FOOD AID: SPDP Marudi officials and longhouse folks with the delivered foodstuffs.
KUCHING: The National Registration Department (NRD) should go to the longhouses instead of letting poor villagers travel to their nearest offices to get their documents replaced, suggested a grass roots leader yesterday.
Travelling costs is a burden to some of them and exempting late replacement compounds helps them.
SPDP Marudi division chairman Alexander Asing Sadai said previous attempts by some villagers to replace their documents were futile because the department asked them to pay the compound of around RM200 per applicant.
He was referring to a case involving residents of TR John Matto in Tuyut Lapok Bakong who had to go to the NRD office in Long Lama in Ulu Baram to get their documents replaced.
He received this feedback during his visit with members of SPDP Marudi to the longhouse folks of TR John Matto in Tuyut Lapok Bakong last Tuesday to deliver foodstuff to the villagers, who were victims of a recent fire.
“NRD officers should go to the longhouse instead because the villagers cannot afford to travel that far to Long Lama. They should not be charged any compound or penalty for document replacement,” he stressed.
Most of them lost their documents like identity cards, birth certificates and marriage certificates in a fire recently, he pointed out.
He also noted that some of the parents could not afford their children’s miscellaneous school fees.
“In one case, a parent was told to borrow money by a teacher from SK Menuk Lapok to pay these fees.
“I think these kinds of situations are too much for parents who can’t really afford the fees now,” he said adding that the parents have to pay from RM110 to RM150 per student.
The students should be exempted from paying these fees if possible, taking into account their hardship and burden, he said.
This exemption should be considered especially for those who are victims of a recent fire, he added referring to the longhouse of TR John Matto in Tuyut Lapok Bakong.
The 21-door longhouse was razed by fire in the evening of Dec 30 last year leaving 150 occupants homeless.
Asing said the fire victims need water tanks, cooking stoves and utensils urgently.
They also asked for zinc roofs and plywood to build temporary housing.
Asing then advised the villagers to apply for the government’s E-Kasih scheme to enable them to pay for the children’s miscellaneous fees or charges, and to buy new school bags and uniforms.
SPDP Marudi deputy chairman TR Benang Pilang as well as TR Musin Radin, TR Joben Sigai, TR Henry Gomez, TR Larek, TR Edward Kantan, TR Seman Reggie and TR Patek accompanied his visit to the longhouse.