Kelabits bemoan idle windmills in Bario highland

http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/06/23/kelabits-bemoan-idle-windmills-in-bario-highland/

by Philip Kiew, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on June 23, 2012, Saturday

STILL WAITING: Arur Dalan Longhouse in Kubaan.

BARIO: Bario is also known as Land of the Winds but windmills built in the Kelabit Highlands four years ago have become a white elephant as they are not spinning to produce electricity.

The storage area has been broken into and some of the equipment damaged.

Folk of Arur Dalan Kubaan and Aru Dalan Pa’Tik longhouses rejoiced in 2009 when the four windmills were completed, including a storage facility where the batteries and equipment were kept.

After that, they waited for the windmills to spin so light could be brought to their longhouses.

“They waited for a month then month after month but nothing happened. It is now year 2012, four years after the construction was completed but the windmills are yet to spin,” said Sagau Batubala of Bario.

FOLLOW UP, PLEASE: Arur Dalan Longhouse chief Leju Ibuh @ Maran Ayu @ Mada’ Karuh asking those responsible for the failed windmill project to come back to Bario to enlighten the people.

Village chief of Arur Dalan Kubaan longhouse, Leju Ibuh @ Maran Ayu @ Mada’ Karuh wants anwers, saying those responsible for the project left four years ago without leaving a contact number or address.

Arur wants the authority to enlighten the villagers on what had happened to the project, which was part of the government rural electrification initiative under the alternative power supply programme of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development.

This windmill project is the second white elephant after the failure of a mini-hydro dam built in Bario by the government a decade ago.

Longhouses are still dependent on kerosene lamps for light although those with generators can only afford to turn them on for a few hours a night, reverting to kerosene lamps when the fuel sourced from Miri runs out. Night activities in these longhouses are limited and folks tend to go to bed early.

Windmill and solar system to produce electricity to light up longhouses in Bario were considered feasible projects by the authorities.

The only bright spark in Bario is a micro-hydro project for Bario Asal Longhouse, which is sufficient to power basic equipment in the electrification drive of the Kelabit highlands.

The community feels that Bario has plenty of streams and rivers for micro-hydro power stations, which should be pursued more aggressively with the aid of combined funds for solar and windmill power generation projects.

The people in Bario look forward to a reasonable capacity that can provide electricity round the clock to spur the development of cottage industries.

Unesco plans to preserve Kelabit and Bidayuh under programme

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/6/9/nation/11448659&sec=nation

Saturday June 9, 2012

SIBU: Unesco is working to preserve the Kelabit and Bidayuh languages in Sarawak.
State Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said the organisation was undertaking the two projects under its “Endangered Languages” programme.

The two languages were selected because they belonged to minority indigenous communities.
“Not many Bidayuh and Kelabit speak their language in its pure form these days.

“This is especially so in inter-racial marriages where the families opt to speak Bahasa Malaysia or English at home,” she told reporters after opening the National Early Childhood Intervention Conference here, last night.

Fatimah said other minority native groups in the state also risked losing their languages if no effort was taken to preserve and promote them.

She said many of the Kelabit had migrated to towns or urban areas and, in their new environment, the tendency was for them to speak only a little of the original language.

She noted that the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) in Kampung Bunuk, Kuching, was taking concrete steps to preserve the Bidayuh language by getting trained teachers to teach preschoolers to write and speak in the language at a nursery.

The Unesco website states that about half of more than the 6,000 languages spoken today across the globe will disappear by the end of this century if nothing is done to protect them.

Bernama

 

 

There is no Heart of Borneo without its people

http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/indonesia/news/?204628/There-is-no-Heart-of-Borneo-without-its-people

Posted on 08 May 2012  

 

“For us, we are rich and prosperous people. We are not lacking. We plant for rice, we harvest fruits, we take fish from the river, we build our home from forest wood, our medicine comes from forest herbs. We live from the forest. If the forest is gone, so are we.” 
Anye Apui, Customary Chief of Hulu Bahau in Malinau, East Kalimantan

The Heart of Borneo Forum in Jakarta, April 18-20, was aimed at bringing together key stakeholders – including governments, the private sector and civil society – to discuss progress and possibilities in the transition to a green economy in the Heart of Borneo.

