LONGHOUSE folk from a remote settlement in Baram, Sarawak have lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against their community chief for allegedly misusing RM 1.47 million given to them after their longhouse was destroyed in a fire.
The native villagers from the longhouse named Rumah Langat in Tinjar sub-district in Baram have sought the help of Senator Abun Sui Anyit of Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat who is a lawyer to lodge the report.
Sui told reporters here that the villagers want the MACC to investigate their case.
"Their longhouse burned down in 2018 and the government had then allocated RM 1.47 million in financial aid to the longhouse village development committee to distribute to the affected victims.
"The villagers claimed that their chief refused to distribute the RM money that was banked into the longhouse village development committee bank account.
"The chief instead told the longhouse folks he would use the money to hire a contractor to construct a new longhouse.
"Until today, the new longhouse has not been built and the only thing was the skeleton frame of the longhouse, with the whole project left abandoned.
"The affected fire victims are living in makeshift wooden huts now and sought the help of Sarawak PKR to lodge a report with the MACC," said Abun.
A report was lodged at the MACC head office in Kuala Lumpur by Abun and representatives of the affected fire victims as Abun is currently attending the Senate meeting.
Abun urged the MACC to probe how the RM1.47 million aid was used by the longhouse chief.
"By right the longhouse chief should have distributed the money equally among all the families whose living quarters were destroyed in the fire.
"He should not have taken custody of the money and used it himself as he allegedly had done," said Abun.
Sarawak PKR will follow up on the case and see how the party can help the affected victims, he added. - December 7, 2024
