KUCHING, August 7: A special committee has been formed to look into various problems faced by hardcore poor urban Ibans including the Chawan Road cemetery squatters.
The committee is under the chairmanship of Kuching Iban community paramount chief Temenggong Datuk Bernard Agan while his deputy is retired Lt Gen Datuk Stephen Mundaw and the patron is deputy chief minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
Its spokesman Wit Malang revealed that they had yesterday visited the Chawan Road Cemetery squatter colony.
“We went together with members from the Kuching District Dayak Iban community leaders association, Persatuan Ketua Masyarakat Dan Tuai Rumah Kaum Iban Bahagian Kuching (PEMAIK) led by its chairman Penghulu Gunting Hiang,” he said in a press release today.
“We were there to gather more information about them. The few that we met, they were very co-operative with us and are willing to explore any possible solution to their woes with the help of the state government,” he shared
Wit also disclosed that they had decided to meet more if not all of them again there on Aug 12.
After this meeting, he said the committee plans to meet Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to brief him on their problems.
Meanwhile, Uggah had during a dinner organised by PEMAIK on July 11 here recently advised the association to collect data on those living in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
He informed them that the data should include the problems the people faced in coming to live in the city including housing besides social problems.
Uggah wanted the data ready by end of this month so that an analysis and study can be done to see how the government could help them to solve their problems. — DayakDaily
