Dayak union rejects Masing, Jabu

The 100,000-strong Dayak union has justified its decision to elect SPDP president William Mawan as its new president.

KUCHING: Fed up with Senior Minister James Masing’s disinterest in their affairs, the 100,000- strong members of Sarawak Dayak National Union recently rejected his presidency and elected instead his arch political rival William Mawan.

According to the union’s deputy president John Anthony Brian, Masing, who is also State Land Development Minister, had never responded to the union’s invitation to be its patron of its functions nor has he contributed to SDNU’s coffers.

“We often invited him, but he failed to respond to our invitation to be a patron of a Gawai Dayak function, not to mention donating funds to SDNU.

“He just refused to respond to the union’s functions. So how could the union members want him to be their president?” asked Brian, adding that members themselves were clueless as to what Masing was thinking.

Brian was responding to Masing’s statement that a full-time politician should not be elected as SDNU president.

This, however, did not stop members from voting in Mawan, who is Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) president.

Mawan was elected unopposed as president of the 66-year-old union, which is one of the most influential Dayak NGOs in the state. Kapit MP, Alexander Nanta Linggi, was elected deputy president.

Masing, who is Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president, is rumoured to be miffed by the turn of events. But the union feels that Mawan’s election is justified.

‘Interfering wife of a leader’

Mawan is not only committed to the cause of the Dayaks, but has never failed to attend its functions, Brian said, adding that he even donated some funds to the union.

“We had a discussion among our members and decided to approach Mawan to be our president, and he accepted our invitation.

“We have willingly accepted a new leader to take over the union, especially someone like Mawan. We believe Mawan can help solve some of the problems like restarting the stalled the Rumah Dayak project as well as some other projects which the union has proposed to build on its own land.

“Our projects had also been cancelled even after agreements were signed just because a wife of a senior Dayak minister had complained to the State Planning Authority not to entertain our proposals,” Brian said.

Although he did not name the person, it was learnt that the “wife” is Empiang Jabu. Empiang is the wife of Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang. She is also the president of Sarawak Indu Dayak Sarawak (SIDS).

On why SDNU had not approached Jabu to helm the union, Brian said that Jabu had always been critical of the union since the time it was headed by Daniel Tajem, former president of the defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak in the early 1980s.

“Jabu is not the right person. He has been criticising nearly all Dayak non-governmental organisations.

“So instead of uniting the Dayaks, especially the Ibans, Jabu keeps them away from the union,” said Brian.

‘Dayak unity elusive’

Meanwhile, Masing said that it was not wise for active politicians to head the union because their inherent enemies would tend to follow them wherever they went.

“Because of this, unity is an elusive dream,” he said.

He said that he had been approached to head the union, but had to reject it.

However, Masing gave an assurance that he would assist the union behind the scene if needed.

In his acceptance speech, Mawan called on members to cast aside past problems and political affiliations so that the union could move forward.

“Unity must prevail and past issues should never be allowed to become distractions. Now is the time to uphold the spirit of working together and moving forward,” he said.

Source: Free Malaysia Today

Dare Mawan face off with Taib?

(Taken From Free Malaysia Today)

January 28, 2012

The next general election may see more of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's party members contesting under the banner of SPDP, PRS or even SUPP.

KUCHING:  Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) is not out of the woods yet despite the sacking of its five errant elected representatives, better known as the SPDP 5.

In fact word has it, that party  president William Mawan may now be faced with a bigger and more complex problem.

The five have declared themselves BN friendly and whilst they may be out of SPDP, they are not out of Barisan Nasional. They were all elected under a BN ticket, albeit under SPDP banner.

The question sifting through the party’s rank and file is: ‘Does Mawan have the political mettle, skill and courage to deal with this ‘new’ challenge’?

Because Mawan will be up against a political megamind – Taib Mahmud.

Will he dare face-off with Taib?

The four ex-SPDP assemblymen – Sylvester Entri (Marudi), Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu), Paulus Gumbang (Batu Danau) and the MP for Mas Gading Tiki Lafe are not ordinary elected representatives.

They are ‘PBB men” planted in SPDP and allegedly backed by Taib. PBB or Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu is Taib’s political vehicle.

Following their expulsion, they are now going to register a BN club with the Registrar of Societies to justify or sustain them as BN representatives.

This will also ensure that they continue to receive minor rural projects for their respective constituencies.

Mawan refuses to acknowledge the club as a political entity.

But that is his problem. The five have Taib’ s blessings to start the club.

SPDP ‘powerless’

Once registered, the BN club has the legal entity of a political party. In other words, Mawan cannot say that they are ‘partyless’.

This will justify Taib’s decision to retain Entri, Nansian and Rosey as assistant ministers.

The appointment of Paulus Gumbang as chairman of the Miri Port Authority effective next month is the latest indication that Taib is not supporting Mawan.

The chairmanship of the authority has always been allocated to SPDP.

