Attached herein is a picture of an isolated Iban longhouse in Skandis, Lemanak. Skandis is located on the Kesit River within the Lubok Antu District;
“Buah Merdeka Sarawak 47 Taun Dipegai BN: Pemansang keno…..”
Looking from a Dayak perspective – Perception Outlook
It is true there are more Dayaks new rich produced through the government development programs, but concentration of wealth and corruption are becoming more chronic especially at the highest level in Dayak society.
Many new towns have been built with beautiful roads and unnecessary decorative bridges, but the condition of some Dayak rural villages appear to have remained the same since the Merdeka Day. Wonder which one of these two is our legitimate Merdeka Day: 31st August 1957 or 16th September 1963?
It is true that the incidence of absolute poverty among Dayaks has decreased, but relative poverty has increased as the gap between the rich minority and the poor majority has widened.
It is true that there are more Dayaks who are highly educated and have become successful professionals, but there is alarming deterioration in moral and ethical values among a growing number of Dayaks, including those holding important public offices. At the same time, there is also an increase in all kinds of criminal as well as anti-social activities.
It is true that there are many Dayaks who have built ostentatious palaces for themselves from the country’s wealth they have robbed. But many in the rural and underserved areas in Sarawak/Sabah still live in run-down huts, antique longhouse like the picture above and study in ill-equipped schools/clinics, sans electricity, lack of a proper sanitary system, lack of clean tap water, lack of accessibility, while a large number in urban slum areas are living in constant fear of forcible eviction. Good example of eviction; Rh. Nor Nyawai and Rh.Nyawin.
I am not suggesting that these are exclusively the Dayak problems. They are also shared by other communities - the Malays, Melanaus, Chinese, Indian and many others. But, comparatively a larger proportion of Dayaks are still lagging behind other races, in income, education, housing, business corporate, job opportunity and so forth.
Did our own current Dayak leaders care about all these and/or just merely denying the facts has never existed?
The Disadvantage Groups
What do I mean by the disadvantaged groups? Of course, basically they are the poor in the lower class. But I must say they also include the middle class income groups who can hardly afford decent living because of their big families and various economic factors to support and the ever-rising prices (food, oil and others) of daily essentials.
In fact, I would not exclude also the professionals, executives, businessmen and others in the upper- middle class who often face discrimination because of their ethnic background or political association, for example.
These disadvantaged groups are from different ethnic groups like the Dayaks in East Malaysia and not confined only to the liberal Malays, Indians, Orang Asli, Melanaus and the Chinese. But those who form the most majority are the pro-poor and low income groups, the bulk of whom are Dayaks.
In the process of politics and development, the perception and the reality to a large extent is that the Umno-Malays from the privileged groups and the Umno Alliance from the elite Melanaus and Malays of Sarawak and Sabah are the greatest beneficiaries. Even their own breed poor and disadvantaged Malays including some Melanau communities are not given their due share too.
A Broader Malaysia Approach Is Needed – Change WE Must
Herein, let us share these several observations which need to be emphasized and analyzed:
Firstly, in the name of the Dayaks as a whole, a small coterie or the paramount group of those in advantageous positions have managed to share or indirectly use or abuse the NEP and the State constitutional provisions and/or state ministerial special position to enrich themselves only.
In most cases they succeed, though many of them only temporarily on the basis of “know who” and “know opportunity” or “brokering frontier” Not “know how”. Unfortunately such privileges do not really benefits the rakyat who have entrusted them.
Secondly, poverty and low income, although largely are not exclusively Umno-Malay problems. There are “Orang Asli” (aboriginal peoples) in the Peninsula and “Orang Pribumi” (native peoples) in Sarawak and Sabah who are in more oppressive conditions than a large number of the Malay (“Orang Asal Tanah Ketuanan Melayu”) poor in Semananjung Malaysia.
Besides the Dayaks and the Orang Asli, there are also liberal Malays, Melanaus, Indians and Chinese working in the estates and/or living in the slum areas who are poor too. But just because their number is small it does not mean we can afford to neglect and exclude them from the development process.
Malaysia is for all Malaysian. 1Malaysia I presume is for ‘Umno First – Umno Priority’ and/or ‘Umno Didahulukan – Kejuaraan Kaum Melayu’? UMNO could also mean “Untuk Melayu – No Others”.
Be that as it may, the fact to be stressed is that the Dayaks still constitute the big majority of the poor and deprived not only in East Malaysia but in this country.
So, primary attention must justifiably be focused on them from now on; but there is no justification for neglecting the non-Dayaks in a similar or sometimes worse plight.
Dayaks must build alliance and network with other races otherwise they too would follow the trait of “Ketuanan Melayu”. Sarawak is for all Sarawakian not for some.
Thirdly, the persistence of absolute poverty and deterioration of relative poverty affect access to good education, health services, housing and so forth among the poor. Since the majority of Dayaks are poor, they are most adversely affected.
Again this plight is not the monopoly of just the Dayaks for they are shared also by the poor from other ethnic groups of Malaysia.
The cause of all these can be traced to the existing socio-economic system and government policies, which are strongly rooted in the dominating free enterprise (laissez faire) philosophy. Change the system and policies for the people Not the special privilege people.
