KUCHING: The Orang Ulu community is grateful to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg on the approval of a piece of land to build the first ever Orang Ulu Cultural Centre (OUCC) in Miri.
Lucia Paya Kalang, a community leader from Kampung Long San, said as a minority community from Telang Usan, in Baram, the people would like to thank the chief minister for his concern over the Orang Ulu community.
“We have long waited for a ‘house’ to be built where Orang Ulu communities from all over Sarawak can come together and gather in one place,” she said when met during the chief minister’s Hari Raya open house at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on Wednesday.
Lucia said that Miri was chosen to build the centre because most of the Orang Ulu communities live in Miri and it is a strategic location.
“In Miri city, it is not far for us from Baram as compared if the OUCC was to be built in Kuching,” she said, adding that the Orang Ulu community in Belaga would also welcome the construction of the centre in Miri.
She added that when the OUCC building is ready, it would definitely focus on the culture and heritage of the Orang Ulu such as sape, traditional Orang Ulu dance and many more.
On May 29, Federation of Orang Ulu Association of Sarawak Malaysia (Forum) advisor Datuk Gerawat Gala said the first OUCC in the country would be developed in Miri with the objective of being a centre for Orang Ulu cultural performance, events, and an icon of the community.
According to him, the OUCC building plan has been completed and approved by the Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg for submission to State Planning Authority (SPA) for approval before tender for the OUCC could be issued.
Gerawat, who is also the Deputy Speaker for Sarawak State Legislative Assembly, added that construction work would commence after a tender or contract is offered and the construction is expected to take 18 months.
Gerawat explained that the centre’s design would be inspired by the Orang Ulu elements, combining various Orang Ulu motives and artworks with modern designs. It will be used as an office space and for formal functions.
Its open space can also be used for cultural performances and traditional games with its landscapes also incorporating some of the Orang Ulu crafts and motifs.
For the record, OUCC’s construction got the green light after Abang Johari announced an allocation of RM25 million and a piece of land at the closing of the Orang Ulu Cultural Symposium in November last year.
The Forum comprises nine Orang Ulu associations namely the Sarawak Kayan Association, National Kenyah Association of Sarawak, Sarawak Lun Bawang Association, Rurum Kelabit Sarawak, Sarawak Tipun Penan Development Association, Sarawak Berawan Association, Saban Miri Society Association, Sarawak Lakiput Association and Sarawak Bisaya Association.
