Eddy (seated, fourth left) and the other Nangka longhouse chieftains show their feelings about the MPPK being set up in their area.
SIBU: A group of 34 longhouse chieftains in the Nangka constituency voiced their objection to the Village Community Management Council (MPKK) being set up in their area.
Group spokesperson Tuai Rumah Eddy Jemat said the existing Village Security and Development Committee (JKKK) has been functioning well all this while, and that the MPKK would only disrupt the system and cause confusion among longhouse folk.
“All the 34 of us (longhouse chiefs) in one voice reject the setting-up of MPKK in our area. If the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led federal government is sincere in helping us, then kindly channel the funds to our JKKK.
“In that way, we will have additional funding to organise more programmes and activities to benefit the longhouse community,” he said during a gathering here Wednesday night.
Adding on, Eddy claimed that longhouse folk in Nangka do not understand what the MPKK is all about, saying such confusion will lead to a split among the people.
“Please be mindful that residents in the longhouse are very close to each other and we want to preserve this unity.”
He further claimed that several people had visited longhouses in Nangka pertaining to the setting-up of MPKK, and had brought along some forms to be filled.
Echoing Eddy’s views was Tuai Rumah Dick Ijau, who said he could see no benefit in having the MPKK.
“Our elected people’s representative, YB Dr Annuar Rapaee, has been working very hard all these years and infrastructures and facilities in longhouses in Nangka have improved, for which we are very grateful,” said Dick, who heads a 56-door longhouse.
Another chieftain, Tuai Rumah Chua Banyi, said residents of his 16-door longhouse are all against the MPKK, saying they are more than happy with the current JKKK system.
“In Iban culture, a longhouse irrespective of the number of doors must have only one TR (tuai rumah). Therefore, if there is an MPKK chairman, what will become of the TR then?
“This MPKK will only cause a split among the longhouse community,” Chua said.