Monday May 13, 2013

Ibans in Kapit urge Najib to appoint reelected MP as Federal minister

KUCHING: Calls are growing for more Dayak MPs to be appointed full ministers in the Federal Cabinet in the wake of Barisan Nasional’s victory in the just-concluded general election.

The latest to weigh in on the subject is the Kuching District Iban Community Leaders Social and Welfare Committee.

Its adviser Temenggong Datuk James Jimbun Pungga urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to appoint more Iban parliamentarians, such as newly reelected Kapit MP Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, as Federal ministers.

“This is the request of the people in Kapit, who have not had a Federal minister before,” he said during a Gawai dinner organised by the committee here on Saturday night.

He also hoped that Najib would appoint four to five full ministers from Sarawak because the state Barisan had contributed the biggest number of seats to the ruling coalition during the May 5 polls.

In the Government’s previous term, Sarawak had one Dayak minister in Datuk Douglas Uggah and six deputy ministers in Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit, Datuk Richard Riot, Datuk Joseph Salang, Datuk Joseph Entulu, Datuk Jacob Sagan and Jelaing Mersat.

Apart from Sagan and Jelaing, who were dropped, the rest retained their seats.

Meanwhile, Jimbun requested the state government to create a new regional community leader’s post known as Tuai Genturung for the Ibans in urban areas.

He said the new post would make the community’s administrative affairs smoother and more efficient, particularly as their number was growing.

“There are now 60,000 to 70,000 Ibans in Kuching district, who are served by one Pemanca, six Penghulus and 29 Tuai Rumah.

“Appointing a Tuai Genturung for Kuching and other areas like Sibu, Bintulu and Miri would help the community leaders to serve the people better,” he said.

Jimbun also asked for a piece of land from the state government to be used as a cemetery for the Iban community in the district.

He said this would be for those who died in hospital here and whose families could not afford to bring them back to their longhouses for burial.

News

Monday May 13, 2013

Ibans in Kapit urge Najib to appoint reelected MP as Federal minister