KUCHING, June 14: Sixteen residents from the Padawan area have officially received their native status certificates.
These individuals are among the 70 people from Padawan whose applications were vetted and approved by the Sarawak government.
Deputy Minister of Transport (Aviation and Roads), Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, who presented the certificates at a ceremony today, announced that the remaining 54 applicants are still being processed.
The ceremony, held at the Padawan sub-district office, coincided with the presentation of cheques from the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) and the allocation of Minor Rural Project (MRP) funds for special projects in the Mambong constituency.
“There are many mixed marriages in Sarawak, which is our uniqueness. It is our law that children whose parents (either father or mother) are natives can apply for Sarawak Bumiputera status,” Dr Jerip, who is also the Mambong assemblyman, emphasised.
“Those who receive the document today testify to the Sarawak government’s efforts under Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg to promote a plural and harmonious society.”
During the event, over RM2.7 million was disbursed, with RM1.67 million allocated for Unifor and RM1.035 million for MRP projects.
Dr Jerip advised recipients to use the allocated funds as specified in their application letters, warning that the authorities would conduct random checks.
“My advice to the recipients is to spend the allocation based on the application letters because how you spend the money will be randomly checked. Failure to comply could result in future applications being rejected,” Dr Jerip cautioned.
Also present at the ceremony were Sarawak Administrative Officer (SAO) Julius Scott Sapong from the Padawan sub-district office and community leaders. — DayakDaily
