The Penan community should stop blaming others, especially the government for their poverty, said Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau.
Ngau said the government was willing to guide the community out of the quagmire of poverty but it would mean bringing development to Penan areas.
Citing the Baran dam, he said: “The dam is one of the initiatives of the government to bring socio-economic changes to the people.
“The government has no hidden agenda to build the dam in Baram. The government will not proceed with the project if the majority of the people are against it.”
Speaking to the community during a meet-the-people session in Miri, he urged them not to fall for opposition propaganda which claimed that the Baram dam will drown their culture, heritage and jungle.
Did Denis Ngau really make these remarks and have the Penan ever complained about their ‘poverty’?
In fact, all the Penan have ever done is complain about the destruction of their jungle habitat and hunting grounds, for they see their wealth in these things, not money.
So, who took those trees?
We refer readers to the Baram timber concession maps released on this site (see Spotlight section), which show that no less than three fat belian concessions were handed to none other than Denis’s Dad, Ngau Jok.
The reason? Ngau Jok is the brother of Lihan Jok, Denis’s predecessor as state assemblyman and a classic BN crony. Further belian concessions went to Lihan’s wife and another proxy relative, Peter Jok.
We mention this, just in case anyone was under the impression that Denis had lifted himself from ‘the quagmire of poverty’ through hard work or education – or any achievement other than robbing the Penan and people of Sarawak of their trees.
Smug, rich Denis should stop lecturing the Penan and consider his crimes.