Protest rally against Taib Mahmud's
upcoming visit to Oxford
Taib Mahmud has laughably advertised his UK visit as a promotion of ‘Green Development’ in Sarawak and will be focussing on the promotion of Islamic and Halal products, his latest venture, during his visit to Oxford.
Where – Entrance the Said Business School, Park End Street, Oxford
When – From 9.30 am Monday 26th July 2010-07-21
By Survival International
One of Asia’s greatest kleptocrats and single-handedly one of the most destructive forces against the environment, the Chief Minister of Sarawak, East Malaysia, Abdul Taib Mahmud, has been invited to present the opening address at the Said Business School’s inaugural Islamic Branding and Marketing Forum, Monday 26th July.
During his 30 years of iron grip over Malaysia’s Christian State, Taib Mahmud has systematically plundered a country once rich in natural resources, oil and timber. He and his family are now multi-billionaires, while indigenous tribes such as the legendary jungle nomads, the Penan, have been left destitute and robbed of their rightful hunting grounds.
Abdul Taib Mahmud has destroyed all but 3% of the Borneo jungle in the state, which had been handed all but intact into the care of his uncle, his predecessor. Numerous species, including the Orang Utan, proboscis monkey and a plethora of unique plant and animal life have been virtually wiped out by his rapacious and unsustainable plunder of the jungle.
The Penan are struggling to keep his loggers out of the last corners of their jungle, one of the most precious remaining areas of bio-diversity left on earth. Recent reports have revealed shocking evidence of their treatment at the hands of state-backed loggers, including the systematic rape and abuse of their women, an outrage that Taib Mahmud has refused to acknowledge or investigate.
Taib Mahmud’s ‘business interests’ are notorious. The whole state of Sarawak has been illegally absorbed into the possession of his cronies and family members through ‘privatisations’ and the handing out of palm oil and timber concessions, via arbitrary state acquisitions of native lands. He now runs the State as a family business, maintained through systematic electoral intimidation and fraud.
Taib Mahmud has laughably advertised his UK visit as a promotion of ‘Green Development’ in Sarawak and will be focussing on the promotion of Islamic and Halal products, his latest venture, during his visit to Oxford.
It is a standing disgrace that Oxford University should be extending a hand of welcome and supporting the status of such a man. His wealth and ability to endow is not in doubt, however there is no possible basis of legitimacy for such wealth, as can only be plainly apparent to all his hosts.
The people of Sarawak are struggling to rid themselves of this man and his parasitical family and to preserve their unique environmental heritage from his further ‘business ventures’. Please lend your support to their struggle and to the campaign to preserve what is left of the Book of Life and the Borneo Jungle’s natural wealth. Help fight for the survival of the Orang Utan and fellow creatures of the Asian Rainforest.
Be there to receive him and protest at the disgraceful invitation that has been extended to him by Oxford University and the Said Business School.
Contacts – Survival: Sophie Grig - sg@survivalinternational.org
For further details on Taib Mahmud see www.sarawakreport.org
For background on the problems in Sarawak see Times articles
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5908207.ece
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6814891.ece
