By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, June 26: Senator Abun Sui Anyit has called on the Sarawak government to reappoint Tuai Rumah (village chiefs) chosen by the majority of local community.
In stating this, he echoed Tamin assemblyman Christopher Gira Sambang’s remarks that the power to appoint a Tuai Rumah rests with the residents themselves and not with the people’s representatives.
Therefore, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat Hulu Rajang branch chief urged the Sarawak government to respect the choice of the majority of local residents and to proceed with giving allowances and certificates without raising questions on the matter.
“By placing trust in the people and respecting their choices, there is no need for elected representatives of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) to sit on the panel for the appointment of village chiefs and community leaders as it is now.
“It would be more appropriate to abolish this appointment panel to save related administrative costs and channel the savings towards basic infrastructure development in the villages,” Abun Sui said in a statement today.
On May 29, Gira stated on his social media post that the appointment of a Tuai Rumah is not within the jurisdiction of the people’s representatives.
Instead, he said the power of appointment rests with the residents themselves to decide who shall become their leader in the longhouse or village.
“The appointment of a Tuai Rumah is based on the consent of the people of the longhouse itself.
“Any Tuai Rumah who does not have the support of the majority of the residents of a longhouse should not be able to be the head of a longhouse,” he said. – DayakDaily
