Liwan to meet Penans over allowance issue

KUCHING: The state government will meet with Penans affected by the construction of the Murum HEP Dam to listen to their reasons for wanting their monthly allowance to be paid fully in cash.

Though there was no promise that the Penans would get what they were hoping for, Belaga assemblyman Liwan Lagang had indicated that he would listen to and give the request due consideration if their reasons were valid and acceptable.

“I will meet with the Penans to fi nd out why they acted like that. There must be reasons behind it,” Liwan told The Borneo Post yesterday.

As many as 353 Penan households from seven villages in Upper Murum River had been relocated to give way for the Murum Dam.

Among other arrangements, the state and the affected Penan community had agreed that a monthly allowance of RM850 would be given to each household – RM250 in cash and the balance of RM600 in kind which Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) had agreed to help to procure and deliver.

However, four Penan leaders Madai Salo of Long Luar, Ramlie Bujang of Long Tangau, Ngang Buling of Long Singu and Liew Bueh of Long Menapa recently lodged a police report against SEB, claiming that the power company had short-changed them in the delivery of foodstuff.

They claimed that there were times when the value of the food brought to them did not even come up to RM600.

Apart from settling the allowance issue with the Penans, the Culture and Heritage Assistant Minister will also look into the delivery system of the food items that are supposed to be worth RM600.

Believing that the issue was deeper than it looked, Liwan said his other task would be to bring up the need to set up a unit or a body within a relevant ministry to look after communities that had been displaced or resettled.

“The problems faced by the displaced are quite unique. Others might not understand. We who have gone through the same experience however understand. At times, the displaced really need special help,” said Liwan, who is also among those affected by the construction of the Bakun

The settlers are very sensitive people because they have sacrificed their way of life, ancestral land and home to give way to development for the benefit of the whole of Sarawak. It is not too much to give them a bit of attention when they are struggling to settle in a new place and adapt to a way of life. I can understand how the Penans feel as I have gone through it. I don’t blame them. Let me meet them personally first before I jump to any conclusion.

Liwan Lagang, Belaga assemblyman

Dam.

“The settlers are very sensitive people because they have sacrificed their way of life, ancestral land and home to give way to development for the benefit of the whole of Sarawak.

“It is not too much to give them a bit of attention when they are struggling to settle in a new place and adapt to a way of life.

“I can understand how the Penans feel as I have gone through it. I don’t blame them. Let me meet them personally fi rst before I jump to any conclusion,” he said.

Strongly believing that the Penans need to learn how to save, he said he would consider giving them RM850 all in cash if the money goes to their saving accounts or Amanah Saham Nasional.

“The government has the basis of why it wants to give RM850 monthly allowance partly in kind and partly in cash.

“We gave them more than RM3 million cash to compensate them for losing their ancestral burial ground. And the cash was gone within a few weeks.

“They were in barter trade and have yet to learn how to deal with cash. We must give time for them to adapt themselves,” he said.

He said he would meet with the affected Penans within a week and work out details with them should he see the point of giving them the monthly allowance fully in cash.