ID :
173465
Wed, 04/06/2011 - 11:05
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/173465
The shortlink copeid
BETTER DEAL FOR LONGHOUSE FOLKS
MIRI (Sarawak, Malaysia), April 6 (Bernama) -- It was about two years ago
when the then 63-year-old Jampok Abun was drawn to shouts outside his 'room' in
Rumah Chabu (Chabu House), a 57-door longhouse in Bakong located some 40 km from
here.
The longhouse (communal dwelling) elder was resting his tired and ageing
body at that time.
"Fire! Fire! Get out of the house," someone had shouted.
Jampok rushed out and saw the longhouse occupants frantically trying to
salvage their belongings from a raging fire that had started at one end of the
house.
The farmer did not manage to salvage anything. "I only had my short pants on
I ran out from the longhouse," Jampok told Bernama as he recalled the
heart-wrenching moments of seeing the fire rapidly engulfing his home of over 40
years.
The longhouse, that had more than 700 occupants, was destroyed within
minutes.
A CAUSE FOR CONCERN
Incidents of fire breaking out in longhouses is a cause for concern in
east Malaysian state of Sarawak where a blaze would make hundreds of the
longhouse occupants, 'homeless'.
The blaze at Rumah Chabu was one of these incidents and the remote location
of the longhouse made it difficult for the firefighters from the Fire and Rescue
Department to reach the place on time.
Most of the longhouses in the state were unregistered and built on land
without proper titles. This had resulted in many of the occupants unable to get
their homes insured.
In the aftermath of a fire which destroyed a longhouse, the homeless
residents had to rely entirely on their savings, public sympathy and assistance
from the government for their longhouse to be rebuilt.
This situation would be a thing of the past as the Sarawak Government had
embarked on a new longhouse concept, which would give long-term benefits to the
occupants.
BETTER DEAL FOR LONGHOUSE FOLKS
Sarawak Housing and Urban Development Minister Abang Johari Openg, had first
mooted the idea in July last year.
He said, under this concept, one of the unique features was the availability
of ownership title that had been absent previously. With the titles available,
the owners could mortgage or refinance their longhouse.
The implementation of the new concept would facilitate the State Government
to request for more funds from the Federal Government in order to build more
affordable homes including longhouses, he said.
Rumah Chabu, along with Rumah Collin Sait, also in Bakong had been chosen as
the site of the pioneer projects under this new longhouse concept.
The Miri Land and Survey Department had been actively involved since the
initial stages to implement the concept.
GEETING THE PEOPLE'S NOD
Miri Land and Survey Superintendent, Rozlan Putit told Bernama that the
survey on land for the two longhouses was carried out as soon as they got the
nod from the residents there.
Before conducting the survey, the department held a series of dialogues with
the longhouse residents.
"This is important as we want to get their consent before we could proceed.
Even while conducting the survey, we kept our channel opened to receive their
feedback," he said.
The dialogues also came as a chance for the residents to be actively
involved with the department in drawing out the survey plan for the longhouse
perimeter and individual units.
Rozlan said the process was accomplished without much problems due to the
cooperation extended by the longhouse folks and now awaiting for the final
approval.
He said the new concept also allowed the individual unit owners to apply for
their land to be gazetted under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code, which meant
that it would exempt them from paying land rent or premium.
SECURING LONGHOUSE FOLKS FUTURE
Two years after the blaze that engulfed the longhouse, Jampok was resting
inside his temporary house when again he was drawn to 'excitement' outside -
folks of Rumah Chabu were welcoming Miri Land and Survey Department staff led by
Land Officer Mohd Asri Jaya.
Within minutes, the crowd had gathered inside Jampok's small living room as
Mohd Asri conveyed the good news that their destroyed longhouse would be rebuilt
under the new concept.
"At least I am still around to hear that we finally could get some form of
security over the ownership of our longhouse," said Jampok, who is now 65.
Bruin Lasa, a 57-year-old resident, was also as thrilled and regarded the
government's move as ending their long wait of having a house built on
properly-titled land.
