Home 12 ● Thesundaypost ● October 19, 2008
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home 12 ● thesundaypost ● October 19, 2008 QUIET: The settlement at Long Item where the residents have gone hunting and gathering Govt makes education in the jungle. top priority for Penans ● From Page 1 go there and this is the foreign NGOs for their where they meet new own ends. Office and the agencies people.” Taking a dim view of the concerned on organising Some elders naturally concern expressed by the seminars to create greater disliked the idea of these foreign NGOs on the awareness on the rights of youngsters spending more welfare of his community, Penan and Orang Ulu and more time at the camp, he said the Penans were just women, sexual harassment, he noted. a convenient tool for so- single motherhood and other Asked whether the called environmentalists to women-related issues. community was known to further their cause in the He is also scheduled to practise ‘mengayap’ European Union. meet all the Penan chiefs on (sleeping around), he said: “This is a community Oct 20 and a unanimous “No.” issue which has become an statement calling on the In the old days, John international issue just managements of all timber added, a Penan man because they use Penan as operators and their workers interested in a woman would their capital to lobby against to respect the local cultures invite her to join him on a the Malaysian timber and and traditions is expected READY TO SERVE: John (left) and Dawat helping with HEALTH CARE NEEDED: Penans at Long Kawi waiting for fishing trip so that they plantation sectors,” he said. after the meeting. Penan affairs in Miri Resident’s Office. their turn for eye check-up and dental care. could get to know each other “Their objective is more The statement will be sent better. about their influence in the to all timber companies and settlements or roaming in Ose said the biggest from their community in the they depended on the “If the feelings are EU parliament than the managers, urging them to the jungles in Miri Division change by 2020 for the future would bring them to NGOs. mutual, the man would Penan welfare per se.” inform their workers of the and this one thing the NGOs community would be Penan another level. “It was in the 90’s that approach the woman’s So far, three task forces stance adopted by the forget,” Ose said. intellectuals by the hundreds He has two Penan Penans began taking parents for marriage.” have been set up and meeting. There are now already 20 from over 20 presently, graduates attached to his education seriously. Now, He said, Penans in rural dispatched to Penan “The basic courtesy of Penan graduates and many adding that this was possible office. One is a forest it’s only the elder generation settlements still marry settlements to ascertain entering a settlement or more are expected by 2020 because of affirmative ranger, Dawat Along, 39, of who are less inclined to according to their customs whether there is any truth in asking for the hand of a girl as the number of school- government action and Long Lamei, who is compare themselves to the but this has yet to be the sexual abuse and rape should be according to the going Penans increases programmes to help them. helping him to build a younger generation who are gazetted by the government. allegations. local custom of meeting the every year. “If the allegations by the database of the Penan more open-minded,” he Hence, he pointed out, They include the police, community chief or the The positive signs are national press were true, community needed for a said. couples would not be issued under the supervision of the family head,” he said. there — more young Penans then it would be very sad holistic development “The younger generation marriage certificates. commissioner, Datuk Lihan said the government are schooling and entering since the government is approach by the state want to catch up with their “A couple can seek Mohmad Salleh, Women, is making every effort to lift tertiary education and doing everything it can to planners. the socio-economic standing elected as head prefects in help the Penans as reflected The data collection is of the rural communities in their schools in the Tutoh- by the emphasis on the about 80 per cent completed Sarawak. Apoh region. betterment of the and it will put every Penan “One must not lose sight Ose said these were community,” he said. settlement on the map to of the bigger picture in the tangible results from Lihan agrees, saying the help identify their needs. rural areas — there are so sustained government collective political wills of “Only then can we have a many communities — efforts to ensure the Chief Minister Pehin Sri better picture of how many Penan, Iban, Kayan, community was not left Abdul Taib Mahmud and still do not have identity Kenyah, Kelabit, Lakiput behind and out of the