"We want more than zincs and coffins"

KUCHING: The Iban community in Dudong and Lanang constituencies wants the government to bring more meaningful development to their longhouses.
Hence they urged their Member of Parliament (MP) and State Assemblyman for the 'kawasan' to be more concern of their plights and start to initiate development projects in their longhouses to uplift their economic status.
There are some 30 Iban longhouses in Dudong and Lanang constituencies.
The longhouses dwellers claimed that their welfare and future had not been well taken care by the two people representatives from the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP).
“Sorry to say that our two representatives only gave us only zincs to repair our longhouses roof and RM250 donation to the family whose family members passed away but that also for certain families,” said Judah Anak Anom of Sungai Menyan, Sibu.
Judah who is the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) advisor for Sg Menyan Branch said it was not wrong for them to extend donations to those families who are in difficult time but they should also look at the other needs of the community in Dudong and Lanang.
Judah said he has travelled to all the constituencies in the Bidayuh areas including Tasik Biru, Opar, Bengoh, Tarat, Tebedu and Kedup and observed that there are plenty of developments projects taking place and has already being implemented for the benefit of the people.
He said many of such development projects are not found in the Iban longhouses in Lanang and Dudong,” said Judah.
“The longhouse folks in Dudong and Lanang wants projects which can give them economic value and not just giving us the zincs and the coffin,” added Judah.
Judah said the Iban community in the area needs facilities like the Smart Community Centre and community college built near to their longhouses where their students from the longhouses could go for skill training.
He said the MP and the State Assemblyman should also help the longhouses people with the TEKUN Nasional scheme to enable them to apply for loan to do business.
“It is very much regretted that our representatives had never inform the longhouses people about any schemes offered by the government,” Judah said.
He said the longhouse people had also never heard of “Jalan Kebun” like what the ones implemented in many Bidayuh villages in Bau, Serian and Penrissen.
“In other constituencies organisations like the Parents Teachers Association, wome’s movements received grants from the government but such grants was never been given to similar organization in the longhouses in Lanang dan Dudong,” he said.
He also claimed that their representatives had never discussed about agriculture projects with the longhouses folks and implement them to help improve the economy of the longhouse people.
“In Dudong and Lanang our YBs seldom visit the longhouses. They only do so for the Gawai visit but that was also with condition the longhouse folks will not discuss with them anything about about development,” said Judah.
He said in other constituencies there are programme like “Meet The People Session” but this does not happen in the Iban longhouses.