Masing: Razed Uma Badeng longhouse to be rebuilt
KUCHING: The Uma Badeng longhouse, which burned down in a fire on June 20, will be rebuilt.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing disclosed yesterday that the state government would handle the rebuilding of the 15-unit Kenyah longhouse.
He said Belaga assembylman Liwan Lagang, Murum assemblyman Chukpai Ugon, and Hulu Rajang Member of Parliament Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong had been tasked with handling the matter. The Uma Badeng longhouse is one of 15 longhouses built at the Sungai Asap Resettlement Scheme in Belaga.
The resettlement scheme was built 20 years ago to house 15,000 folks who were displaced by the construction of the Bakun Dam. It was built by the government and constructed totally from wood.
Masing, who is Minister of Infrastructure Development and Transportation, said it was fortunate the resettlement was built as separate blocks as the whole area could have been destroyed by the fire.
“There (was) one thing that we did when the resettlement was done. The Orang Ulu used to have 100 to 200 doors in one single longhouse, but when we moved them I said, ‘no, we must build those quarters in blocks to reduce fire risk.’
“Luckily, we did that. Just imagine if there are about 200 doors in just one line only. All the 200 would have burned down. Because we do the block system only 15 (doors) burned down. That is part of the way we reduce fire risk,” he said.