SDNU: Don’t convert Dayak children

KUCHING: Sarawak Dayak National Union which is the biggest Dayak organisation with a membership of well over 100,000 calls on the government to look into allegations of rural Dayak children being converted into Islam.

“We want the government to put a stop to it, because it is not healthy for the country where one religion is trying to patronise each other,” said Dr. John Brian Anthony, Deputy President of the Union.

Brian was reacting to statements made by Baru Bian, Ba’Kelalan assemblyman and Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau made during the debate on the state budget on the alleged attempt to impart Islamic teaching and practices to non-Muslim children in some Kemas and government pre-schools in the rural areas.

Bian had received complaints from parents that their children in Kemas and government pre-schools in the rural areas have been receiving Islamic teachings and practice.

And there was a real attempt at imparting the Islamic teachings and practice in such schools and wanted the government to investigate, he said.

The BN assemblyman for Telang Usan told the members of the state assembly that he too received similar complaints from parents.

He agreed with Bian that the government should seriously look into the complaints.

Brian said: “We have heard that Muslims teachers including Ustaz have been sent to the rural areas where they are Dayak children.

“As there are no Malay children, who are going to learn, if it is not with the intention of converting the poor Dayak children to become Muslims,” he said, pointing out that in Sarawak, there is no official religion.

“Yes in Malaysia we have Islam as the official religion, but in Sarawak we don’t have. So we have to respect each other.

“Once you have embraced Islam, dress like a Malay and speak the Malay Language, you are Malay. I think this is a political reason.

“We Dayaks in Sarawak must resist this attempt. It interferes with our rights.

“We want the government to look into the matter and put a stop to it.

“It is not going to be healthy for the country,” Brian said.

Meanwhile, in May this year, several quarters have voiced concern over religious teachers from Peninsular Malaysia being imported to Sarawak.

Among those who expressed such concern was the President of Parti Rakyat Malaysia James Masing who said that thousands of teachers including ‘religious counsellors’ would be transferred to Sarawak especially to the rural areas.

Sharing Masing’s concern was Sarawak DAP Secretary Chong Chieng Jen who said that Sarawak must oppose these teachers from being imported to the state, especially after what they saw happening in Peninsular Malaysia.

“We don’t need West Malaysian teachers who are extremists to influence our children,” he had said.

Dayak Re-awakening Seminar

Place: Grand Continental Hotel, Kuching

Date and time: 27 August 2011 at 1.30 pm

Organised by: Dayak Consultative Council

Four speakers:

(a) DAP as Dayak’s political platform – Leon Jimat

(b) NEP & increasing rural income - YB Chong Chieng Jen

(c) Managing Sarawak Natural resources – YB Richard Wong

(d) Enhancing the rights of the indigenous people of Sarawak – Dr. John Brian

All interested can attend the seminar.

DAP cares for Dayaks?

KUCHING: Encouraged by the support given by the Dayaks in the recently concluded state election, Sarawak DAP has formally formed the Dayak Brain Trust (DBT) with the aim to understand the needs of the Dayaks, their concerns and their culture as it expands its activities into the rural areas.

Dr. John Brian Anthony, a Kuala Lumpur-based consultant has been appointed to chair it.

The idea of forming the Trust came about in the wake of the strong support of the Dayaks for DAP candidates in the last state election, resulting in some constituencies where DAP candidates winning with bigger majorities.

DAP’s six of the 12 seats were won due to the swing of Dayak support between 30% and 34% in mixed constituencies.

The Dayaks comprise the Ibans, Bidayuhs, Kayans, Kenyahs, Kelabit, Penans and other non-Muslim natives who form about 60% of Sarawak’s 2.4 million populations.

Sarawak DAP Secretary Chong Chieng Jen, who revealed this today, said that Dr. Brian is expected to recruit at least 10 more Dayak intellectuals to sit in the Trust which objective is to act as a ‘think tank’ for the DAP.

"The members of the Trust are not necessarily members of DAP. Intellectual Dayaks who have the interest of the Dayaks and the State are allowed to join.

“This Trust is set up for the purpose of giving advice to DAP on issues affecting the Dayaks and making recommendations and proposals to help the Dayaks,” he said.

“It is a consultative council to look at the welfare and concerns of Dayaks working in Peninsular Malaysia who are forced to leave Sarawak to work in Johor Bahru, Klang Valley and in other parts of the country.

“There are 45,000 Ibans in Johor Bahru and 40,000 in Klang Valley. Altogether, there are 125,000 Ibans working in various capacities in Peninsular Malaysia,” Chong said, pointing out that some of them are faced with hardships and are separated with their families.

Chong related a sad story of an Iban worker from Bawang Assan who worked in Johor Bahru. Due to his own problems at work, he was unable to look after his wife and children who were left behind in the longhouse. His wife had to divorce him.

