Penan community’s understanding of the meaning of empowerment in the Resettlement Program (PPS) of Belaga District, Sarawak

The local community’s needs are often ignored at the macro-level policy-making process thus jeopardising the goal of holistic and integrated community development. Yet, their world view provides information about the needs and aspirations of members of the local community necessary in a particular development programme as they are both the recipients and the implementers of the development effort. This article seeks to decipher the Penan community’s world view on the meaning of empowerment in a resettlement scheme programme of Belaga, Sarawak by means of a phenomenology research paradigm and an abductive research strategy.The paradigm focuses on Penan community’s livelihood and living experience as shaped by the values they adhered to . Data were collected through indepth interviews with 50 participants in the resettlement scheme programme of Sungai Asap and Sungai Koyan, Belaga. The community’s undertstanding of the meaning of empowerment was analysed by means of themes generated from their world view with regard to their knowledge, experiences, daily routines, interpretations, actions and reactions. The findings indicate that the Penan community’s undertanding of the meaning of empowerment can be referred to both internal and external empowerment whereby a person or a group utilizes its talent, skills and capacity for inner and external improvement. The findings reiterate the point that empowerment is a key indicator of progress that policy makers should address in formulating new comprehensive plans to overcome various issues and problems faced by the rural communities. Future studies should explore the impact of local knowledge, specific local needs of the community, and local world view in ensuring that planned development programmes are able achieve their desired targets.