Rural folk in interior Sarawak claim many pledges not made good

(The Star) BAKUN: Rural folk in settlements stretching from Bakun to the Sarawak-Kalimantan border want state politicians and business tycoons to shed light on unfulfilled promises that they said were made to them in the past 10 years.

Community leaders in the Bakun resettlement scheme, Lusong Laku Penan settlement, Long Tanyit and Long Lidem claim that promises made to them by the VIPs had yet to be fulfilled.

Among the promises yet to be made good was a sum of RM5mil for a trust fund to educate children displaced during the 1997 Bakun relocation exercise, they said.

They also said that the 10-year masterplan to help Penans, which was announced by state minister Datuk Seri Abang Johari Abang Openg more than five years ago, had not produced results.

There are also claims of promises of native land rights for relocated folks and Penans despite the Orang Ulu and Penans settling in Sungai Asap, Lusong Laku, Long Tanyit, Long Lidem, Long Kajang and Long Abit for more than 10 years.

Bakun community chief Penghulu Saging Bit urged the authorities to fulfil all the promises they have made to the people.

“The people here have always supported the Government. They have always believed and trusted government leaders. All the promises made must be fulfilled,” he told The Star.

Long Tanyit Penan chief Salu Ugat said the rural folk desperately needed help to survive the new challenges facing the community with greater effort made to train them so they would be able to be independent.

“We need to learn skills in agriculture. We need fertilisers, pesticides and machinery to help us because we are facing crop failures every year,” he said.

Long Liden Penan chief Narau Pua said the past six years had been very tough because of unemployment, price increases of essential food items, price hikes in diesel and depletion of forest resources.

During a visit last week by The Star to the area, it was noted that despite the shortcomings, schooling facilities had improved tremendously with two new schools having been set up in the past 10 years.

Health and medical facilities had been upgraded, with the Sungai Asap and Lusong Laku clinics providing services to the people.

A centre providing Internet services had been set up in Sungai Asap.

Electricity and water supply had also been extended to the relocated Bakun folk, even though the interior settlements are still without these basic amenities.