Tuai Rumah Lilia Ringan
KUCHING (Nov 3): Tuai Rumah Lilia, 55, and Councillor Betsy Ringan, 52, departed at 5am today from Balai Ringin, about 100km away from here, to attend the late Deputy Minister Tan Sri James Masing’s wake held at the Christian Ecumenical Worship Centre, Association of Churches in Sarawak at Jalan Stampin.
Deeply feeling the loss, they were driven by Lilia’s husband from their village at Kampung Bayor Tembawai for two days in a row to pay their respects at Masing’s residence at Jalan Ong Tiang Swee yesterday and the wake today.
“I found out about his passing from a phone call from a friend, and I was so shocked as I did not know that he was unwell. When I first got the news, I did not know what to do. We came yesterday, and we came again today,” she said when met by reporters.
She added that her family, from her late grandfather to her late father, all knew Masing as they were all Tuai Rumahs or heads of the longhouse.
She frequently contacted Masing since her appointment as Tuai Rumah in regards to community issues via WhatsApp or phone calls, if they were urgent.
“It’s a great loss. He was a good leader, friendly, likes getting to know the people and people-oriented. He was a father figure to me. The first time I met him was when he visited our village in the 80s,” said Lilia.
She recalled, when she first became the community leader and met him many years later, she asked if he remembered her, and he said ‘yes’.
She remembered that Masing used to come to her village with the older generation of politicians like former Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang.
Meanwhile, for Betsy, Masing was like a second father to her as she had known him for a very long time.
His biggest contribution was when he proposed the setting up of secondary school SMK Balai Ringin for the children there.
Councillor Betsy Ringan
“The formation of the school was his idea, and it has helped in the education for Balai Ringin students,” said Betsy in between sobs.
When the school was first opened on Jan 6, 1975, it only had six classrooms, eight teachers, 202 students, and sharing a space with primary school SK Balai Ringin. Over the years, various facilities and buildings were added, and currently the school has 1,458 students.
Though it was hard to say goodbye, she has accepted that he is gone, and hopes that his family will remain strong during this challenging time.
Persatuan Gagasan Anak Dayak (GADS) vice chairman Albert Lawrence, 49, was sad but grateful for his contributions to the association.
Albert was part of a group of 10 association members who flew in from Miri to pay their last respects.
He said they flew to Kuching yesterday and visited Masing’s residence the previous night before attending the wake and the funeral today.
Albert Lawrence
“He helped us a lot, from the formation of the association in 2015, and we see him as a father figure as he guided us from then until now. He set many examples to us, and we as youths took him as a father figure. He expressed to us that he wanted to see this association existing forever and not just for a short time,” he said.
The late Masing also gave financial support and ideas to the association to develop the Dayak youths in entrepreneurship, and wanted to see them running successful businesses.
Albert described Masing as a well-spoken gentleman who was diplomatic, and very committed and dedicated to his job.
He was also a visionary leader, and not many people are like him, and his demise was a huge loss, said Albert.
“Even when he felt unwell, and should have rested, he kept going and contributing until his last breath.”
Albert said the association based in Miri has over 500 members throughout Sarawak.
Masing, aged 72-years-old, was Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president. He breathed his last at the Normah Sarawak Medical Centre (NSMC) in Petra Jaya at 7.05am on Oct 31 due to heart complications.
In September, Masing was admitted to the Sarawak General Hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 in Category Three, before he was transferred to NSMC for further treatment.