Citizens’ empathy makes Riot proud to be a Sarawakian
SERIAN: Minister of Human Resources Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem hailed Sarawakians including the diaspora in the peninsula who had donated to the families of rabies victims from Serian.
The Serian MP said while the rabies cases had made Sarawak well-known for the wrong reason, the incident somewhat drew out the best in Sarawakians, the majority of whom are in fact very caring, charitable and compassionate people.
“When I see Sarawakians, including those far from home, like those working in Semenanjung Malaysia, willingly donated after learning of the plight of the rabies victims and their families, I feel very proud to be a Sarawakian,” Riot said.
He was referring to the donation drive conducted at the closing of Gawai Dayak celebration at Rumah Asap Borneo in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur last Saturday which he officiated at as the guest- of-honour.
Co- organised by Kuala Lumpur- based Persatuan Transformasi Dayak ( Trada) and Yayasan Serian, it attracted a crowd of more than 1,000 people mainly Sarawakians living and working in Kuala Lumpur.
Riot, accompanied by several senior officers from his ministry, yesterday went to hand over the donations to the families of the rabies victims at Paon Rimu Bakung and Kampung Lebor.
The two victims from Paon Rimu Bakung, siblings aged four
When I see Sarawakians, including those far from home, like those working in Semenanjung Malaysia, willingly donated after learning of the plight of the rabies victims and their families, I feel very proud to be a Sarawakian.
and six years old, succumbed to the illness while being treated at Sarawak General Hospital last Tuesday and were buried the next day.
The victim from Lebor is a seven-year- old girl, who is reportedly still in critical condition at the SGH.
In Paon Rimu Bakong, Riot told the village chief Stephen Empudod, that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would probably visit the family of the rabies victims, to personally see their living conditions.
This is to follow up on the progress of the construction of their new house, which is to be built through funds specially allocated by the Deputy Prime Minister.
In Kampung Lebor, they were received on arrival at the community hall by Penghulu Rungka Jimbai and other community leaders, where they were briefed on the incident which led to the victim being infected by the rabies.
Riot then proceeded to the SGH in the afternoon to personally hand over the donation to the girl’s parents.
Accompanying him were his political secretary Major ( r) Datuk Peter Runin, Serian Division senior assistant director of Labour Jessie Bidut and Socso Serian branch manager Terence Tikok.
Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem, Human Resources Minister