[ENGLISH VERSION BELOW] Pada 28 November kami, wakil dari sembilan buah persatuan penduduk kampung di Marudi, Baram Tengah, Bakong dan Niah, telah menghadiri sebuah mesyuarat anjuran Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) di Marudi untuk membincangkan beberapa masalah pembangunan yang dihadapi oleh penduduk kampung-kampung terlibat.
Hasil dari mesyuarat ini, pada 10 Disember, bersempena dengan perayaan Hari Hak Asasi Manusia 2023, sebuah memorandum akan dihantar kepada kerajaan negeri Sarawak dan kerajaan persekutuan. Di bawah adalah antara isu yang diketengahkan oleh memorandum ini.
Pertamanya, masalah pencerobohan hak tanah adat (native customary rights atau NCR) masih lagi berleluasa. Di Baram, projek perladangan sawit terus dibangunkan di wilayah turun temurun warisan nenek moyang kami tanpa konsultasi dan keizinan komuniti.
Ini telah memusnahkan hutan dan kebun-kebun penduduk kampung, termasuklah pelbagai tanaman milik penduduk. Mata pencarian, sumber perubatan dan amalan budaya kami semua telah terjejas teruk akibat dari pencerobohan ini. Ini merupakan tindakan yang sangat kejam dan zalim terhadap kami.
Kedua, akibat dari projek perladangan yang berleluasa dan perubahan iklim, kekerapan banjir telah meningkat dengan buruk sekali di kawasan luar bandar Sarawak, termasuklah di Long Bemang di Sungai Apoh dan Long Panai di Sungai Tutoh.
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Ketiga, kami menggesa kerajaan negeri agar melakukan reformasi terhadap tatacara pelantikan ketua-ketua kampung. Sistem hari ini tidak mempunyai keterbukaan, ketelusan dan akauntabiliti yang sepatutnya. Ia telah mencetuskan banyak konflik dalaman dan tuduhan-tuduhan nepotisme, campur tangan politik dan kadangkala korupsi.
Pemilihan ketua kampung seharusnya dilakukan dengan konsensus penduduk secara terbuka dan berasaskan merit, seperti cara asal tradisi komuniti, dan bukan atas lantikan pihak kerajaan negeri. Sistem sekarang telah banyak menjejaskan kualiti pentadbiran dan penyampaian perkhidmatan penting kepada rakyat.
Keempat, kami masih lagi tidak dapat menikmati perkhidmatan kemudahan yang paling asas, yang dinikmati oleh rakyat lain di bandar.
Jaringan jalan pengangkutan darat untuk penduduk di luar bandar masih lagi tidak diselenggara dengan baik, menyulitkan kami untuk mencapai kemudahan awam yang lain, dari perkhidmatan kesihatan ke pendidikan.
Tanpa jalan akses yang baik, amat sukar untuk penduduk luar bandar mempertingkatkan taraf sosioekonomi mereka. Kampung-kampung juga masih lagi belum dapat menikmati kemudahan bekalan air bersih, elektrik dan telekomunikasi yang menyeluruh.
Pada musim kemarau, kami terpaksa bergantung kepada tangki simpanan air sebesar 4,000 liter sahaja. Ini sememangnya tidak mencukupi untuk sebuah keluarga jika kemarau berterusan sehingga dua atau tiga minggu. Kami juga terpaksa membelanjakan sejumlah wang yang banyak untuk mendapatkan bekalan elektrik dengan menggunakan mesin janakuasa sendiri.
Semasa situasi kecemasan dan bencana alam, ketiadaan sistem telekomunikasi yang berkesan boleh melibatkan rakyat kehilangan nyawa. Untuk golongan muda dan usahawan, ketiadaan kemudahan internet yang baik juga telah menjejaskan peluang pendidikan dan pembangunan perniagaan mereka.
Kami berasa sedih kerana keadaan situasi hidup kami di luar bandar kini semakin mencabar. Setelah lebih 60 tahun kelahiran Malaysia, hak tanah kami masih lagi tidak terjamin. Proses kepimpinan di kampung-kampung kami telah terjejas teruk akibat sistem lantikan kerajaan yang pincang. Kami masih lagi tidak dapat menikmati perkhidmatan kemudahan yang paling asas.
Oleh itu, kami menggesa agar kerajaan negeri Sarawak dan kerajaan persekutuan untuk mengambil serius untuk menyelesaikan segala isu yang telah kami kemukakan di dalam memorandum tersebut.
