Jabu (right) popping a balloon using a blow pipe as a symbolic officiating of the event while IGP Rajang Campus director Raymond Gai Panting (second right) looks on.

SIBU: Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG) Rajang Campus is the first teachers’ training institute to offer a degree course in Iban language (education), with the first intake in January last year.

This first batch of 24 students is due to complete their studies in November 2016. To-date, the campus has accepted four intakes with a total of 83 students for the degree programme.

IPG Miri Campus introduced a similar programme this year with the intake of 15 students last June. The degree programme for Iban language is to further develop the language at tertiary level.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu said it was a historic moment to be able to produce the first batch of teacher trainees in Iban language.

“Today, you come to support the solid foundation of the development of Iban language and to strengthen the language, for this I am very happy,” he said.

He said this during the official opening of the Iban Language degree course and Iban language and Iban literature symposium yesterday at RH Hotel.

He said the Iban language had been offered at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) in Tanjung Malim, Perak, since 2010.

He said it showed that Iban language was on par with Chinese and Tamil. He also pointed out that it was a long road to be able to see such an achievement.

“I have a very keen interest in developing the Iban language because I was born and brought up in the Iban longhouse,” he said.

He said many meetings were held to put resources together and approach the federal government for guidance to develop the language.

“The challenge now is to produce textbooks,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, Jabu announced an allocation of RM30,000 each to IPG Rajang Campus and Persatuan Pembangunan Pendidikan Bahasa Iban (AEDIL) for their Iban language essay competition.

He also announced an additional RM40,000 for IPG Rajang Campus.

Also present at the function were IPG Malaysia Rector Sulaiman Wak, and IGP Rajang Campus director Raymond Gai Panting and AEDIL president Dr Lambat.