Mawan recommended his own man to replace Rosey who has been appointed assistant minister.

But Mawan’s recommendation was rejected indicating again that SPDP is now ‘powerless’.

The formation of the BN club has two immediate effects:

Firstly, by recognizing the formation of the club, Taib may want them to defend their seats as they are still considered ‘winnable candidates’. 

Under the BN spirit of understanding, Mawan should oppose it.  But does he have the courage to protest?

If he is strong enough to defend the rights of SPDP in BN, it is possible that the seats may be returned to the party.

Taib may chose to re-use the formula he adopted to solve the problems between SNAP  and Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) in the 1983 state election.

In this formula, both parties were allowed to use their own symbols for a ‘free-for-all’ in the disputed constituencies.

Setting a precedent

PBDS which broke away from SNAP demanded to contest in 16 state seats. SNAP strongly opposed them.

In order to show which of the two had the support of the people, Taib then proposed a ‘free-for-all’ in the disputed seats. Both SNAP and PBDS won eight seats each.

But the ‘danger’ in this solution is that the BN leadership may be forced to take sides in the midst of the electioneering as it did to PBDS.

After all BN has nothing to lose. Whichever party wins is still a victory for Barisan Nasional.

The party which allies itself with BN would also see financial and logistical support from the Barisan Nasional.

But such an action would further worsen the animosity between the two parties and this can cause a major problem for BN.

Secondly, with the formation of the club, every time there are internal problems in a Barisan Nasional component party, the disgruntled members may quit the party and join the BN Club.

The BN club would set a precedent. This is the danger the Barisan Nasional coalition may face later on.

Such scenario can happen to any party in the Barisan Nasional. It can even happen to PBB itself.

What would Taib say if PBB members who are not happy with him quit the party and join the club?

Then there are the seven elected representatives from Sarawak United Peoples Party (SUPP) who are also in limbo.

Fear of political backlash

The six are – former SUPP deputy secretary general Wong Soon Koh (Bawang Asan) Tiong Thai King (MP for Sibu), Ranom Mina (Opar assemblyman), Jerip Susil (Bengoh), Francis Harden (Simanggang), Johnichal Rayong (Engkilili) and Lee Kim Shin (Senadin).

In the event that SUPP is deregistered due to breaches in party elections or if they are unable to reconcile with the newly elected president Peter Chin, Wong and his group have made it very clear that they will not form a new party for the time being.

It is, however, possible they may join the BN club and remain BN friendly.

As a UNIMAS lecturer Jeneri Amir said: “By allowing individuals who have been sacked from a Barisan component party to form or join a BN club, the implications are far-reaching.

“If such a club is being condoned by BN, It will create confusion, cause splits and weaken the coalition,” he said.

For the coming general election, it is anticipated by other leaders of BN component parties that more ‘PBB people’ will be contesting under the banner of SPDP, PRS or even SUPP.

This is based on what Taib said that he alone will determine who will be the winnable candidates.

For the time being no one dares to speak out their minds for fear of political backlash, but murmurs of dissatisfaction have getting louder in SPDP.

“What is the point of having our own political parties with our own presidents, if they cannot nominate their own party members to be candidates?

“We may as well dissolve our parties and join PBB or even join the Opposition?” said an angry senior SPDP leader who did not wish to be identified.

Mawan expels the remaining four

KUCHING:  The President of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party William Mawan Ikom has formally sacked the remaining four of the group which called themselves as ‘SPDP 5’ apparently ending a two-year old crisis in the party.

“They are sacked from the party and by implication they are no longer members of Barisan Nasional.

“The decision is regrettable, but you know I have been holding back (the decision), because I don’t like to do the thing that we don’t like to do.

“But sometimes a decision will have to be made in order to do justice to ourselves, to the party and to the Barisan Nasional and probably to the four,” he said after chairing the party’s supreme council meeting.

The four who are elected representatives are Tiki Lafe, (Mas Gading MP), Peter Nansian, (Tasik Biru assemblyman), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu) and Paulus Gumbang (Batu Danau).

The leader of the group, Sylvester Entri, Marudi assemblyman, was sacked in November last year.

All the five have expressed no confidence in the SPDP leadership after they walked out from the party’s supreme council meeting in January in 2010 following a major disagreement over the replacement and appointment of Secretary General.

Since then they had failed to attend the party’s supreme council meetings even though they had been invited to do so.

In announcing the expulsion, Mawan said:  “We wish them all the best.  We know that as far as SPDP is concerned, they are no longer members of the SPDP and by implication they are no longer members of Barisan Nasional.

“But if they profess to continue to support BN, that is well and good. But it should not within the definition of the BN framework, the understanding and the BN teamwork,” he said.

Regarding the formation of BN club by the five, Mawan said that he was not sure whether they as members of the club are members of the Barisan Nasional.

