KUCHING: Individuals aged 21 and above who have yet to register as voters are urged to do so at a voter registration drive which will be held at Aeon Mall here today (Nov 30) and tomorrow (Dec 1). Organised by Rise of Social Efforts (ROSE), the campaign will run from 11am to 7pm and is aimed at encouraging all Sarawakians aged 21 and above to register themselves as voters in light of the next state election, which is due mid-2021. Continue reading

September 22, 2019 LETTER OF APPEAL Selamat Hari Malaysia dear friends and supporters! To those who had supported us in our last fund-raising campaign in August 2017, many thanks once again! Your contributions matched & supported our efforts and we witnessed the historic 14th General Elections. To see what we had achieved, do read our “Year in Review-2018” post (link at end of letter**).  Below are some updates. 2019 Updates (Photo credit : Fabrizio Belardetti) 1. Approval by Registrar of Societies R.O.S.E. was officially registered with the Registrar of Societies in April 2019 under the name of Persatuan Pemangkin Daya Masyarakat (PPDM). However, unofficially, we continue to use the acronym R.O.S.E - Rise of Social Efforts. This registration is of significance as it validates our status as a civil society organization in any collaboration with governmental agencies and also in funding strategies. 2. New Voters Registration Several ROSE members were appointed as Assistant Registration Officers with the Elections Commission under the Bersih 2.0 banner. This was done prior to the passage of Undi 18 and automatic voter registration which is not expected to be in time for the coming Sarawak State Election. Moreover, some have given feedback that the online registration procedure by EC is not user friendly, thus discouraging usage. Hence for Sarawak, manual voter registration must continue leading up to PRN12. For semi-rural and rural areas we have identified and appointed ‘Local Champions’ from about 12 ‘kawasan’ throughout Sarawak to work with us to capture those eligible but unregistered. To date, we have helped to register about 1,000 new voters this year. 3.  Civic and Voter Education programmes and initiatives i.   Our “Chat with R.O.S.E” public forum was held on 28 April 2019 at the Summer Mall in Kota Samarahan on the topic: Youth & Employment with panelists Datuk Idris Buang, Information Head of PBB/ADUN of Muara Tuang and Mr Andrew Lo, Secretary of MTUC Sarawak who is also an activist and unionist. More than 100 people attended this forum. ii.   We organised a Voters Education session on 20th June for 80 students of UCSI Kuching Campus in collaboration with Akademi Pilihan Raya KL whose trainer facilitated the session. If Not Now, Then When? If Not You, Then Who? Continue reading

The Chairperson of SPR has recently clarified that the constitutional amendments on Undi 18 has yet to be gazetted and as such the existing rules on new voter registration still applies. Only those 21 years and above can register as a new voter through any of the allowable methods including the online one. Additionally the anticipated automatic voter registration process implementation is estimated to take between 18- 24 months for implementation. You may read his statement here SPR Penjelasan Berkaitan #UNDI 18. Hence whether or not 18 year old can vote in the coming Sarawak state elections (PRN12) is not yet known at this stage. What we do advise is that those who are currently 21 and above to register as voter NOW in order that they will be able to vote when the time comes.

Citizen-driven Rise of Sarawak Efforts (ROSE) group is now officially registered as a society with the Registrar of Societies under the name of Persatuan Pemangkin Daya Masyarakat (Rise of Social Efforts). In a press statement today, the association said the new name reflects its vision of promoting and enabling  members and the general public in particular Sarawakians, to become informed, active and engaged citizens. “Democracy requires a lot from each of us as citizens; it requires us to be civically literate. This means knowing the various institutions of government and how they work, being aware of the issues of the day, understanding how to take action including political action when pursuing a cause and carefully consuming information from the different forms of media,” it stated. Persatuan Pemangkin Daya Masyarakat said they have long been involved in civic and voter education efforts and in the provision of platforms for citizen-participation for example, polling and counting agent training and new voter registration. “In the time leading up to the 14th General Election in May, 2018, we assisted in the registration of approximately 2,000 new voters annually. We also trained about 300 Sarawakians to take part in various parliamentary constituencies as PACAs (polling and counting agents).” The approval by Registrar of Societies of Persatuan Pemangkin Daya Masyarakat – as a society whose core focus is people empowerment via civic and social education – also takes on another significance in the light of current political discourses shaping Sarawak right now, it noted. “Every Sarawakian needs to read up on our history and think critically and ask the more crucial question of ‘How will taking back state rights or autonomy make Sarawak a better place for us and our future generation?’ Participation and Engagement in the democratic process is key. Towards this end, Persatuan Pemangkin Daya Masyarakat looks forward and will certainly play its part.” (From left to right) Chong, Lynn, Tang, Ann, co-opted committee member Steven Chen, Voon and co-opted committee member Alice Then Continue reading