"We may not be able to get whatever we had lost in the past, but at least
the government is paving the way to secure our future. I'm looking forward to
it," he added.
when the then 63-year-old Jampok Abun was drawn to shouts outside his 'room' in
Rumah Chabu (Chabu House), a 57-door longhouse in Bakong located some 40 km from
here.
The longhouse (communal dwelling) elder was resting his tired and ageing
body at that time.
"Fire! Fire! Get out of the house," someone had shouted.
Jampok rushed out and saw the longhouse occupants frantically trying to
salvage their belongings from a raging fire that had started at one end of the
house.
The farmer did not manage to salvage anything. "I only had my short pants on
I ran out from the longhouse," Jampok told Bernama as he recalled the
heart-wrenching moments of seeing the fire rapidly engulfing his home of over 40
years.
The longhouse, that had more than 700 occupants, was destroyed within
minutes.
A CAUSE FOR CONCERN
Incidents of fire breaking out in longhouses is a cause for concern in
east Malaysian state of Sarawak where a blaze would make hundreds of the
longhouse occupants, 'homeless'.
The blaze at Rumah Chabu was one of these incidents and the remote location
of the longhouse made it difficult for the firefighters from the Fire and Rescue
Department to reach the place on time.
Most of the longhouses in the state were unregistered and built on land
without proper titles. This had resulted in many of the occupants unable to get
their homes insured.
In the aftermath of a fire which destroyed a longhouse, the homeless
residents had to rely entirely on their savings, public sympathy and assistance
from the government for their longhouse to be rebuilt.
This situation would be a thing of the past as the Sarawak Government had
embarked on a new longhouse concept, which would give long-term benefits to the
occupants.
BETTER DEAL FOR LONGHOUSE FOLKS
Sarawak Housing and Urban Development Minister Abang Johari Openg, had first
mooted the idea in July last year.
He said, under this concept, one of the unique features was the availability
of ownership title that had been absent previously. With the titles available,
the owners could mortgage or refinance their longhouse.
The implementation of the new concept would facilitate the State Government
to request for more funds from the Federal Government in order to build more
affordable homes including longhouses, he said.
Rumah Chabu, along with Rumah Collin Sait, also in Bakong had been chosen as
the site of the pioneer projects under this new longhouse concept.
The Miri Land and Survey Department had been actively involved since the
initial stages to implement the concept.
GEETING THE PEOPLE'S NOD
Miri Land and Survey Superintendent, Rozlan Putit told Bernama that the
survey on land for the two longhouses was carried out as soon as they got the
nod from the residents there.
Before conducting the survey, the department held a series of dialogues with
the longhouse residents.
"This is important as we want to get their consent before we could proceed.
Even while conducting the survey, we kept our channel opened to receive their
feedback," he said.
The dialogues also came as a chance for the residents to be actively
involved with the department in drawing out the survey plan for the longhouse
perimeter and individual units.
Rozlan said the process was accomplished without much problems due to the
cooperation extended by the longhouse folks and now awaiting for the final
approval.
He said the new concept also allowed the individual unit owners to apply for
their land to be gazetted under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code, which meant
that it would exempt them from paying land rent or premium.
SECURING LONGHOUSE FOLKS FUTURE
Two years after the blaze that engulfed the longhouse, Jampok was resting
inside his temporary house when again he was drawn to 'excitement' outside -
folks of Rumah Chabu were welcoming Miri Land and Survey Department staff led by
Land Officer Mohd Asri Jaya.
Within minutes, the crowd had gathered inside Jampok's small living room as
Mohd Asri conveyed the good news that their destroyed longhouse would be rebuilt
under the new concept.
"At least I am still around to hear that we finally could get some form of
security over the ownership of our longhouse," said Jampok, who is now 65.
Bruin Lasa, a 57-year-old resident, was also as thrilled and regarded the
government's move as ending their long wait of having a house built on
properly-titled land.
"We may not be able to get whatever we had lost in the past, but at least
the government is paving the way to secure our future. I'm looking forward to
it," he added.
