米不够吃，谁之过？

《火箭报》第5期专题特稿

不久前，我们农作物及原产部长陈华贵宣布我国计划以“棕油换白米”。引发国际舆论担心亚洲的原产品价格及货币市场可能陷入混乱。

国内粮储亮起红灯

我国领导回归“物物交换”的做法可说是不寻常的，一般上，现代社会中的物物交换只出现在一些极端的、市场交易解决不到的环境里，如伊拉克的“石油换米粮”计划。

做为世界主要棕油生产及出口国，每年还需入口三分之一的白米供内需。如今愿意用棕油与任何国家交换白米，可以显示我们的米库存贮量可能已经到达危机水平，也显示世界米产量可能已经下跌至“有钱也买不到”的局面，才会让我国对原产品正常的交易管道失去信心。

贫者为真正受害者

粮食危机变成全球危机，在国际层面来说，可说是错综复杂、多层面因素造成的。这些导因可能包括富国与穷国签订了不平等的自由贸易条约、各国之间政治角力问题、环境问题、科技问题、人类本身文化习俗的问题。

其实，早在全球性的粮食危机之前，世界各地已经普遍存在“朱门酒肉臭，路有冻死骨”的悲惨例子。虽然人类科技文明日新月异，却依然无法解决世界饥饿的问题。以美国为例，粮食产量虽然超过国民的总需求，但还有3500万人口生活在营养不良、粮食不足的环境里，这些挨饿的一群包括大人及小孩。

印度、缅甸等国家虽然贵为产米国，但是，依然每天发生平民百姓饿死街头的事件。

为工业牺牲粮产量

在欧美诸国，当地的汽业工业已经进入环保能源实用阶段，生物燃料在政府的鼓励政策下日渐受落，对谷粮的需求量之高，已被形容为“汽车与人争吃粮食”。

联合国粮农组织专家齐格勒曾警告说，一些国家将粮食转化为燃料的做法是一种“反人类罪”。他认为，农业作物应首先用来应对饥饿现象，而不是生产生物燃料，先进国把数千万吨玉米、大豆转化成乙醇燃料对贫困人口来说绝对是场灾难。

若从一个马来西亚如此天然资源丰富的国家层面来看，我们难逃全球粮食危机的连锁反应，但国内人为的施政失败、管理不当、执法不严、人民欠缺危机感，也往往造成无谓的浪费及必需品的短缺。

施政不当加剧缺粮

以去年底发生津贴食油短缺的问题为例，很大程度上，与政府一直无法解决棕油成本攀升后、食油生产价格暴涨的问题。还有，执法不严也导致一桶桶的津贴食油遭不法之徒走私出口。

国家领导人须善加管理资源，别总是以为我国少有天灾、资源丰富而沾沾自喜，败家子女的故事听多了，也要懂得汲取别败光家产的经验。

嫌犯不死的权利

《火箭报》第5期《呱噪无罪》专栏

又一个嫌犯在扣留所死了。

这一回，警方对媒体公布死者的死因为“上厕所跌倒而死亡”。

死者吴炎标于2008年1月9日涉嫌拥有土制炸弹、烟火、五仔迷幻药、色情光碟等而遭警方逮捕。他被警方延长扣留至1月22日以协助调查。最终，他却在警方扣留期间离奇去死，死亡时间是1月20日凌晨3时56分。

本文不讨论扣留犯的死因是不是另有蹊跷，也不讨论死刑到底该不该废除。我国宪法第5条阐明：人人都有生存的权利。以此延伸，任何人未定罪前都是无罪的。

纵使一个人因遭警方怀疑是个十恶不赦、丧尽天良的大坏蛋，最终被法官宣判“罪名成立”，他都有权利在监狱中受到“像人”的对待。

什么是“像人”的对待？最基本的权利应该包括：口渴的时候有水喝，饿的时候有饭菜吃、扣留所要符合基本的安全及卫生条件、生病时能够寻求病药治疗等等。

2007年，我国至少有10名嫌犯在扣留所中死亡。这些死者的家属往往都对警方公布的死因报告存疑。因为，警方无法解释的疑点实在太多了。

以吴炎标的案件为例，家属提出的疑点包括：为何警方在死者死亡后6个小时才通知家属？为什么死者身上出现多处伤痕和瘀肿，尤其是头部和手部？死者生前身体不适时，警方是否曾提供医疗援助？……

一个社会对待一个罪犯的态度，在某种程度上可以反映上述社会如何看待生命的价值。对警方、受害者而言：“这种人渣，早死早好！”，那种对罪犯恨之入骨的心理是可以理解的。

然而，一个嫌犯或犯人的生命价值，除了是法律、受害者或受害者家属眼中的“人渣”，对他至亲的父母亲、妻子、儿女而言，他也是一名孩子、丈夫及父亲。

谁也不愿意让亲人活生生地被警方带走，然后，在调查结果没有下文的情况下，回家的却是一具冷冰冰的尸体。那些草菅人命的警方究竟滥权到什么程度？天知、地知、大家知。人民要一样东西，至今都还未死心，那就是：警方行为不检独立委员会（IPCMC）。

Nothing to celebrate on World Environment Day

Statement by Environmental Officer to DAP secretary-general , Thing Siew Shuen on World Environment Day , 5 June.

Do we have anything to celebrate on World Environment Day when our
Forestry Department has admitted that they are losing the battle
against illegal loggers?

The Malay Mail on 30 May 2008 published an article with the alarming headline "Raped for 13 years". According to the article, some 10000ha of the Raja Musa Forest Reserve in Kuala Selangor have been cleared to make way for oil palm plantations since 1995, and the
authorities appear to be in the dark over the issue.

The size of the cleared area -- 10,000ha – is approximately the size of 10,000 soccer fields. How is it possible that a land area so big has been systematically raped and plundered for 13 years and turned into oil palm plantations without anyone knowing about it?

Ironically, there was a photo that accompanied the report showing a Selangor Forestry Department sign hanging limply on a tree stump with the words "Permanent Forest Reserve. Not allowed to enter without permission".

In fact, an Indonesian worker in the area said he had worked there since 1995 and upon request, was able to produce an application letter requesting permission to deforest the area surrounding the reserve. The letter was dated April 2008.

The response from the officers in the various authorities can only be described as shocking. The president of Kuala Selangor District Council, Haris Kassim, said that the council has never approved any development plans for the area.

The deputy land officer of the council, Kamarozaman Nik Mat, was also unaware of the deforestation taking place, saying, "Anybody doing any work there must have a permit issued by the State Forestry Department or the District Office."

A few days later, Hulu Selangor Forestry Department officer Wan Abdul Hamid Shukri admitted that the department lacked the enforcement personnel and surveillance equipment to prevent unauthorized logging activities. The reserve covers 80000ha of land but the department only has 20 officers working at any one time, making it impossible for them to look after the entire area.

Wan Abdul Hamid Shukri admitted that the forest rangers had been fighting a losing battle, as the culprits are quick to return once the officers leave. They also carry out their activities when the forest rangers are off-duty.

Before more forests are illegally cleared, we must step in to protect our natural heritage as it is a vital part of the ecosystem. We urge the authorities to treat the matter seriously and punish the culprits who are illegally destroying our forests.

At the same time, the government must answer the following questions:

（1） Why is the Forestry Department lacking in forest rangers and surveillance equipment? How are they expected to do their work and protect the forests?

（2） Is there any misconduct or abuse of power on the part of the authorities which has 'allowed' these illegal activities to take place for the last 13 years and still continues to this day?

（3） Even though a number of excavators had been compounded, the illegal activities have continued in the reserve. How effective is the law in dealing with this problem?

（4） How many forest reserves in the country have been illegally cleared and turned into plantation land?

In case we have forgotten, the massive floods in southern Peninsular Malaysia were caused in large part to illegal and uncontrolled logging activities, which resulted in the destruction of vegetation and buffer zones along the river.

