MIRI: Miri District Office has been instructed to call for a meeting with the Dayak Association Miri (DAM) which has been entrusted to manage and develop a common Dayak cemetery in Lambir.

SITE FOR BURIAL GROUND: (From left) Lai, Wilson and Lee inspecting the site for the Dayak community’s common burial ground.

Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication Datuk Lee Kim, who is also Senadin assemblyman, gave the instruction following the delay in the development of the burial ground by the association which was appointed as the committee to manage it.

The problem was highlighted to the assistant minister on several occasions.

They claimed of facing difficulties to bury the dead as the current native or common burial ground has been fully utilised.

As such some resolved to bury the dead by ‘borrowing’ the burial ground of the longhouses nearby.

Lee said, both parties (District Office and DAM) should resolve the problem by developing the burial ground as soon as possible.

“I was made to understand that they have to borrow other people’s burial ground to bury the dead. It is sad to note this thing is happening as the government has allocated a site for the purpose.

“The government is looking at this seriously and wants those entrusted to develop the burial ground to develop it as soon as possible to make it easy and convenient for the community to bury the dead,” he said when inspecting the site at Miri Community Burial Ground in Lambir.

Iban community leader Pemanca Wilson Siang Lim, Miri Mayor Lawrence Lai and Miri District Officer Boniface Intang Apat were also present.

Lee made the remarks when approached by reporters for comment on the status of the burial ground.

A five-acre site was approved and allocated to the Dayak community by the government in August 2008.

The burial ground is yet to be developed until today.

The problem has been highlighted by the community to various agencies, and they are pointing fingers at DAM because for the delay.