By Elmer Yeo

MIRI:  The Kelabit community residing in the Bario Highlands has been briefed by their  respective community leads since October last year of the government initiated NCR (Native customary Rights) land perimeter survey and the people are now anxiously waiting for the commencement of the said programme.

The Miri Branch Chairman of the Kelabit Association, Dick Bala disclosed this matter to New Sarawak Tribune here yesterday.

“Last year, the village or community leaders had already met and informed  the people pertaining to the NCR land survey that would be conducted by the Land and Survey Department in their respective areas.”

“Apart from that, the people were also advised to extend their full support and cooperation to all the parties concerned” said Dick.

Dick went on to mention that the Kelabit Association had formally submitted a request to the department for the NCR survey to proceed sometime in March this year with the hope that the process could be speeded up soon.

On another matter, he said that the association’s recently concluded annual education excellence award for Kelabit students who achieved outstanding academic results in public examinations had shown a gradual increase in the number of recipients.

“The award, aimed at crating awareness on the importance of education among the Kelabit community, has shown positive response since its  inception in 2001,” he said.

Dick said that the number of recipients in 2011 had risen to 46 as compared to 44 in 2010.  The awards were divided into four categories of achievements namely UPSR, PMR, SPM and STPM.

According to Dick, the Kelabit population in Sarawak is very small and numbered approximately 6,000.

“Currently, our association which was established in 1994 has around 2,0000 registered members with branches located in Kuching, Bintulu, Miri, Bario and Marudi,” he explained.

Dick said  based on anthropological studies conducted by the Sarawak Museum through carbon dating, the Kelabit people settled in Sarawak some 4,000 years ago and in the last century, they were found living in 14 villages scattered around the vicinity of Bario and the Indonesian border.

“But the Kelabit were placed in resettlements by the government and they only concentrated in the Bario Highlands during the Confrontation and Communist insurgency period for security reason,” he added.

Dick said the association’s main objectives are working towards the preservation of their language, culture, land and heritage as well as improving their people’s financial and social status through the development of their economy that centres on agriculture (Bario rice), livestock cultivation, herbal farming and tourism.

“We hope the government will not withdraw our subsidies on controlled items such as cooking gas, fuel, sugar and rice, otherwise our people living in the highlands will be strongly and adversely affected,” he said.

For more information or matters pertaining to the Kelabit community in general, the association can be contacted on (012) 8782601.

(Source:  Sarawak Tribune 15 June 2011)