Brighter days for Kampung Piasau Utara as community efforts takes shape

MIRI (Feb 5): What began as a small community effort in Kampung Piasau Utara has grown into a source of warmth, confidence and renewed hope, especially for the women who are now playing a more active role in supporting their families and the wider community.

Using the kitchen at the village’s multipurpose hall, a group of the village’s women has produced their own dipping sauce, ‘Sos Pencicah Pelbagai Rasa KRT Piasau Utara’, earlier this month.

Saloma Amat, a member of the village’s development and security committee (JKKK), said the availability of proper kitchen facilities has made a real difference.

“With equipment such as a grinder, refrigerator, other kitchen equipment and a newly upgraded kitchen, it has become much easier and more comfortable for us to try new ideas, “By making good use of our free time, we can earn extra income for our families while strengthening women’s roles and family bonds in this village,” she said in an interview.

Saloma explained that the kitchen equipment, renovations and improvements to the multipurpose hall — including fans, chairs and eight units of industrial air coolers — were made possible through funding from the Ministry of Digital after Kampung Piasau Utara was selected as a Kampung Angkat Madani (KAM).

Encouraged by the positive response to their first product, the women are now planning to expand into other products such as tomato sauce and Thai chilli sauce, with hopes of involving more women in the village and creating steady income for them.

“Currently, about eight women are involved, but we hope more women will join us so we can support one another and contribute together to our household finances,” Saloma said.

The funding from the minister under the KAM initiative has also helped improve daily life in the village, particularly in terms of safety and community use of shared spaces. KAM is an initiative involving Federal agencies, with the support of the Minister of Finance and Unit Pantau MADANI, to empower local communities through targeted development and support.

JKKK Kampung Piasau Utara deputy chairman Mohd Mansor Mohd Hatim said residents now feel more secure and comfortable moving around their neighbourhood.

He noted that theft cases have declined after better street lighting was installed at strategic locations throughout Kampung Piasau Utara.

“In the past, poorly lit roads made residents feel uneasy and contributed to theft cases,” he said, adding that some incidents involved individuals struggling with drug abuse.

With the installation of 35 solar light-emitting diode (LED) street lights, Mohd Mansor said residents now feel safer leaving their homes, and the village environment has become livelier, especially in the evenings.

“Our futsal court is much more active now, with youths making full use of the facility until late at night because the area is well lit,” he said.

Mohd Mansor said that the village’s Darul Hijrah Mosque also recently received a new closed-circuit television (CCTV) system, replacing an earlier system that was no longer functioning.

The mosque, he said, has also received its first hearse, easing difficulties previously faced by the Muslim community.

“Previously, we had to borrow a hearse from Darul Ehsan Mosque in Kampung Piasau Jaya,” Mohd Mansor said, adding that the mosque committee has agreed to make it available to any resident in need regardless of background.

This, he said, reflects the close-knit nature of the village community, since they relocated to the area in the 1980s.

The majority of residents are Melanau families resettled by the state government from Kampung Dagang near Sungai Miri, now part of the Miri Waterfront area.

The village is also home to residents from other communities, including the Iban, Orang Ulu and a small number of Chinese.

Support has also reached the Christian community in Kampung Piasau Utara. The Holy Rosary Chapel, located about 150 metres from the Darul Hijrah Mosque, has undergone repairs to fix roof leaks.

“The damaged sections have now been replaced, and we have also received a new public address system and better-quality lighting,” the church chairman Zephrynius Har Kunai said.