Dennis: Crucial for Orang Ulu elected reps to be part of govt

MIRI: The Orang Ulu community cannot afford to have an elected representative who is not a member of the ruling party as this will jeopardise all the government plans to develop their constituency, said Telang Usan incumbent Dennis Ngau.

“What I am trying to say is you must have wakil rakyat (people’s representative) that can help the people and there is no point of having a wakil rakyat outside the government who will not be in the position to do so,” he said Dennis when officiating at the closing ceremony of the inaugural Women’s Leadership & Confidence Seminar organised by Persatuan Wanita Orang Ulu Miri (PWOUM) at a hotel here recently.

He said feedback from the ground clearly shows that Gabungan Parti Sarawak will be returned as the ruling coalition in the coming election.

According to Dennis, who is also chairman of Sarawak Tourism Board, there are only about 300,000 Orang Ulus in the state comprising nine major sub-groups – the Kayans, the Kenyahs, the Bisayas, the Kelabits, the Penans, the Lun Bawangs, the Lakiputs, the Berawans and the Sabans.

“We have a number of Orang Ulu majority seats namely in Telang Usan, Mulu, Belaga, Murum, Lawas, Batu Danau and Ba Kelalan and it is crucial that we have to be in the ruling government.

“The building of Forum (Federation of Orang Ulu Associations of Sarawak, Malaysia) headquarters in Miri, for instance, was achieved only when we sat down next to the Chief Minister to express our needs to him,” he added.

He also said it is crucial for the Orang Ulu community to come back home to vote on Dec 18.

On the seminar, Dennis congratulated PWOUM for successfully organising the programme aimed at nurturing leadership and confidence.

“I hope such seminars will continue to be organised and we, the Orang Ulu elected representatives, will continue to support you for as long as we are still your people’s representatives and this is our promise.”

Among those present at the ceremony were PWOUM chairwoman Kijan Toynbee and Mulu incumbent Dato Gerawat Gala’s wife Datin Esther Mujan Balan.

Dennis (second left) beats the gong to officiate at the closing of the PWOUM’s Women’s Leadership & Confidence Seminar, witnessed by Kijan (left), Esther (third right) and other guests at the event.