Gerawat (third left) hands over cash assistance to Caleena, witnessed by Robertson (centre), SAO Edwin Jelenggai (on Gerawat’s right), Dr Philip Raja (second right), and others.
MIRI: There is hope for the 21 residents from nine families (units) of a 30-year-old longhouse at Pa Derung, Bario, which was razed to the ground yesterday morning to live in a new longhouse to be built for them.
Mulu assemblyman Dato Gerawat Gala, who flew to Pa Derung yesterday afternoon, is hopeful of building a new longhouse for them with assistance from the state government.
“I assure the fire victims that I will request assistance from the government to build a new longhouse for them. I also suggested that a local committee be formed to oversee its construction.
“I also advised them to list down all their official documents lost in the fire to be included in their police report so that they could be replaced,” said Gerawat after his visit to Pa Derung yesterday.
While there, he met with the longhouse residents, who included their headman Caleena Pasang and Penghulu Robertson Bala whose units were among those razed by fire.
Close up view of the burnt longhouse.
He presented them food baskets and RM10,000 from himself and another RM10,000 from Baram MP Anyi Ngau.
The cash assistance, he said would be used for the residents to purchase essential items such as kitchen utensils, mattresses, and blankets. They are now putting up at their farm huts.
He also thanked various individuals, associations, and government agencies, including the army and headmen for helping to lighten the burden of the fire victims.
On the cause of the fire, Gerawat said it had not been ascertained yet as the Fire and Rescue Dept was still carrying out an investigation.
“In the meantime, no one should speculate on the cause of the fire,” he added.
Those wanting to help can channel their donation to Public Bank (account number: 5002-5059-11) under the name of ‘JKKK Kampung Pa’Derung’.
They can also contact PBB Mulu Service Centre at Miri ByPass at 085-324771.
The 8-door longhouse and an individual house in Pa Derung, were raze4d to the ground early yesterday morning.
No one was injured in the incident.
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