To stop the destruction of our forests, the federal government must not only monitor the ability of the state governments in forest resource management but must provide proper support for the enforcement teams such as advanced surveillance equipment and manpower.


THING SIEW SHUEN

民主行动党秘书长环境事务专员邓晓璇于6月5日世界环境日发表声明：

当森林局执法者承认与非法伐木者“打了一场败战”，我们还需要庆祝世界环境日吗？

迎接2008年6月5日世界环境日之际，本地英文报章《马来邮报》报章封面以一个醒目的标题，报道了一则耐人寻味的消息。过去13年，在瓜拉雪兰莪拉惹慕沙（Raja Musa）森林保留地，竟然有人可以在神不知、鬼不觉、官不见的情况下，将1万公顷的森林砍个精光。

10000公顷的森林面积相等于10000足球场。更讽刺的是，新闻照片中，在一大片光秃秃的的土地上，一棵残余的树身上，还竖着一个指示牌写着：永久森林保留地，未经允许，不得入内。

事实上，一名印尼工人透露他们自1995年开始就在那里工作，他也只是出示了一张志期为2008年4月的伐木申请书。

各级官员的反应更是令人吃惊。瓜拉雪兰莪县议会主席哈里斯卡欣指当局未批准任何活动。瓜雪土地局副局长卡玛罗查曼也说：“县议会对于上述地区的伐木活动毫不知情，任何人要在森林保留地进行任何活动，必须获得州森林局或县议会的批准 。”

几天后，我们才看到乌鲁雪兰莪县属森林局官员旺阿都哈密亲自承认，当局在执法人员不足、侦察设备及能力有限的情况下，根本无法阻止非法伐木及翻种棕油的活动。他也指出，森林保留地覆盖了多达80000公顷的面积，但是，当局只有20名官员，在有限的人力下，根本无法全方位顾全森林。

旺阿都哈密承认与非法伐木者“打了一场败战”，因为非法伐木者根本目无法纪，被罚款了还返回森林，又或者等到森林巡逻执法者周末休息时，他们又重返林地继续作业。

为了阻止更多非法伐木的事件，我们必须采取行动保护我们的天然资源，因为那里生态系统最重要的部份之一。我们促请有关当局正视上述事件，并将涉及非法伐木的人士绳之以法。

同时，我们也必须认真检讨以下事项：

（1） 为何县属森林局长期面对人员不足、侦察设备不足的问题，导致他们无法有效力地执法？

（2） 是否有人通过贪污舞弊的途径，在过去13年来，一直纵容非法伐木活动？

（3） 我们的法律是否已经过时，以致刑罚太轻，根本无法对非法伐木者起到阻遏的效果？

（4） 国内究竟还有多少森林保留地，在相同的情况下被伐个精光，然后用以非法种植？

别忘了，两年前发生的南马大水灾，很大程度上归咎于非法、无节制的伐木活动，因为它们破坏了沿河地区的森林植被及缓冲区。

为了不让我们的森林继续遭受破坏，联邦政府不仅应该监督州政府在管理森林资源的能力，还应提供必要的支助，例如：先进的侦察设备和人力资源。

邓晓璇

Fuel hike: 78 sen more to RM2.70 per litre

By Beh Lih Yi & Chan Kok Leong | Jun 4, 08 4:55pm(Malaysiakini.com)

