By Roslan Mutu
KUCHING, April 25: It is high time for the Sarawak government to appreciate the sacrifices of the people of Belaga ‘for lighting the whole of Sarawak’, referring to the two major hydroelectric dams built there, by elevating the district into a division, said a Kayan community leader, Pemanca Umek Jeno.
According to him, the Belaga district currently lags behind in most areas of development, especially regarding basic amenities such as roads, electricity, and treated water supplies.
“I think it’s high time the Sarawak government elevate Belaga district into a division as a gift to appreciate the sacrifices of the Orang Ulu community in allowing the 2,400-megawatt (MW) Bakun hydroelectric power (HEP) Dam and the 944-MW Murum HEP Dam to be built there,” Umek told DayakDaily here today.
Umek disclosed that in Sg Asap resettlement scheme, there are 15 major longhouses, out of which eight were allocated to the Kayan community, four to the Kenyah, one to the Penan, one to the Ukit, and the remaining one to the Lahanan.
“Basically, if Belaga is elevated into a division, then Sg Asap could be elevated into a district so that there will be more allocation for us,” said Umek.
He stressed that currently the twelve divisions in Sarawak have been created to cater to the needs of the various communities.
“As such, we from the Orang Ulu community hoped that it is timely that we have our own division, with the appointment of a resident from our own community to bring us forward as any other communities in Sarawak.
“We too, want to be on par with other communities which aspire to become developed by 2030 as envisioned by our Sarawak government,” Umek said.
As for the Kenyah community leader, Pemanca Tony Kulleh, he emphasised that their sacrifices in allowing their land to be submerged to provide power for the whole of Sarawak should be reciprocated by the Sarawak Government.
“We deserved to be recognised and appreciated. One way to do that is by elevating Belaga district including Sg Asap into a division, especially for the Orang Ulu community,” said Tony.
“One of the urgent needs of my community is the setting up of a technical school to train our youth to prepare them for the job markets,” said Tony.
He also revealed that the Belaga community leaders have actually submitted a proposal to the Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg to elevate the district into a division.
“Without upgrading our district into a division, we will not have sufficient funding to build roads and bridges, providing treated water and electricity supplies as well as communication.
“Like other more developed communities in Sarawak, we too wish for our community to enjoy better amenities, especially more so because we have contributed so much to our economy,” he said, adding that the Belaga district had contributed no less than RM1 billion annually through the HEP dams, timber produces, as well as palm oil.
Meanwhile when contacted, Belaga assemblyman, who is also Deputy Minister of Utilities (Telecommunication) Datuk Liwan Lagang declined to comment on the issues raised by the grassroots leaders as he believed that the Sarawak government under the leadership of Abang Johari Tun Openg has been informed of the various needs of the district. — DayakDaily
