SADONG JAYA: A new RM700,000 farm road project for Kampung Sungai Buluh has been proposed, with the application submitted to the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW).
Batang Sadong MP Rodiyah Sapiee said the proposal followed a site visit to the area in February this year.
“I really hope this project will be considered for the convenience of the people here,” she said during the ‘Ngiling Kelaya Gawai Dayak’ celebration here on Sunday (June 22).
She added that the village’s request for a parking facility has been acknowledged and would depend on availability of remaining allocations.
“If there’s surplus from current projects, we’ll try to do it this year. If not, we’ll include it under next year’s Rural Transformation Programme (RTP),” she said.
Rodiyah also gave assurance that other requests involving larger funds will be submitted jointly with Simunjan assemblyman Awla Dris to the relevant agencies.
She further said that strong collaboration between both elected representatives ensures rural development can be implemented in a more comprehensive manner.
“We are also open to supporting smaller projects as long as funding is available,” she added.
On the event, she said programmes like ‘Ngiling Kelaya’ play an important role in strengthening unity, friendship, and cooperation among the community.
“Such celebrations help close gaps and prevent misunderstandings — what matters most is staying united,” she said.
Awla, who also attended the event, spoke on the origin of the word ‘kelaya’, an old Iban term for woven mat that is now rarely used.
He said reviving such traditional terms is important for preserving the cultural identity and heritage of the Iban community.
“A lot of young people today don’t even know what ‘kelaya’ means, but it is part of our roots and worth preserving,” he said.
The event featured Iban cultural highlights such as ‘gendang pampat’, ‘ngajat’, and ‘kuntau’ performances, welcoming the arrival of invited guests.
Traditional rituals such as biau or miring, ngetas ranyai, and menggulung kelaya were also performed, with both Rodiyah and Awla taking part.
