BAU: Deputy Minister of Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Dato’ Anthony Nogeh Gumbek pledged RM20,000 in support of the initiatives of Jagoi Area Development Committee (JADC) during the get-together dinner ‘Ngarom Bituman Bisamah JADC’ organised at Bau Civic Centre on Saturday night.
More than 500 community members from all the villages in Jagoi area joined the dinner that aimed to demonstrate solidarity and support of activities initiated by JADC. The dinner was also attended by Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture Sarawak and President of Dayak Bidayuh Association – Datu Ik Pahon Joyik, Jagoi’s Penghulu Jihen Minaw, village community leaders in Jagoi and Bau and representatives from University Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) and Nature Resources and Environment Board (NREB).
According to the chairman of JADC, Professor Dr Gabriel Tonga Noweg, “JADC was formed in 2010 with the objective to bring community members of Jagoi to discuss issues related to wellbeing, security and development of their homeland; to drive sustainable development and capacity building for the communities comprising of education, health, safety, entrepreneurship and many more; and to preserve the tradition and culture of the communities.”
He also applauds the previous chairmen of JADC, Datu Ik Pahon Joyik and Tom Hem Mijod for their efforts in developing the committee since the formation, which include securing funding support from SHELL and GEF grant under United Nation Development Programme (UNDP). These grants allowed a multidisciplinary scientific research in the Jagoi Heritage Site (Gunung Jagoi) which was carried out by scientists from the Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation (IBEC), Unimas, led by Associate Professor Dr Alexander Kiew Sayok. Several publications were produced, including a coffee table book for Bung Jagoi.
“Last year, we started to collaborate with Unimas, through Unimas Engage programme that was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry. Financial support was given through the My Kampung My Future (MKMF) programme.
“I wish to state my appreciation to Unimas Engage and the hard working academics involved. We hope to be able to continue with more initiatives that focus on accessibility, maintenance and basic facilities for Bung Jagoi (Jagoi Heritage Site). This will greatly benefit to the Jagoi communities and the environment as we are entering into the next phase of our ecotourism development.”
During his speech, Nogeh stressed the importance of environmental conservation and proposed that residents in the Jagoi communities to stop farming and hunting in the demarcated Jagoi Community Forest areas. He stressed that it is important that diversity of flora and fauna lives be preserved or event be enhanced by re-introducing back species that had gone extinct in the area.
He also said: “Community must continue to instil the spirit of gotong-royong and I suggest that JADC start to initiate community restoration projects, in particular the replanting of fruit trees in community orchards (Dusun or Tibawang) that were planted by our ancestors hundred years ago. This noble step would contribute immensely to our effort to sustain our Jagoi Bidayuh culture.”
