On 1st day of Gawai Dayak 2009, I went back to my longhouse to celebrate gawai with my mother and the rest of my siblings.
This has been practiced by our family for many years. Gawai Dayak is celebrated in my longhouse and Christmas is celebrated in Kuching or Sri Aman. My longhouse is located in Sub-District Pantu and is about 4KM from Sg Tenggang. In term of political boundary, it is located in P202 and N25.
We were supposed to leave Kuching on 31st May that was Gawai Eve as per our Our earlier planning but due to the health problem affected one of our family member, the trip was postponed to 1st June that was on the Gawai dayak dayitself.
To cut the story short, without much problem along the way, we reached my longhouse at about 1015pm. We parked our vehicle at our usual car park located by Sg Kersik (a tributury of Sg. Sanjau). I had not been to visit my indai for the past 3 months. Within those three month, other than a concrete road where we parked our car, no other development project have been brought by the two YBs to the longhouse.
Talking about the concrete road that I mentioned above, personally I felt proud with it. Why not I felt proud about it ? My longhouse in which at one time only can be reached by a longboat and 2 hours journey on foot, today has a 60 meters length and 21/2 meter width (Approximately) concrete road. For the people of the longhouse who have not been totally exposed to the real development, this concrete road is a big project....and for that , they owed Barisan Nasional their votes.
In the next morning, I was told by my uncle who was also the longhouse head that the concrete road was a part of MRP project allocated by the Barisan Nasional YB this year. And a talk with one of the longhouses Security and Development Committee member during my gawai visit to his house , it was understood that road cost RM 40k to construct.
With no briefing or information given to the Committee especially on the specifications of the project, his expanation did not convince me that the project cost RM 40K.
This is not an isolation case . There were few MRP projects in the past such as (to list a few) the housing materials like zinc, and the chicken (the most popular MRP amongst Dayak Politicians especially to the two BN YBs for P202 and N25) provided by the two YBs where the information were not divulged to them.
I am not accusing the two YBs of any wrongdoing in their MRP spending, but just want to highlight to the goverment that mechanism is required to monitor the MRP allocations (the tax payer monies) given to the YBs so that the monies are spend fairly and correctly by the YBs. Anothe point to be considered by government is to audit these allocations by atleast one in two years.
Another query that I have for a government is about the excessive claims made by the MPs.The issue was brought up during one of the Parliament sitting years back, what happened to the case?
We Voted the YBs For Their Services, So serve Us Correctly !
Mupok aku
"Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban"
Congrats bro..
Your longhouse is amongst the lucky few with concrete road.
Hopefully expect to drive on same links from Simpang Ubah to all neighbouring villages, up inland to the interior parts like Mentu, Keranggas and longhouses situated around foot of Bkt. Lingga mountain.
Is your 40K a portion of the 200K recently mentioned by Jabu?? Or do we need to propose set up a sort of "Monitoring Committee" comprising of trusthworthy Iban intellectuals of P202 & N25 constintuencies??
I do appreciate our YBs, but that concrete road alone doesn't lure me to support for BN after 46 yrs, if our Dayak causes / struggles on NCR lands isn't properly taken care of as they are considered still politically guilty.
"Tanah Kami, Nyawa Kami, Pengidup Kami"
Tubairabut..
Brother Tubairabut,
Thank you so much for visiting my site with your sound intellect comments. I believe most of the readers out there also share the same sentiments with both of us especially on matter affect our longhouses along Batang Strap and Sanjau.
As for the RM40K used to built the concrete road in my longhousen was not part of RM200K announced by Jabu (I hope this is not the caused why he undergone by-pass surgery recently) early of this year. I suggested to start the Tugong Pemula for him at Simpang Ubah.
As for setting up committee to monitor P202 and N25, I totally support you in this.Hope Unggal Cubbold or Dan can start this initiative.
Just like you also brother, that concrete road will not be able to change my perceptions toward BN after 46 year of suffering without any development and in-situ beneficial business activities in our area...
Thank and Mupok aku
Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban!