Uggah (right) chairs the meeting. Also seen at his right is a political secretary to the chief minister Petrus Igat Mathias.
KUCHING: More than 1,500 new community leaders comprising Tuai Rumah, Ketua Kampung and Kapitan will be appointed statewide next year, says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah.
“Their appointment will be made in February the latest. They are in addition to the earlier batch of 468 community leaders who have been identified for reappointment soon.
“When everything is done, there will be about 5,900 community leaders in the state,” he said in a statement received here yesterday.
Uggah said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had said the soon-to-be appointed new community leaders were made based on existing standard operating procedure (SOP).
“The people concerned will be choosing their leaders themselves. We hope the people will choose carefully.
“We hope there will be minimal tussle for the positions as this can lead to splits in longhouses. Similarly, we cannot delay the appointment as it can create problems for the people,” he said.
Meanwhile, Uggah yesterday received a courtesy call from a group of Kuching Iban community leaders led by Temenggong Dato Bernard Agan.
Among those in the group were Pemanca John Tambi, six penghulus and 22 ketua kaum from the Iban community in Kuching.
Uggah, who is also Minister of Agriculture Modernisation, Native Land and Regional Development, suggested to this group to promote precision farming concepts such as fertigation and hydroponic in their settlements as a mean to raise their income knowing that the demand for food in the city is huge.
“These (planting) methods are ideal as they do not require much land or labour. We can conduct the relevant courses to acquaint those interested,” he said.
On other matters, Uggah said the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) had been tasked with looking for an alternative site for a new cemetery for the Iban community here.
He said although a state land in Bau had been identified and approved by the government, the idea had to be shelved due to opposition from local leaders who felt that Bau already had many burial grounds.
Uggah later presented RM250,00 cheque as a special assistance to the 22 headmen in Kuching at the function.
Agan, who also spoke, meanwhile, said 40 of the 63 squatter families at the Chawan Road SDNU cemetery here had agreed to be relocated.
“They, however, requested for financial assistance from the government for a deposit of their new homes. They also requested for assistance in transporting their belongings.”
Agan said the remaining 20 had decided to stay put, reasoning that they could not pay the RM150 monthly rental at the new place.
“They also fear they will have to incur higher transportation costs in commuting to their work places.
“But sooner or later, all will have to move out as the place is after all a cemetery,” Agan said.