Many Penans who resettled have ID documents – Dennis
Those Penans who are still not willing to come out from the jungle and need some persuasion are those who still don’t have their documents. But many in the resettlement areas are now with birth certificates and identity cards. Dennis Ngau, Telang Usan assemblyman
MIRI: Many of the Penans in resettlement areas have already been registered with the National Registration Department (JPN) and have identification documents.
Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau said this is due to the concerted efforts of JPN and local elected representatives to ensure members of the Penan community are documented.
“Those Penans who are still not willing to come out from the jungle and need some persuasion are those who still don’t have their documents. But many in the resettlement areas are now with birth certificates and identity cards,” Dennis said in response to recent comments by former deputy education minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim that many Penans are still without identification documents.
Dennis pointed out that he has joined JPN’s mobile unit during visits to many Penan resettlement areas in Ulu Baram to ensure genuine Sarawakians have the necessary documents.
“JPN has been actively going into the very rural areas of Baram and other parts of Sarawak to reach out to our underprivileged citizens to give them the opportunity to apply for documents,” he said.
He added among the areas covered were Long Meraan, Long Seridan, and Long Balau.
Hon had said that many Penan children were unable to continue their education because they lacked proper documents.