“We have various BN clubs and political clubs even in universities in London. But with regard to those who were once belonging to component parties and have resigned or sacked, I am not sure at the moment whether they still can continue to form an entity.

“We can acknowledge the existence of the support group, but not as an entity. It is not in line with the principle and understanding of Barisan Nasional. Otherwise it can set a dangerous precedent.

 “I shudder to think of the consequences,” Mawan added.

On the question of Chief Minister expressing support for the group forming a club, Mawan said that all component parties wanted BN to be strong and wanted everyone to support the Barisan Nasional.

“But he (Chief Minister) did not say that he formally recognised the legal existence of the club. Certainly the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister and even I cannot refuse the support given by those even by those who have been sacked, except that we cannot formally say that their entity is legal in the context of the existing principle of Barisan Nasional.

“You cannot deviate from that,” Mawan said.

He made it very clear that his party would oppose the group joining any member party of the Barisan Nasional or even ‘parking’ with any party in Barisan.

“It is not the question whether we support them or not joining any other party in the Barisan. It is never the case. That is understood long time ago.

‘Anybody who said otherwise is on purpose.  Not because they don’t know. They just like to say it in order to confuse the people for their own ends,” he said.

Mawan, who is Social Development Minister, was apparently referring to the President of Parti Rakyat Sarawak James Masing who had invited the five to join his party or to be ‘parked’ for the time being.

Meanwhile, Mawan has identified three possible persons as potential candidates to replace Tiki in the Mas Gading parliamentary constituency.

The three are Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism Ik Pahon Joyik, Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) deputy general manager Anthony Nogeh and Zecon general manager Rayan Narong.

The three were introduced to the public over a dinner over the week-end in Bau.

SPDP crisis deepens

14 Oct 2011

KUCHING: As the two-year old crisis in Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party deepens, the five rebels popularly known as the ‘SPDP 5’ challenge the party to expel them by refusing to reply to the show-cause letter given to them.

“It is up to them to expel us. That is their business. We are not going to reply to the show-cause letter,” said Peter Nansian, Senior vice-president of the party.

“Our statement today is good enough in response to the show-cause letter,” he added at a Press conference.

The other four are the MP for Mas Gading Dr. Tiki Lafe, vice-president; Sylvester Entri, vice President and Marudi assemblyman; Rosey Yunus, Supreme Council member and Bekenu assemblywomen, and Paulus Gumbang, supreme council member and Batu Danau assemblyman.

So far only Entri has received a show-cause letter as to why action could not be taken against him after he failed to attend the party’s supreme council meetings and other functions organised by the party.

“If the party takes action against one of us, it means you take action against all of us, and we will act as a group,” Nansian said.

“We have pledged to sink and swim together,” he added.

Asked if they are going to form a new party in the event they are expelled, he said: “We will tell you when we cross the bridge.

“For the time being, we are looking for the best solution to resolve the conflict in the party,” said Nansian, who is also the Tasik Biru assemblyman.

It is understood that the ‘rebels’ have formed a committee to study the possibility of forming a new party as well as to look into a temporary parking with one of the parties in the state Barisan Nasional.

Or they may remain partyless, but for Nansian, Entri and Rosey, their positions as assistant ministers are at the pleasure of the Chief Minister.

There was a precedent in the person of Larry Sng, who was partyless, but the Chief Minister still retained him as assistant minister.

Earlier reading a statement, Nansian said: “Today is one of the saddest and most regrettable moments of our lives to have come to a point that we have to make a decision to declare that we have lost faith and confidence in our President.

“He has now apparently no longer can resolve the current conflict in the party amicably and peacefully to maintain party unity and stability and to protect and safeguard BN seats vested in the party for a continuously strong BN government for the good of the rakyat.

“The last straw on the camel’s back that forced us to make this decision is that if the president seriously wants to resolve the current conflict in the party a ‘reconciliation or unity committee’ should have been formed rather than the ‘disciplinary committee’ to take action against us, which we feel very unfair and done solely chop us off,” he said.

Nansian said: “While we have extended our hands in reconciliation over the last two years by meeting him no less than three times formally as a group and more times on informal occasions, and agreed on many points on how to reconcile and work together to maintain stability and make the party stronger, has he implemented accordingly?

“Or is it not in the contrary whereby he has made many controversial remarks that create much uneasiness and suspicion within the party as well as between BN component parties?” he asked.

Nansian blamed the president for labelling them as the ‘rebels 5’ and the ‘group of 5’ and thus started the friction and faction in the party.

He also said the group is not happy when the president branded them as nominees of a BN component party and at the same time accused other BN component leaders of meddling in the party’s internal affairs.

Nansian said: “Our group pledges our undivided support to the leadership of Barisan Nasional at federal and state level.

“We will serve our people in our constituencies in the name of Barisan Nasional. We won the last state election with big majorities under the banner of Barisan Nasional.

“We will sink and swim with BN under the wise leadership of Prime Minister and Chief Minister of Sarawak,” he said.

