KUCHING, 19 June 2019 – The Sarawak Indian Women Association (SIWA) hosted a grand celebratory dinner to honour its President, Paliani Samba Bilaidom, widely known as Lucy Lingam, for her groundbreaking appointment as the First Indian Woman Penghulu in Malaysia, effective January 1, 2019.1
The joyous occasion, held at a hotel in Kuching, saw the enthusiastic attendance of SIWA Patron, YB Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development.2
In her speech, Dato Sri Fatimah hailed the appointment as an “excellent example of a state that honours a woman for her capabilities and leadership,” emphasizing that Penghulu Lucy’s achievement, despite being from a minority group, significantly contributed to Sarawak as a whole.3
The event served as a major display of unity, drawing all key Indian community leaders in Kuching, alongside a strong presence of supporters and well-wishers from political party SUPP, the Sarawak Women and Family Department (JWKS), and various other NGOs. The celebration highlighted the widespread recognition of Penghulu Lucy Lingam’s decades of social work and commitment to community empowerment.
