Modern Iban alphabet trainees complete course
Posted on February 6, 2012, Monday
KOTA SAMARAHAN: The pioneer batch of students who underwent modern Iban alphabet training wrapped up their class last Saturday.
With only one trainer in UiTM senior lecturer Associate Professor Dr Bromeley Philip conducting the lessons, each class could only cater to 25 trainees at the most.
The trainees were mostly KPS-UB Forum Jaku Iban 2011 (FJI 2011) committee members. They were supposed to complete their training last November, but because of work commitment classes dragged on until this month.
The second batch would comprise mostly students of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak here. Class starts next month.
The Iban alphabet class, or better known as `Urup Dunging’, was one of the recommendations passed during the inaugural KPS-UB FJI 2011, which was held in Kuching on Sept 17 last year. The event was co-organised by the Ministry of Social Development and Utusan Borneo (UB).
Bromeley said the class was just to kick-start a bigger dream – have the Iban alphabet taught in schools, especially those which have many Iban students.
“With the help of the state government and Dayak leaders, we hope we can bring up the proposal, which was endorsed by the forum, to the federal government, or better still the Education Ministry. We can even start by making it part of the school co-curriculum activities,” he said when met after class at UiTM Sarawak campus here last Saturday.
Bromeley said he hoped that one day there would be enough teachers with the required proficiency to teach the alphabet in schools.
He also hoped to see such training centres throughout the state.
Bromeley is a grandson of the creator of `Urup Dunging’, the late Dunging Gunggu. He recently developed the 59 characters of the Dunging alphabet into computerised fonts to facilitate the students’ learning. Unlike the English alphabet, Dunging characters represent all the sounds found in the Iban language.
“I have to thank the organisers of Forum Jaku Iban 2011 for giving me the platform to promote the alphabet and also public interest on the same on Sept 17 2011. I also thank Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang, Social Development Minister Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom and other Dayak leaders for providing moral and financial support for its development.”
Jabu recently granted RM10,000 to the Iban alphabet training centre in UiTM Sarawak, while Mawan, who is also the Forum’s patron, pledged RM5,000. Mawan have given the centre RM8,000 last year.
Meanwhile, the FJI 2011 committee said a limited number of FJI 2011 DVDs were now available. Those interested are advised to contact the committee members. They can leave their contact numbers with Utusan Borneo’s operator at 082-485111.