Nansian did not specifically mention that Mawan should step down, but by saying that they have lost faith and confidence in his leadership, they are indirectly calling on him to step down.

To the group, that will be the ‘best solution’ to solve the conflict.

Except for Tiki, who had to attend to an official business, the rest were present at the press conference.

Meanwhile, Mawan when contacted refused to comment on the statement that the group has no faith and confidence on his leadership.

However, he is expected to issue a statement later.

The conflict within the party started after the December 2009 party election during which Mawan did not want any challenge to the top leadership after he heard some grumblings within the party.

One of the things that made members unhappy was the idea to extend its wing to Peninsula Malaysia. The idea came from the treasurer general Tiong King Sing, the MP for Bintulu, who had his own reasons to extend the party to the peninsula.

Among those who strongly opposed the idea was none other than Sylvester Entri, then the Secretary General. Tiong was heard by reporters of hurling unpleasant words against Entri and those present during one of the supreme council meetings.

From there on, rumours of ‘Team B’ preparing to challenge the leadership were circulated. But Mawan did not want any challenge to the president’s team by insisting on a status quo.

A pledge to that effect was signed by Mawan himself and distributed to all party leaders.

The ‘Team B’ agreed if their men like Entri retained as Secretary General. But in January 2010 in a supreme council meeting, Mawan replaced Entri with Nelson Balang Rining.

This triggered the conflict when the group walked out together with three other members from the meeting.

Since that January, the group had not attended any of the supreme council meetings or functions organised by the party.

Budget: Nothing for Sarawak

KUCHING: Sarawak has not been given much attention by Barisan Nasional government in the Budget 2012 although its rural areas are their ‘fixed deposit’ claimed a Sarawak DAP leader.

“There is nothing much in the budget, except the mention of building some roads, supply of electricity and water to the rural areas. Even then we don’t know the amount as we have to share with Sabah,” said Chong Chieng Jen, DAP Secretary.

“Given 20% of the RM232 billion of the total expenditure is for development, how much can Sarawak get for its development? In this type of budget, Sarawak roads will remain substandard forever.

“The amount of money given to Sarawak for its development does not commensurate with its contribution to the national coffer,” said Chong, who is the Bandar Kuching MP.

Commenting on the Budget 2012, he said: “For the past 14 years running the nation has a total deficit amounting to more than RM436 billion.

“The next year budget has lot of goodies. Where will money for all these come from? And I think the only way for the government to finance all these is to obtain loans.

“We expect to incur RM45 billion deficit, and if you add this, our deficit will easily come to RM500 billion. This will be more than 50% of GDP,” he said, pointing out the Greece went bankrupt when its deficits reached 67% of its GDP.

“We are very near towards that direction,” he warned, describing the budget as a very unhealthy one.

He said that 80% of the nation’s budget is for administrative operations and emolument, while 20% is for the development fund.

“Funds for development projects such as roads will help to stimulate our economy,” Chong said, suggesting that the balanced budget should be 60% for administrative operations and 40% for development.

He said that the imbalanced budget had been going on for the past few years due to the over sized civil service.

“For this year, we see the emolument of 1.2 million civil servants, and the amount spent on this is more than the whole amount of development fund for the whole country. This is very inefficient use of money.

“That is really shocking,” he added.

Chong welcomed the government’s allocations of fund for Chinese and Mission schools and RM500 for a poor family, RM100 each for school children and RM200 each for university students, pointing out that the only good feeling is that something is better than nothing.

“But the government can’t really solve the financial burden of the poor. It does not address the poverty issue unlike our Alternative Budget.

“We give monthly allowance to the poor, and yet we can manage to reduce the expenditure.

“The main difference between the BN budget and alternative budget is that we emphasise on open tender, anti-corruption and the efficient use of resources, where as the BN budget is deafening silent on anti-corruption, cronyism, wastages and leakages,” he said.

Chong recalled that during the times of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, there was a lot of ‘hot air’ against corruption.

“At least there was some air. But this time there is no iota of air against corruption. I think he has resigned to the fact that corruption is a way of life,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sarawak BN leaders heaped praises on the Budget, describing it as people’s friendly and the government’s concern for all levels of society.

“While developing and transforming the economy of the country, the government is also helping to reduce the burden of the people,” said Social Development Minister William Mawan Ikom.

He said that the budget covers the basic needs of the rural society and is able to help improve their livelihood.

“No one is left in the announcement and the BN government has fulfilled its promises and realises what is needed by the people,” said Mawan, who is also the President of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party.

Another Dayak leader James Masing, who is Parti Rakyat Sarawak President, said that the budget allocated to rural infrastructures is Najib’s clear understanding of the need of accessibility among rural population.

“No amount of goodwill can eradicate rural poverty if rural land remains inaccessible,” said Masing, who is Land Development Minister.

