Source: New Straits Times 19 Oct 1993
SPECIAL FORESTS FOR PENANS
The Sarawak Government has set aside several tracts of tropical rainforests
totalling 65,700 Hectares for the exclusive use of a group of 300 nomadic
Penans in Baram and Ulu Limbang.
Among the "special forests" are Ulu Magoh (5,600ha), Ulu Tutoh (2,200ha),
Adang (5,000ha) and Ulu Seridan (1,400ha).
State Forestry Director Datuk Leo Chai told the New Straits Times that
Sarawak set aside the virgin tropical rainforests for Penans to carry on
their hunting and gathering activities.
Apart from spending more than RM6 million in development programmes during
the past six years, the government has also allowed the nomadic Penans to
use the Gunung Mulu National Park (52,000ha) for hunting.
"The Penans can practise their traditional way of life and also use timber
from these forests for their domestic use but not for commercial purposes,"
Chai said.
He said that the State authorities has also allowed the semi-settled Penans
and those living in longhouse communities to use the Ulu Melana forest
reserbe (22,000ha).
Existing development programmes for the Penans include a Penan Service
Centre at Long Kevok, medical and health service projects and agricultural
projects.
The State Government, which had established a RM1 million Penan Development
Fund, has also initiated a Penan Voluntaeers Service Corp where selected
Penans were trained to help their people adjust to the changing times.
"Sarawak's indigenous people, including the Penans, make up about 70 percent
of the state's population of 1.7 million. Their rights, like those of other
indigenous people, are enshrined in the Federal Constitution," Chai said.
He added that his Department would continue to initiate programmes that
benefited the indigenous people.
Chai stressed it was Sarawak's policy to improve the people's welfare and
offer the ethnic groups opportunities to participate in socio-economic
development.
This is to free the people from diseases, malnutrition and illiteracy.
"Special attention have been given not only to the nomads but also those who
have settled in longhouses over the past three decades because they have
been left behind by other ethnic groups in socio-economic development."
The 10,000 Penans are part of Sarawak's 26 ethnic groups (there are 50 more
dialectic groups) and are spread out in 87 villages, mostly in Baram,
Belaga, Miri-Bintulu and Limbang.
All the 300 nomads are found in Baram while the Penans found in Limbang and
Belaga are semi-settled in longhouse communities. The Penans in Miri-Bintulu
are no longer nomadic.
--- * Origin: Asia Pacific Solidarity - Sarawak (90:600/108)--