As part of its mission to enhance the image of Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak (DUNS), the DUNS Secretariat has been highlighting the state legislative assembly through various educational and awareness programmes.
A popular one is a guided tour of the new DUNS building located at Petra Jaya, Kuching. This can take place on any weekday – even during DUNS sitting sessions – provided visitors write in to set an appointment for either a morning or an afternoon session.
Each of these sessions will be accompanied by officers and staff on duty, who will brief the public about each room in the building, and explain the history of DUNS as well as the way DUNS carries out its main function in enacting laws.
According to DUNS Secretary Pele Peter Tinggom, the tour is deemed “a powerful tool” for the secretariat to inform the public about the government system and parliamentary procedures practised in Sarawak.
On average, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, up to 10,000 visitors had participated in the programme every year; majority of whom were students from rural areas who had never been outside their home district.
“Their teachers, having access to the Internet, found out about the tour through our website. They also share about it with other teachers during formal gatherings such as conferences.
“I salute them for all their efforts (towards educating their students). They write to us to inform when they want to come,” says Mr Pele in an interview with RAKAN Sarawak.
Another set of visitors that have arranged visits to the building is from the private sector.
Interestingly, rather than wanting to learn about the legislative process during sittings, many professionals in this group are keen on the unique structure and design of the new DUNS building, and more importantly the way it is maintained.
For all of these tours, informational booklets in either Bahasa Melayu or English are distributed to participants. Last produced in 1983, it was reintroduced and updated by Mr Pele and the secretariat of 35 staff after the former’s appointment as DUNS Secretary in 2019.
To provide the general public a clearer understanding of any law, regulation or policy presented in the state legislative assembly, they pen articles that are then published in DUNS’s very own newsletter and share media reports regarding the matter – all of which can be found at the official DUNS website.
Like the guided tour, the website has been an instrumental aspect of DUNS Secretariat’s educational and awareness activities. This is to a point where, recounts Mr Pele, there have been queries from overseas about internship opportunities at DUNS.
It helps that the secretariat has a dedicated public relations (PR) unit to organise and manage these tours more effectively.
Previously under the Management Service Division, the unit was established following a restructuring of the secretariat about four years ago.
“Our core is our building. It’s about image. So rightfully, we should have our own PR unit to manned this image (of DUNS),” comments Mr Pele.
In the near future, the DUNS Secretariat is looking towards offering a more engaging and state-of-the-art educational experience for its visitors.
At the time of the interview, efforts are underway to improve the DUNS building and its surroundings, such as expanding and upgrading the public gallery to become more sophisticated, akin to those found at the Borneo Cultures Museum that opened its doors to the public earlier in 2022.
About DUNS
The history of DUNS goes as far back as 1867, when the first General Council meeting took place in Bintulu. Today, it is the largest legislative in Malaysia, consisting of 82 Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUNs) representing 82 constituencies in Sarawak.
The DUNS building is perceived as a symbol of “the People Sovereignty and Parliamentary Democracy”, where ADUNs debate, make policies, and speak on behalf of the people.
Construction of the new DUNS building, a nine-floor structure that overlooks the Sarawak River, began in 2004 and was declared opened in 2009. It is said to be able to support up to 108 ADUNs – far more than the old DUNS building which could only accommodate 48 members.
Sources: DUNS informational booklet provided by DUNS Secretariat
https://www.cmsb.com.my/new-sarawak-state-legistative-assembly-dun-building-officially-opened/
—Box/Infographic—
Three Major Offices of DUNS
- Office of the Speaker
- Office of the Deputy Speaker
- Office of the Secretary, or DUNS Secretariat, headed by the DUNS Secretary
Source: Interview with DUNS Secretary Pele Peter Tinggom at the new DUNS building, Kuching on 6 September 2022
