KUCHING: The tough stance taken by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, especially on illegal logging and immigration, has won him full backing from the Sarawak Kenyah National Association.
Its deputy president Kennedy Chukpai Ugon said the association was impressed with Adenan’s steadfast attitude on all issues raised when he explained his policies during Wednesday’s live interview on TV1. The association pledged to fully support him especially on matters pertaining to the rights of Sarawakians and the state as a whole.
“The Dayak Kenyah community highly admires the chief minister’s courage in making his strong stand on all the points that were raised during the TV interview particularly on the rights of Sarawak and its people.
“We also highly appreciate him for giving priority to rural development,” Kennedy said in a press statement to The Borneo Post yesterday.
The association was in full agreement with the state’s no intention to repeal its immigration policy and regulations that bar extremists and religious bigots from entering the country.
The multi-ethnic people here want to live in peace and harmony, said Kennedy.
Adenan had said in the interview that the existing immigration policy is one of Sarawak’s conditions for joining Malaysia. He said the multi-racial communities here had lived in harmony and peace without squabbling over religious matters like in the peninsula.
On the fight against illegal logging, the chief minister said lax enforcement by the authorities had emboldened the thieves and that caused the state government to lose royalties and suffer the consequence of the destruction of substantial areas of forests.
To combat this scourge, the State Forestry started to conduct daily raids on illegal logging activities and had refused to renew or cancel about 600 logging licences.
The association also gave its stamp of approval on Adenan advising natives to allow the Land and Survey Department to carry out perimeter survey on their native customary rights (NCR) land and make request to the government if they feel their land is not
enough.
Other notable issues mentioned in the interview included the need for more Sarawakians to be trained as teachers to meet state’s shortage, and adopting the term ‘Dayak’ to replace ‘Lain-lain’ or ‘Others’ in all government and official forms.
On another matter, Kennedy said the association welcomes the Election Commission’s proposal to add 11 new state seats in its initial delineation exercise, namely Batu Kitang, Stakan, Serembu, Triboh, Gedong, Kabong, Tellian, Selirik, Murum, Samalaju and Long Lama.
In this regards, the association hoped Barisan Nasional (BN) would nominate a candidate from the Kenyah community to contest in one of the new seats.
“Currently, there are no Kenyah representing the community in the state legislative assembly. During a meeting between the chief minister and the Orang Ulu communities in Miri last year, the association had put up this request. We hope the chief minister and the BN government will consider our request.
“We promise to give our full support to Adenan and Barisan Nasional this coming state election,” Kennedy assured, and pointed out that the association has eight branches throughout the state.