Entri (wearing cap) addresses the longhouse folk who come in full force to give him their support.
MIRI: Headmen in Long Tisam, Tinjar yesterday slammed aspiring candidate from SPDP Datu Dr Penguang Manggil for alleging that the incumbent Marudi assemblyman Datuk Sylvester Entri has split their longhouse.
The residents of Rh Malina Anum and Rh Manggi turned out in full force to greet Entri during Meet-the-People session at Rh Malina recently.
TR Malina said the ‘split’ story was false as Entri had never interfered in any internal affairs of their longhouses.
Malina added that the three longhouses chiefs – TR Manggi Andam, TR Atam Jawi and himself – had reached an understanding of sorts; that they wanted to rebuild their own longhouses without any ill-feeling between them.
He said the understanding was made six years ago in front of Pemanca Enggah Muga.
“I’m sad to hear that the understanding had been manipulated by certain quarters for their own political interest and blaming Entri as the person to split our longhouse,” he claimed.
TR Manggi also brushed aside claim that Entri was the person who split their longhouse.
He hoped the people in Marudi and outside the constituency would not be confused by the allegation as ‘we have an understanding to work together and live in harmony’.
Entri also spoke at the function. He said when the area was still an opposition stronghold in 1996 the villagers were left out of the mainstream of development.
Now as an elected people’s representative Entri said he visited the longhouses even though it was a 15-hour journey just to make sure the people were not left out.
“Now the villagers can reach Miri within 3 hours through plantation roads. The longhouses now see some developments including grants from the government. I do not let them down as claimed by the opposition,” he said.
He urged Long Tisam folk to continue giving their undivided support to the BN government and himself in the upcoming poll.
At the function, Entri announced a grant of RM58,500 for RH Malina for the purchase of cement and RM73,600 to Rh Manggi to purchase tiles for the longhouse.
Pemanca Enggah Muga, Penghulu Ella Bong, Penghulu Sidu Gerang, Marudi Jasa officer Thomas Paren and headmen from Tinjar, Peking, Lapok, Jegan and Bakong were also present.