Tuesday, October 20

Why condemn petty issues?

The competition was renamed to Miss Borneo Beautiful (instead of Miss Dayak Sarawak) after drawing much protests from Dayak leaders. Pic credit: The Borneo Post Online

The Borneo Post dated 16 October 2009 (pg. 22) quoted Peter Minos, the Kumang organiser, as saying that the organisers of the renamed Miss Borneo Beautiful Pageant should still meet and seek advice from Dayak leaders even though they have dropped the word “Dayak” from the pageant.

Prior to the name change, Minos had said the organisers should have gotten approval from Alfred Jabu to use the word ‘Dayak’ in the name of the pageant.

According to Minos, Jabu is the authority on Dayak matters due to his position as Dayak Cultural Foundation chairman and chief advisor of state and national level Gawai Dayak celebrations.

“Even people in Kuala Lumpur get advice from Jabu on Dayak matters. We already have Kumang Dayak pageants for most beautiful Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu ladies. So why duplicate?” he said.

Almost all Dayak leaders including Dayak politicians quickly came out and condemned the organisers of the proposed Miss Dayak Borneo beauty pageant for being insensitive to the feelings of the Dayak people.

Some months back, these Dayak leaders and politicians made a big row over the use of the word ‘chawat’ or loincloth used by Abdul Hadi, PAS president to describe the mentality of those who voted for Barisan Nasional in the Lubok Antu by-election.

It appears that these leaders treat these petty issues very seriously as if “life and death” are involved. What “maruah” (dignity) is there left when the livelihood of the Dayaks is threatened, when they live in poverty and misery after their most valuable possessions are being taken away, when many have become beggars.

Hundreds and thousands of hectares of NCR land are taken away by force through the process of legal means. These lands are sold to big towkays, leaving the NCR land owners with nothing. Not only the land owners will suffer, but their generations to come will also become landless and will continue to bear the burden of poverty and other social ills. Their future is grim. It will not be a surprise if one day, the Dayaks will become ‘kampar’ or foreigners in their own land and ‘temuai’ or visitors in their own house.

These are the issues our political leaders should fight for and should defend; these are the issues that they should condemn the powers that be as they (powers that be) are slowly strangling the life out of our people rather than criticising other people on issues of ‘chawat’ and Miss Dayak Borneo beauty pageant. - The Broken Shield

Source: http://www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com/

7 comments:

Buddhaphish said...

Nicely put. History will judge on who best served the Dayak community and I'm guessing it won't be the STRUGGLE to change a beauty pageant's name. /sarcasm

sulu injau said...

Why SIDS is depriving of dayak women`s freedom? What is wrong for the contestants doing their catwalk in evening gowns? Nothing of inmoral about it. If SIDS is suggesting that the dayak contestants should attire in traditional costumes,then we should go back to the original traditional dress for the dayak women participating in any beauty contest, exposing round and oval app........

In that context, is it proper for the dayak gentlemen taking part in `keling` and body builder competitions attire in `cawat`?

Anonymous said...

Aiyah, We all know that this jabu ,if he not invited, he will get annoyed and feel neglected.so If he is not one of them then he will try his best to pour cold water over it.

this top guys are more interested in this petty issues than helping the dayaks becos to stand with all these beautiful sexy gals is more popular than to stand with those people with loin clothes.

Ask mawan ,masing or jabu if they are interested to be guest of honor for the NCR critics. They will surely hide behind the curtain or making all sorts of excuses.

I fully support these beautiful dayak gals for coming out into the open and join other races by holding this pageant.This one way of helping this beautiful dayaks to be on par with other races.Remember Najib's 1malaysia,people first and performance now.If jabu and his gang don't support this beauty pageant, then they are ignorant of Najib's call.

Why should the dayak consult jabu for everything. He does not represent the dayaks .He only represent those who are ready to be shown the door.

The name Dayak Beauty Pageant must be restore to show that jabu hear Najib's call for unity otherwise he should be call arrogant.

This land is truly our land and we must use all means to take what belong to us.
God save our land.

keling ati said...

Yes, the newspapers had published the views from several dayak women about the issues and most of them did not agree with SIDS opposing the beauty pageant.

BUT, to me PBDS revival initiated by a group of ex-PBDS is not a petty issues and Datuk Daneil had confirmed that he attended the meeting in Sibu as an adviser. The question is why the story of this revival move was not highlighted by the Broken Shield so that the public would like to know who were behind it. Ada apa apakah, Jetty?

Normally, the Broken Shield is always in the front highlighting the emergence of any new political party in Sarawak for instances the posting of PRM and ARBS.

Why is quite about PBDS Baru?

Anonymous said...

keling ati,

Brokenshield is the mouthpiece of Daniel Tajem and Jetty is not keen to promote PBDS revival becos he is heading for greener pasture of PKR.

PBDS is bankrupt while he have hopes for PKR becos Anwar is rich. Who knows if PR takes over he will get the CM post.So that's why Brokenshield don't bother to write about other dayak news which are not to their benefit.

I personally think Brokenshield should stand on middle ground and let the readers take sides.in this way the readers will see whether the posting are people friendly or gov't friendly.

Too much have been said about NCR.Write something about how best we can bring the dayaks forward.

Anonymous said...

hopfully miss dayak aka miss borneo can compete in miss world/universe

Banting said...

In the Borneo Post today, Dato Empiang has expressed her concern about " Indai Blues " unfaithful wives who are left home alone to take care of their children while their husbands go off to work far away, taking advantages in the absence of their husbands, the "Indai Blues" go anywhere they want for entertainment and get into an affair with other men.Oh my God, "Indai Blues" are keeping "Adong Belalai".

Then, how about "Apai Blues" leaving wives and children working abroad? Do you think they confine themselves at home and do not go out for entertainment? Ha...ha..., very devoted "Apai Merampau", like me too.