On allocation for education, he said: “Education budget is a budget of a developed nation, because it gives free education to Malaysians till form five.

“This budget recognises the value of educated manpower to move the nation forward,” he added.

Mawan defends Jabu

KUCHING: Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom defended Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang against a blog and news portal’s unfair perception on the latter’s tone and body language at the just concluded Forum Jaku Iban 2011 (FJI 2011) here.

Mawan who is the Patron of the FJI 2011 said the blog and news portal were not correct to state that Jabu condemned and slammed the organisers or event managers when delivering his closing speech on Sept 17 2011 at Hotel Four Points By Sheraton.

By any standard FJI 2011 event was successfully managed, he said in his press statement delivered to press yesterday.

“Even so they must by all mean read the other side of the coin. Jabu donated RM10,000 and even advised the organisers or event managers to register their team with Registrar (of Society) and study the Iban alphabet.

I was told that the committee took the advices positively and constructively and intend to start Iban alphabet training centre here,” he said.

These are constructive advices and Jabu stated them passionately at the end of his closing speech, said Mawan who is Social Development and Urbanisation.

To the anti-government bloggers and news portal, Mawan said: “We must accept each other and let us not bring political differences to the forum talking about a very important subject – the Iban identity.”

Mawan was referring to the Iban Alphabet founded by the late Dunging Gunggu from 1947 to 1962 when he revised it. The alphabet is now developed by Assoc Prof Dr Bromeley Philip of UiTM Sarawak in computerised fonts.

Mawan reiterated that all Iban must accept each other when it comes to their identity, especially through language and the latest, ethnic or Iban alphabet.

“As the patron of the Iban language forum, I accept all responsibility and will also try to accommodate everybody. The forum is not the end of the matter and we must not look back and try to tussle each other that may slows down the process of establishing our own identity,” he said.

Bromeley, FJI 2011 Chairman of Papers Presentation, said he will start a class with Jabu’s first RM10,000 donation.

The committee members who will be his first few students will not be charged fee but still have to buy the software at discounted rate. Others may be charged fee.

Channel 180 Astro or TVi ‘Sitok Kamek’ will broadcast Bromeley’s interview on his alphabet system and the just concluded Iban forum at 6pm today (Saturday). He said this at a FJI 2011 committee post mortem meeting at Hotel Four Points By Sheraton here.

The above story will appear in The Borneo Post tomorrow (23 September).

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Foot note: The Broken Shield stand by its news story, as the whole of Jabu’s speech which lasted one hour and four minutes.

The Broken Shield is given to understand by a reporter that two days ago, the organisers of Forum Jaku Iban were summoned to Jabu’s office asking them to defend him that the whole criticisms labelled by him against the organisers were not true.

But the organisers replied that they could not do that and suggested William Mawan Ikom, the patron of the forum and minister of social development and urbanisation to defend him.

Mawan was contacted and agreed to defend Jabu.

A statement was drafted and passed to him, and later distributed to the Press including the Broken Shield.

Please don’t try to dig a hole to cover another hole.

What do the readers think of the whole thing?

Jabu condemns Iban language forum

KUCHING: About 500 participants of ‘Forum Jaku Iban’ (Iban Language Forum) including Iban language experts, professors, university students and secondary students were shocked at the tone of Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang, in criticising and questioning the integrity of the organisers of the form.

“Who are you to organise this forum? Are you men of your word?” asked Jabu, when he closed the one-day forum at a leading hotel here.

“My advice to you is establish your committee properly and not on an ad hoc basis. Spell out your aims and objectives, and be accountable to the donations given by the people.

“And don’t overdo with publicity, and don’t talk big. Let others make assessments of your work,” Jabu said.

He warned the organisers not to mix with organisations and people who have negative agendas against the government.

“You have to ally yourself with the government, and don’t attempt to be an outsider working against the noble objective of ‘begulai-sejalai’ (working together in unity),” said Jabu, who is Deputy President of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).

Apparently Jabu was not happy for not being consulted on the forum and was asked only to officiate at the closing ceremony. He would prefer to open it.

But by criticising the forum organiser, the Utusan Borneo which published daily a page of news in Iban language Jabu indirectly hit at the Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation, professors and Iban language experts from University Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI, Tanjung Malim, UiTM, Unimas and the State education department for supporting and recognising the efforts to organise the forum.

Four papers – Tun Jugah Foundation’s ways of empowering Iban Literature by Janang Ensiring and Jantan Umbat of the Foundation, Iban Literature by Dr. Chemaline Osup, of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Iban Language Development by Padang Luna, Ministry of Education and Iban Linguistic Identity: Dunging’s Alphabet and Borneo Research Institute of Native Studies (BRAINS) proposed by Assoc. Prof Dr. Bromeley Philip of UiTM – were presented at the forum.

William Mawan Ikom, Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation officiated at the opening ceremony.

