MIRI: Thirty families from Sungai Putat Kuala Baram, whose longhouse was demolished recently, are appealing to the government to allocate them with a temporary occupation licence (TOL) or a new site to build their longhouse.
PLEASE HELP US: Silvester (centre) and fellow villagers show the application for a new site for their longhouse.
Tuai Rumah Silvester Janggat Sawong said the villagers are currently putting up with relatives after their longhouse was demolished by a company last August.
“Until that time, 30 families are putting up temporarily with relatives at a timber quarters, while the rest are building temporary pondok (huts) along the Baram river,” he said yesterday.
Silvester said things were now worse as the children had returned to school and they still did not have a permanent shelter.
He hoped the authorities would consider the plight of the longhouse folk.
According to him, appeals have been filed with the authorities, but no action has been taken to help them overcome their hardship.
“With the concept of 1Malaysia, people’s problems are given priority, I hope the government can help us to have a decent place to live.
“We are not against the government or development, but we want a decent place to stay and build our houses,” he said.