KUCHING: Former Bidayuh Graduates Association (BGA) president Dr Frank Kiong urged the association to continue to help the community through education and economic seminars.

Sharing and disseminating of ideas by the members were vital for the community to progress, he said.

“I believe all of us (Bidayuhs) want to see our community move forward and be able to develop together with other communities, so on our (BGA) part, we will continue to contribute towards the progress of the community,” he said in his welcoming speech at Bidayuh Youth Forum 2013 yesterday.

The event held at Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) headquarters was officiated by Assistant Minister of Public Health Dr Jerip Susil.

Dr Frank said the association had in the past been organising education and economic seminars at various villages and will continue to do so.

Calling on the community to support events organised by BGA, he pointed out that the community should no longer confine itself to the local front but needs to have a global outlook.

He thanked members of the association who have voluntarily helped to organize programmes, adding that such spirit should continue for the sake of the community.

The forum yesterday saw the presentation of three papers - Urbanisation and Impact to Bidayuh, Looking Bend Local Frontier and Organic Farming: Opportunities and Challenges, presented by lawyer John Lawrence Solep, Dr Frank and UPM Bintulu lecturer Make Jiwan respectively.

The event yesterday was followed by Land Documentation seminar presented by DBNA president Datu Ik Pahon Joyik and BGA triennial general meeting (TGA). Dr Frank did not seek re-election.

Joyik said there was no better way for the community to develop than to have a mindset of personal development.

He also hoped that differences within the community should not pose as a stumbling block for them to work together.

He also called on the community to support the land documentation initiative undertaken by DBNA for land to be issued titles, protecting their land rights.

(Source: The Borneo Post, 4 August 2013)