NGOs: Expedite efforts to improve Penan livelihood
A grouping of 36 NGOs and five Penan women wants the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to expedite the implementation of the National Taskforce Report it produced in 2008 to improve the livelihood of the Penan community.
A grouping of 36 NGOs and five Penan women wants the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to expedite the implementation of the National Taskforce Report it produced in 2008 to improve the livelihood of the Penan community.
The new minister, Rohani Abdul Karim, has agreed to meet with the group at a later date in Baram, once she returns to Malaysia, Penan Support Group representative Lisa Bong said today.
"We want to raise the needs of the Penan community with her, as these have not been addressed since the
report
was published in 2008," Bong
(left in photo)
told a press conference at the All Women's Action Society headquarters today.
For Amelia Balan, 22, Catherine Bitang, 35, Juliet Bulan Singa, 21, Tabitha De', 32, and Gadong Ngok, 36, all who hail from Baram, said the lack of basic necessities and healthcare continues to persist until today.
The specific recommendations in the taskforce report, designed to combat problems in areas of sexual abuse, birth registration and citizenship, healthcare and education, however, have not been carried out as promised, they said.
"While government facilities, such as mobile medical facilities and national registration agencies are available, they are not consistent with their operating schedules," said Amelia.
"A doctor who travels by helicopter to get to the villages can sometimes cancel his appointment due to bad weather, and there is no way for him to postpone the appointment when he has a full schedule."
In 2008, following a series of reports of rapes of Penan women by logging workers, the government established a national taskforce to investigate the matter. It came up with a report.
The group also met with Selangor exco member in charge of welfare and women's affairs Rodziah Ismail, who agreed to visit Baram to get better acquainted with the issues.
The five Penan women were flown in from Baram to meet with government representatives on June 16.
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