KUCHING: The Murum Penan Development Committee (MPDC) recently received RM87,000 from Wargana Group as part of the corporation’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme to help the Penans living in the Murum hydroelectric dam resettlement area.
Wargana Group is one of the local contractors involved in the biomass removal work in Murum dam, which it completed last October.
The people from Belaga, including the Penans, were employed by the group in carrying out the clearing work.
The cheque for the amount was handed over to MPDC chairman Labang Paneh by Assistant Minister of Culture and Heritage Liwan Lagang when a delegation of Penan community leaders made a courtesy call at his office here.
The group – comprising Pemanca Tony Kulleh, Pemanca Umek Jeno and Penghulu Saging Bit and led by Labang – met up with Liwan, who is also the Belaga assemblyman, as well as with representatives of Sarawak Energy Bhd to discuss job opportunities for the community at the Murum Dam and its lake.
The delegates also brought up the issue of floating logs and debris in the lake, which posed a danger to people travelling in it in their daily routine. As such, they sought Liwan’s help in addressing the problem.
The assistant minister pledged to help the community, informing their leaders that as the elected representative of the state constituency, it was his duty to come to their aid when needed.