KUCHING: Since the Penan identity card and birth certificate crisis was highlighted by the New Sarawak Tribune on July 10, followed by a few Penan articles by the same veteran journalist James Ritchie, the often-romanticized, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribe’s plight again caught the imagination and attention of many.
The State’s oldest English daily decided to chip in to help these unfortunate rural dwellers by joining hands with the National Registration Department (JPN) to seek a solution and expedite the issuance of identity cards for these mostly illiterate folks.
Our people will be in the team of JPN’s outreach programme from September 7 to 11 this year to Long Selungo, Long Sait, Long Kerong and Long Spigen in Baram to register those IC-less Penan.
According to a JPN spokesman, the department has regularly made visits to various rural areas to register people without identity cards or birth certificates. Its current outreach programme will continue until the end of December this year.
He said sometimes Immigra-tion Department officers were also in the team to ensure that no ‘fake’ Penan came forward to apply for identity cards. This, he added, was to protect the rights of the genuine Penan.
As Baram where about 15,000 Penan are residing has a land area as big as Perak state, the task to locate and register those who need help is not easy.
The last major Penan registration operation was carried out 23 years ago at 12 centres, involving 37 villages and longhouses and the use of helicopters. About 5,500 Penan were invited to register with JPN.
According to our sources, hundreds of the nomadic and semi-nomidac tribespeople still have no ICs today.
At SMK Marudi and SMK Telang Usan, 15 Penan students aged between 13 and 17 do not have the important identification document. Six of them are boys and nine are girls.
In Marudi, New Sarawak Tribune’s Penan volunteer has identified 18 other Penan who are without IC or birth certificate or both.