Kenyataan MediaForum awam “Bersembang bersama ROSE”Tajuk Siri No. 1: “Belia & Pekerjaan di Sarawak: Peluang ATAU Cabaran”Kami berbangga untuk mengumumkan forum awam “Bersembang bersama ROSE” kami yang pertama akan berlangsung pada malam hari sabtu 16 Mac 2019 di Kuching. Selaras dengan misi kami yang juga salah satu keutamaan strategik kami untuk dua tahun yang akan datang iaitu mendidik masyarakat dan pengundi melaksanakan hak demokratik. Salah satu kaedah atau cara untuk melaksanakannya adalah dengan mengadakan forum awam berkenaan isu-isu semasa atau isu penting yang mempengaruhi rakyat atau segmen tertentu dalam komuniti kita.Tujuan utama Forum sembang ini adalah untuk membolehkan wacana bebas dan terbuka berkenaan isu-isu yang mempengaruhi rakyat Sarawak; yang mana mungkin kekal dalam kerajaan atau pembuat dasar. Dengan mengadakan forum seperti ini, kami berharap acara sebegini boleh memberi manfaat dengan perkongsian maklumat, penglibatan antara semua pihak dan pihak berkepentingan, malah yang paling penting untuk mengukuhkan nilai-nilai kita sebagai Anak Sarawak yang bertujuan untuk membina masa depan Sarawak yang lebih baik.Bagi forum pertama dalam siri dua bulan sekali ini, kami akan menyentuh isu senario pekerjaan di dalam negeri kita terutama terhadap belia dan anak muda sekalian. Topik Sembang kita pada hari ini ialah “Belia dan Pekerjaan di Sarawak: Peluang atau Cabaran”. Kami berasa bangga dapat menjemput ahli-ahli panel yang berikut dalam forum kami yang pertama, YB Datuk Idris Buang, ADUN Muara Tuang, Ketua Penerangan PBB dan juga seorang peguambela dan Encik Andrew Lo, seorang ahli kesatuan sekerja & aktivis dan juga Setiausaha MTUC (Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Malaysia) Bahagian Sarawak. Ahli-ahli panel akan berkongsi dan berbincang berkenaan peluang dan kekurangan pekerjaan di Sarawak, cabaran & isu yang ditujukan kepada belia dan golongan yang sedang mencari pekerjaan, apakah yang perlu dilakukan oleh pihak masing-masing serta pihak berkepentingan untuk menutupi jurang tersebut. Kami percaya kedua-dua ahli panel ini boleh memberi sumbangan kepada para hadirin wacana ini dan yang lain.Kami menyeru golongan pelajar dan semua anak muda tanpa kira yang telah mempunyai pekerjaan atau tidak, serta orang ramai untuk menghadiri Forum sembang kami. Kami juga akan menjemput NGO tempatan yang lain dan ahli-ahlinya.Forum ini akan berlangsung di Concourse Level, Summer Mall di Samarahan dari pukul 7.30 pm hingga 9.30 pm. Pada hari Sabtu16 Mac 2019.Semua dijemput datang. Untuk maklumat lanjut, sila hubungi Ann di 016-8604998.Tarikh 11 Mac 2019Tamat ADDRESS: 2nd Floor, Lot 311, Forever Building, Jalan Abell, 93100 Kuching WEBSITE : www.sarawakrose.org | EMAIL:[email protected]    

Press Statement“Chat with ROSE” public forumSeries No. 1 Topic : “Youth & Employment in Sarawak; Opportunities OR Challenge”We are pleased to announce the first of our “Chat with ROSE” series of public forums which will be happening on Sat night the 16th March 2019 in Kuching. In line with our mission one of our strategic priorities for the next two years is educating citizens and voters on exercising democratic rights. One of the methods or ways that this can happen is through holding public forums on current or pertinent issues affecting the rakyat or specific segments of our communities.The objectives of these Chat forums is to enable free and open discourse on issues that affect Sarawakians; which might otherwise remain within the realm of policy-makers. By having such forums we are hopeful that these events will contribute towards the sharing of valuable information, engagement between all parties and stakeholders and most of all cementing our shared values as Anak Sarawak for the purposes of together building a better Sarawak.For the first of our bimonthly series we will be touching on the issue of the employment scenario here in our state particularly for the youths and young persons. The topic of our Chat will be “ Youth and Employment in Sarawak; Opportunities OR Challenge”. We are honored to have the following persons as panellists for our first forum, YB Datuk Idris Buang, ADUN Muara Tuang as well as Information Chief of party PBB & who is a practising lawyer. We will also have Mr Andrew Lo who is a unionist/activist and currently the Secretary of the Sarawak Division of MTUC (Malaysian Trade Unions Congress). The panelists will share and discuss employment opportunities or the lack of it in Sarawak, the challenges & issues that this poses to the youths and other job-seekers, what needs to be done by respective parties and stakeholders to close the gaps. We believe that both panelists can contribute towards the discourse for the benefit of those who come as well as the wider audience. The Chat forum will be moderated by Mr Geoffrey Tang, a member of ROSE.We call on students and all young persons whether working or not, and members of the public to attend the Chat forum. We will be inviting other local NGOs and their members to come as well.The forum will be happening at the Concourse Level of Summer Mall in Samarahan and will be from 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm. On Saturday 16th March 2019. All are invited. For further enquiries kindly contact Ann at 016-8604998.Dated 11th March 2019End ADDRESS: 2nd Floor, Lot 311, Forever Building, Jalan Abell, 93100 Kuching WEBSITE : www.sarawakrose.org | EMAIL:[email protected]    

There is no other word to describe the political mood or momentum in Sarawak at the end of 2017 & beginning of 2018 than the word ‘cold’. The people including voters did not seem to be excited at all about the looming 14th General Elections.  However this did not dampen our spirits as our mission was clear. An inaugural video production was already planned & underway for the purpose of getting the young to go out to vote. Many thanks to our donors and volunteer amateur actors, not forgetting the content writer and videomaker,  the “Tak Pangkah, Rugi Kau” short video clip was released just before Parliament was dissolved alongside with other wonderful GOTV videos by other CSOs all pushing to up the ante and get the young to exercise their rights to make a choice instead of opting out. If you remember, there was also a counter push by the #UndiRosak campaign.      Continue reading