Yong (right) looking on as Bawang Assan community and development committee chairman Kevin Lau (in white shirt) hands over aid to rural folk.
“WHAT is ‘Temenggong’, ‘Penghulu’, ‘Pemanca’ or ‘Kapitan’ in a person’s name? Or did you get their names right!”
These are common remarks by Peninsular Malaysians, though Sarawak has been using these community leader designations for more than 100 years.
Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg once said Sarawak is unique because it is the only state with community leaders such as Temenggong, Penghulu, Pemanca and Kapitan – posts that cannot be found in Peninsular Malaysia.
This system was inherited from the time of the Brooke Rajahs when they ruled the state from 1841 to 1946, and has played its part in community-building in Sarawak.
Geramong (right) participating in an Iban offering ceremony known as ‘miring’ at an event.
In Sibu alone there is one Temenggong and one Pemanca each for the Malay, Chinese and Iban communities. There are a total of 40 Penghulus and 200 Kapitans for the three communities.
Exactly what roles do they play in the community?
The function of community leaders is important as they help to facilitate communication between the government and the people.
Each one also has a different role to play according to their designation.
For Thomas Tiang, 62, being appointed a Kapitan for the state constituency of Pelawan is not something glamorous. The constituency has 20 Kapitans.
A former journalist and now an insurance manager, Tiang has over 3,000 residents to take care of. His area of coverage is about two to three square km.
“Being a Kapitan can be a 24-hour job depending on what time of the day residents look for us. Sometimes, they will call you at night, asking you to certify their applications for assistance from the government, like school development funds and welfare aid, as they need to submit it the next day,” he said.
Tiang also helps to coordinate infrastructure projects like roads, drainage and parks in his area.
In the April 5 freak storm that hit Sibu, Tiang had to spend all his time helping victims apply for aid.
Tiang, who does not belong to any political party, said he must be ready at any time when people need his help.
One of his most difficult tasks involves resolving quarrels between neighbours.
“As a community leader, we have to expect the unexpected. Take the case of a house owner seeking my help to stop his neighbour’s dogs from causing a nuisance at night due to incessant loud barking.
“Then there was the case of a man complaining about the loud siren of his neighbour’s security alarm system. Another case involved people complaining about their neighbours breeding mosquitoes in their compound,” he said.
He added that the RM900 monthly allowance for a Kapitan was just enough for him to carry out his duties.
Penghulu Yong King Sung, 55, explained why community leaders are relevant in the state.
“Take my area, Tanjung Pan, which is a rural area in Bawang Assan. Most residents are elderly folk who do not speak Malay or English. So our role is to assist them in dealing with government departments.
“A common task nowadays is executing letters of administration for the elderly who did not prepare a will for transfer of their property to their children after they have passed on. We need to certify that the property belongs to them,” he said.
Rural folk also do not have to take the trouble to travel to town to deal with government departments as they can just look for their community leaders.
As a Penghulu, Yong’s role includes helping couples arrange for legal counsel to handle a divorce. In addition, his assistance is needed by the many schools in Bawang Assan.
To be appointed a community leader, one must be a resident of the area who is known to the people.
“However, if people from outside our jurisdiction come to us, we cannot refuse them either.
“We cannot say we are busy with our work as we are the bridge between the government of the day and the community,” said Yong, who is an accountant by profession.
Temenggong Stanley Geramong, the paramount leader of the Iban community in Sibu division, has a similar role as his counterparts for the Chinese and Malay communities.
Stanley has 1,000 Tuai Rumah (longhouse chiefs), three Pemanca and three Penghulu in Sibu, Selangau and Kanowit districts under him.
With a wide area of coverage, he has to travel extensively to respond to the people’s calls for his assistance on a wide range of tasks.
Under the Sarawak Native Court Ordinance 1992, Temenggong like Stanley are given statutory duties, responsibilities and legislative powers to resolve violations of native customs and custom-based civil cases such as native customary land disputes.
Community leaders like Tiang, Yong and Geramong have the trust of the people seeking their service. Holding their respective designation is never an easy task.
They are an important component in the government of the day and play a crucial role in the development of local communities.
