MIRI (July 13): Miri Mayor Adam Yii praised Persatuan Berawan Sarawak for publishing their ‘Comparative Berawan Glossary’ book as an initiative to promote the minority race.

The Pujut assemblyman regarded the book as a noble and persistent effort to maintain and dignify the Berawan language, which until recently was solely in the form of oral tradition.

“It is understood that the Berawan people are one of such minority groups with an estimated 7,000 people in the Baram district occupied by 17 villages, of which five are located in the Sungai Tutoh area and 12 are located in the Sungai Tinjar area.

“Therefore, any noble effort to preserve the race’s identity is strongly supported,” said Yii, whose speech was read by his special assistant Kelvin Hii during the book launch at a hotel here today.

Yii said the state government is always supportive of efforts to preserve the traditional cultures of all races in Sarawak for the benefit of present and future generations.

“The leaders and local community of the Berawan people played an essential role in spreading the use of their diverse and unique language.

“I’m certain the leaders and local community of the Berawan people are appreciative and thankful to language and linguistic researchers who were able to work with the Berawan community in developing its language glossary,” he said.

Among those present were Persatuan Berawan Sarawak president Markus Abdon Ajang, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah visiting senior lecturer Dr Jurgen Martin Burkhardt, Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka Sarawak writer Coretta Herliana Kura, and Tinjar sub-district controller Deo Keneth Dibek David.