“This man told us of his plight,” he said, pointing out that the majority of them are earning between RM1, 200 to RM1, 500 a month.

“It is a sad thing that they have to leave their longhouses to look for jobs in Peninsular Malaysia because Sarawak’s economy is stagnant.

“They are young and productive workers who can contribute to Sarawak’s economy if they remain in the state. Imagine, if more than 120,000 workers return to Sarawak, they can contribute around RM120 million to the state economy,” he said.

“These are some of the issues that the Trust can discuss and recommend to DAP which will in turn raise them in the Dewan Undangan Negeri or in Parliament,” he said.

Chong, who is the state assemblyman for Kota Sentosa, recalled that he tried to raise the plight of Iban workers in Peninsular Malaysia at the recent sitting of the state assembly and why they were forced to seek jobs away from home.

“I was debating the amendment bill to Land Custody Development Authority (LCDA) and attacking the state government’s development on native customary rights (NCR) land which only benefits the cronies and not the landowners.

“The fact that there are thousands of young and productive Iban natives going to Peninsular Malaysia to earn a living shows the failure of the government’s land development policy.

“This was when BN state assemblymen shouting at me and so rowdy were they that the Speaker forced me to sit down saying that I was touching on a very sensitive issue.

“They were really scared to hear the truth,” Chong said.

Top Iban unionists offer themselves as candidates

(The story was first published by Free Malaysia Today)

KUCHING: Three top Iban unionists have offered themselves as candidates for Sarawak PKR in the coming election, and their candidacies have been endorsed by the Movement of Change Sarawak (MoCS).

They are the President of Sarawak National Union (SDNU) Mengga Mikui, the SDNU Deputy President Dr. John Brian and the Secretary General Joshua Jabeng who met the Press in the Stampin Office of PKR in the company of Francis Siah, head of MoCS.

They said that they are ready to contest against the Barisan Nasional.

Mengga, who is a former Deputy General Manager of Sarawak Forest Corporation, has chosen his own home ground of Tamin in Mukah to launch his political career. His opponent is likely to be a newcomer, Edwin Banta of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS). The incumbent is Joseph Mauh, who is to be dropped to open way for Banta, a businessman.

Since retiring from the government, Mengga who joined PKR in 2009 has been working almost around the clock in the constituency.

“I have not learnt the nitty-gritty of politics, but I emphasise that my place is Tamin,” he said, believing that this is the time to change the present government.

“If you don’t change this corrupt government now you, then we are going to be slaves. We may one day go to our neighbouring countries for employment,” he said.

“Native customary rights (NCR) land is the issue. I am personally affected and our land of 500 hectares which are also owned by 19 longhouses is given to a company."

The land, he said, is behind their longhouses.

“It is the only piece of land that is left, where our people have been earning their living every day, and I am going to head the struggle to get it back,” Mengga said, pointing out that the people have lived there since 1830.

Brian, an activist and blogger, is tipped to contest the Meluan constituency where his grandparents came from.

Born in 1955 in Sebauh, Bintulu in 1955, Brian is a PhD holder in management from the Southern Cross University, Australia.

He obtained his Master’s degree in business administration from Oxford Group of universities, and a diploma in chartered institute of marketing from UiTM.

He had worked in a number of companies in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, before opening his management consultancy in Kuala Lumpur of which he is the managing partner.

Elected as Deputy President of SDNU, Brian is also the Deputy Chairman of Borneo Dayak forum (BDF) which is headed by DR. Jeffrey Kitingan.

“Our focus in BDF is to declare Borneo as Dayak land. This is parallel to Aborigines to Australia, Maoris to new Zealand and Red Indians to America,” he said.

In the last election, Brian contested on Sarawak National ticket in Kemena when the Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) could not be registered against Stephen Rundi. Despite the lack of funds, resources and logistics, he secured 3,178 votes against the BN man who spent hundreds of thousands of ringgit and promised “instant” projects. Rundi obtained 4,750 votes.

“In the coming election, I am eyeing the Meluan seat,” he said.

He may face the incumbent Wong Judat of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party or Larry Sng, the partyless assemblyman for Pelagus.

Jabeng who was born in Tatau 61 years ago is believed to be the only Iban who is doing very well in insurance business. He is now the Group Agency manager of ETIQA insurance under the Maybank group in Kuching.

He is now the elected President of ETIQA FAA (Financial Advisor Association) Malaysia dealing with management and agency bosses.

“My exposure in this helps me a lot in terms of organizational skills,” he said.

Jabeng said that he is going to contest in Kakus against the incumbent John Sikie of PRS, if he (Sikie) is going to be re-nominated by PRS.

Meanwhile, in endorsing them as the candidates, Siah said the three are not only top Iban unionists, but also very much qualified in terms of educational qualifications.

“We are endorsing them as candidates and the people should support and vote for them in the coming election,” he said.