wfn.org | Malaysian Lutherans request relief assistance

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

Severe drought affects northern indigenous population

GENEVA, 30 July 1998 (lwi) - The Protestant Church in Sabah (PCS) has
submitted an appeal to the emergency network "Action by Churches Together"
(ACT) for help because of severe drought conditions in Malaysia's northern
Province of Sabah. Aid has been requested mainly for the area's indigenous
population - the Rungus or original Malays. The church proposes helping
10,000 of the most affected with rice donations over the next six months to
tide them over until the next expected harvest.

According to the Lutheran World Federation Department for World Service
(LWF-WS) assessment of the island's affected area, the current drought can,
in part, be explained by climatic changes due to El Nino but the logging of
indigenous trees and even the traditional farming system of slash and burn
cultivation are believed to be contributing factors. A lot of land is held
by the government and private landowners who demand 20 percent of the crop
yields. During crop failure, some landowners demand that the 20 percent be
paid the next season, making it 40 percent for that year, the assessment
reports. In addition, many of the farmers lose their land because of
potential landowners who arrive in the area, causing the indigenous
population to move further into the uncultivated forests.

The 30,000-member PCS, which originated from the Basel Mission in
Switzerland, has been a member of the LWF since 1995. The majority of its
members are Rungus.

ACT, a worldwide network of churches and 40 related agencies coordinating
emergency response, is supported by the LWF and World Council of Churches.

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Lutheran World Information
Editorial Assistant: Janet Bond-Nash
E-mail: jbn@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/