Continuing his tirade against the organisers, Jabu asked the organisers whether they are prepared to learn the Dunging Alphabet system. (Dunging Anak Gunggu was the creator of Iban Alphabet).

“Are you prepared to learn the system before you recommend the participants and others to learn?

“I challenge the organisers of this forum to learn the system, and I don’t want any single organiser to fail otherwise don’t think of others to learn it.

“I give the organisers, if you are men and women of your word, two years to study the system. Put in the Utusan Borneo the spelling system. Only then the people will believe you. Otherwise nobody will believe you,” he added.

Typical of Jabu, half of his speech contained criticisms of other Dayaks, and the other half was full of self-glorification.

For instance, he talked about his success and efforts in the last 30 years in promoting the study of Iban language in schools.

“Now we have 60,535 students learning Iban in the country, out which 43,963 are in primary schools the state.

“The number is increasing. I support the idea to expand the usage of Jaku Iban in universities such as UPSI and other institutions.

“For as long as I live I will continue in my capacity, in my wife’s capacity and in that of my family’s to help synergise the usage of Jaku Iban,” he said.

Any Dayak Non-governmental organisation (NGO) which organises seminars and forums on Iban culture and language if the organisers do not consult him are certain to receive ‘baptism of fire’ from Jabu, who considers himself not only an authority on Iban Adat and language, but as the ‘paramount chief’ of the Iban community.

Tun Jugah foundation had clashed with him on the organisation of Dayak Cultural seminar, while Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) clashed with him on Dayak economic seminars, Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) on gawai celebrations and Rumah Dayak building and Sarawak Dayak Iban Association of native customary rights land.

Even Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) does not see eye to eye with Jabu.

Asked to comment on Jabu’s outbursts, Churchill Edward, Secretary of the Forum Organising committee said that although the committee was running at ad hoc basis, the committee took the challenges by the deputy chief minister positively and seriously.

“We understand that as the ‘paramount chief of the Iban he has the right to challenge the committee because he knew there were two or three committees which came and went.

“To him the previous committees were not so serious. Therefore he has the right to challenge us to register the committee, and to get experts, to get sponsorship and be accountable for the money collected,” Churchill said, pointing out that the government should not object for the committee to be registered.

On his challenge for them to learn the dunging alphabet system, Churchill said that to learn Dunging system, the committee could do it.

“Our committee has decided even take organise a tuition centre to teach our selves first and then we can teach our children, and others,” he said.

He thanked Jabu for his donation of RM10,000 for them to learn the system.

Several Dayak leaders who were present at the function were taken aback with Jabu’s criticisms and his self-glorification.

His criticisms are certain to alienate him further from the Iban community, said one senior Dayak leader.

SNAP to be rebranded

Picture shows the group before the meeting

KUCHING: Discussions have now been carried out between leaders of Sarawak National Party (SNAP) and leaders of the defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) on the move to rebrand SNAP which has been left in political doldrums for the last eight years after a leadership crisis.

The rebranding of the party will not only make it into a formidable force, but it will become a truly multi-racial party of the future.

Among those involved in the discussions include former PBDS President Daniel Tajem, former PBDS treasurer general Anthony Liman, Douglas Alau, former PBDS executive secretary and several hardcore members of the defunct party, who have not joined any political party since the deregistration of PBDS in 2004.

Committee members of the stillborn Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) have also joined the discussions.

Asked to confirm the move, the SNAP Secretary general Stanley Jugol admitted that several discussions have already been held in Kuching and in Miri and a number of these leaders have been appointed to hold key posts in the party.

“SNAP is open to all who share its aspirations and struggle. It is going to remain as an inclusive party working under Pakatan Rakyat (People’s Alliance).

“By rebranding the party, it is hoped that SNAP will once again return to its past glory,” he said, pointing out that the formation of Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat in May last year gave an opportunity for SNAP to play a bigger role both nationally and locally.

“We want to play a bigger role in Pakatan, but the party must first reorganise or rebrand itself in an effort to strengthen the party,” Jugol said, adding that the party needs the expertise and the guidance of the veteran Dayak politicians.

“But we also need young and professional people to come forward to be members of the party, because they are going to be the future leaders of the party,” he said.

Jugol said that the party has agreed to organise asymposium in Sibu on 15 January to explain the move to the people.

He also said that another symposium will be held in Kuching towards the end of the month on the same objective.

Later in February, the “new” SNAP will be launched, he said.

Jugol said that the party also agreed to form a “Council of Elders” whose main task is to guide and advice the party on matters of importance such as the issues of native customary rights land, traditions, customs and Adat.

Following a bitter leadership crisis in 2002, SNAP was not only reduced into a “mosquito” party, but was also deregistered by the Registrar of Societies. However, it was given a stay of execution pending its appeal to High Court. It was only on 26 June last year that the Court decided on SNAP’s favour.

