Zuraida (seated second right) chairing the press conference. Also seen are her PKR Sarawak leaders including Ali (seated second left) and Willie (seated right).
KUCHING: The Ministry of Local Government and Housing is setting up a special committee to improve the policies involving longhouses in Sarawak.
Its Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin, who made this announcement earlier today, said Saratok MP Ali Biju has been appointed to head the special committee which is tasked to propose to her ministry as to what sort of policies are suitable for longhouses, taking into account their values, lifestyle and livelihood of the Ibans.
The committee’s concerns should also include first hand fire prevention, she added.
“The appointment of YB Ali is very fitting. He is an Iban. He is Tuai of all Tuais. He will lead the committee, perhaps to incorporate some of the MPs and state assemblymen.
“I want the committee to advise us on how to move forward so that they also can keep abreast with country’s progress and also because we do not want them to be left behind. They should be part of mainstream development,” she told a press conference at the KIA VIP lounge here earlier today.
Zuraida said there is an urgent need to improve the standard of living and lifestyle of longhouse residents, apart from improving the structural design of longhouses.
“Half of the population in Sarawak are living in longhouses. Therefore it is now high time to look into developing the (housing) policies on longhouses after our independence for 60 years. Longhouse living have to be upgraded and also we have to assist in improving quality of life,”
Zuraida is also asking the Sarawak government to gazette land of areas surrounding longhouses because as far as the federal government is concerned, as long as the land is not gazetted, the people residing on it are not the owners.
According to her, Selangor government had gazetted land for villages of the Orang Asli.
“If their land is not gazetted it would be harder to assist them when, for instance they are asking for fund for repairs. The state government has to look into this (gazetting land of areas of longhouses). Then only the community concerned would be empowered to look into the development of their area. That should be a step forward for the State government,” she said.
She opined that it would be unfair if some longhouse chiefs are not being paid monthly allowance by the Sarawak government simply because they are supporters of the Pakatan Harapan even though they have been duly elected by their longhouse charges.
Apart from Ali, others present at the press conference were Puncak Borneo MP Willie Mongin and PKR National Women vice chairman Voon Shiak Ni .