Volunteers and donors involved in sending the food aid to longhouses in Telng Usan. Dennis is at centre.
MIRI: Volunteers and donors in a convoy of 10 4WD vehicles went up to Telang Usan to deliver food aid to people affected by the movement control order (MCO) Friday.
Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau was among them.
Telang Usan is home to over 80 longhouses and settlements situated sparsely in the interior areas, which poses great challenges to anyone trying to get there, more so to send food assistance like what the volunteers are going through now during the MCO.
“Life is not as normal now, and people especially those with no permanent jobs and steady income have started to feel the pinch. The MCO has stopped them from earning and also to travel to the nearest town to buy provision for their families.
“Therefore, it is not surprising to see many smiling hand happy faces when the volunteers came to bring food aid,” he said at the simple handover ceremony at Ba Itam Bunau Friday. Ba Itam Bunau is a Penan settlement situated deep in the interior of Telang Usan, and could only be reached by 4WD vehicles about six hours from here (Miri). The longhouse has 45 doors housing over 200 residents.
However, to get there one has to brave the Bunau River current to get to the longhouse for there is no bridge crossing.
“Like many remote settlements in Telang Usan, this Penan longhouse could not be contacted by telephone so they (residents) were pleasantly surprised to see the convoy bringing food items arriving at their village,” Dennis said.
While there, he shared with the people the happenings in the country and the need to adhere strictly to the MCO, and the dangers posed by Covid-19.
Dennis thanked Baram MP Anyi Ngau, other Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leaders, Telang Usan District Office, Malaysian Air Force, and others for their commitment and determination in getting the food aid delivered to deserving people in his constituency.