The crisis began when the party found its former Treasurer General Tiong King Sing, the MP for Bintulu guilty as charged for tarnishing the name of the party over the failed TV3 building project in Bintulu.

His expulsion on 11 April 2002 led to nine central executive committee members walking out from the meeting as they did not agree with the decision of the party.

It also triggered the mass resignations of nine of its elected representatives and members who on 5 November 2002 formed Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP). The “gang of nine” as they were popularly known was led by William Mawan Ikom, who later became president of the newly formed party.

The third party to be formed after Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and Party Negara Sarawak (PANAS), SNAP’s formation on 10 April 1961 opened the way for the Dayaks to participate in politics during Sarawak’s preparation for independence.

When Sarawak became independence through the formation of Malaysia in September 1963, Ningkan who was the founding secretary general was made Sarawak’s first chief minister.

In the height of its electoral successes, SNAP had nine MPs and 18 state legislators. In 1976 SNAP joined the Barisan Nasional until it was unceremoniously kicked out in 2002.

Today it joins a new coalition, Pakatan Rakyat together with DAP, PKR and PAS.

Baru Bian takes Dayak leaders to task

KUCHING: The Dayak leaders in the Barisan Nasional have been taken to task for failing in their duties towards the community that they are supposed to represent, and yet they dare to question the role Dayaks are playing in Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

“PKR is not a racist like Barisan Nasional; it fights for justice of all Malaysians including Dayaks. This is why I am attracted to PKR,” Baru Bian (pic), chairman of Sarawak PKR said in reply to President of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party, William Mawan Ikom.

Mawan had accused PKR leaders of closing their eyes not only on Sabah and Sarawak, but also on Dayaks.

Mawan said: “Baru, being a Dayak representative, is not being appreciated in the party. Baru always focuses on the struggles of the Dayaks and their rights, especially the NCR land issues.

“This struggle does not speak well of PKR. Now that the Dayak community does not have a representative in PKR, my advice for them is to rely on the ruling BN government,” Mawan said.

“We don’t want to follow their racist policies,” Bian added, pointing out that the absence of the Dayaks in the top leadership does not mean that the rights of the Dayaks are not protected.

He said: “We have Dayaks as President of SPDP, President of PRS, and the Deputy President of PBB. And what have they done to help the Dayaks?

“You can put hundreds of Dayaks as leaders; but if they do not fight for interests of the Dayaks and have never protected their rights. Why should we support them, because they are useless?

“But if you have a non-Dayak leading a party and fights for the rights of the Dayaks, then he should be given all around support,” he added.

“Ask them why are they not looking after the interests and the rights of the Dayaks? Why are the issues of NCR land faced by the Dayaks are are still not solved?

“Only yesterday (Land Development Minister and PRS President) James Masing suddenly woke up and found out that the common law and the Adat are so important than the Land Code.

“He and other Dayak elected representatives should long time ago know about it, and should have done something about it. We in PKR all this while know about it,” said Bian, who is a prominent NCR land lawyer.

“PKR in Sarawak has been emphasizing on the importance of native customary rights over land in Sarawak. We have been fighting for the recognition of these rights for many years.

“You know that this is an area where I am very passionate about. And I made a statement in my website and now I am issuing a similar statement that we are offering in particular to the rural folk of Sarawak a solution for the NCR land issues.

“I have said it in the past and I am going to say it again, reiterating our stand on the NCR land that we are going to form a land commission which power is not only to investigate claims on NCR land, but also the power to issue titles, gazette the area and of course issue individual titles.

“Now we are not only looking at land owned by the rural natives but we are equally concerned with land issues affecting the Malays and the Chinese,” he said, pleading on them not to be misled by the Barisan Nasional which has been in power for the last 47 years in Sarawak.

The state BN government has reduced Sarawak into one of the three poorest states in the country, and the people of Sarawak should put a stop to this.

“Let us change the state government, and the time is now,” Bian added, lashing out at Masing who said that PKR had nothing to offer to the people of Sarawak, so they should not take the party seriously.

Explaining why he attracted to PKR, he said that the most important thing in PKR is its platform, the policy and what it is fighting for.

“I am attracted to PKR because it is fighting for the justice of all Malaysians including Dayaks. Dayaks’ interests and rights are protected.

“If that is the case then, we would ask all the Dayaks in Sarawak to come over and support PKR instead of PBB, SPDP and PRS if you want your land to be protected,” he said.- The Broken Shield

TALKING IS CHEAP AMONG BN YBs

Mawan says, don’t politicize the miseries and development of the Dayak.

No wonder why the Dayaks have been left far behind in terms of Development because of Dayak YBs are not supposed to speak for the people.

NOW ALL YOU DAYAKS- HEAR YOU – DO NOT VOTE FOR BN YBs BECAUSE THEY ARE PAID SALARIES NOT TO SPEAK FOR YOU AND ME.

Mawan says PR is outsider.

