KUCHING: An Iban businessman Joseph Allen has criticised some Iban ministers and elected representatives for not fighting for the interests of the Iban community in terms of quotas in business, economic cake, scholarships, places in universities, recruitment into the civil service, holding higher posts in the civil service or appointments to government-linked companies.
“They should be courageous enough in fighting for the interests of their own community.
“They should emulate and support Minister of Primary Commodities and Industries Bernard Dompok, who is also president of United Pasok Momogun Organisation in fighting for the interests of the Kadazan-Dusun community,” he said.
Allen, a former supreme council member of Parti Rakyat Sarawak, was asked to comment on Dompok’s statement.
Dompok had said that Bumiputras from Sabah and Sarawak should be accorded equal opportunities as their counterparts in the peninsula in all aspects, citing federal service as example where all the top posts are denominated by Bumiputras from the peninsula.
The minister believed that it was every citizen’s right to raise matters that need the attention of the country’s leaders and they should not be regarded as going against the government.
“Dompok is the type of leaders we need for the Iban community,” Allen stressed.
Expressing support for Dompok’s call for a review of economic quota, he said: “The quota of 30% should apply to both the non-Muslim Bumiputra (Dayak) community and the Muslim community, while the non-Bumiputra should be 40%.
“Currently, Dayaks are lumped together with the Malays to form the Bumiputra group which is allocated 30% of the economic cake. Under this category, the Dayaks do not get anything. They are only needed to strengthen the number only,” he said.
Allen said that when Malaysia was formed, Temenggong Jugah signed the Malaysian Agreement on behalf of the Dayaks, while Donald Stephens signed on behalf of the Kadazan-Dusuns, because they believed that their generations to come would benefit and enjoy the wealth of the nation.
And if they refused to sign, there would be no Malaysia today, he added.
A former Police officer, Allen said that the Dayaks had contributed a great deal to the security, peace and order of the country during the height of communist insurgency in Sarawak.
“They should be courageous enough in fighting for the interests of their own community.
“They should emulate and support Minister of Primary Commodities and Industries Bernard Dompok, who is also president of United Pasok Momogun Organisation in fighting for the interests of the Kadazan-Dusun community,” he said.
Allen, a former supreme council member of Parti Rakyat Sarawak, was asked to comment on Dompok’s statement.
Dompok had said that Bumiputras from Sabah and Sarawak should be accorded equal opportunities as their counterparts in the peninsula in all aspects, citing federal service as example where all the top posts are denominated by Bumiputras from the peninsula.
The minister believed that it was every citizen’s right to raise matters that need the attention of the country’s leaders and they should not be regarded as going against the government.
“Dompok is the type of leaders we need for the Iban community,” Allen stressed.
Expressing support for Dompok’s call for a review of economic quota, he said: “The quota of 30% should apply to both the non-Muslim Bumiputra (Dayak) community and the Muslim community, while the non-Bumiputra should be 40%.
“Currently, Dayaks are lumped together with the Malays to form the Bumiputra group which is allocated 30% of the economic cake. Under this category, the Dayaks do not get anything. They are only needed to strengthen the number only,” he said.
Allen said that when Malaysia was formed, Temenggong Jugah signed the Malaysian Agreement on behalf of the Dayaks, while Donald Stephens signed on behalf of the Kadazan-Dusuns, because they believed that their generations to come would benefit and enjoy the wealth of the nation.
And if they refused to sign, there would be no Malaysia today, he added.
A former Police officer, Allen said that the Dayaks had contributed a great deal to the security, peace and order of the country during the height of communist insurgency in Sarawak.
“Now the Dayaks are forgotten, sidelined in business opportunities and have not been given a fair share of the country’s wealth.
“We have compromised and tolerated the policy, the injustice and inequality meted against us,” he said, pointed out that even their rights already in their possessions such as native customary lands are being taken away from the community.
Allen called on Iban leaders like Douglas Uggah, Federal Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and state ministers Alfred Jabu, James Masing and William Mawan to support Dumpok’s call for a review of the economic quota.
“If you don’t say anything, don’t blame the government but blame our leaders,” he said.- The Broken Shield
12 comments:
In the Borneo Post special supplement dated 23rd January, 2005, the president of PRS James Jemut Masing said, " Twenty one years ago, I was very convinced that Dayak must fight for the Dayak. If we don`t do that nobody else will. I was wrong! "
Well Joseph Allen, are you in the same boat with James Masing now? If so, is PRS fighting for a Dayak cause? Based on James Masing`s statement above, it appears to me PRS is not fighting for a Dayak cause.
Mr Allen,only now you know the true colors of our Iban Ministers, meaning all past couple of years you supported them blindly, well it is not too late to repent.
Cannot lah. How can these leaders and monsters speak for fellow Iban traders and businessmen when they themselves want direct enjoy of the cake???
Allen called on Iban leaders like Douglas Uggah, Federal Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and state ministers Alfred Jabu, James Masing and William Mawan to support Dumpok’s call for a review of the economic quota.