1Malaysia venture remain rhetoric
Ironically, beyond beautiful rhetoric like 1Malaysia venture, there has been insufficient sensitivity and commitment among many Malay government leaders towards the poor rakyat who are the majority Dayaks.
At the same time too, many non-Malay capitalists have become wealthier than the leading Malay corporate figures enjoying special support and sponsorship. This situation is even worse when you compare with the Dayak traitors; ‘kaban makai kaban’ or ‘kaban nyual bansa’. Yet there’s still below 1% or none of the Dayak entrepreneur have been successful in the corporate arena in Malaysia.
Although far from being ‘Bumiputera’ and/or ‘special privilege people’, they are able to enjoy the benefits from the big allocations for development under NEP projects, primarily through their “know who” links with powerful politicians whom they can often easily buy off.
The BN-UMNO elites certainly have more privileges than the ordinary Malays than other races; whereas most of the Dayak politicians alliance to the current BN conglomerates are only hearsay of the ‘billions ringgits budget/project’ but unfortunately they only get a ‘tiny-splinter’ (tai-ugei) of the project benefits for themselves.
In sadness, what about the Dayak community(s) in general; their NGOs (SDNU, DBNA, SDGA, etc), business community (DCCI and others) and their grassroots level (rural and the underserved areas)?
Glokalization of Sarawak and Sabah – UMNO land of opportunity
There is something inherent in this system and the policies that work against the interest of the poor and the weak. With the influence of globalization (a new form of colonialism), the prevailing political power structure and the dominating free enterprise philosophy, the system favoring the rich few will persist for quite some time.
That’s where PM Najib Razak got his new idea of “Glokal” Malays capable of competing locally as well as globally and to empower Umno future, were clamoring for extending quotas, special privileges and other elements of the New Economic Policy.
That is, more “crutches’ and the obvious irony was lost on everyone in particular the rakyat. This “Glokal” system which towering the Malay Personality and Supremacy could also means to ‘glocalize’ Sarawak and Sabah natural resources and assets. Who should we save; the Umno-BN or the rakyat?
For Umno – Sarawak and Sabah is truly a land of many opportunities and act as their ‘Fixed Deposit’ and/or as ‘collateral’ to bailout any Umno unforeseen risk.
There is a great need to temper this system with humanitarian and egalitarian values and programs. There is still need for positive discrimination. But it should be based not on ethnicity, but on necessity that cuts across ethnic line.
New Economic Policy (NEP) primary focus is for “Ketuanan Melayu”
This, ironically, prevails despite the so-called “Ketuanan Melayu” (Malay supremacy), constitutional guarantees on the Malay special position and the New Economic Policy (NEP).
Admittedly, this country has witnessed a lot of development especially after the NEP. But unfortunately, they emphasize more on politics and economic rather than social and human development.
At the same time, they stress more on physical or material rather than moral or ethical development.
There is more allocation on wasteful mega projects to provide big contracts and commissions to cronies rather than providing social facilities for the greater benefit and welfare of the ordinary people, especially the disadvantaged groups.
Malaysian Economic Agenda (MEA)
I’d like to share the view that after 47 years, there is a need to reappraise the NEP and replace it with a new Malaysian Economic Agenda (MEA) as mooted by DS Anwar Ibrahim and accepted as PR policy.
This agenda contains the following important ingredients:
- It focuses on the poor and disadvantaged, with social facilities provided more for their welfare and emancipation,
- It introduces poverty alleviation and development programs not only for the Malay rural poor, but providing similar opportunities and equitable treatment to the other ethnic groups including the Dayaks, and cutting across ethnic boundaries,
- It restricts powerful political leaders and their cronies accumulating wealth from filthy sources and by dirty means,
- It wages effective war against corruption, waste and mismanagement, and
- It empowers the people, particularly the poor and disadvantaged people of all races, so that they can be liberated from slavish mentality and have the courage to promote and defend their basic economic and social rights.
The Way Forward
The idea of replacing the NEP with the MEA is to generate balanced development to achieve social justice through fair and equitable distribution of the country’s economic and social resources.
Since the policy and orientation of MEA is based on the dictum of ‘Keperluan Rakyat’ i.e. concern for the plight of the people, the poor in particular, it will certainly be most advantageous to the Dayaks, the Orang Asli, the liberal/sidelined Malays and the Indians who still form the majority poor and including the Chinese too.
In general the MEA model would certainly benefit all; for the people, by the people and with the people. At the same time it can guarantee greater ethnic stability because the non-Malays are included in the equation. What is needed now and today is “Ketuanan Rakyat” (People’s Supremacy). This is the way forward!
Conclusion
Justice was never won without personal sacrifice whether measured in time volunteered, energy devoted to a cause, or financial support generously given.
We need each other now and more than ever before the support in our struggle for Justice, Equality, Fairness, Accountability and Tolerance.
Your contribution is not just mind that builds up into a wave of Change. Commitment, sincerity, persistent, our moral values and momentum must be kept alive to empower the Change. Change WE Must – Change MUST We!
AGI IDUP – AGI NGELABAN…..Hooo…Haaa!!!
MAJU DAYAK – MAJU BANSA!!!
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