SIBU: The Rajang Branch of Sarawak Dayak Iban Association has appealed for the removal of a concrete barrier placed across the road leading to two longhouses near here.
The longhouses are Rumah Jalak and Rumah Nita at Tanjung Penasu overlooking Batang Igan.
“We strongly urge the authorities to lift the barricade within 24 hours because they are an assault on basic human rights,” said chairman of Sadia Rajang, Bill Jugah, at a press conference yesterday.
The rights so referred to are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 3 and Article 5 and 8(5) of the Federal Constitution.
Bill said it had been almost a week since the barricade was erected on December 3 due to a dispute between the land owner and the longhouse folk.
Although a meeting between local community leaders and the relevant authorities was held last Friday, no affirmative action resulted from it. The barricade was still there when representatives of Sadia Rajang, Sarawak Liberation Movement, Pedas and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) visited the place last Sunday.
“Please do not pass the buck from one government agency to another as it would delay whatever actions need to be carried out to resolve the matter,” said Bill.
“Irrespective of any land dispute, compensation or settlement problems that resulted in this barricade, the social and basic rights of the affected communities must be taken care of first.
“Any other issue is secondary and can be resolved later. Lack of action would be a sign of weak and poor governance on the part of the local government.”
On his part, Sadia Rajang vice chairman, Tuah Lumpoh, said, “The local government needs to resolve the matter expediently otherwise there would be no point of giving two months’ bonus to the state government servants.
“With the state election coming very soon, current governance needs to reflect efficiency, professionalism and equality.
“We should pity the young children and the elderly who have to walk 1.3km to their longhouses because of the barricade. They are deprived of their rights to free movement.”
Tungku Balang, the secretary of Sadia Rajang said that regardless of issues that caused the problem, the government must act decisively to keep the peace.”
Garai Badin, who heads Sadia Rajang’s committee on land and culture, believes that disputes could be settled amicably but the barricade had been up too long causing major inconvenience to the 300 or so folk of the two longhouses.
“Solve the people’s problem first. Any discussion or negotiation can be done later,” he said.
