Three out of 10 Penans in the interior of Baram in northern Sarawak are still without birth certificates or identity cards or both, according to the chairperson of the Sarawak Penans Association.

Ajang Kiew (photo) put the blame squarely on bureaucratic red-tape and the lack of seriousness on the part of the National Registration Department in tackling the problems faced by Sarawak's smallest ethnic community since Independence in the 1960's.

It is estimated there are about 7,000 Penans in the Baram of which about 2,000 are still without official documents.

Speaking to malaysiakini today, Ajang said the majority of the Penans have now led a settled life but could not afford to journey out of their settlements to registration centres when national department personnel make their official tours.

He suggested that they visit each and every one of the 40 remote Penan settlements in Baram to carry out registration exercises instead in order to hasten the registration process and make life easier for the Penans, especially those living in remote areas.

The lack of official documents have put a large number of the once nomadic Penans in a great dilemma as many of their young people are not able to continue their education or obtain benefits from government schemes.

High transport cost

Many of the Penans were also unable to pay the fines up to RM200 as required under the law for late registration. And Ajang called on the authorities to waive the penalty in order not to burden the poor Penans unnecessarily as they have to incur high transportation costs just to get to the registration centres.

Yesterday, Ajang Kiew led a Sarawak Penans Association delegation to a meeting arranged by Malaysia Human Rights Organisation (Suhakam) in Kuching with various government department heads, including the State Attorney-General, the police, Medical and Health, Land & Survey Department and National Registration Department to try and resolve some of the problems faced by the Penans.

Also present were SPA members Dennis Bujang and Alah Bling, who is the tua kampung of Long Blok. They were accompanied by Marudi-based Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) field and research officers Jok Jau and John Fery Jane (group photo).

Another worry of the Penans is the encroachment into their hunting ground by logging companies and more recently by plantation companies.

Ajang hoped the authorities would approve their applications for the creation of communal forest areas for their continued livelihood and to keep logging and plantation companies at bay.

Sarawak-based Suhakam Commissioner Dr Hirman Ritom Abdullah told malaysiakini today that Suhakam had made certain recommendations to the authorities on the land issue for the Penans and he believed this was being looked into.

Another Suhakam commissioner Dr Hamdan Adnan was also present at yesterday's meeting.

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini's Sarawak-based stringer.