Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau said the government was committed to bringing development to the area, even the furthest part of Telang Usan.
“You must analyse and take advantage of projects being planned for Baram. As at this point of our life, we should be wise enough to see what we need to develop our vast and sparsely populated area,” he said when officiating at the extension site for Kampung Lepo Gah, Tanjong Tepalit, a Kenyah settlement in Ulu Baram yesterday.
Power generation, mini hydro and solar systems were built in Baram by the government with more telecommunication towers for phone access and WiFi facilities coming up, Dennis said.
The government was doubling its effort to bring economic transformation through the planting of rubber and oil palm, and other means.
He advised village headmen and longhouse committees to plan for the new generation to build and own homes in their own villages. Families have grown in size and there is a need for new homes in the village for extended families.
The majority of those staying in the longhouse are the older generation.
“Come up with this offer for your new generation and I believe this will attract them to build a ‘kampung home’ to return to with their children.
“It is important for children to care for their parents and have a family home in the village or longhouse even if they already own houses in the town or city.”
He said the latest population statistics show a worrying trend of declining population in the Baram.
Ten years ago, the whole of Baram had a population of more than 80,000 people but the 2010 statistics shows it had dropped to 63,000 people.
He believed this was due to most of the younger generationliving and working away from their villages.
It has dawned on all longhouse chiefs and committees to ensure the new generation do not ignore their origin.
“After all, we still have ancestral lands and others we need to take care of, otherwise others may lay claim to it.”
He thus encouraged parents in his constituency to remind their children to include their longhouse addresses on their identity cards, as many youngsters did not care about their places of origin.
On the village extension, he praised the proactive action taken by village headman James Nyurang and his committee for coming up with the extension site to accommodate the request by his village folks to build their homes.
Later at the same function, he handed over 1Malaysia spandex roofing to headman James Nyurang.
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