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Is Sarawak Barisan Nasional opposed to the appointment of a Dayak Sarawak Chief Minister in the 2021 Sarawak state general election – for the first time in half a century since the appointment of two Iban Chief Ministers from 1963-1970?

I am surprised that there is no strong reaction from both the Federal and Sarawak Barisan Nasional leaders to the shockingly unMalaysian statement by the PAS President Datuk Seri Hadi Awang that a Chinese or a non-Muslim bumiputera cannot be the Sarawak Chief Minister.

As the PAS President has become a close ally of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, even defending Najib’s RM50 billion 1MDB global financial scandal, why is Najib and caretaker Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem silent on Hadi’s shocking statement?

So far only the PBB Vice President and Deputy Minister for Rural and Regional Development Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi had expressed his outrage at Hadi’ statement, causing him to describe Hadi as “ignorant” and “stupid”.

But why are the heavyweights like Najib and Adenan silent on this important issue? Continue reading “Is Sarawak Barisan Nasional opposed to the appointment of a Dayak Sarawak Chief Minister in the 2021 Sarawak state general election – for the first time in half a century since the appointment of two Iban Chief Ministers from 1963-1970?”

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If DAP succeeds in forming Sarawak State Government in next general election in 2021, the first DAP Chief Minister of Sarawak is unlikely be a Chinese but most likely be a Dayak

Sarawakians and Malaysians must be shocked to read about the speech by the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang at a ceramah in Kuching that only a Muslim bumiputera can be Chief Minister of Sarawak and not a Chinese or a non-Muslim bumiputera.

It is very sad and shocking to see PAS advocating such narrow and divisive politics, when everyone should be promoting unity, harmony and togetherness in our multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural society.

For promoting such a narrow, negative and divisive stand, all the 11 PAS candidates in the 11th Sarawak state general election deserve to lose their deposits on May 7 Polling Day.

Sarawak and Malaysia should be going forward to weld a greater unity out of the rich and diverse ethnic groups, languages, religions and cultures in our midst instead of segregating the diverse ethnic groups, languages, religions and cultures into their separate silos which is not to promote greater national unity but engender greater distrust, division and disunity in our plural society.

I met the first Sarawak Chief Minister, Stephen Kalong Ningkan half a century ago when DAP was established in 1966, and after Stephen was toppled as Sarawak Chief Minister, he was succeeded by another Iban, Tawi Sli.

Sabah had also a history of Chief Ministers who is not a Muslim bumiputera, with personalities like Peter Lo, Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Yong Teck Lee, Chong Kah Kiat and Bernard Dompok.

It is sad that instead of going forwards to promote greater unity, there is a political party which is advocating that the country should go backwards to erect artificial walls to divide the people in Sarawak and Malaysia. Continue reading “If DAP succeeds in forming Sarawak State Government in next general election in 2021, the first DAP Chief Minister of Sarawak is unlikely be a Chinese but most likely be a Dayak”

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Jabu gets a tongue-lashing

Joseph Tawie | November 24, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

A landowner has accused the deputy chief minister of twisting the truth over a joint-venture project.

KUCHING: A native customary right (NCR) landowner gave Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Numpang a verbal slap yesterday for twisting the truth and claiming that the government was supportive of native rights.

Declining to be named, the landowner said he and many others were present during the “Kanowit incident” in 1996 which Jabu had referred to at the State Legislative Assembly sitting yesterday.

“We were there in 1996. We know about the joint-venture (JV) concept. We were cheated of our rightful dividends,” he said in reference to Jabu’s accusation that DAP was the stumbling block to poverty eradication programmes among the rural community.

Jabu, during his debate on the state’s 2012 budget yesterday, revisited the 1996 Kanowit incident and recalled that some 20 to 30 DAP members had objected to the government’s NCR joint-venture poverty eradication programmes to assist rural Sarawakians.

“In 1966, about 1,500 landowners turned up for the launching of the NCR joint-venture concept at the Dewan Suarah Kanowit. We then saw some 20 to 30 DAP members climbed on stage to protest against the programme,” said Jabu.

He also pointed out that Machang assemblyman Gramong Juna and Land Development Minister James Masing were also witnesses to the incident. Continue reading “Jabu gets a tongue-lashing”

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The Dayak tea party

by June Rubis
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 10, 2012

SEPT 10 ― It must have been a beautiful day for an outdoor tea party in West Kalimantan. It is the early 1980s when Borneo’s forests are still comparatively lush although the forests would have to struggle to survive an onslaught of slash-&-burn for commercial rubber plantations and wide-scale logging.

