Hii (fourth left) hands over the appointment letter to Penghulu Evelyn, witnessed by Wong (fifth left), Temenggong Lau (right), Stanley (third left) and others.
SIBU: Former councillor of Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC), Evelyn Holly Sebom, made a breakthrough when she became the first Iban lady in Sibu to be appointed a Penghulu.
Evelyn, 66, together with Tie Hieng Kung received their letter of appointment as new Penghulu by the state government from Sibu Resident Hii Chang Kee yesterday.
Evelyn will be the Penghulu for Bawang Assan area while Tie will serve as Penghulu for the Sibu town area. The brief ceremony at the Resident’s Office was witnessed by Second Finance Minister and Bawang Assan assemblyman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Temenggong Datuk Vincent Lau and Temenggong Stanley Geramong.
Meanwhile, Wong opined that there was a need for more women community leaders, given that females constituted about 53 per cent of the state’s population.
“We have very few ladies, particularly Iban (community leaders); I think she is the first Iban lady not just in Bawang Assan but in the whole of Sibu to be chosen as a Penghulu.
“So, it is very important and it is a breakthrough. So, I hope there will be more to come in future,” he told reporters after the ceremony.
He described Evelyn as a very suitable candidate to be a Penghulu, being an active social worker besides being a church leader.
Asked on his expectations of community leaders in Bawang Assan constituency, he said community leaders were supposed to be on the ground – getting feedback from the members of the community and bringing whatever problems and issues to the authorities.
“Firstly, of course, to work with wakil rakyat (elected) representatives of the area, and also work closely with the District Office as well as the Resident’s Office.” He stressed that community leaders needed to always stay engaged with the people on the ground, which he said was no easy task as it involved a great deal of sacrifice.
However, with dedication, total involvement and great deal of commitment, he believed all the community leaders could perform in their job.
“Anyone who does not perform, of course the Resident and district officer will keep a watchful eye over them because they are the ones who eventually are going to assess them, whether they can be retained or the services can be renewed and so on. Of course, as wakil rakyat, we will have to endorse.”
Earlier, Hii informed of staff movement in the Resident’s Office here and Sibu District Office, where Wong Hee Seng had been promoted from a district officer to Deputy Sibu Resident.
Replacing Hee Seng as Sibu District Officer is Awang Yusup Awang Mostapha, who was attached to Kuching Resident’s Office.
Hii, however, said there were no changes for Selangau and Kanowit. Among those present was Pemanca James Semilan.