A borderless world. This was what Rompin member of parliament Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis proved to his constituents when he officially opened a people's programme here via video conferencing from the United States where he is now Malaysia's ambassador.

NONE The opening of the Literacy Programme for Ethnic Minorities held at the Rompin District Council Jubilee Hall, was watched by over 300 Orang Asli from the district on the screen for about 10 minutes.

Through video conferencing, which he chose to use in order to be close to his constituents, Jamaluddin informed that he was now in Washington, it was raining and the time was 10pm.

"I am in Washington DC where the US President Barack Obama stays, and it is night and raining now, unlike in Rompin where it is morning and the weather is fine," he said.

Jamaluddin thanked the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry for choosing Rompin to hold the legal literacy programme.

He urged the Orang Asli community in the Rompin district to take this opportunity to reveal the problems they faced to the Women's Development and Orang Asli Affairs departments for action to be taken, especially on matters involving the law.

"I ask that these two departments look into the problems of the Orang Asli in my constituency as many among them are single mothers with several children, and these people need to forward their complaints as we have laws to protect them."

Rompin MP to visit next month

Jamaluddin said he would visit Rompin in January and also promised that he would immediately return to the district if it was hit by floods.

Meanwhile, Elfian Satria Yaacob, the director of coordination, monitoring and evaluation at the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, said the Literacy Programme for Ethnic Minorities was the first to be held for the Orang Asli and Rompin chosen as the first location.

He said 324 Orang Asli from nine villages in the distriot were selected for the one-day programme, aimed at creating awareness among the men and women on the problem of violence against women and on ways to check the problem.

- Bernama