U.K.: Free radio station plan for Sabah

Luke Rintod

 | April 26, 2011

Online Sarawak Report portal owner Clare Rewcastle Brown is being wooed to set up similar operations for Sabah.

LONDON: Some Sabah activists are now toying with the idea of setting up a radio station like Radio Free Sarawak for Sabah.

Leaders of CigMa or Common Interest Group Malaysia, who are currently on a European tour, also want a London-based online website.

Sabahans are said to be exploring the possibility of working with Sarawak Report (SR) owner, Clare Rewcastle-Brown, and Radio Free Sarawak (RFS), beamed from London to longhouses in Sarawak.

CigMa president, Daniel John Jambun, said there was a proposal to provide for an alternative media for Sabah, similar to what its neighbour Sarawak had.

The hard-hitting SR and the shortwave RFS broadcast have been quite a hit in Sarawak, prompting demands for short-wave radio in several  towns, especially during the recently concluded state election.

Jambun said CigMa fully supported the move as "it is a part of our intention to educate Sabahans on many issues, especially on matters that have a impact on native life and well-being".

"We believe in freedom of expression and so having news portals and radio broadcasts from abroad will definitely help the people of Sabah to have a more balanced report on what is going on in their state," he told FMT here.

However, it is learnt that the news portal and radio station may not materialise any time soon as the proposed projects, especially the daily shortwave radio broadcasts, would need substantial funding.

The Sabah radio, when it materialises, would be anchored by a multi-lingual presenter like Peter John Jaban or "Apai orang utan". RFS broadcasts in three languages ((English, Iban and Bahasa Malaysia), two hours daily from 6pm to 8pm.

SOURCE: Free radio station plan for Sabah http://bit.ly/gx14Bx
Radio Free Sarawak (RFS): http://radiofreesarawak.org/

Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia