Penans want Baram Heritage Forest to be established
KUCHING: A call has been made for Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to continue his predecessor the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem’s effort to establish the Baram Heritage Forest (BHF).
In making this call yesterday, Komeok Joe, who is Keruan Association coordinator, said this was the wish of the Penan communities in Ulu Baram, who also wanted their rights as an indigenous group respected.
According to Komeok, the Penan communities from Ulu Baram, represented by a delegation of 10 individuals including himself, handed over 23 well- outlined maps on the Penan communities to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas last Friday at the State Legislative Assembly Complex in the presence of representatives from the Chief Minister’s Office and state Land and Survey Department.
“We appreciate the deputy chief minister for taking the time to discuss with us and receive the Penan communities’ maps. We hope that the government will take this matter seriously,” he told a news conference at the state Parti Keadilan Rakyat ( PKR) headquarters here.
Komeok said the Penan communities had written to the past chief ministers with regards to preservation of nature, heritage and traditions in Ulu Baram.
At the conference, he showed a letter dated April 5, 1995 to then Chief Minister Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, now Head of State, to appeal to the government to conserve the land, forests and rivers in Ulu Baram.
Another letter dated May 4, 2015 was addressed to the late Adenan to request for, among others, the recognition of Penan Peace Park, which had been renamed to Baram Heritage Forest, spanning an area of 10,000 sq km.
According to the latest letter dated Nov 16, 2017 that was handdelivered to Uggah last Friday, it took the individuals concerned 15 years to complete the 23 maps on the Penan communities.
Komeok took pride in saying that the maps contained details on everything and were regarded as “the best in the world”.
He said the maps indicated clearly where the Penan communities were residing as well as borders and land used for agriculture activities and traditional forest produce.
On those maps are also all the 63 Penan communities, 7,000 rivers, 1,500 trees and other details, he added.
To a question, he said Uggah had advised the Penan delegation to approach the elected representatives concerned; namely Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau and Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala, to seek a solution to the matter.
He hoped that the Chief Minister would share their concern and do the necessary to preserve the heritage of Penan communities in Ulu Baram.