Sarawak’s Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud must have forgotten there were some Dayak ministers, Dayak elected representatives, Dayak civil servants and Dayak farmers present at the Sarawak Agro Fest 2008 in Kuching when he condemned their forefathers for creating NCR land through shifting cultivation.
If he knew, he would not have embarrassed them the way he did when he opened the function last Saturday, 1 November 2008; unless, of course, he wanted to pass a message through them to their parents and their folks in longhouses and villages.
“You see, they (Dayaks) have two million acres under NCR lands just because of shifting cultivation. Apa itu?”, Taib said.
Almost all of the Dayak listeners, especially the Ibans, were jolted by the words used by Taib to hit back at the shifting cultivators. YB Francis Harden, assistant land development minister, and other YB Dayaks sat uncomfortably. Alfred Jabu, a senior Dayak minister, appeared to enjoy the criticisms.
Taib’s choice of words was not only a smack of arrogance, but also seemed to confirm Beginda Minda’s accusation that Taib was a big bully.
Since the amendment of the Land Code in 2000, the NCR lands have become thorny issues as the amendment not only declares all untitled lands including NCR lands as “State Lands” but criminalizes the land owners for defending their rights. Many have landed in jails.
According to the 2005 reports of Land and Survey Department, some 1.2 million hectares of land have been approved for oil palm plantations, the bulk of which is NCR lands. And by the year 2015, some 4 million hectares of land are to be planted with oil palm. Out of the total, about 1.5 million hectares are NCR land. By then there will be a few acres of NCR land left, if any!
Native land owners claim that their ancestral lands have been in existence for hundreds of years. Regarded as their life, now their lands have created nightmares for them and their children as they (lands) are slipping away from their grips.
If he knew, he would not have embarrassed them the way he did when he opened the function last Saturday, 1 November 2008; unless, of course, he wanted to pass a message through them to their parents and their folks in longhouses and villages.
“You see, they (Dayaks) have two million acres under NCR lands just because of shifting cultivation. Apa itu?”, Taib said.
Almost all of the Dayak listeners, especially the Ibans, were jolted by the words used by Taib to hit back at the shifting cultivators. YB Francis Harden, assistant land development minister, and other YB Dayaks sat uncomfortably. Alfred Jabu, a senior Dayak minister, appeared to enjoy the criticisms.
Taib’s choice of words was not only a smack of arrogance, but also seemed to confirm Beginda Minda’s accusation that Taib was a big bully.
Since the amendment of the Land Code in 2000, the NCR lands have become thorny issues as the amendment not only declares all untitled lands including NCR lands as “State Lands” but criminalizes the land owners for defending their rights. Many have landed in jails.
According to the 2005 reports of Land and Survey Department, some 1.2 million hectares of land have been approved for oil palm plantations, the bulk of which is NCR lands. And by the year 2015, some 4 million hectares of land are to be planted with oil palm. Out of the total, about 1.5 million hectares are NCR land. By then there will be a few acres of NCR land left, if any!
Native land owners claim that their ancestral lands have been in existence for hundreds of years. Regarded as their life, now their lands have created nightmares for them and their children as they (lands) are slipping away from their grips.
12 comments:
shit man...
i think iban need to start head-hunting again.....bring back this culture..plz
What a grave insult. Taib shows again how low his regard is for the NCR land owners and his even lower regard for all Sarawakians.
Revisit the 18 points agreement if they have completely forgotten about what is written on it.
The 18 points agreement have been openly thrown into the shredding machine.
'Alfred Jabu, a senior Dayak minister, appeared to enjoy the criticisms.'
He not only enjoys the criticisms but encourage more becos with his presence the criticisms is valid.He is aiding Taib to shame the dayaks but till now no dayaks have stood up and demand the withdraw of this statement.Where is all the bigmouth dayak who use to shout from one jungle to another but remains deafening quiet when such a allegation is been thrown right at their face.Hey! where art thou the brave warriors of the land of the Hornbills!
Taib Mahmud does not believe in the NCR of the Dayaks, especially the Iban.
The only way for the Sarawak Government's policy on NCR to change is to change the Government, and the opportunities will come big next State Elections.
If the Dayaks continue to think and behave in the same way, then I say sorry - your deserve what you get!
The man is so arrogant that he has forgotten manners and diplomacy. Gosh, if I were one of the Dayak dignitaries there I would have got up and walked out there and then. How long are the Dayak leaders going to just sit around and be insulted by this man?
Wake up,tattoo man!Show the insulter the exit.It has been way too long already and he is beginning to show arrogance.Jabu is not a dayak when Taib utter that insult against the dayak.
because of the shield is broken, then Iban is weak and can be bullied around.
we must mend back the broken shield to be strong and united...the we will have a strong voices...
welcome to taiblans ala saud-i arabia n tikriti iraq
where is the warrior's/fighting spirit in dayaks nowadays?
Top Ten Jabu's most visionary (but ridiculously no-brainer) ideas so far:
10. Buah Kepayang is the next golden fruit and should be commercialised big-scale. Cynide paste should be traded at RM5000/ metric tonne. Cynide Futures trading from Bursa soon.
9. Ikan Terubok rearing using kelambu for large-scale project to avoid extinction. Ever heard of high-tensile PVC aqua netting?
8. Tricycle subsidy for rural Dayak folks as alternative transport. Donkeys, Ilamas should be an optional upgrade. Hee-Haa!
7. Santubong bridge is ok! The hairline cracks should be no worry. ( err..sweat! ::) Declared safe by a non qualified engineer or maybe self-declared engineer Ir.Jabu? Anyway, it's a world's first.
6. "State JKR better than federal JKR in handling govt projects." His theme song enthuastically repeated for 2007 all year round. DAMA 2008 Song Of The Year nominee.
5. MRSM Betong college marks the sleepy ghost town Betong as the next education hub. Expect the formation Faculty of Nyabungology and Tuakology. Another world's first.
4. "My new Camry got no good battery." (It's a gift car/ numpang car shh! so he just leave it for 2 weeks, cannot start and eventually stall.) That's Toyota Camry Numpang Limited Edition.
3. My wifey got senator, now that's what we called symbolic appointment. Passed a bill at Dewan Negara that declared munching 'sugis'/ tobacco is legal and mandatory at any longhouse.
2. NCR land systematically grabbed (read:Salcra) for palm oil is good, good, good!
1. Dayaks to be united under Pakatan Rakyat Sarawak soon? Parai kitai! Akai, akai, akai!
Jabu is having hearing problem. He could not heard the insult thrown by Taib to the rest of the Dayaks
It's all about how to steal the timbers: Blame the Dayaks.
Post a Comment