Dear Tirok,
Please do not pixel peeping and create controversy. I was quoted from our dialog with forestry dept. last year. I stated that the swift lets cannot be move like chicken and pigs. When we have exhausted all avenues to allow swift lets farming in shop lots and facings a deadline to shut down all BH in Sarawak by 31st Dec 2008. We have only one last choice to ask for two years extension to relocate. This will allowed BH owner to be able to make a living and recover more of their investments. Can Mr Tirok come up with another alternative?? All this only apply to SARAWAK BH OWNERS ONLY!!! For your information our Sarawak wildlife act is different than that of West Malaysia. You don’t need to be a brain sergeant to finger out that those two years is better than NONE AT ALL!!
Tomorrow we are facing the gallows I am only fighting to ask for a” STAY OF EXCUTION “If you are hard of understanding on simple strategies to save our BH please KEEP QUIET. We are hoping to be able to get a court injunction by tomorrow in MIRI and Makah would you like to contribute say RM10, 000 to help us and put some money where your mouth is?? Thank you!
By the way I was with Harry when he advises you how to revamp your failed BH. How is the result still no BIRDS? Maybe you should talk to Harry again but now it’s RM200.00 for first hour and RM100.00 subsequent hour.
Have a good life.
Ben

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Added on February 16, 2009, 3:10 pmHi Tang, Sorry I am only speaking on situation in Sarawak. You are aware that we have already suffer a operation to shut down BH in Sarawak starting in Mukah. after much protest we were given 3 months grace period till 31st Dec. 2008. subsequently the authority agrees to hold a dialog with all representatives from the different Swiftlets Associations in Sarawak. I was nominated spoke person for Miri BH owners. I myself was for the first time become aware of the wildlife act and the numerous notices served to BH owners to apply for the necessary licenses and to relocate BH to Agriculture Land . All of us who attended the dialog plead unsuccessfully for consideration to allowed BH in shop lots like our brothers in West Malaysia. We were told that Sarawak have separate jurisdiction and laws as regards to the protection of wildlife act. We were told that enough grace period was given since 2007 and have been disregarded by BH owners. Most of us are new owners and not aware of such notices. It is only after all and our plead was exhausted that we have no other choice but to begged for a further extension. This will allowed BH owner to recover more of their investments , and maybe build a stand alone on agriculture land. My opinion is that if BH is shut down then the Swiftlets have no choice but to occupy stand alone if there is one. The deli ma of Sarawak BH owners is that we were caught unprepared and think that if its OK to have BH in shop lots in West the same rules applies to Sarawak . But at last its not to be and most never think of building stand alone BH. My observation both in Malaysia and Indonisia is that Shop lot BH are more successful then stand alone BH and also its cheaper to convert shop lots and affordable to many farmers. No you cannot move your bird from shop lots to your newly built stand alone but you can definatelly attract homeless Swiftlets. Again I am only speaking on suituation in Sarawak. Ben



This post has been edited by benchai: Feb 16 2009, 03:10 PM

Dear All,

I have wanted to share some of my views but was flat out for last two weeks till last night bringing much needed humanitarian Aids to 5 flood evacuations Centers in Suai,Niah ,Bakong And marudi on behalf of " People of Malaysia through Mercy Malaysia" . If you think we have problem think again !

The highly esteemed Datuk Lord Canbrook a renowned scientists who worked in Sarawak for many years and together with Dr.Lim Chan Koon co- authored Swiftlets of Borneo was the speaker on Sarawak Swiftlets organized by Sarawak Nature Society in Bintulu last year. He stress that what he call "House Swiftlets " are either a sub species or an Hybrid species that he named " Fuciphagus Domesticus " and would categories as domestic animals like chicken and pigs. He further stress that they cannot survive in the wild and live in towns , abandon buildings and other man made structures like bridges Ect. Ten years ago In Bintulu, these birds started to occupied empty shop lots and on ledges of buildings. They are commonly found under ledges around MAS office and surrounding buildings till today. Also noted that these sub species are distantly different from their caves cousins . Although they share same food sources but have different behaviors and even the nest are of different compositions. Hopefully our Malaysian scientist will do further study and do a DNA profiling on this special gift from God to the under privilege people of Sarawak.

I further asked Lord Carnbrook on what will happen if they are forcefully evicted from the shophouses. He feared that most will parish in bad weather conditions like now. Some will migrate like their forefathers migrated from Indonesia to Malaysia about 10 years ago during the forest fire and haze due to Logging and forest destruction' s for oil palm . Sarawak we may be killing the goose that lay the golden eggs. This can be adverted if farmers are given license and time to build stand alone and let the swiftlets move them self to these standalone as BH in shop lots are being phase out .

Scientist say that Swiftlets cannot be force to move like chicken or pigs., but lay man who only attended a seminar in KT together with me about a year ago become an " EXPERT " . Being a good and amusing writer can talk to and convinced many people with authority who have little knowledge on Swiftlets. This is dangerous as this will destroy an industry that is the core business of many farmers whose livelihood solely depend on Swiftlets Farming. Many families and lives will be destroy just to satisfy some individuals EGO !!

