By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Nov 10: Bubbly 39-year-old Sarawak Energy Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) executive, Alis Ekan, is known for more than just her professional responsibilities. Over the past decade at the Murum Hydroelectric Plant (HEP), she has also used her culinary skills to build rapport and foster connections.
Hailing from Sungai Asap, Alis believes that as an employee of an energy provider in Malaysia, it is not only about achieving the corporation’s missions but also nurturing her peers and guests after work through her cooking.
“After work, my other favourite workstation is the kitchen or an open space where food could be prepared and cooked.
“This task is another form of personal CSR. I often volunteer to cook because I love preparing good dishes,” she chuckled.
Alis was interviewed recently by DayakDaily after a tour of the Murum Flora Conservation Garden as part of Sarawak Energy’s media familiarisation trip to the Murum HEP recently.
She shared that cooking comes naturally to her. Having grown up watching the women in her family prepare meals, Alis views cooking not as a chore, but as an important part of the community’s culture.
“When there are guests around, you need to serve them with simple food before they rest or leave. The least you can do is serve them a drink.
“Even in the comfort of my home, I do this, which is even better as I have my kitchen nearby so I can cook.
“As a Kenyah from this area, it is also part of our culture to treat guests with the best hospitality. I believe most natives of Sarawak do this,” she said.
Alis hopes that by sharing local food and culture, people will continue to exchange traditions and preserve their cultural heritage.
She also believes that such hospitality strengthens Sarawak Energy’s CSR efforts, helping achieve the company’s goals with local stakeholders.
“This is how we preserve our traditions and cultural heritage within our community while sharing it with others. We could use these values in our profession. We hope that young people in the community and corporate world will continue such cultures and hospitality in the years to come.
“Like my job, we want to get the community involved with Sarawak Energy to achieve the goals we had planned for the people here,” she added.
Alis said although she loves what she does, she finds that sharing her community’s culinary traditions helps her connect with others more effectively.
“The Kenyah, like other natives in Sarawak, were once hunter-gatherers, but these days, we can get what we need for our dishes in the supermarket and even from our garden.
“When we have guests, we serve them traditional Kenyah dishes with a contemporary touch. We hope the flavours remind them of us and also our work through Sarawak Energy,” she said.
She also shared that one activity Sarawak Energy’s staff in Murum HEP take part in is cooking classes.
“We would hold culinary lessons so that when we are out in the field, we can cook for our guests and colleagues,” she said.
During the media familiarisation trip, Alis cooked up a delicious menu consisting of ‘Ikan Semah’ in broth, braised pumpkin with ‘pucuk manis’, and fried chicken which earned her the thumbs-up from journalists and her colleagues.
Accompanying the dishes was aromatic ‘pito’ rice, which is rice wrapped in a leaf called ‘daun cok’ in Kenyah.
“These are the dishes we often serve to guests who come to our homes in Murum. To give an extra punch, we also serve hot chilli in soya sauce as a dip. ‘Orang Kenyah suka cili pedas’ (Kenyah folk love chilli),” she chuckled. — DayakDaily