The government has announced that petrol price will go up by 78 sen at midnight - a 40.6 percent jump from RM1.92 per litre to RM2.70. MCPX "Effective from tomorrow, June 5, 2008, the price of petrol will be raised by 78 sen and the price of diesel will be raised by RM1," Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told a 50-minute press conference at his office in Putrajaya. The price of diesel will increase by a whopping 63.3 percent - from RM1.58 per litre to RM2.58. The price hikes are among government measures to drastically cut the spiralling bill for oil subsidies, which is expected to amount to RM56 billion this year. With the new structure, Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop - who was also present at the press conference - said the government is expected to spend about RM18 billion a year on oil subsidies At a press conference held at 5.30pm, Abdullah also announced that the government plans to offer rebates to motorists to offset the fuel price increase. Under the scheme, vehicles below 2000cc will receive an annual rebate of RM625 to compensate for 800 litres of fuel used under the new price. "Owners of private motorcycles of engine capacity of up to 250cc will be paid a cash rebate of RM150 per year," he said. According to the prime minister, the money will be paid by money order. Rebate will be paid when motorists renew the road tax for their vehicles. The government is expected to save RM13.7 billion under this new subsidy restructure and other levies. The figures are derived from the savings made by state-owned oil company Petronas in gas and oil (RM8 billion), petrol (RM4 billion) and the independent power producer and palm oil (RM1.7 billion). The surplus of RM13.7 billion will be used for food security policy (RM4 billion), subsidies in cooking oil (RM1.5 billion), rice import (RM400 million), flour and bread (RM300 million), petrol, diesel and gas (RM7.5 billion), Abdullah explained. Since 2004, petrol has gone up by 97.1 percent, while diesel increased by a whopping 231 percent [see chart below]. Higher TNB tariffs Abdullah also announced that the road tax for vehicles above 2,000cc will be reduced by RM200. For motorbikes above 250cc, their road tax will be slashed by RM50, but a minimum rate of RM2 road tax will be maintained. The diesel subsidy for fishermen and vessel owners have been fixed at RM1.43 per litre. Previously fishermen bought diesel at RM1 per litre while vessel owners paid RM1.20 per litre. The premier also announced a price hike in gas supply for electrical and industry sectors. The premier added that the electricity tariffs too will be increased, effective July 1. He said the power tariff rate would remain the same for households which use below 200 kilowatt of electricity, which amount to RM43.60. However, those using more than 200 kilowatt will have to pay around 20 percent more. National power supplier Tenaga Nasional will announce its new price structure at 12 noon tomorrow. The prime minister, in anticipating public anger from price hikes, has urged Malaysians not to organise street protests. "The cost of petrol and commodities has risen drastically and so subsidies have to be restructured," he lamented. "God willing I hope Malaysians will not demonstrate over this," he said, referring to fury over earlier hikes in a country where public transport is poor and most people are reliant on their cars. Expect more price hikes Abdullah said that under the new scheme, the government will maintain a 30-sen fuel subsidy, which is independent of the market rate of fuel prices. For example, if the market rate is RM3 per litre, the local pump price will be RM2.70 per litre with the 30-sen subsidy. He said that the government would review the market price on monthly base and announce the subsidised price accordingly. Abdullah also said that he was confident the economic growth could be maintained at five percent and inflation at four to five percent. Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shahrir Abdul Samad, who was also at the press conference, conceded that the increase would impact on inflation, which came in at 3.0 percent in April. "With this hike, the CPI (consumer price index) is expected to rise to 5.0 percent" this year, he said. He also said that the new price of RM2.70 did not reflect the full market value, which could be as high as RM3-4 when the price controls are completely removed in August. Also at the press conference were Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Amirsham Abdul Aziz, Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek and International Trade and Industry Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Reply from NRE--Monkey matters: Full probe on all macaque reports

2008/02/21

By : NOR AZEAN HASAN for Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Putrajaya

I REFER to the letter on the export of monkeys, "Don't stop with the no-export decision" (NST, Feb 5) from Thing Siew Shuen of Johor Baru.

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks appreciates the suggestions by the writer, especially about the awareness programme for the public.

The department's programmes include:

- Giving advice via letters, phone or email to those who face human-wildlife conflicts, especially with long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis); and

- Putting up signboards to inform the public to stop feeding wildlife at parks, jogging tracks and housing areas. Some of the signboards have been put up at Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Taman Tasik Perdana, Taman Zooview, Bukit Tunku and Taman TAR, Ampang.

Last year, 6,578 reports of human-wildlife encounters, especially with long-tailed macaques, were received and all were investigated and acted upon.

A total of 7,558 macaques from human-wildlife conflict areas were located to new habitats.