Rumah Jambon residents pose with their award at the ceremony.
KAPIT: The Rumah Jambon Antas village security and development committee (JKKK) from Nanga Ensilai, Batang Rajang recently won second place for the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development’s 1Malaysia Peaceful Village Award.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak presented the prize of RM50,000 and a trophy for the longhouse category to newly-appointed Iban community leader Penghulu Pasang Tuba – a JKKK member and former headman – and Tuai Rumah Jambon Antas.
The winner for the category was Rumah Binal, Mukah, which received RM150,000 and a championship trophy. The presentation ceremony was held in Serdang, Selangor on Oct 16.
“This is a proud moment for the people of Kapit and the longhouse has served as a role model for the other JKKKs in Kapit. We have conducted leadership seminars for the JKKKs over the years and finally our efforts paid off,” Kapit District Officer Elvis Didit told a press conference.
“We are going forward to the next level to ensure Rumah Jambon is the top winner at the national level competition in the future.”
He said the district office will do the necessary to further improve the JKKK’s administrative and physical features towards achieving this goal.
“The important thing is that we want to drive the message across to the JKKKs. We want the JKKK of Rumah Jambon as a role model for the other JKKKs in Kapit. We want their success to be replicated by the other JKKKs.
“I see the potential in the JKKKs in Kapit and I call on all the JKKKs to further improve their longhouse settings, landscaping and administration so that they compete well in the future and also get the awards as well,” he added.