Mawan says the Pakatan Rakyat – comprising of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, DAP, PAS and SNAP is outsider. Whatever does he mean by that is sheer ignorance. Is not BN comprising of UMNO, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, PBB, SPDP, PRS and SUPP is also not outsider.

BN’s big brother-bully is UMNO is from West Malaysia. So are the other 3 big brothers – MCA, MIC and Gerakan. Whatever happens in Sarawak is based on what is decided by UMNO. This is worst than his accusation of PR. PR promises to fight for the people, but Mawan, what does he fight for; definitely not the people.

He said the people’s problem and lack of development cannot be politicised – cannot be highlighted – then why is he a politician? A politician’s duty is to bring up the people’s problem.

HEAR YE ALL DAYAKS: Vote Out Mawan and all dayak BN YBs for not working for the Dayaks.

Latest Today Beras Corporation Sdn Bhd CEO- Kamaludin wants to re-brand Bario rice.

Is BN govt not satisfied enough when stealing from the people. Some years ago, Dayak Leaders have been fighting to delete the word ’Dayak’ from the Interpretation Ordinance which they succeeded in doing. Now there is no word called ‘Dayak’ in the Interpretation Ordinance. The deletion of the word Dayak from the Interpretation Ordinance had effectively removed anyone who calls himself a Dayak from being a native of Sarawak [as far as Sarawak is concerned].

But today, the importance of the word ‘Dayak’ is the pride of the native of Sarawak. Sabah natives comprising of Kadazan, Dusun, Murut can find affiliation with the Sarawak natives under the common umbrella of being Dayaks.

In Kalimantan there are more than 10 millions of natives from various ethnic who pride themselves as Dayak. Where are now the Dayak YBs who advocated for the deletion of the Dayak from the State laws. They say that Dayak means, outdated, poor, uneducated and derogatory. Who is responsible for these? It is them. They did not work hard enough to uplift the living of the Dayaks. Changing the name Dayak does not make us rich. At the end they have to wag their tails in between their legs.

Also a few years ago, some Orang Ulu leaders bloated with egos planned and acted to replace the identity of the Orang Ulu with some dubious terms called "Lun Daya". They shot themselves in the foot. The whole community came out and reprimanded them, and now Orang Ulu is still the recognized and accepted identity of we minor tribes from the deep interior. It doesn’t degrade us one bit as supposed by the kinky minded orang ulu stooges.

Now back to this rebranding of the Bario rice to Bario O’ Grain. Where did you come from and tell us what is the name of our properties. Did you know that you are insulting the intelligence of our Kelabit ancestors? Did you ask for our consent to re-brand a Kelabit word? Did you know that the United Nation is working to protect native intellectual properties? [and Bario rice is a Kelabit intellectual property; and by re-branding it will deprive us of its ownership and that is stealing of a Kelabit property?] You can even be sued in the court for stealing of intellectual property.

By proposing a new name for Bario rice, you are telling me and all the Kelabits that our ancestors were not smart enough in naming our rice. But if that is so, why do you come and try to own the rice which is the property of the Kelabits from time immemorial. Is that not part of the 1Malaysia scheme of taking away people’s rights and properties to be given to the elite few. Did you tell the Kelabit people that their rights in the Bario rice will taken away from them when it is re-named to Bario O’ Grain?

ALL RESPONSIBLE KELABITS MUST OPPOSED ANY ATTEMPTS TO RE-BRAND BARIO RICE.

DOWN WITH BN AND LONG LIVE PAKATAN RAKYAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OVERCOMER.

~PAUL RAJA~

Mawan says reject outsiders

President of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party William Mawan Ikom was quoted by The Borneo Post on Wednesday (6 October 2010) as saying that Sarawakians should reject the opposition especially the Pakatan Rakyat which is composed of Peninsular Malaysia-based party.

The PR is made of up Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (Pas). (No mention of Sarawak National Party which is also part of Pakatan Rakyat).

Mawan said even if the PR wins in the ext election, they would not be able to take care of Sarawakians as they would be looking after their own interests.

“They are outsiders, so how could they look after the interests of Sarawakians?

“The BN has proven itself all these while and continue to carry out its plan to improve the livelihood of the people,” Mawan told The Borneo Post.

The question here is: what does Mawan mean why ‘outsiders’?

If all these people are Malaysians, then Mawan is obvious that he is anti-Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s 1Malaysia.

Secondly, if he thinks that people from Pakatan Rakyat are “outsiders” how would he label people like Prime Minister Najib, and his Deputy Muhyiddin Yassin and UMNO ministers as outsiders?

Does he dare say that they are outsiders?

If we really apply Mawan’s definition of ‘outsiders’, then he should get rid of all the federal officers who are working here.

Many other BN leaders have also been saying this.

Don’t they speak through their noses? Or do they want to project themselves as ‘jagoh kampung’?

Think first before you speak because what you say will reflect how stupid or how clever you are.– The Broken Shield.