The Indigenous communities, with their traditions, knowledge and local wisdom, have been supportive of the Heart of Borneo Initiative, initiating trans-boundary grassroots support and action for the sustainable development of the Highlands. These communities are rich in experience that can contribute significantly to how the community can become involved in the sustainable development of this trans-boundary initiative.

Community involvement in the Forum highlighted the important role civil society can play in moving the green economy from a concept and set of plans to reality.

“We are the heartbeat of the Heart of Borneo. We are the ones you are talking about. Those plans you’re making will affect our life, because we live there,” John Tarawe from Bario, Sarawak-Malaysia, said when he spoke at a session titled Delivering a Sustainable Future for the Heart of Borneo.

Community leaders from the Forum of the Indigenous People of the Highlands of Borneo (FORMADAT), from both the Malaysia and Indonesia sides, joined the stage with representatives from the governments of Borneo. They outlined their vision for a sustainable future for Borneo.

“We, the Indigenous People of the Highlands in the Heart of Borneo who share a common heritage and a common land as the Lun Dayeh, Kelabit, Lun Bawang, and Sa’ban people, come together in the Alliance of the Indigenous People of the Highlands of Borneo (FORMADAT) to: increase awareness and understanding about the highland communities, build local capacity, and encourage sustainable development in the Heart of Borneo.”

During the event, WWF along with the community leaders launched the Human Heart of Borneo, a publication that speaks for the indigenous Borneo people, celebrating their culture and their role in conserving the forests of Borneo. The publication hopes to enable those outside the area to learn, feel and become attached to it – with that, support for the preservation of Borneo culture and nature can be built.

Idris: New economic activities will stem tide of rural-urban migration

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/11/24/sarawak/9963728&sec=sarawak

Thursday November 24, 2011

By ZORA CHAN: zora@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: New economic activities need to be created in rural Sarawak, otherwise more youths will move to urban areas.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala said areas like the highlands of Bario and Ba’Kelalan today saw a lower population as many had migrated to urban areas, leaving mainly the old to farm the land.

“Mass rural-urban migration among the younger generation is a problem in Sarawak and other parts of the country.

“We have to think how to get the young to stay on. We do not have the answers yet but hopefully we’ll have some solutions by early next year,” he said.

Seeking a solution: Idris at the dialogue session with community leaders and elders from Ba’Kelalan and Bario in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

Among others, the Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) would address this phenomenon by providing new economic activities as well as basic infrastructure in rural areas, Idris said during a dialogue with a delegation from Bario and Ba’Kelalan here on Tuesday.

The 32-member delegation comprised Lun Bawang and Kelabit community leaders and village elders, led by former Bukit Mas MP Mutang Tagal.

Earlier, the visitors and Lawas MP Datuk Henry Sum Agong paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, to thank the Federal Government for upgrading an abandoned logging road from Long Luping to Ba’Kelalan using soil stabilisation technology supplied by Hanayin Engineering Sdn Bhd.

The RM52mil project, spanning 75km, was completed in two years by the army under the Jiwa Murni outreach programme.

Idris, whose home town is Bario, said under the RTP, the Government would improve basic infrastructure like roads, water and electricity supply in the interior.

“With better infrastructure, it will be easier and more economical for farmers to sell their produce at the nearest town or city.”

Citing examples, he said Bario was also famed for its pineapples but it was difficult to sell them elsewhere in the absence of roads linking the highlands to the nearest town and neighbouring villages in Ba’Kelalan.

He welcomed suggestions from villagers to start new economic activities like empurau breeding and rubber plantations in the highlands, adding that such ventures had taken off successfully in Long Peluan, Ulu Baram.

Idris promised to push for the implementation of the Ba’Kelalan-Bario road so that folk in the area would enjoy better connectivity.

During the dialogue session, among others, Rurum Kelabit Sarawak vice-president Dr Philip Raja urged Idris’ ministry to consider turning the state’s as an agropol for the northern region.

