LUNDU: In the spirit of Gawai and community solidarity, the Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (YKN) rolled out a major outreach programme today at Rumah Panjang Kangka, delivering tangible aid, fire safety tools, and psychosocial support to nearly 200 rural residents.

Held under the Program Khidmat Komuniti dan Jelajah Kasih Pusat Sokongan Sosial Setempat (PSSS), the initiative brought together longhouse residents and YKN staff in a massive gotong-royong effort to repair and repaint the 42-door longhouse using 25 cans of paint ahead of the upcoming Gawai celebration.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, who is also YKN’s Chairperson, joined the effort and praised the community’s unity and resilience.
“This noble effort is not only an initiative to enliven the atmosphere in conjunction with Gawai, but also a revival of the spirit of ‘beserakup begulai sejalai’ – a call for unity and togetherness through communal work and community safety,” she said in her speech.
In a bid to improve safety, Nancy said that YKN donated 15 fire extinguishers to the longhouse, complemented by a fire safety awareness session by the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM).
“In addition, there are two development projects that will greatly benefit the Kampung Kangka community.
“First, the Kampung Kangka new bridge construction project, which has been approved with an allocation of RM100,000 under the 2023 Projek Mesra Rakyat (PMR).
“Second, the Kampung Kangka JKKK operations room upgrade project, which will be implemented under the 2026 RTP initiative with an allocation of RM150,000.
“To further support the efforts of the local community, I would also like to announce an allocation of RM5,000 for Phase 1 of 2025, aimed at carrying out various community activities and programmes,” said Nancy.
She also said that the outreach also featured mobile counselling services through PSSS to support mental and emotional wellbeing in isolated areas.
“Many in rural areas keep their problems to themselves and don’t know where to turn.
“Don’t be afraid to seek help. We need to be strong, not by holding things in, but by supporting each other,” Nancy added.
The programme saw participation from various ethnic groups, including 182 Iban and 10 Malay villagers, reinforcing the spirit of muafakat (consensus) and multiracial harmony.