Asfia, Norah and Kampung Bruits residents

by Sebanaku Sarawak

KUCHING: Kampung Bruit residents of Pulau Bruit are incensed with their people's representatives.

They were given a promise before the last state election that they would be getting 5,000 hectares of land for them to plant oil palm to supplement their income.

As a matter of fact, they have worked hard since 2002 towards their dreams of supplementing their income with oil palm plantation. 

They decided to opt for the business because their fish catches were getting smaller each year – and they were worried about the future of the young generation if no alternative means of income were found in the near distant future. 

They believed that the survival of their community could only be assured if they could make the oil palm plantation a reality on the island.

They knew that they could not rely on their people's representatives to think for them because their elected representatives were busy counting monies in their treasure chest. 

Because of this, the islanders didn't mind to slog through the hardships without expecting their elected representatives to roll up their sleeves to help them.

The only thing they wanted from their elected representatives was to honour their promises to them. 

Before the last state election, their state assemblyman Dato Sri Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar had promised them that they would get 5,000 hectares of land if they helped him to win the election.

After giving a serious consideration, the islanders decided to give their votes to the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker.

Initially they wanted to dump him because of his countless broken promises but they were confident that this time around he would not dare to cross them.

After the election, they went to see him to further discuss about his promise. 

However, to their surprise, Dato Sri Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar denied that he ever gave such promise to them.

He challenged them to prove their claim -  he arrogantly told them that if there was no black and white on his promise, then a promise is not a promise !!!

The islanders were upset with Datoo Sri Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar but they knew that there was nothing they could do to make him to honour his promise because they already knew his character.

So, instead of mourning over the broken promise, they decided to carry out the plan on their own.

They wrote letters to the Mukah Divisonal Land and Survey Department requesting for the land. And they were happy to hear that the divisional department was supportive of their plan as per letter dated on July 14, 2008.

They also had a copy of a memo from Acting Daro District Officer dated on March 17, 2008 who expressed his support to the islanders’ plan to apply for a piece of land for an oil plantation business.

Months later, they were shock when they saw a group of people who claimed to be from Poh Zhen Sdn Bhd brought few earthwork machineries into the said land - which was located just outside their village – to do clearing works for the purpose of using the land for an oil palm plantation business.

The islanders were extremely not happy upon hearing this and tried to stop the strangers from encroaching into the land by erecting No Entry signs outside the land.

Their argument was the Mukah divisional Land and Survey Department said they still were processing their land application.

Therefore, it was impossible for the divisional department to give the land to Poh Zhen Sdn Bhd when the department was still processing their land application.

The company made an inquiry with the divisional department when the villagers stopped them from carrying out the clearing works on the land.

The villagers also made their own inquiry with the divisional department on the matter. 

In a letter dated on January 19, 2010, they were informed by the divisional department that their application was still in the process and had been forwarded to the department HQ in Kuching. 

They aired their grievances to Dato Sri Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar but failed to get any response.

So, they decided to meet the Tanjung Manis Member of Parliament YB Norah Tun Rahman with a hope that she could assist them.

But to their surprise, instead of trying to help the islanders, she told them to buck off and warned them that they would be thrown into jail if they dare to challenge the Poh Zhen Sdn Bhd for the right over the land. 

They just could not believe their ears when they heard YB Norah Tun Rahman said this because they didn’t expect it at all. 

Since they could not get YB Norah Tun Rahman to assist them, they sought out for a legal assistance from a lawyer in Sibu.

The lawyer helped them to send warning letter to the company if they continued to clear the land without waiting for the result of the villagers' land application.


After making the researches, with the help of the lawyer, they were shock to find out that the company was owned by Jaya Tiasa Holdings Berhad which was related to Rimbunan Hijau.

And they also managed to find out that the company was actually a proxy for both Dato Sri Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar and YB  Norah Tun Rahman to do an oil palm plantation business on the island.

At the same time, they also got to know that their village was not the only village experiencing the same problem because there were others too.

They subsequently requested the lawyer to help them to challenge the decision to give the land to Poh Zhen Sdn Bhd but the lawyer politely turned down their request.

The lawyer said although he personally believed that the company was at the wrong, he didn't dare to take up the case as it could affect his business.

Thus, he suggested to them to get legal assistance from lawyers in the oppositions pact.

After giving it a serious consideration, they finally decided to go to the press hoping that their plight could be aired for all to know and subsequently someone would come to their rescue.

Their sad story has come out in the press but it seems that it fails to cause the desired impact.

Both Dato Sri Asfia Mohd Nassar and YB Norah Tun Rahman are seemed to continue their normal life as if nothing has happened in Pulau Bruit.

But obviously they don't know that their days as elected representatives are numbered because the islanders are determined to teach them a good lesson, i.e. vote them out in the coming state and general election.

As it is now, even a Chinese candidate could win both the Semop and Tanjung Manis constituencies in the coming elections because the villagers are really not happy with them.