MIRI: A Kenyah Lepo’ Ngkau Charitable Trust (KLNCT) has been set up to preserve the cultural heritage of the Kenyah Lepo’ Ngkau community and provide long-term benefits for them.
Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring), Datuk Gerawat Gala, expressed hope that the trust fund would serve as a sustainable financial mechanism for the community.
He made these remarks during the official launch of KLNCT and a thanksgiving prayer event for the ancestors of the Lepo’ Ngkau community at Murum Dam on Saturday night here.
The event was attended by KLNCT chairman Simpson Njock Lenjau and other community leaders.
Gerawat emphasised the importance of responsible management of the trust.
He highlighted that similar charitable trust funds have been established by various ethnic groups in Sarawak, including the Malay, Melanau and recently the Bisaya communities.
“Managing a trust fund comes with great responsibility. Mismanagement or misuse can lead to legal consequences under the Trust Ordinance,” he cautioned.
The KLNCT will serve as a financial instrument to invest and generate income for the benefit of the community.
The seed funding for the trust includes compensation funds provided by the Sarawak government as a goodwill gesture for the ancestral burial grounds affected by the Murum Dam project.
Funds from the trust will be managed by a board of trustees, ensuring accountability and long-term sustainability.
Investments may include land purchases or other revenue-generating assets to ensure the fund continues to grow.
As a charitable trust, its income is tax-exempt, providing an advantage for future expansion.
Additionally, KLNCT allows for external donations, with donors eligible for tax exemptions.
“This is a significant benefit of establishing a charitable trust,” Gerawat noted, urging community members to understand its purpose and support its growth.
The establishment of KLNCT follows years of efforts by community leaders to secure compensation for the burial sites of their ancestors, which were submerged following the construction of Murum Dam.
Gerawat revealed that when he was first elected as the assemblyman for Mulu, he was unaware of the compensation claims.
However, community leaders, including Simpson, who was a former councillor, and Temenggong Joseph Ngaulian, presented the matter to him.
Through persistent efforts, the claim was brought to the attention of the Premier, Tan Sri Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Despite the Murum Dam compensation accounts being officially closed, the Premier approved funding to support the affected communities.
As a result, a total of RM4 million was allocated to 11 groups, including the Lepo’ Ngkau community, which received over RM500,000.
The compensation was distributed based on the number of identified ancestral graves in each community.
Gerawat stressed that the compensation funds should not be used for short-term spending but instead be invested through the charitable trust for long-term benefits.
“This fund is not just about the present generation but for the future of the Lepo’ Ngkau community.
“If managed well, it will continue to benefit the descendants of those who first settled in Murum,” he said.
He urged the trustees to ensure proper governance and to engage with the community to enhance understanding of the trust’s objectives.
The launch of KLNCT was accompanied by a thanksgiving prayer led by a catechist, honouring the ancestors and expressing gratitude for the government’s recognition of their heritage.
Murum Dam, located in the upper Rejang Basin, is one of Sarawak’s major hydroelectric projects, and was completed in 2014.
Constructed to enhance the state’s renewable energy capacity, the dam led to the resettlement of indigenous communities, including the Kenyah, Penan and other native groups.
The project’s impact on ancestral lands and traditional livelihoods has been a subject of extensive negotiations between the government and affected communities.
The compensation provided, including the recent goodwill payments, is part of efforts to acknowledge and mitigate these effects.
