After politics, Nansian goes into culture and eco-tourism

By  Mary Madeline

KUCHING: From an active politics, Datuk Peter Nansian has ventured into something that is close to his heart -  social activities.

 Datuk Peter Nansian showing a booklet about the Borneo Tribal Village.

"I am no longer active in politics, so I have the whole time to myself and that means I have time to go into culture and social activities," the former assistant minister said in a interview.

"Now,  I feel much lighter now (after out of active politics). So, I can concentrate on social activities like promoting our culture and heritage," he said.

Nansian, a certified public accountant, said he also has time to attend to his business.

"All in all, to me,  I find it blessing in disguise for me to be no longer  an elected representative. It lightens my burden in life so I can do other things. Let me graduate to another life- from politics to another life.

"We believe in life so we must graduate many times. I don't go in circle as life is so short," he said.

Nansian said he is not interested in frontline politics anymore, but will support people still active in politics, people who do the right things, like Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Abang Openg doing the right things.

"But if you need me and want me, then I give my full support," he said.

He said he was never fighting to be in politics, but since the State Barisan Nasional needed him to contest in Tasik Biru in the state election, he made himself available.

"I came out to serve the people. If you ask to me to stop, I stop. There are so many things to do in life. To me, that is okay to do other things," he said.

He was not named by the State Barisan Nasional to defend his Tasik Biru state constituency in the state election last year.

Nansian said leaving politics gives him an opportunity to complete the Borneo Tribal Village (BTV) which he started to build in 2012.

"When I was in active politics, I did not have time to finish it, but within one year after leaving politics, I transform the whole place.

"So, if I am busy in politics, I do not think I can do it that well," he explained.

Despite  not being promoted as a culture and eco-tourism spot, Nansian said a lot of packaged tours have been organised to BTV, consisting of foreign and local tourists interested to see the natural scenery and sample local Dayak delicacies.

"But I am reluctant to promote it in a big way because it has not been fully completed yet. But by the middle of this month, it should be ready to welcome visitors," he said.

BTV, nestles at the fringe of Kampung Apar Singai, is a jungle resort and a unique eco-tourism product intended to be a tribal heritage blending and evolving into contemporary living and life museum of flora and fauna and local tribes of Sarawak.

It occupies about 140 acres consisting of  land belonging to the local community and Nansian.

Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Abang Openg is scheduled to officially open BTV on July 1.

Nansian is still running his pet community-based organisation - the Association of Research and Development Movement of Singai Sarawak (REDEEMS) -  involving 12 Bidayuh villages in Singai area of Bau District.

"As president of REDEEMS, I provide inputs for the community," he explained.

These kampungs are predominantly inhabited by the Bisingai tribe of the Bidayuh community with an estimated population of not less than 15,000 people. 

Among REDEEMS' projects already in place are centre development, bamboo botanical park, Bidayuh language development project, education programme, community social welfare and services, community capacity building programme, and the annual Gawai Dayak celebration.

REDEEMS, Nansian's brain child, was registered with the Registrar of Societies on July 7, 1997.