Deputy Chief Minister cards, birth certificates, and so on,” he added. mainstream of the state’s Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri their educational levels and Miri Resident Ose development - something Alfred Jabu Numpang, also such like,” he said. Murang concurs. which the NGOs choose not Rural Development John Fery Jame, 31, a There are about 120,000 to mention. Minister, have enabled the Penan from Long Beruang, Orang Ulu from various The government built momentum to help the who graduated from tribes and sub-tribes in the Penan service centres at Penans to be systematically Universiti Malaya with a state, of which about 14,000 Long Kevok and Long built up over the years. degree in geography, said it are Penans. The latter is just Jekitan, and one more has Two decades ago, a was all part growing up in a one of the 24 indigenous proposed for Long Beruang university graduate from the changing and challenging ethnic tribes, and the largest in Ulu Baram. It also community was unheard of world. group are the Ibans, provides schools, clinics, — Penan students tended to He was formerly from ERRANDS: Heading to Long Lama for groceries and other rations. constituting about half of the agricultural and other end up as dropouts even in Long Lamei where he had state’s 2.4 million facilities to the community. the early years of primary his primary education, and Orang Ulu brethren — the divorce based on consent Family and Community population. This year, the government school education due to his family was invited to stay Kelabits, Kenyah, Kayans or from both parties and Development Minister, separation from their at Long Beruang, next to the Sabans,” he added. sometimes, a simple fine will Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen, and families. Kelabit village of Long John views more young be imposed,” John said. one team under the Social Most did not complete Peluan in Upper Baram. Penans going to school as a He himself married in a Development and their secondary education He continued his primary positive development. He church as his bride is a Urbanisation Ministry, the while many married early as school education at SK hopes for changes in the Bidayuh from Siburan, portfolio of Dato Seri this was customary to the Bario, five days’ walk from Penan settlements and that Kuching. William Mawan. nomadic tribe. Looking for his settlement, and later at the small group of still Together with Ose, John The Human Rights food is their primary SMK Bario until Form nomadic tribesmen could and his tribesman, Dawat Commission (Suhakam) will concern while their Orang Three. settle down in future. Along, 39, of Long Lamei, send a team to Sarawak this Ulu brethren seek He resumed his studies at Computer-savvy, John are in Long Seridan this week to carry out its own education. SMK Marudi in Marudi. He feels this is the only way weekend to meet the Penan investigations into the For instance, the small had to walk to Long Banga, infrastructures and facilities communities there and alleged sexual abuse and Kelabit community in the follow up with the Penan rape of Penan women and far-flung corner of the database project. girls by timber camp Division in Bario near the Ose said while the workers. border with East government had the good Its Sarawak-based Kalimantan has surged intentions to help the commissioner Dr Herman ROCKY: Rock-strewn shore at Long Item. ahead to produce professors, Penans, there was a need to Ritom Abdullah said the doctors and lecturers, and manage changes affecting team would comprise four “From processing identity has allocated over pursue other professional the Penans. commissioners, including cards to birth certificates, RM230,000 for Penan paths like their most famous “Physical development himself and staff from the the National Registration students management in son, Dato Seri Idris Jala, the and changes of Penans must commission’s headquarters Department is making every Miri Division, including present managing director of be accompanied by cultural in Kuala Lumpur. effort, including bi-monthly RM187,000 for Malaysia Airlines. and spiritual development Dr Herman added that registration trips to the transportation between their The living standards of carried out at the same pace, after completing its Penan settlements ... settlement to schools, and Penans have also improved and we hope the NGOs investigation, Suhakam compared to once quarterly scholarships. and some families own up to which want to be involved, would make for other communities,” Ose The list of schools entitled two 4WD vehicles. Some can help the rural recommendations to the revealed. to such aid in this sprawling even own village shops. communities to achieve all government on the measures The state government is district last year were SMK Ose himself is a Kelabit CAREFUL: Tricky river crossing at Long Item.