London protesters want Taib’s assets frozen


Mar 1, 11
Malaysiakini

Some 20 protesters comprising Malaysians and foreigners have staged a ‘Stop Timber Corruption’ demonstration in the British capital to highlight alleged abuses of long-serving Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

The demonstration, organised yesterday by NGO Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), was held outside a property company controlled by the Taib family, Ridgeford Properties Ltd, in central London.

It was led by Clare Rewcastle Brown, the sister-in-law of former British premier Gordon Brown, and Sarawak native Peter John Jaban.

Rewcastle Brown is the founder of the critical website Sarawak Report, which has been exposing Taib’s alleged corruption and global business empire.

Peter is the DJ of Radio Free Sarawak, an independent short-wave radio station broadcasting from London. It focuses on Sarawak activists and communities defending their land rights and opposing abuses by Taib.

Protesters unfurled posters with Taib’s portrait that said ‘Stop timber corruption in Sarawak’ and ‘Freeze Taib assets’.

Other posters read ‘Chief Minister of Sawarak – 30 years is enough!’, ‘Stop illegal logging on native lands’ and ‘Respect natives’ rights’.

A similar demonstration organised by BMF was held in downtown Ottawa, Canada, outside another property company controlled by Taib’s family – Sakto Corporation.

Last week, BMF released a list of 49 companies located across four continents around the globe, which it claims are linked to Taib and his family.

The intention of the blacklist is to help anti-corruption and anti-money-laundering authorities in the countries listed, to identify and freeze allegedly illicit assets accumulated by Taib and his family, the Swiss-based BMF said.

Following the release of the list, BMF launched an online petition on its website, calling on the authorities in the respective countries to investigate Taib and his family’s financial dealings and freeze their assets for subsequent restitution to the people of Sarawak.

  1. #1 by pulau_sibu on Tuesday, 1 March 2011 - 1:17 pm

    World leaders are aware where these crooks kept their illegal wealth. They should have stopped these people from gaining more wealth. After Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, Taib’s name should be made known internationally.

    Why Najipu and UMNO are not doing anything to Taib after so much reportings about his business empire? Does it mean that Najipu and his UMNO associates are more corrupted than Taib?

    and what is the anti-corruption agency waiting for?

  2. #2 by dagen on Tuesday, 1 March 2011 - 1:50 pm

    Now tht the noose is in place, pull the string firmly. Next, pull the lever to open the floor trap door.

    Three steps. Only three. That is all.

  3. #3 by k1980 on Tuesday, 1 March 2011 - 2:14 pm

    Don’t pull the string too firmly or else —-

    Barzan Ibrahim’s ( Saddam Hussein’s half brother and former intelligence chief ) head was severed from his body during his hanging in 2007.

    “In a rare incident, the head of the accused Barzan Ibrahim al-Hassan was separated from his body during the execution,” Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbag told reporters.

    Hangmen gauge the length of rope needed to snap the neck of the condemned but not to create enough force to sever the head.

  4. #5 by dagen on Tuesday, 1 March 2011 - 7:09 pm

    Ah ya. I forgot that one, k1980. Severed head huh. Heck. Who cares.

    Anyway. There is actually a little bit of science involved. Body weight, height of fall and neck thickness must all be taken into consideration.

    But do we want to consider them at all? Maybe we will let him have some rambutans for his last meal. And that will be all. Hows dat ei?

  5. #6 by cemerlang on Tuesday, 1 March 2011 - 8:02 pm

  6. #7 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 2 March 2011 - 3:03 am

    Some 20 protesters – Waoh, scary, Taib laughed so hard his hair turned black
    He continued his honeymoon with his juicy SYT, doing what he knew best after tongkat ali

  7. #8 by yhsiew on Wednesday, 2 March 2011 - 7:26 am

    It is strange that Taib dared not take legal action against NGO Bruno Manser Fund (BMF).

  8. #9 by k1980 on Wednesday, 2 March 2011 - 8:03 am

    20 protesters only? Let’s see Clare Rewcastle Brown, her hubby, her 3 children, her cousins, aunts and uncles, her brothers and sisters but no brother-in-law Gordon Brown, who is still sulking from his defeat in the elections. Taib can afford to pay for 200,000 supporters to applaud him in London.

  9. #10 by undertaker888 on Wednesday, 2 March 2011 - 8:19 am

    why ridicule people’s effort? big change must come from small action. like a chain reaction. what they and we must do is to keep the chain growing. In the end in will be a big blast like a atomic reaction.

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