Mawan all for NGO social interaction

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Mawan (seated centre) and Rayong (seated second left) with KRKPS executive committee members.

Mawan (seated centre) and Rayong (seated second left) with KRKPS executive committee members.

KUCHING: Minister of Social Development Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom said the government was all for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to help promote social interactions and racial harmony.

He added that the government was prepared to give them money to organise such programmes.

Conceding that politics is divisive, Mawan said now was a good time for the people to organise more social forums that engage a wider section of the society.

Social interactions are paramount, so long as the people involved are in the mainstream of society, said Mawan.

He opined that condemning each other in the social media was detrimental to social relationships and overall developments.

Mawan, who is also Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) president, said: “Politics is divisive. Perhaps, SDNU can be a social forum of unity.

“That is why I always tell members not to bring along their politics into SDNU.”

He was speaking at a dinner gathering themed `Malam Pengrindu Begulai Enggau Patron YB Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom’ that was organised by Kelab Rekreasi Kampung Pla Samarahan (KRKPS) at Prison Golf Club (PGC) here on Sunday.

In his welcoming speech, KRKPS advisor Edward Brandah Madi said the club was ready to become the link between less fortunate Dayaks in Samarahan and the government.

The club, he added, also wanted to make sure that government assistance reached the target groups. The club also intended to help needy students.

Engkilili assemblyman Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa, who was also present, commended the club for fostering a close relationship among its members and the community.

He reminded the Dayaks to focus on giving their children good education.

Rayong then pledged a government grant of RM5,000 to KRKPS. KRKPS had also received RM25,000 from
Mawan’s ministry, while Assistant Minister of Youth Development, Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, pledged RM5,000 in government grant sometime ago.

Among those present at the dinner were KRKPS chairman Merdan Seran and his secretary Emas Gijak, who is also Serakup Indu Dayak Sarawak (SIDS) Samarahan chief, organising chairman Churchill Edward Drem, who is also SDNU Youth chief, and PGC captain Difison Jelema.

A prelude to the dinner was KRKPS and PGC-organised Ballsweep Golf tourmanment in which 24 players took part on Sunday afternoon.

The three top nett winners were Voon Tara, Rodny Belayong and Donny Inam while the gross winners were Andrew Ngisun and Mosos Jiros. Rayong gave away the prizes to these winners on Sunday night.