He said the idea came about a few years ago from former Miri Resident Datuk Ose Murang and to date, no budget had been given towards this.

“The proposal also aims at transforming Bario into a town or semi-urban area,” he said, adding that such development would also boost tourism in the pristine highlands.

No one will be left out in nation’s march towards progress, says PM

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/11/23/sarawak/9957041&sec=sarawak

Wednesday November 23, 2011

by ZORA CHAN: zora@thestar.com.my

PUTRAJAYA: Barisan Nasional will keep its promise to bring development to rural areas, particularly in Sarawak, to ensure progress throughout the country.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the Government was committed to this through its ongoing Rural Transformation Programme.

“The Government understands the predicament of rural folk and their thirst for development.

“We’ll make sure that development in the country will be inclusive and people from every nook and corner will feel and enjoy the nation’s progress,” said Najib.

“When Barisan promises to do something, we are sure to deliver them,” he said when welcoming a delegation comprising Lun Bawang and Kelabit community leaders and village elders from the highlands of Ba’Kelalan and Bario to Seri Perdana here yesterday.

The 32-member delegation was led by Lawas MP Datuk Henry Sum Agong and it was, among others, aimed at thanking the Federal Government for upgrading an abandoned logging road from Long Luping to Ba’Kelalan using soil stabilisation technology, as well as to raise other urgent matters in Henry’s constituency.

The project, spanning 75km and included a few access roads to several villages, started in mid 2009 and was completed in September.

Ba’Kelalan is about 150km from Lawas. The stretch between Lawas and Long Luping remains a logging track.

Najib said the upgraded road between Long Luping to Ba’Kelalan was the first to use such a method, with help from the army through the Jiwa Murni community outreach programme.

He said if the Government used conventional method, it would cost about RM250mil and a few years to complete.

“This is a huge amount for a rural area with such a low population and deemed not feasible economically.”

“However, the people are desperate for the road and through the Jiwa Murni programme, the road has been sealed and this only costs RM52mil. This project also shows that the army and people are inseparable,” he said.

The upgraded road has shortened travel from Lawas to Ba’Kelalan from eight hours to three, and sometimes two days depending on road and weather conditions.

He said the impact of the project was tremendous to the people as villagers enjoyed lower transportation cost and cheaper daily necessities.

Giving examples, Najib said: “I was told that a can of soft drink used to cost RM3 but now it’s RM2, while a cylinder of gas that costs RM60 is now RM45 in Ba’Kelalan.”

Looking at this success, he said, more rural areas would benefit from the Defence Ministry’s Jiwa Murni programmes.

Therefore, more rural roads would be built with help from the army which is faster and cost effective compared to conventional methods by the Public Works Department.

Earlier, Henry said Lawas was in dire need of a new airport as the present one had limited space for expansion and was often flooded during bad weather.

“Lawas also needs a technical school that offers diploma courses because presently the area does not have such an institution for school-leavers.”

He said the highlands of Ba’Kelalan and Bario also required a primary school.

“The Bailey bridge over Sungai Pengalih along the Pan Borneo highway built under the Colombo Plan also needs to be upgraded as more and more heavy vehicles are using it.”

Henry added: “The people are also requesting for dirt roads / logging tracks connecting Ba’Kelalan and Bario, Ba’Kelalan and the border with Indonesia, and Lawas to Long Luping be upgraded as well.”

Cheaper by 75 per cent: Army builds 75km Long Luping-Ba Kelalan road for only RM52 million

http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/11/23/cheaper-by-75-per-cent/

by Philip Kiew. Posted on November 23, 2011, Wednesday

WELCOME: Najib greets the Kelabit and Lun Bawang community chiefs led by Sum (left) as they arrive at his official residence. – Photo by Jeffery Mostapa

Army builds 75km Long Luping-Ba Kelalan road for only RM52 million

PUTRAJAYA: The Long Luping-Ba Kelalan Road in Lawas has been hailed a new-breed project that reflects the perfect cooperation between the Public Works Department and the Armed Forces.

