Chinese community leaders receive appointment letters from Premier
KAPIT: Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg yesterday afternoon handed over letters of appointment to three Chinese community leaders here.
They were Temenggong Yong Thu Fook, Pemanca Wong Kie Ing and Penghulu Yu Si Geok.
The presentation ceremony was held at Bletih State Complex after the Premier chaired the State Development Coordination Committee meeting at the same complex.
Yong Thu Fook, 71, becomes the fifth Chinese Temenggong here. Previous Chinese Temenggong were Chua Syn Ming (first), Lau Kah Kee, Sng Chee Eng and Tan Kian Hoo.
Yong has vast experiences as Chinese community leader. At the age of 33, he became the youngest Chinese Kapitan to represent Kwang Tung clan over a duration of 29 years before he was promoted to Pemanca for eight years and is now a Temenggong for the Chinese community.
Social activist Wong Kie Ing was a Penghulu before his promotion to Pemanca, taking over from Yong Thu Fook.
The new Pemanca Wong Kie Ing is a businesswoman but extraordinarily active in social activities. She has many feathers to her hat: first ever woman appointed as Penghulu and Pemanca, member of Kapit Chinese Community Leaders Association, chairperson of Kapit Chinese Women Association, treasurer of Pusat Perkhidmatan Warga Emas, committee member of Pertubuhan Perlindungan Kanak Kanak, adviser to Kapit Wong Clan Association and life member of Pemadam Kapit.
For her outstanding community services, she was awarded Ahli Bintang Sarawak and Pegawai Bintang Sarawak by the state government.
New Penghulu Yu Si Geok was a councillor of Kapit District Council and Women chief of Sarawak United Peoples’ Party Kapit.
After handing over the letters of appointment, Abang Johari handed over Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) grants to eight mission schools in Kapit, totalling RM944,880.