Tag: MERCY

A brand new start

For the Iban community, 01st June marks the beginning of a new year – the day to mark the new paddy planting season. And, on 01st June, the Iban community will be celebrating the Harvest Festival, or better known as Gawai Dayak.

To commensurate the new planting season, I am going for a brand new start to my blog. The older articles are somewhere in my server, but, most of them are getting into the 2Mb limit; the limit set by most web hosting server for uploading of WordPress files.

Retired

It has been a busy year for me, with business picking up, the Batang Ai by-election, where we have seen the emerging usage of online blog for campaigning, and most recently, I gracefully retired from being the Administrator of my home-grown portal cum forum – RumahDayak.com

RumahDayak.com is now under the good hands of Uchu Penghulu Barat and his team of capable moderators. Nevertheless, I am still a registered member of RumahDayak.com as well as the registered domain owner.

With this opportunity, I would like to thank all the members who have supported our activities, especially in helping our community during their difficult times like fire. Not to forget our successful charity drives where we have managed to raise funds for NGOs like the Sarawak Cheshire Home, Agape Center Sibu, Sunflower Club Miri, etc.

I am also thankful to the members who have made the free health clinic at Rh. Aji, Sungai Selepin a success. Its was a great team effort made by RumahDayak.com and MERCY Malaysia.

RumahDayak.com will never be a successful online community without the support of all these NGOs, and we, in RumahDayak.com will continue to work together with these NGOs for a better Dayak community in the future. We cannot walk alone, and we shall foster the harmony and goodwill with other communities.

Residents’ Committee

I am also grateful for being chosen as one of the Residents’ Committee for Miri City Council. I am part of the team who shall be responsible for Miri Town area under Cr. Koh Ek Chong.

The Residents’ Committee was set up with the objectives:

  • to make Miri a beautiful resort city,
  • to enhance safety and security of the city,
  • to make Miri more lively, vibrant and attractive,
  • to encourage public participation to achieve sustainable development towards a Green City;
  • to strengthen harmony and goodwill among the community; and
  • to foster a better relationship and communication between the Council and community.

Hence, if you wish to voice out any opinion or bring forward your complaint about our town center via my blog, I will be happy to bring it to the committee and City Council where appropriate.

Miri Citizen Shelter

I would like to thank YB Andy Chia for bringing me into the working committee for the setting up of the Miri Citizen Shelter. It is an honour for me to be the representative of the Iban/Dayak community in this working committee headed by MERCY Malaysia. We hope that more corporate bodies to come forward and donate fund for the purchase of the Shelter. To those who have made the donation and pledges, we thank you for putting the smile on those who are in need.

Finally, I would like to wish all my readers a Selamat Hari Gawai and it comes with this enchant..

OooHHaaa!

Baka nibong, pinang laka,
Bebuah emas kuning temaga,
Kaya raja, betugung reta,
Jelai nama tampak rita,
Taun dudi, arapka nyadi nyata,
Ari ulah dikelala kereja,
Ari pengelandik dikelala nama,
Ari pemandai, nampak pemutus peresa.
Baka nya aku, arapka bala kita mujur kereja.

Selamat nyambut Gawai ti deka datai,
Ngajihka kita bekebung baka langit,
Ensapung baka bukit,
Kaya baka Sempulang Gana,
Jelai nama tampak beberita,
Baka Laja, gayu guru gerai nyamai,
Lantang senang mih kita sebilik nguan menua!

Regards,
James Joshua a.k.a Uchu Keling

Bakong flood relief center

2009-02-09-bakong

Last Saturday, I went to Bakong with Benjamin Chai to send some flood relief item. We went there under the Mercy Malaysia banner. The flood situation in Bakong is at its worst and most of the victims are worried about their paddy fields.

We urge the government to extend their assistance in term of giving away free paddy seedling for their coming planting season.

2009-02-09-bakong-02Mercy Malaysia sent basic items like toothpaste, tooth brush, baby pampers, women sanitary towel, soap, blankets, bath towel, mosquito coil, canned food and other stuff.

What happen to the urban Ibans?

During my days as a volunteer, I hardly noticed any Ibans involvement in helping the flood victims. Maybe they are too busy politicking and forgotten that their own race are in need of assistance.

Thank you to the Malays, Chinese, Orang Ulu and Indians volunteers who have come forward to assist the flood victims in Ulu Niah, Suai, and Bakong areas.

The breakfast meeting

This morning a few of my Dayak friends had the opportunity to have breakfast together with our ADUN for Pujut, YB Andy Chia and the man behind Mercy Malaysia Sarawak Chapter, Mr. Benjamin Chai.

The breakfast meeting was a respond to YB Andy’s invitation to discuss issue on the purchase of a shelter home for the rural poor community, who came to Miri for medical treatment.

It was enlightened to hear that a good Samaritan have came forward to offer their home for sale at a price that is within our budget of RM300,000.

I shall not mention any further detail on the purchase, but God bless the family who have generously reduced the price in order for the project to become a reality sooner than expect.

And, myself and my fellow Dayak friends has willingly volunteer to be part of Mercy Malaysia in helping the rural community who needs assistance.

But most importantly, Miri being a stronghold of SUPP, do need the support of Dayaks ministers and leaders from the State and Federal ministries to chip it for the purchase of this building. It is the Dayaks who will use it more often than any other ethnic group.. that’s a gauranteed statement.

Until then.. thank you YB Andy for the great breakfast meeting.