MIRI: The practice of respecting elders among the Orang Ulu community, especially those appointed by the state government to hold certain responsibilities such as community leaders, must be upheld and applied in life – especially by the current and future young generation, said Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau.
“It cannot be denied that this legendary fine value practised by the Orang Ulus is challenged by modern day living, where the new generations live all over the place in search of livelihood,” he said when attending a Christmas open house hosted by Penghulu Freddie Abun.
He added that with improved access to education, most of the rural folk today live away from their longhouses.
“This makes them unaware of certain adat (customs) practised by their community since time immemorial,” he pointed out.
Therefore, Ngau emphasised that efforts had to be made by parents to teach the younger generation.
He gave the example of taking them to visit their community leaders during celebrations like Christmas.
Meanwhile, Ngau said that several project packages under the Highland Development Agency (HDA) initiatives would commence early next year, especially road projects.