In the meantime, all is serene along the banks of the Kapuas River where the Javanese and Sumatran wives of managers of a rubber plantation wait for their guests to arrive.

The guests were the wives of local Dayak tribesmen, who upon arrival, gathered up all the food, and left, leaving their shocked hostesses in their wake.

The managers dismissed this as part of the “strange and difficult culture” of the Dayaks, while ignoring the fact that this behaviour was aberrant in Dayak culture and thus was a political statement of conflicting economic and political interests.

The Dayaks of the area were facing the loss of their forests and subsequently source of food, due to the appropriation of traditional lands for the rubber plantation. There were reports that the Dayaks were unhappy with the compensation received.

An eye for an eye, albeit a small victory of appropriating the plantation’s food, in protest of unfair appropriation of their native lands, one might say. Continue reading “The Dayak tea party”

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Pakatan’s alternative budget ‘empowers’ Dayaks

Joseph Tawie | November 11, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

Dayaks who have been ‘deprived of convenience’ by the ruling Barisan Nasional regime can expect to be prioritized under a Pakatan Rakyat rule.

KUCHING: Should the opposition, Pakatan Rakyat, be elected to power, the Dayak community in Sarawak can expect to see RM1 billion set aside to specifically look into their needs.

From this amount, some RM100 million will be channelled towards the Dayak Welfare Fund.

The RM100 million fund will look to providing medical aid and care for the poor and infirm Dayaks, help facilitate the supply of water tanks, pumps and pipes to longhouses and to repair and rebuild dilapidated houses or those destroyed by fire and other natural disasters.

Announcing this today, Pakatan’s shadow finance minister Chong Chien Jen said the Dayak Welfare Fund will be parked at the Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation.

“The fund aims to reduce and mitigate some of the problems faced by the Dayaks.

“We must not shut our eyes to the plight of the Dayaks like what the BN (Barisan Nasional) ministers have done.

“The Dayaks have all along been marginalised and left out from the main stream of development in our country.

“As such, Pakatan must take action to help the Dayaks in terms of their education, and cultural and social levels,” he said. Continue reading “Pakatan’s alternative budget ‘empowers’ Dayaks”

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BN-Dayak leaders’ failure a boost for DAP

by Joseph Tawie
Free Malaysia Today

A senior lecturer in Unimas describes Sarawak DAP’s move to establish a Dayak think-tank as a ‘concrete and pragmatic’ approach in winning over Dayak support.

KUCHING: The failure of Dayak leaders to highlight the Dayak community’s problems in Parliament and in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly has been described as a key reason for the opposition DAP’s bid to form the Dayak Consultative Council (DCC).

According to DCC head John Brian, Dayak leaders in Barisan Nasional had proven to be ineffective.

He said the ruling BN having been in power for almost 50 years was less responsive to the voices of the people when compared to the DAP.

He described DAP as a more ‘progressive and democratic” party which can see issues from another perspective.
Continue reading “BN-Dayak leaders’ failure a boost for DAP”

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DAP Dayak Consultative Council (DCC) formed

by Dr. John Brian Anthony
Chairman
DAP DCC

On his visit on 11th of June to Sarawak, DAP Adviser Saudara Lim Kit Siang proposed the formation of a Dayak Brain Trust (DBT) which was discussed in this blog earlier.

LKS vision for DBT is for it “to advise DAP Sarawak and DAP Malaysia on a strategy to end Dayak marginalization and spur a Dayak awakening as a integral part of a Malaysian renaissance”.

DAP has also stated that it is interested to go into some Dayak areas in Sarawak and are looking for Dayak who has interest in joining DAP. In this respect, DAP is interested to get the support from Dayak and also their services.

Formation of Dayak Consultative Council

After some serious work and preparation the name “Dayak Brain Trust” has now being changed to “Dayak Consultative Council” (DCC) to capture the essence of the role and spirit of the new organization. Continue reading “DAP Dayak Consultative Council (DCC) formed”

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DAYAK AWAKENING: Accomplishing Big Dreams Together.

by Duwen Babat
(Preparerd for “Is it time for a Dayak Reawakening” forum in KL on 18.7.11)

1. Introduction.

1.1 This opinion of mine is to briefly address specific subjects that could give significant impact to the rural population especially the Dayak community in Sarawak. Thus, issues pertaining to urban areas and matters of national implication are not discussed in this paper.