Built under the military’s ‘Jiwa Murni’ project, the 75km road costs only RM52 million, slashing 75 per cent from the estimated RM250 million if implemented by conventional contract.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the project was a new development concept which had never been carried out before.

“What attracts me and the government most is that the project, under the old thinking, would need to wait for quite some time as the allocation needed was substantial but it could be completed very quickly after we had taken the decision,” he said when receiving an entourage of Kelabit and Lun Bawang community leaders at Seri Perdana, Putrajaya yesterday.

The 41-member delegation led by Lawas MP Datuk Henry Sum Agong was there to thank the prime minister and the government for the road which was completed in September this year.

With the completion of the road, they said travelling time from Lawas to Ba Kelalan now only took about three hours compared to up to three days in the past.

Barely eight days after becoming prime minister, Najib sent his political secretary Datuk Shahlan Ismail to Ba Kelalan to assess the people’s needs and make recommendations.

“He came back with gruesome pictures of the road condition, and it would take a long time to resolve with the conventional concept, and that is why we decided that a new concept was needed,” Najib said.

Earlier, Sum in his speech thanked Najib for the road which the people had long been waiting for.

He also urged the prime minister to consider their request for funds for the new Lawas Airport, Bario-Ba Kelalan road, a secondary school in Ba Kelalan highlands, replacement of Pengalih bridge built under the Colombo Plan along the Pan Borneo trunk road, approval of a diploma-level technical institute in Lawas and minor projects such as village roads, bridges and jetties.

On behalf of the people, he also expressed their gratitude and appreciation to Minister of Defence Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi and officers from his ministry, Armed Forces, Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU), Sarawak Development Office and all those involved in the construction of the road.

Also present at the function were Zahid and top officials from the Armed Forces and its engineering corps, and Sarawak Development Office director Datuk Kamal Hussein.

Environment conservation vital to sustain life – Ose

http://www.theborneopost.com/2011/11/13/environment-conservation-vital-to-sustain-life-%E2%80%93-ose/

by Antonia Chiam. Posted on November 13, 2011, Sunday

KUCHING: Local communities have been reminded to always ensure an equilibrium between development and conservation prevails so that human activities do not destroy the environment that creates livelihood for them.

Deputy State Secretary Datu Ose Murang stressed that they should make sure that whatever they consumed or used did not infringe on the environment.

“I urge all communities to take note of environmental sustainability when planning for development,” he said at a promotional campaign for Adan Rice yesterday.

He added that while development is essential, conservation must be taken into consideration.

“Without a sustainable environment, there will be no satisfaction with our own lives. When we sustain the environment, we sustain our unique cultures too,” he said, citing fresh air that attracts city folk to visit the highlands.

On Adan Rice, Ose said all products from the heart of Borneo should be promoted and their traditional production methods protected.

“Local communities must ensure the catchment areas and water supply are well managed and well maintained in order to conserve our own production of rice in the highlands.”

The campaign was part of efforts by World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia (WWF) and communities in the highlands of Sarawak and Sabah to promote the livelihoods of the local communities through sustainable small-scale agriculture.

This is done by developing specific and unique products from the highlands, such as Adan rice.

Adan rice is a local rice variety from the highlands of Borneo and is cultivated according to traditional methods by the Lun Bawang in Ba kelalan and Long Semadoh, the Kelabits in Bario, and the Lun Dayeh in Long Pasia, Sabah.

Its cultivation pays special attention on how it can affect the surrounding environment.

According to Ba’kelalan penghulu and Persatuan Masyarakat Adat Dataran Tinggi (Formadat) Sarawak and Sabah George Sigar Sultan, Adan rice had the finest grain and taste due to the elevation and the clear, unpolluted waters that irrigate the paddy fields in the highlands. There are three varieties: Adan Merah, Adan Putih and Adan Hitam.

“Harvesting is done at the end of December right until February. The seeds are planted once a year, and the rice takes 6 months to mature. With this promotional campaign, we hope that the general public will be more aware about this unique local rice, which is fresh, natural, and free from pesticides.”

Adan rice can be purchased at the booths during this two-day event which is supported by Bernas Corporation and Lun Bawang Association Sarawak.