Penans of Long Kawa get new longhouse
LONG KAWA, Baram: The dream for the Penan community of Long Kawa to have a new longhouse block became a reality recently.
Their prayers were answered when the Sarawak government built a longhouse for them under the Hardcore Poor Housing Programme (PPRT).
Construction on the longhouse, comprising three blocks and 21 doors, began in 2016 and was completed last year, said village headman Ting Gadong.
“The Penan community of Long Kawa would like to record our sincere thanks and appreciation to Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, Sarawak government and
The Penan community of Long Kawa would like to record our sincere thanks and appreciation to Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, Sarawak government and Petronas Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline for turning our dream of having a new longhouse into a reality.
Petronas Sabah- Sarawak Gas Pipeline for turning our dream of having a new longhouse into a reality.
“We don’t deny we Penan community struggle in life due to poverty because we have no steady source of income. We will not be owning such a decent home without the assistance from our people’s representative, whom we know works very hard for us, and the government,” Ting told The Borneo Post when met during the Majlis Pemimpin Bersama Rakyat and the launching of the new longhouse building here by Dennis recently.
“Now, we own a decent home and this will enable us to live a better life courtesy of YB Dennis and we will continue to work closely with him and the state government for the benefit of our people.”
Dennis, in his speech, recalled mediating a meeting between Petronas Sabah- Sarawak Gas Pipeline ( SSGP) representatives and the village headman in 2014.
“I had agreed to the request of the Long Kawa folks for the new longhouse to be built for them as part of their demand for work on the Petronas Gas Pipeline project to pass through their village area.”
Dennis revealed that the longhouse was built at a cost of more than RM1 million. He advised the villagers to keep their new home clean by discarding old practices like throwing rubbish indiscriminately.
Long Kawa is a five-hour drive on four-wheel- drive vehicles through logging roads from Miri city.
Ting Gadong, village headman