Jabu donates RM10,000 for Iban language training programme

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PROMOTING IBAN ALPHABET: Bromeley (third left) receives the state government grant from Jabu’s representative Isik while (from left) Nero, Leelajini, Wan Akil and Serah look on.

KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang on Friday made good his pledge to further develop the Iban language training programme at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sarawak Campus in Kota Samarahan near here by presenting a government grant of RM10,000.

On hand to receive the cheque from Jabu’s representative and political secretary to the chief minister Isik Utau were head of the training programme UiTM Assoc Prof Dr Bromeley Philip, UiTM deputy rector (Student Affairs) Assoc Prof Wan Akil Tuanku Abdullah, its Industry Community Alumni Networking (Ican) head Serah Jaya and lecturers Nero Madi and Leelajini Paranjorthy.

Jabu, who is also Minister of Rural Development and Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, pledged to sponsor the programme during the inaugural KPSU-UB Forum Jaku Iban (FJI) 2011 event on Sept 17 last year at Four Points by Sheraton Kuching here.

According to Bromeley, the training programme is a follow-up to one of the recommendations made at the forum which was attended by more than 500 people made up of mostly members of the Iban community.

He pointed out that the programme named Tulis (Training on Urup-Dunging LaserIban System) was created following a directive from Jabu during the KPSU-UB FJI 2011 event to teach the public on the use of the Iban alphabet, better known as Urup Iban Dunging.

“Our DCM (Jabu) has donated an allocation of RM10,000 as part of the initial capital to initiate the programme. It will be closely monitored by the DCM to ensure its progress and success,” he said.

The Tulis programme which commenced last Oct 15 with the first batch of 21 trainees made up of members of the public including patron of KPSU-UB FJI 2011 Social Development Minister Tan Sri William Mawan and FJI committee members will end this month with a simple graduation ceremony.

Mawan and the FJI committee members last year donated a total of RM8,000 to enable Bromeley to proceed with his first class.

“Ideally, Tulis class is conducted twice a week for a period of two months. More classes will be opened to anyone interested to learn the Iban alphabet in the future,” said Bromeley, who is also a member of the KPSU-UB FJI 2011 organising team.

He explained that Tulis was just one of the two programmes under the UiTM Professional and Technical Iban Language Consultancy Services (Proteilcs). While Tulis was designed to teach members of the Iban community the Iban language and alphabet, the other programme ‘Pandai’ was aimed at accommodating non-Ibans to learn the language and alphabet, said Bromeley.

“It is hoped that the two programmes under Proteilcs will help create a niche for UiTM Sarawak besides garnering income for the university,” he said while explaining that Proteilcs was under the purview of the university’s Ican and Research Management Unit (RMU).

Bromeley thanked the KPSU-UB FJI 2011 committee for not only holding the much appreciated Iban language forum last Sept 17 but also for giving him the best platform to highlight the need to develop the Iban alphabet further as well as to promote it.

He concurred with Iban community leaders that language was the ultimate tool to identify one’s community and existence.