The History of Punggek

Many has asked me this question "What is Punggek?" and to be honest, I never gave it a lot of thought.
But i remember my mother told me few years earlier that when I was small, I used to say the word a lot with my sister but the meaning it represent was not a good one. In the olden days, it was a taboo for kids to say bad words and we were brought up in a world where no bad word existed except the word "bad". We weren't even introduced to the word "beat" although we always got a good beating from our parents almost everday. So my mother told me that me and my sister created the word Punggek to fill the 'void' in our already limited volcabularly.

"I punggek you afterward!" is one of the example that would come out from our mean mouths. So the original meaning of Punggek is "beat". However, concerned with our creativity, my mother introduced us the the word "beat" and the word faded as suddenly as we invented it when.
But when i received a 'revelation' during SALT 1 in Brothers Bungalow to rejuvenate the word. Like in Genesis, when God breathed into Adams nostrils the breath of life, the word Punggek started to wake up in a totally different environment. Full of love, the word took another meaning in its second life.

Compassion.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

A cry from the mountains

Dear elders of the mountain,

You who were before anyone of my generation get to breath the untainted air of Ba' Kelalan,



I humbly beg you to choose wisely in this upcoming election. I am but a week old grass compared to your life long days in our beloved Ba' Kelalan. But I feel I need to urge you to listen to me.

My name is Jimmy Mak, son of Cikgu Mak and Cikgu Merta Bina. First grandson of Bina Labo and Sabit Rining from Buduk Nur, Ba' Kelalan. I have obtained my Bachelor's Degree in Science (Industrial Physics) from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor. Currently, I am working as an Administration and Sales Executive in a Japansese company in Johor Bahru, incharge of our company's management in Malacca, Pahang and Johor state.

I am more than proud to say I hail from Ba' Kelalan; although I merely have half Lun Bawang blood in me.


Although I've been staying in Ba'kelalan in my infant days, my memories of our great land began around 1995; thats the earliest memory i can dig back. It is a heaven for our Lun Bawang tribe. Deep with sense of trust, caring for others like no other people I have ever known, more humble than the humblest and above all, your devotion to God is second to NONE! You welcome everyone with the best you can offer, expecting NOTHING in return!



We are not just another tribe! We are a GREAT tribe! Mr Pudun Tadam has put Ba' Kelalan on the World Map with ABOVE EXCELENT education management!

We have apples growing in our backyards!

We have the finest paddy there is in Sarawak. In fact Beras Bario is far from our own grown paddy.


Since 1995 until the last time I went back, that was around 2009, there was practically only 3 significant changes which is actually negliable.
1) the upgrade of the airport strip
2) the few hundred concrete path from the airport ALMOST untill the bridge to Long Langai
3) the upgrade of the library in Buduk Nur

Dear Elders,



NOT ONE of these changes benefit ALL the people of Ba' Kelalan in their EVERYDAY life. You deserve so much more! I believe Ba' Kelalan must at least have our own hydro electric power supply. Please do not say "It was planned before but something came up" because a planned project but not done is the same as no project planned at all.



Where's the Ba' Kelalan Hydro project? Here is your answer: http://www.1lawas.com/2010/03/wheres-proposed-ba-kelalan-project.html

The solar project only benefit the elite class.

The normal people DOESN'T even know what its for, what more to say it benefits them. Why give this luxury to those who are more than afford to purchase it with thier won money?

Despite Mr Pudun's valiant effort that made Ba' Kelalan famous in the world of education, lets see what the government had done to improve this crutial facility.

NOTHING!

We still do NOT have a proper road from Lawas to Ba' Kelalan. Enduring 5-24 hours drive(depending on the weather) in a hilux is beyond my imagination. I've been there, I didn't know how did I survived. The fee is absurdly high for not working people. Even the airplane doesn't visit often enough. Yes, there were effort to build better bridges but made by soldiers. They are no engineers! How long do you think that bridge can hold?

I have consulted many of my friends who are Civil Engineers (some even have Masters Degree) and another friend who has a Masters Degree in Quantity Survey. According to them, the budget given by the government can only build 5 low class bridges. That is FAR from the planned 10 bridges promissed. So you can imagine what material is lower that a low class bridge they use to built it. What if you were on the bridge when it goes down? Can anyone pay your medical fees?

Worst still, WHAT IF YOU DIE?

And we are still at the mercy of the Hilux driver to travel back and forth to Lawas town. Despite the 4000 plus people travelling to lawas from vilages between Long Sukang to Ba' Kelalan, there is NO decent place to wait for the Hilux. At least a "hilux stop".

What a disgrace.

It is the year 2011 now. Less than 9 years to go to Wawasan 2020. And it kills me to say that Ba' Kelalan is far from a decent village. You have been voting for 1 particular party for God knows how long.

The medical facility has not improved since the earliest of time. The clinic is a good 30-45 min walk from Long Langai. Not to mention other vilages further.

The staffs are rude beyond words. I once saw the malay medical assistant treated my fainted friend very rudely. What can I do? I was only around 10 years old that time.

Change is hard. Change is difficult. But everyone knows that the time has come to see changes that will bring prosperity to our land. Our home. A change for everyone. A change that will benefit ALL of Ba' Kelalan's people on a daily basis. changes doesn't have to be so sudden. It can be done gradually. Often without us realizing. Changes that we desperately need to not only survive but to live with our dignity intact. To live a lifestyle we deserve so much!

Dear Elders,



I admit that you might not live long enough to see the changes, but I am sure you want your hier to live a comfortable life. You do want your family to live a life you never ever felt before. All I'm asking for is to give change a chance.

We were under BN for so many years and what did it do for us?

Everyone know who Mr Baru' Bian is. What has he done. Who did he fought for. Where did he came from. If Mr Willie(BN) is a 10gm worth gold nudget, Mr Baru is a 100gm worth of pure diamond!


Now you can change your future. The power was always with you. Exercise your right. I believe God will guide you. To choose a leader that will change your life for the better, for ever!

Dearest elders,



From the beginning, the question was never "What has BN done for Ba' Kelalan". It has always been "What BN DID NOT DO for Ba' Kelalan"!

Yours Beloved,
Jimmy Mak Chii Ping

Note: Please share this note if you think we deserve better in Ba' Kelalan.

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