About, probably nine years ago, there is this Village, called Kampung Yoh, deep to the periphery of Bintulu town, not really too the interior, but socially isolated. A Penan Village. I was informed of the continuous problem of the Village, flooding every year, and the population were always cut off from the main supplies especially when the big flood strikes. Year in year out, tons of funds being poured in to help the Villagers but thing just remain the same. Fortunate, with a team of highly dedicated officials, we worked out a very 'extreme' measure by deviating and consolidating all the available funds, from the normal project to 'a resettlement program'. Almost on weekly basis I visited the Village for months, to make sure things are done as planned.
(2) There are instances, without prior notice, I dropped by the Village, and when I caught kids who don't go to school. I'll called for the headman, and asked for the parents. I don't know why, I acted with 'no mercy'; warned the parents, if in my next visit, if I continue to catch the kids for not going to school, either I'll 'hang' the parents or the kids to the tall tree nearby, surely I 'stared deep' into the parents eyes. It seem to work, and almost all the kids, went to school and some of them now are employed handsomely both in the private and public sector!
(3) Accordingly, it was hard to persuade the Villagers to move to the new 'higher settlement area', they continue to behave just 'a Penan'; I presumed accepting nature as their life. Again I have to 'abused' my authority, talking and 'warning them' that I'll burn down their present houses if the don't move to the new ground within a year. Out of 22 families, if not mistaken, 20 of them built new houses on the allocated sites. Now they even have vans and cars and get better earning from the nearby Plantation.
(3) But yesterday, nine years from those days, again I was informed of the same nature of a Village, now in Mukah, called Sitieng, a Village home to about 16 core families through inter marriage of Melanau, Iban, and Chinese. I visited them with my staff. We went house to house to get the real feel of poverty, isolation, and marginalization. The Village, despite just less then an hour by boat (30hp) from Mukah town, it is sure in great dispare! My heart keep tight with pain!
(4) With god help, my staff dedication, hopefully, we could solve their misery in couple of months time. I hope I don't need to exert my 'authority' to bring change to these people, again as nine years ago! I pray, I hope!
(5) I hope, for us who had been given some privileges, let us continue to walk and work to uncover and resolve all these marginalization issues.
Sibu, Sarawak
18 July, 2009
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4 comments:
Incidents such as this is not alien in the state nor it is being attended to with much excitement by many who are in the position to do so. Whatever the reasons may be, isolated, far from reach etc.
Perhaps we are all too busy, to notice. And those who noticed come along once in a while coz they too are busy running the fast lane.
2. Let us not pray and hope too much, time has come for us to change, to take actions.
3. With the launching of the new DUN building, a nicely crafted and inspired 'superhuman' scale structure, we have to strike a balance between the two --the modern, sophisticated, luxurious and the old,simple and poor.
there are still lots of places like this in this beloved state of ours... i personally admire your work ethics... the spirits of bringing this peoples out of their poverty... i share the feelings... and i hope i could be as good as you (in term of working attitude and spirit)... when i see them during my walkabout... to their area... i wonder, what could i do to help them... at least i am in a better position... eventhough i am not rich but i still am better than them... need a good thinker and implementer to help these people but will they understand? cos as i go on the ground... seems like there have negative understanding of what u try to do... better communication needed to overcome this issue...
I always tell my staff, it is not easy to help the poor, worst if they are muslim,sometimes, purposely He makes it difficult to us, may be to see how sincere we are to our deed and course.
(2) Definitely, now adays, the young have lost ground of the subject. They have not gone thru' the real hard life. in the past when we don't have a pencil, we need to sell chicken egg to a nearby retail shop. But now, they can just asked the parent. so, their creativity in resolving those poverty and marginalization issues are very minimal.
(3) Worst, today education system had educated our young generation with less and less on socialization and survival skills.
(4) If you wanna learn, walk alot, think alot, read alot, experiment alot....most important, be brave! Be determine!
(5) Nothing good about Communication, if we don't have the knowledge, the skill, the greater appreciation of the subject. Experience is the most effective if one want to be the better communicator, especially in the frontline job!
(6) I'm only one! But thousands to handle. Let just contribute and keep improving. Thank.
It is definitely not easy to swim against the current but god has given us a brain to overcome that and many more situations in life. Even labelling problems as situations can change our approach to face challenges in life in the best manner we possibly could.
2. Children nowadays are blessed because they have it easy.We can't force unto them what they don't have to go through, but we can always bring them close to what we want them to SEE--take them to work places, to the rural areas, to the jungle, to the sea and read with them as we trace along the paths we want them to be in. Children are the best copycats of their parents.
3. Perhaps today's education system have failed to educate the young. Home is the root of a lifelong learning process, which, unfortunately have been mislooked due to our daily routines in life.
4. Good virtues start from home, form a basis for a strong and willpowered individuals. Just remember that there are many followers in this world, so DANH, set your mind to be one of the few leaders!
5. Start simple, if i may suggest.Go to a suburban school, if a rural school is out of reach.Identify children with problems (those who are poor, orphans,etc)through the school councillors, they will be more than happy to point to you the children in dire need of help.Get to know the kids, take them home during weekends, encourage them to learn in a surrounding that is conducive and provide them with whatever little contribution you feel that is necessary. Changes take time, but you'll see the positive changes as you move along.Take them on a flight (Air Asia is cheap) even Kch-sibu should be fine, as they never dream they will ever fly in their lives......you don't have to be rich neither must you be an authority before you can do all these. Open your heart.....and God will open it more in time to come.Insyaalah.
Just sharing DANH.TQ
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