BY SARAH HAFIZAH CHANDRA & NATASHA JEE
KUCHING: The Dayak Cultural Foundation (DCF) and Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) will finally have a new headquarters after several years of waiting.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said that the approval and establishment of the headquarters for DCF and DCCI, known as the Panggau Dayak Towers, was a reflection on Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s inclusivity in development.
“We are very grateful that the state government has allocated 2.32 hectares of prime and strategic land in the centre of Kuching for our headquarters because DCF and DCCI have been applying and waiting for years.
“We thank God that when you (Abang Johari) became the chief minister, you gave us this piece of land and approved the development plan. This is definitely a clear manifestation of inclusivity in your development policy which benefits all races,” he said during the launching of the construction of the DCF and DCCI headquarters at Jalan Ong Tiang Swee here today.
Present to officiate at the event was Abang Johari.
Uggah added that the chief minister’s generosity hadenabled the two organisations and the Dayak community to realise their aspirations and dreams.
According to the deputy chief minister, the development project is set to be of high standards as to befit its location in one of the prime areas.
“The project has begun its construction work, thanks to the RM20 million given by the state government. However, we still have to look for an additional RM16 million as the total cost of the project is RM36 million.
“We will do our part in raising the RM16 million, but we do hope that the state government will also be able to assist us. After all, we do have extra revenue collected from the state sales tax (SST) from Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas),” he added.
Besides that, he hoped the project would enhance the surrounding neighbourhood and spur business interests among the community.
Uggah, who is also the chairman of the Joint Main Development Committee for the office towers, said that Dayak Panggau Sdn Bhd, a joint venture between DCF and DCCI, was incorporated in 2017.
The Panggau Dayak Towers, with its residential components, is expected to be completed by mid-2022 and 2023 respectively.
