KUCHING: Assemblyman Dennis Ngau is happy about the peaceful environment that continues to prevail in his Telang Usan constituency despite it being situated deep in the jungle of Borneo.
“As we continue to seek and experience progress in Telang Usan and Baram as a whole the people must choose to live in deep respect of others despite their backgrounds,” he said during a Majlis Berbuka Puasa Perdana Telang Usan held at Dewan SJKC Kee Tee, Long Lama recently.
A total of 200 participants from various backgrounds attended the programme which was jointly organised by the Telang Usan District office and Sarawak Sabah Gas Pipeline (SSGP).
Dennis hoped the people of Semenanjung Malaysia learn from Sarawak where despite the huge number of ethnic groups and religious backgrounds, Sarawakians continue to live happily and co-exist with those of different religious beliefs.
He said that he is concerned about the issue in Semenanjung, where a good suggestion to have the ‘Jom ke Gereja’ tagline has created negative responses from individuals or groups without really knowing the true objective of the proposal.
“To me, I believe the person who mooted the idea means well as she hopes to create more tolerant Malaysians.
“This is an important ingredient we must drill into the minds and hearts of our young generation.
“In fact we in Telang Usan have done “Jom Ke Surau” for years now as every year without fail I lead non-Muslim community leaders to the Hari Raya Korban event at Surau Long Lama.
“It does not erode our religious belief but instead helps us to understand others better. Though the Muslim community is relatively small compared to Christians in Telang Usan I want Christians to make our Muslim community feel welcome,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, on SSGP, Dennis urged his constituents to work well with companies and their staff who operated in the constituency.
“We must be thankful more and more companies are now operating in Telang Usan compared to 10 years ago. This has given jobs and economic opportunities to our people.
“SSGP Petronas in particular since operating here has always come to our aid in time of need including maintaining certain sections of our dirt roads,” he said.
Meanwhile, SSGP Operations Manager Hazli Kipli said more than 2,000 people were employed by the SSGP project.
“SSGP project has directly brought opportunities to locals. Therefore, I hope that a conducive working environment between the company and the local communities will prevail.
“Though the project has not come to its full potential due to unforeseen circumstances, Petronas management is determined to overcome the challenges and deliver the gas from Sabah to Bintulu,” he said.