1.2 I must acknowledge that there are many good developments that have been and being carried out and suggested by various parties such as financial support to the elderly and single mothers, treated water, electricity, tarred roads and bridges. As such, I would not dwell on this topic as I support it completely, and of the opinion that such programs are basic necessities that the government is obligated to provide to its citizens.

1.3 The rural electorates continue to play a very vital role in deciding the outcome of the parliamentary and state election in Malaysia. However, despite their importance the Dayak rural populations continue to be marginalized and remained among the poorest since the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. Continue reading “DAYAK AWAKENING: Accomplishing Big Dreams Together.”

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BN strategy to muzzle PR reps and to punish Dayaks for NCR struggle in new Sarawak State Assembly?

The Barisan Nasional will be making a fatal political mistake if the new Sarawak State Assembly starts off next week on a wrong footing with a high-handed Barisan Nasional strategy to muzzle Pakatan Rakat representatives and to punish Dayaks for their Native Customary Rights (NCR) struggle.

Reports yesterday about the opening session of the 10th Sarawak State Assembly beginning on Monday are disturbing for if true, they point to an intransigent Sarawak state government which refuses to acknowledge the wind of change blowing hard and strong in the state and the aspirations of Sarawakians for accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance.

There is yesterday’s report in Free Malaysia Today entitled “Behave or face consequence, opposition reps warned”, where strong language was used, for instance, quoting second Finance Minister Datuk Wong Soon Koh as warning that the BN has 55 while the Opposition only 16 State Assembly members when uttering the threat: “We know how to deal with them”. Continue reading “BN strategy to muzzle PR reps and to punish Dayaks for NCR struggle in new Sarawak State Assembly?”

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Mengangkat martabat Dayak

Komentar Roketkini
17 June 2011 | Roketkini

17 JUN – Hampir 100,000 warga Malaysia keturunan Dayak dari Sarawak terpaksa meninggalkan negeri untuk mencari kerja di Semenanjung. Keadaan menyedihkan itu berlaku kerana kerajaan negeri Barisan Nasional Sarawak gagal menyediakan peluang pekerjaan yang secukupnya.

Daripada jumlah 2.4 juta penduduk Sarawak, separuh daripadanya adalah dari kalangan masyarakat Dayak yang merangkumi Iban, Bidayuh, Kelabit, Kenyah, Penan, Kayan, Punan, Ngaju, Lun Bawang, Sihan dan suku-suku kaum lain.

Malah, kerajaan negeri pimpinan Tan Sri Adul Taib Mahmud mahu anak-anak negeri yang masih berada di kampung supaya bersaing dengan buruh asing di lading-ladang kelapa sawit yang hanya menawarkan gaji RM12 sehari. Continue reading “Mengangkat martabat Dayak”

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DAP and Dayak Think Tank

By: Dr. John Brian Anthony
16 June 2011 | Dayakbaru.com

The idea of Dayak Think Tank is not new but the “will and positive” action by DAP to want to make it happen is new. No Dayak Based party in BN would want to form a Dayak Think Tank for fear of because accused of a narrow agenda for Dayak, basically they do not want be branded as Dayak Racialist party. Other then that, the BN component Dayak based parties shouted on top of their voice that they are championing Dayak interest. But the evidence of their effort to cahmpion Dayak interest is not there.

A Dayak Think Tank is therefor very important. Tan Sri William Mawan talked about such initiative in private. But without the proper ground work and finance and leadership effort how will that happen. it is left at empty talk and nothing more. Educated and society active Dayak took their journey to promote change. without proper platform they adopted PKR and hopefully they choose DAP too in time to come. Continue reading “DAP and Dayak Think Tank”

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‘Selfish’ Dayak politicians stifling community’s growth

Joseph Tawie | June 15, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

A blogger has warned Dayaks that BN’s money politics will “devour the community” and eventually make them non-existent.

KUCHING: A well known native activist has slammed Dayak politicians in Sarawak, describing them as ‘shallow and selfish’ leaders who were willing to compromise the community’s culture and intergrity.

Blogger John Brian, who is also an academician, alleged that Dayak politicians were more interested in enriching themselves than looking out for the brethrens.

“Many Dayaks prefer to be BN candidates so that they not only can win easily, but can also enrich themselves faster.

“Helping the people who have elected them is not their agenda, as they are more concerned of enriching themselves. Continue reading “‘Selfish’ Dayak politicians stifling community’s growth”