Penan Representatives Meet Sarawak State Planning Unit

By Sahabat Alam Malaysia

Utusan Konsumer September 2002

2002-09-30 | The tenacity of the Penan community in their struggle to protect their land from the encroachment of logging compa-nies has earned them the wrath of several politi-cians in Sarawak. What happens next?

Ever since March, when several blockades were put up simultaneously in Limbang and Baram areas in interior Sarawak, the Penan community had been accused of being under the influence of many things, from a White Rajah (New White Rajah rumoured in rainforest fol-lowing new blockades, Malaysiakini, April 29), irresponsible groups (Change lifestyle and accept development, Penans told, Sarawak Tribune, June 29) to natu-rally SAM (SAM exploiting Penan, Borneo Post, June 12).

However in the midst of such publicity, which has naturally upset the com-munity, representatives of the community were invited by the Sarawak State Planning Unit through the Majlis Adat Istiadat (Council of Custom Affairs) of the Chief Minister's Department to discuss the problems plaguing the community and the devel-opment plans and the future of the people on August 15 in Miri. Several officers from the state and federal agencies responsi-ble for development plan-ning were also present at the meeting.

During the meeting, the representatives presented the agencies with the Suhakam Report which has a section on issues affecting the Penan com-munity, the Long Sayan 2002 Declaration signed during the community state-level meeting in Long Sayan in June and several memoranda addressed to various state and federal agencies requesting for Communal Forest Re-serves, housing and health services, education and agricultural assistance for the people among others.

The community repre-sentatives expressed their gratitude and appreciation to the state offices involved for their concern and for having given them the much-awaited opportunity to sit face to face with senior government officers for a very frank and open discussion on their prob-lems and needs.

In the afternoon, the reps held a separate press conference to clarify on the allegations that had been hurled at them by politi-cians who attributed their protests against the opera-tions of logging companies

Excerpt from Press Statement in Miri on August 15

"We are not incapable of judgment and intelligent thought"

We were informed that since a few months ago, a number of statements had been made in several newspapers on the Penan community in a manner which cast us in a negative light, including:

• The suggestion that we are unable to think for ourselves even on matters that affect our lives and future; and being constant-ly susceptible to the influ-ence of outsiders, especial-ly westerners and interna-tional and local NGOs.

• The accusation that we were in support of and under the influence of Bruno Manser.

As a community which has an equal standing with other ethnic groups, we would like to explain and stress here that we are very much able to think for ourselves and take charge of our own future. Thus here, we would like to cate-gorically deny the accusa-tions above.

The predicament that we are facing today such as the encroachment of logging activities into our land is indeed very serious because it adversely affects our livelihood. As you are all aware of, the logging companies operating in our areas are very powerful and thus it has been diffi-cult for us to cope with the problems which came about as a result of their activities.

These problems are very much well-known. Unfortunately there are still parties who still per-ceive us as a community that takes pleasure in obstructing logging opera-tions which are often asso-ciated with state growth. However the point is — if no one had disrupted our livelihood, we would not be blocking the roads. We become very noisy simply because our way of life has been threatened and sources of survival have been destroyed.

With regards to Bruno, we would like to clarify here that we have never invited him into our areas. However as with other communities, the customs of the Penan also require the show of hospitality to the guests of our home. All the accusations that we have been influenced by him are nothing but

unfounded. We can only clarify on these two points

• we have not been influ-enced by Bruno and nei-ther had he the intention of influencing us.

We also would like to further express our regret over the fact that several state leaders and politi-cians have accused us of being instigated or made use of by outsiders and NGOs to go against devel-opment.

Worse, their accusa-tions and allegations are also condescending in nature, as if we are young children incapable of judg-ment and intelligent thought. Such charges have not only portrayed us negatively but they are in fact a disgrace and an embarrassment to other local communities in Sarawak because we are also part of the larger com-munity that these leaders are from.

In addition, they have also been accusing us of harbouring anti-develop-ment and anti-government agendas. But the truth is we have never rejected development. What we question is the definition of development and if we will really gain from it. We are concerned as to how development benefits are channelled to communi-ties.

For those of us who have just adopted a settled lifestyle, we wish for a development model which is suitable to our living conditions and way of life. For instance, if the Government wishes that we participate in oil palm plantation schemes, such a plan is certainly inappro-priate since our knowledge and skills have yet to reach the stage where it is viable for us to do so. If our leaders would like to provide us with develop-ment, they must first carry out a detailed research to determine the develop-ment model that best suits us.

We sincerely hope that before any leaders proceed to make their statements on the plight of any com-munity, they must first obtain comprehensive information on the back-ground of the community.

This is important so as to protect the dignity and honour of the community concerned.

• Chief Ajang Kiew, Long Sayan, Apoh and Chairman, Sarawak Penan Association

• Chief Juwin Lihan, Long Win, Apoh.

• Chief Unga Paran, Long Bangan, Tutoh

• Chief Balan Balang, Long Bee, Silat.