Sibu MP announces early Christmas gift for 51 Iban longhouses, church

SIBU (Nov 20): A total of 51 Iban longhouses and one Iban church have received allocations from Sibu Parliamentary Service Centre.

In his remark, Sibu MP Oscar Ling says the funding will enable these Iban constituents, majority of whom are Christians, to celebrate Christmas ‘in a big way’.

“This grant will provide sufficient funds for each longhouse to organise and host activities, enrich their programmes, and provide better food,” he said in a statement.

“These longhouses are eligible for the allocations as they are located within the Sibu parliamentary constituency, which covers Rassau, Tutus, Bungan, Sunagi Sebedil, Pasai, Penasu, Bawang Assan, Rantau Panjang, Oya, Teku, and the suburban longhouse area of Sungai Banyok,” he added.

The MP also reminded the fund recipients to reduce the consumption of sweets and sugary drinks during the celebrations.

“About 50 per cent of Malaysians are overweight, and the government is urging the public to pay closer attention to their health, exercise more, and eat less sugary and fried foods.”

According to Ling, the Malaysian government spends up to RM4 billion annually on treating diabetes-related diseases, which is a significant chunk out of the national expenditure.

“If all Malaysians could manage their diet, exercise more and maintain good health, it would not only reduce the economic burden on their families, but also the financial burden off the Ministry of Health,” he said.