S'wak may appoint women 'penghulu' from Iban

The state government will consider appointing women penghulu or area chief from the Iban community in the near future.

State minister of environment and public health Wong Soon Koh said so far there was none from the community unlike the Chinese or Malay community.

He told reporters this in Sibu today after witnessing the appointment of four new tuai rumah or longhouse chiefs of whom two are women from his Bawang Asan state constituency.

"Even now we have more and more women being appointed as longhouse chiefs which is a very good thing and a growing trend.

"Those qualified and deserving women can be considered for the higher post of penghulu ," he said.

Wong said women too now formed 53 per cent of the state's 2.5 million population and as such they should be well represented.

On the women tuai rumah , he said they were sometimes more patient and meticulous in managing the community's affairs compared to their male counterparts.

He disclosed that in his constituency, seven of the 92 longhouses had women as their chiefs and there were plans to appoint more women to the post.

The post has traditionally been held by men in the Iban community.

One of the new tuai rumah, Rose anak Mat, 50, said she was looking forward to assuming her responsibility at her 12-door longhouse in Batu Burak, near Sibu.

She is also all for the plan to appoint penghulu from among the Iban women.

- Bernama