The biggest lost is Sarawak as the Seed are also being destroyed as panicking farmers in Bintulu, Serikai, Miri, Sibu, Mukah and Kuching are now as I am writing are throwing away eggs and baby swiftlets by the thousands in order to harvest as many nest as possible . To add insult to injuries they fear that if evidents of swiftlets farming are found , apparatus like amplifiers , speakers and so on they will be slap with a compound fine of RM5000.00. I hope that these rumors are unfounded.

For the record I do agree with the authorities that sustainable Swiftlets farming should be carried out in Agriculture land as I clearly stated in my earlier article. WE beg for extension of grace period to allowed the ranchers who have shown commitment to relocate and have submitted their application to the Forestry Department to remain status quo until they have being granted the necessary licenses and a time frame to complete their stand alond BH in agriculture land before their present BH is being Closed. Its not unreasonable to ask for this small consideration. This will at least protect the livelihood of many farmers for at least 2 years. For those who refused to comply will be responsible for their own actions.

Where as the GAHP is very necessary for serious farmers ,but what shocked me is the venue was used by none other then the Secretary on the Sarawak Swiftlets Association to promote his Eco Park. How can the organizer allowed this. This Mr. Wong So and So repeated at least 6 times that he is trying to help the swiftlets farmers. HA HA is he giving us 1 unit each free of charge ?? My Foot ! Dear all readers I have traveled far and wide ot observe the best method of Swiftlets Farming . I like to ask Mr. Secretary Wong of Kuching to show us where is a successful Swiftlets ECO park in Malaysia and Indonisia except for a few units within the park. In Kuching ?? The total populations of Swiftlets in Kuching will only fill up 2 BH in Mukah ro Serikai so don't be fooled. Any buyer should demand to only pay a deposit and the balance paid to a stake holder and only to release the balance once there are 300 nest (real ones not FAKE ones ) in the BH. If this conditions can be met I will be the first one to Book one unit. By the way with 300 nest Mr. Wong will keep for himself. SHAME SHAME!! So please readers be careful. Wish you all good luck and god bless. BEN

--- On Sun, 2/15/09, tang swee nam <tangsn_tp@yahoo. com> wrote:

Hi Terok,

Sorry to me in KT 50 nest in 1.5 years is a failed farm. In Mukah 100 nest in 1 year is a failed farm the one taken down by forestry Dept.last year 1000 nest in 2.5 years.

Even with small bird population in Miri my shared 2.5 years old BH have more then 3000 birds and havesting 1.3kg per month. Ask any one in Miri. Is working smart and not working hard man. "Quote Pak Han 95% skill and 5% luck Unquote".

But all this will be taken down at 9 am wendsday 18.2.09. That why I am so pissss!!!

Ben

Thanks C.K.

I wish some people can follow this old man on a two weeks flood relief missions. You know I am a straight shooter and I don't know how to do it any other way. Well I guess that why my orginization trusted me with so much public money. I put my money where my mouth is and is a major financial construbuter to our Sarawak Missions.

Maybe successful farmer with 50 nest in 1.5 years can donate a little to a Citizen Shelter that I am building this year also jokes aside , We are providing FREE FUNERAL to poor people who cannot afford a coffin.

Thanks for support.

BEN

Hi Kuching Farmer,

Don,t be so hard with our friend he is seeking some glory an comment on things he don't fully undrstand.

I have dismantled my 6 months old BH and havested 11 full nest , 3 with chicks are still in the BH and 3 fundation about 1/2 inch. Total 17 nest wah ! thanks to Pah Han. Skill Lah. Will the loss of my BH affect my portfolio ??? Ha! Ha! Ha!

Without any BH myself I have the guts to fight for many of my friends to protect their lifelihood. I may have offended some Govt. Officers and politicians fighting for the rights of others, but I am in the same league with them and will speak to them as I did to Mr. Terok.

Its 10.30 pm now I have received 1 sms and 4 call from my fellow BH owners to make sure that I will be with then at 8.00 am tomorrow morning. I wonder Why ??

Mr. Kuching Farmer "Don't argue with fools as they win everytime from experiences"

Thanks for support.

Ben

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Added on February 16, 2009, 10:45 pmHi Kuching Farmer,

Don,t be so hard with our friend he is seeking some glory an comment on things he don't fully undrstand.

I have dismantled my 6 months old BH and havested 11 full nest , 3 with chicks are still in the BH and 3 fundation about 1/2 inch. Total 17 nest wah ! thanks to Pah Han. Skill Lah. Will the loss of my BH affect my portfolio ??? Ha! Ha! Ha!

Without any BH myself I have the guts to fight for many of my friends to protect their lifelihood. I may have offended some Govt. Officers and politicians fighting for the rights of others, but I am in the same league with them and will speak to them as I did to Mr. Terok.

Its 10.30 pm now I have received 1 sms and 4 call from my fellow BH owners to make sure that I will be with then at 8.00 am tomorrow morning. I wonder Why ??

Mr. Kuching Farmer "Don't argue with fools as they win everytime from experiences"

Thanks for support.

Ben

This post has been edited by benchai: Feb 16 2009, 10:45 PM