SUNGAI ASAP: The people at Sungai Asap Resettlement have made huge sacrifices for the people of Sarawak, said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
Sarawak, he added, should be thankful to the Sungai Asap people because it was not easy for them to accept the government’s offer to resettle them there to give way to the Bakun Dam.
“It was not easy for them to leave their ancestral villages. All was done for the state, country and the people,” said Abdul Karim at the opening of Apau Koyan Festival here yesterday.
The resettlement, he added, involved many longhouses and people.
The minister praised the people of Sungai Asap Resettlement for maintaining their culture, arts and heritage although they were now already living in modern villages.
Abdul Karim said he was touched by the strong unity shown by various ethnic groups in Sungai Asap.
He pointed out that development projects could only be implemented if the people were united in Sungai Asap.
Abdul Karim added that Sarawak was a very big state. It was bigger than Holland, South Korea and Malaya but had a small population of 2.8 million and 40 ethnic groups living harmoniously.
The minister pointed out there had been attempts by political parties from outside Sarawak to split Sarawakians, especially the rural people. He urged the people of Sarawak to reject such politics.
“We have our own way of administrating our state. Every kampung and longhouse has its own JKKK but lately, we heard there were attempts to split our people in longhouses and villages with the setting up of the MPKK.
“In one family, there is only one head. There cannot be two fathers in one family. The same applies to the longhouse and village. There should be only one tuai rumah or ketua kampung,” he said.
Karim said before year end, the PH federal government wanted to establish 5,909 MPKK on the pretext of disseminating projects and information to the people.
Abdul Karim added he would discuss with the Sarawak State Sports Council and Sarawak Sports Corporation the possibility of setting up a Sport Centre of Excellence in Sungai Asap.
He said Sungai Asap had produced a national sprinter Jonathan Nyepa.
The 23-year-old qualified for this December’s Philippines Sea Games; his time of 10.42secs clocked in the Florida track meet in the United States recently surpassed the Sea Games qualifying mark of 10.43.
“I believe we can build up very good athletes here if we set up the centre here,” said the minister
At the function, Abdul Karim announced RM50,000 from his ministry for next year’s Apau Koyan Festival.
