Wisma SALCRA is now Wisma Alfred Jabu

KUCHING: Wisma SALCRA has been renamed after former Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang, in conjunction with SALCRA’s Golden Jubilee.

Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA) chairman Datuk Seri Stephen Rundi Utom said the building will be renamed as Menara Alfred Jabu, symbolises a new chapter of the organisation’s transformation.

“As we embrace the future, we must not forget those who have made our journey possible.

“It is therefore only fitting that the SALCRA headquarters bear the name of the man who helped sow the organisation, nurtured its growth and stood by it through its formative years,” he said.

Rundi said this in his brief speech after revealing SALCRA’s new logo and renaming Wisma SALCRA to Menara Alfred Jabu at the SALCRA Golden Jubilee dinner last night (Oct 12).

In 1976, Alfred Jabu moved a Bill in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly to establish SALCRA and it was passed.

The former Deputy Chief Minister continued his long commitment after SALCRA’s establishment, including serving twice as chairman, with his final tenure ending on January 2017.

“Native land carried generations of history, identity and emotion. Understandably, there were doubts, fears and resistance.

“He visited longhouses, met landowners and stood alongside SALCRA management. He explained, listened and persuaded…

“He persisted because he believed in the mission — and, above all, in the people. Today, 50 years later, we can proudly say: The seed grew,” said Rundi.

He added that SALCRA has generated employment, income, entrepreneurship, infrastructure and opportunities for social mobility among rural communities.

It also demonstrated that Native land, when properly developed and managed, can become productive economic asset.

“Therefore, we are doing more than renaming a building. We are placing a name upon a legacy.

“May Menara Alfred Jabu forever symbolise vision, courage, persistence and service, and remind future generations that development has meaning only when it brings opportunity, dignity and a better life for our people,” he said.

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