Ranum claims Opar folk are in limbo as the Sarawak government has not appointed new community leaders and village heads. — Bernama photo
KUCHING (May 26): Opar assemblyman Datuk Ranum Mina has asked the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government to explain why community leaders and village chiefs in his constituency are not re-appointed after their term expired.
He also asked the government to enlighten the public on whether opposition elected representatives, such as those from Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), had the right to recommend or endorse the appointment or reappointment of community leaders.
The PSB rep said in a statement that the term of most of the community leaders and village chiefs in Opar had expired at the end of December last year but they were neither reappointed nor replaced with new ones.
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Normally before the term’s expiry, he said, the District Office would do a selection for new appointees through election in the respective villages and monitored by the representative appointed by the District Office.
Usually, he added, the top three names selected by the villagers would be called by the District Office for interview and if the villagers chose the village chief whose term had expired, he too would still be called together with the others.
“However, people in most villages in Opar now are facing problems as they have no village heads to sign or certify relevant and important forms. I have called the Lundu district officer on March 12 and the answer given to me was ‘we just have a meeting this afternoon’.
“After waiting for further action or explanation from the district officer for more than a month, I wrote a letter to the State Secretary on April 20, with a copy to the Chief Minister, the Resident of Kuching and Lundu district officer for clarification but until today there is no response,” he said.
Ranum said the past community leaders and village heads were appointed before PSB was ‘sidelined’ by GPS.
He acknowledged that the Bidayuh community was aware that they are the minority and cannot change the government but what they wanted was fair treatment from the ruling party in terms of implementing projects, economy, education, job opportunities in the government service and land rights.
He claimed the state government had stopped the implementation of many projects in Opar, which include the proposed Selampit bridge that was approved during Barisan Nasional government; road from Biawak junction to Kampung Pasir Hilir, Kampung Kendaie to Kampung Selampit; and land compensation to affected land owners.
Aside from that, the GPS government had also stopped some approved projects under the Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) and Minor Rural Project (MRP) although the implementing agency had brought contractors to the sites to implement the projects, he said.