Wakil-wakil persatuan penduduk kampung:
- Lajen Anyi, Kampung Long Tepen Residents’ Association, Pelutan, Baram
- Peter Anak Tom, Sungai Buri Residents’ Association
- Bangga Anak Kerdit, Rh.Lachi anak Bikang, Residents’ Association, Sebatuk Baru, Suai, Niah
- Roseta Anak Mawa, Logan Entasan Residents’ Association, Marudi
- Rubin Alah, Long Pilah Residents’ Association, Telang Usan, Miri
- Saging Ngau, Long Miri Residents’ Association, Baram
- Robertson Belayong, Rumah Labang Residents’ Association, Nanga Seridan Tinjar Beluru, Miri
- Peter Abung, Kampung Long Lunyim Residents’ Association, Sungai Pelutan
- Ubin Anak Telajan, Iban Marudi Residents’ Association, Baram
English
Indigenous residents’ associations in Sarawak urge the government to resolve the problems faced by rural communities
On 28 November we, the representatives of nine residents’ associations of villages in Marudi, Baram Tengah, Bakong and Niah, attended a meeting organised by Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) in Marudi to discuss several development issues faced by the residents of our villages.
As a result of this meeting, on 10 December, in conjunction with the celebration of Human Rights Day 2023, a memorandum was due to be sent to the Sarawak state government and the federal government. Below are some of the issues highlighted in the memorandum.
First, encroachments on our native customary rights land (NCR) are still prevalent today. In Baram, oil palm plantations have continued to be developed on our ancestral territories that we have inherited from our forefathers without consultations and consent.
This has practically destroyed our forests and farms, including the diverse species of our crops. Consequently, our sources of income, traditional medicines and cultural practices have all been badly affected by such a development, which is extremely cruel and vicious.
Second, as a result of these widespread plantation projects and additionally, climate change, the frequency of flooding incidents has increased sharply in rural Sarawak, including in Long Bemang in Apoh River and Long Panai in Tutoh River.
Third, we also would like to urge the state government to reform the manner in which village heads are appointed. The current system today does not have sufficient openness, transparency and accountability. This has caused many internal conflicts and allegations of nepotism, political meddling and sometimes, corruption.
By right, according to our original traditions, village heads must be elected through an open consensus process and should be selected based on merit, and not through appointments set by the state. Consequently, the current system now has severely affected the quality of administration and the provision of essential services to the people.
Fourth, the memorandum also highlighted the fact that to this very day, our communities are still unable to access various basic services that are accessible to those who live in the cities.
Today, the network of land transportation systems for those living in the rural areas is still poorly maintained, making it a challenge for us to access other basic services, from education to healthcare.
Without good access roads, it has been very difficult for rural communities to improve their socioeconomic conditions. Further, our villages have also not received full coverage in respect of water supply, electricity and communications services.
During the dry seasons, we would have to depend on water tanks with a limited capacity of 4,000 litres. These tanks would certainly be inadequate for a family if the drought continues for two or three weeks. Further, we also would have to spend a lot of money on electricity supply by using our own generators.
During emergency and natural disasters, the absence of a reliable communications system can even cause loss of lives. For youths and entrepreneurs, the lack of internet services in the rural areas has also affected their education and business opportunities.
We are saddened by our situation in the rural areas which has become more challenging with each passing day. After more than 60 years since the birth of Malaysia, our land tenure security is still lacking. Leadership processes in our villages have been badly affected due to a flawed appointment system employed by the state. We still have not been able to receive the most basic of public services.
Considering all of the above, we urge the Sarawak state government and the federal government to take our grievances seriously and work towards resolving all the issues that we have highlighted in the memorandum.
Representatives of the residents’ associations:
- Lajen Anyi, Kampung Long Tepen Residents’ Association, Pelutan, Baram
- Peter Anak Tom, Sungai Buri Residents’ Association
- Bangga Anak Kerdit, Rh.Lachi anak Bikang, Residents’ Association, Sebatuk Baru, Suai, Niah
- Roseta Anak Mawa, Logan Entasan Residents’ Association, Marudi
- Rubin Alah, Long Pilah Residents’ Association, Telang Usan, Miri
- Saging Ngau, Long Miri Residents’ Association, Baram
- Robertson Belayong, Rumah Labang Residents’ Association, Nanga Seridan Tinjar Beluru, Miri
- Peter Abung, Kampung Long Lunyim Residents’ Association, Sungai Pelutan
- Ubin Anak Telajan, Iban Marudi Residents’ Association, Baram
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
