussen would be accompanying federal Ministers at the upper reaches of Ulu Batang Ai between April 3 and 6 to inspect the possible sites for road constructions in Lemanak and Engkari in Lubok Antu and will be briefing them on the other needs of the people there. How much development cost this time?

But most of all, it is not the development promise that is important, it is when the development will arrive Batang Ai is more important. BN, in the past, have made promises after promises during election campaign period. 46 years down the road, Batang Ai is still remote.

Promises are easy to made but it is harder to fulfil...and BN has thus far fail to deliver its promises..Maybe, it's time to change. The first time is hard, the rest will be easy....

Till then...G'nite M'sia wherever u are...