22/6/09 LOOKING BACK......

(I shot him up there, in Lubok Punggor, Simunjan. Hopefully, soon, he don't have to climb that high (30-40 feet high), traditional way, dangerously, to earn a living. Let Help him out!)

I can't remember the exact date. But when I joined the State Service on 1 Oct., 1986,the National Economy was not in good shape. Unemployment was high. Poverty issues were broadly debated. Regional development disparity was obvious. My first assignment was in fact, to undertake a Socio-economic Benchmark Study on the possibility to set up A Model Village in Telaga Air, Kuching. Telaga Air originally was just a remote site, for those from Santin, Sg. Aur, Teluk Simpur, Trombol, Lobak (?), (I can't recalled all), the six Villages accross at Santin and Rambungan side, to source their drinking water, from a small stream at that point in time called Telaga Air, especially during the long dry spell.

Graduated as a Botanist, with no economic or what so ever social sciences background, I have to struggle badly to understand what was my assignment all about. But thank, to few friends whom had guided me to read all sort of books on rural, regional, economic, and social related subjects. I read lots of development model in the World Bank and Asian Development Bank publications. Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan, Thailand, and America were my countries of referrences. From there, I slowly developed and applied my ethno-botany knowledge into socio-economic analysis of human habitat issues. Accordingly, applying my ecological knowledge into regional planning and development analysis. Later, applying my bio-chemistry, physiology, bio-methametic, and physic into urban and settlement planning and development.

(2) Today, without giving up waiting for the fixing of the yesterday frustrated appointment, while I had ample times, not just to sit around, wastefully, I take a minute to look back, faraway at home, my mind wondering from Sematan, to Asajaya, to Sebuyau-Beladin-Kabong, to Daro-Matu, Igan-Balingian-Jepak, Lawas, all those coastal corridor. In my early service day, I had made lots of initiatives, to get to know all these places, expanding my acquired small knowledge and skill after doing the Telaga Air Socio-economic Benchmark Study, figuring out how those knowledges and skills could be applied here, areas and communities that equally undeveloped, equally, badly affected by high poverty incidence.

(3) No doubt since 1986, these areas had changed; road, electricity, water supply, telecommunication are already there. New townships continue to emerge and expand. Motorbikes and kancil had drastically replaced the outboats and sampans. Express boat are death and being replaced steadily with Comfortable Buses.

(4) These places, long time ago, were sources of logging labours. They were good loggers. That's the reason, why till today, we could still see large (even long) houses built on stilt from fine timber. They got (made) their cheap building materials when they once were loggers. These are obvious for those who came from Beladin-Pusa, Daro-Igan, and some coastal villages in Lawas. And now, slowly, steadily, all these houses are being replaced with concrete grounded better homes.

(5) Living style had changed. Employment structure had changed. Demrographic structure had changed. Out migration among the young and the better educated one are normal. What left probably the elders, the growing kids, mothers with young kids. Remittence become major source of income.

(6) What bother me to this days, their land, their economic assets had never being fully utilized. Since those days. When consulted, the reasons among others; no more their land, had been divided among the kids, or even brothers and sisters, or sold out to others and their inhabitation on the land are merely just to take care of the land on behalf of the new landowners who are town people. Land speculation, had made a big in road into our rural heart. There are aslo who don't want their land to be develop for fear of being taken back by the Government or they are too old to benefit from the possible long gestation investment return.

(7) What a pitty, here after this long being away from home, in abundancy, yet prisoned in poverty, there back home, we are in abundancy and redundency, would one day also be imprisoned into poverty.

(8) In one of my articles titled: Pinang Pulang Ke Gagang Sirih Pulang Ke Tampuk, Ikan Pulang Ke Lubok, I have suggested, let us among those who have better education and position, seriously put our effort to rectify this. Let those land, that probably, being assigned (inherited) to us, be developed accordingly, so that there would be a continuous economic spin off effect to the whole economy.

(9) For us who are still in the position to rectify this, let really put our mind and soul to formulate the best Development Model to ensure what is ours it will be there for us and for our future kids and generation. Let put aside, first our personal interest and burried our greed, let work for the best of our future generation. All of us

(10) For the young one, let learn fast and don't wait for others to drag your hands and feet to work for the best of your community. Let always remember, there are two famous saying in the Quran, which I would like to simplified, that if we ignored, we will get His reward!: You is in your own hands or else....Time will come You Will be the loser!


Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
27 June, 2009