Hey Allen, where have you been all these years? In a cave? You are asking the same deadwood Ministers? Your ex-boss is the last person who will help the Ibans. He is the Great Iban Destroyer. Jabu? Please la...He is the the Official Photographer fro Taib. Got no time for the Ibans unless its to take more land for SALCRA.
You should be identifying the new leaders you want to replace them. Being ex-PRS, you should whack PRS in the coming election.
Iban leaders are just plain selfish, full of self praise and only cares for their own pockets! These Ybs. use their positions to gain wealth and conveniently forgets who voted them in. They live in luxurious houses in Kuching and enjoys 5 meals a day when those in the longhouses hardly have 2 good meals to feed a family of four children. So, why should they fight for the rights of their communities when they can grap it all for themselves? Thats the weakness of our useless and selfish iban leaders.
Where got the balls to fight for their own tribes. Most of the YBs or top leadership are married to chinese. You see when the dayaks are married to the chinese, they are deemed to have upgrade their caste. This shows these dayaks are above their own race and their race will look up tho them as a special race who have the talent to married other races.
so you see, most of the time they are fighting for their own pocket inorder to have a higher standard of living and to live like king which their chinese wives are proud of.
And don't forget all these dayaks leaders live in towns and cities. So been far away from their supporters, they are 'safe' from their constant demands.
Those living in the rural areas seldom see their YBs becos they come only when there is a election. That's the time they start bluffing. The better these YBs bluff, the better chance he will be re-elected. So why would they visit their constituency when there is no election. They said they will be bankrupted if they kept on going for these visits.
Like wise why would they fight for their own race when it's safer to leave these poor folks the way they are and only give them some handouts when election comes.
I will name quite alot of these YBs who are living in 'paradise' when his own race are suffering. When election comes these will be the weapon.
I appreacite and salute the efforts of Allen in his highly sought after comments though untimely. But what sadden me is that why only now when he is no longer with the party. Was he gagged when he was in the party probably in the same shoes as the present Iban ministers. Its easier to make a comments but more difficult if not impossible when you have a vested interests.
I for one would sincerely the dayaks to be at least par to our dear malay brothers and sisters.
Why only use "Iban" and not "Dayak" to present any argument, especially on the problems which are endemic and yet universal to the Dayak communities in Malaysia? By going "Iban" or "Bidayuh" we are caught in the web of divisiveness amongst ourselves. Whereas we should instead go on a united front. To be not using "Dayak" as a front we are playing right into the scheme of things that the State Administration wanted us to be to, all along. We should not be! Look at the Melanau they never speak of their community identification. They officially use "Malay", and hide under the big umbrella, for their indentiification as a race. Even those that are not Muslim they use "Bin" instead of "Anak". They are very smart. And they are very successful. Look at the Arabs in Lebanon: they use names like "Abu" etc which in Malaysia are normally taken as identity for being a "Muslim". There however could be found such Christain names as "Joseph Abu", and they call themselves Lebanese nothwithstanding they are Christain or Muslim.And we won't go wrong by using "Dayak"; too wrong to keep on using the "Iban", "Bidayuh", "Slakau", "Lala" or "Orang Ulu" and others. Such practices are archaic,divisive, and we should discard them, please.
Patrick Anek Uren
Robin Hood: August 20, 2010 4:23 PM
Please do not be a racist. It does not matter if a person is married to another race but whether in his heart, he wants to serve his people.
Got Ibans married to Ibans also think so highly of themselves. No need to name them as this is not a racist column. If you want to be racist go and join Perkasa.
Iban leaders should help the people more rather than enrich themselves. There are those few YBs who do that but sometimes the people in the kawasan also too demanding. Semua maok kasih free. So we have to be mindful of these special cases.
However, if you are talking about the usual Jabu, Masing, Uggah, Gramong...then these few we should get rid of.
Apa yang kita orang Dayak perlukan sekarang adalah sebuah parti Dayak yang baru. Kita perlukan sebuah parti Dayak pembangkang sekarang. Dan jika ROS menolak pembentukan parti Dayak yang baru, kita patut bawa ROS ke mahkamah kerana melanggar kebebasan berpersatuan !!!
Hi there everyone ardent readers of this blog.
I agree with Mr. Patric anak Uren. We must fight under one umbrella, DAYAKS. The Ibans must be aware of that. Your forefather could have been a hero in those headhunting days but is a bygone days, not appplicable now. My late uncle too was a hero having about 5 heads to his credit, doesnt make me proud or arrogant, that is past history which denotes nothing. So for the sake of strength, we must fight as one DAYAK.
The educated Ibans were too busy making ends meet for themselves and have no time to educate their rural folks about their rights and that the UMNO controlled BN government had not accorded the Dayaks equal status like other races let alone recognised them as natives of Sarawak which will entitle them to affirmative policies accorded to the Malays. Now the Dayaks are 3rd class citizen and referred as others under the UMNO controlled BN government.
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