Penan families find life hard in the city
MIRI: Rural-urban migration has not been a smooth life journey for 11 Penan families comprising 37 people from Long Beku, Sungai Akah of Baram.
They found themselves having to cramp in one rented house at Piasau Jaya Phase 3.
Among them are 15 children including a ten-year- old boy who has speech problem, a 25-year- old disabled woman and three senior citizens.
Timothy Avon Usa, the head of one of the families, said his in-law had been renting and living in the house since 2006.
Timothy’s family took shelter in the house when they moved to the city in February this year.
He and his in-law earn their living as grass cutters, with part of their earning used to pay the house rental.
“The main reason for us to move to the city is to be employed and get a decent living for the family.
“Living in the city is not easy, particularly when we just moved here and were unemployed. That is why this house has been a shelter for our relatives or even neighbours from our village,” he related to The Borneo Post when receiving a visit from Miri Member of Parliament Dr Michael Teo to the house yesterday.
Dr Teo, who is chairman of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Miri branch, was there to hand over food as well as some financial assistance to cover the cost of transportation for some of the occupants to go back to their village.
He said the plight of the families was conveyed to him by one of the occupants of the house named Jagai Asat who went to his service centre last week asking for assistance.
He pointed out that such situation is a common problem faced by the rural folk who moved to the urban areas, with some unable to cope with urban living when they failed to get a job.
It was for this very reason, he added, that they had to cramp in the crowded house because they had no money to go back to their village.
“They plan to go back to their village which is five hours from the city on this December 22nd.”
He said he would make some arrangement to bring the two sick Penans in the house to receive necessary medical treatment at the polyclinic or hospital.
The main reason for us to move to the city is to be employed and get a decent living for the family. Timothy Avon Usa, the head of one of the families