Tuesday, April 14

News and views

1. One Malaysia, one family?

Each Prime Minister has his own slogan to strengthen his government. While Dr. Mahathir Mohamad stressed on the “Ketuanan Melayu”, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi spoke of “Islam Hadhari”. Najib Tun Razak talked about “One Malaysia”.

But what is One Malaysia? Is it like a big family? Sharing common identity, enjoying same privileges and rights? To many of us that is what it means.

As a member of the One Malaysia, we as Dayaks do expect to be treated with equality and fairness and to enjoy the various privileges. Under the Abdullah government, the Dayaks were not allowed even to form their own party, Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC), rejecting it on grounds of security threat.

What threat? Tell me how many Dayaks have become terrorists, have been organising illegal demonstrations in the streets of Kuching or Kuala Lumpur or have been arrested under the famous Internal Security Act (ISA)?

The only arrests made were those Dayaks who are defending their NCR lands from being robbed and sold to big companies for the planting of oil palm.

If the Prime Minister is really serious about implementing the One Malaysia concept, then he should do something to prevent the NCR land from being taken away. What he can do is to tell the State government to put a stop to such discriminatory practices. But will Najib do it?


2. YB Dayaks should be blamed?

While the Democratic Action Party (DAP) state secretary Chong Chieng Jen blamed the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) for the racial imbalance in the public service, the Dayak community should blame the Dayak elected representatives be they in SUPP, PBB, SPDP and PRS for not bringing up the matter with the government.

Like SUPP who always claimed that they “are Chinese representative in the government,” SPDP and PRS who also claimed that they represent the Dayaks in the government should speak up. Failing which they are doing disservice to the community they suppose to represent.

Now you go to every office or department, you only see one race. Seldom have you seen other races. Certainly this is not good to the One Malaysia concept as espoused by the newly appointed Prime Minister.


3. Dayak Bidayuhs upset over exclusion

The Bidayuh community is unhappy with the newly formed government of Najib Tun Razak over the non-inclusion of a Bidayuh MP in the cabinet. – The Broken Shield

(See the full story of Malaysiakini below)
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Najib to face a Bidayuh mutiny?

The Dayak Bidayuhs - numbering more than 200,000 in Sarawak - once again feel slighted when none of their three parliamentarians was included in the recently-formed Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's cabinet.



The three MPs - Richard Riot (Serian MP from the Sarawak United People's Party), James Dawos Mamit (Mambong, Parti Pesaka Bumiputra) and Dr Tiki Lafe (Mas Gading, Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party) - have received negative reactions from their constituents as a result of them being overlooked by Najib.

Some called for them to resign their seats in order to show their displeasure against the Najib government, while others have called on them to join PKR.The three MPs admitted receiving many SMSes from their supporters and members of the Bidayuh community.

"I know that the prime minister has the prerogative to appoint members of his cabinet, but by not appointing one from the Bidayuh community, he has made his 1Malaysia concept a mere rhetoric," said Dawos when asked by journalists.

Tiki, when contacted, also expressed disappointment and said he was now on the ground to seek feedback from his constituents on the next course of action to be taken.

This is the second time that the Bidayuh community has been sidelined from the cabinet.After the March 2008 general election, the community was excluded from the cabinet of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Tiki was a member of the Abdullah government but was dropped from the cabinet after the 2008 general election.

His place was taken over by another SPDP leader and a member of the Orang Ulu community, Jacob Dungau Sagan.

Last year, there were rumours that Riot and Tiki were on the verge of joining the opposition. Riot and 1,000 supporters burnt their Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) membership cards but he and Tiki withdrew their threats after BN leaders met them.


‘Bidayuhs are penumpang'

In a related development former Mas Gading MP and Star president Dr Patau Rubis urged the Bidayuh community to stop complaining and give Najib a chance to settle into his job.

"All the Bidayuhs are penumpang (passengers) of other people's boats and we should not complain.

We do not have a voice," he said, adding that the Bidayuhs were now further divided after joining PKR.

Another Bidayuh leader Patrick Anek Uren, also a former MP for Mas Gading, called on Tiki to quit as MP as he had failed to represent the community in the federal government.
"As an MP, you are elected by the people and to serve them as well as to deliver all things that benefit the people. It is not a privilege for you to seek employment for yourself.

"I think Tiki has failed us and I demand his resignation immediately," said Anek, who was noted for his oratory and courage for fighting for the Bidayuhs' interests.

choing Anek's comments, PKR Bidayuh chief coordinator Granda Aing said the three MPs should become independents or join his party.

Otherwise, he said, their worth was only RM4 million, referring to the money given by Najib to the Bidayuh community a couple of months ago.
Former president of the deregistered Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) Daniel Tajem said that the Bidayuhs should not complain as they were always very close to the BN government.

"Accept whatever is given to the community," he said.

10 comments:

Apai Semalau said...

"One Malaysia" is a joke coined by Najib enthroned to be PM by default. Simply because Pak Lah resigned.
How could there by one Malaysia when all component parties in BN fight on communal lines? His one malaysia is more likely to mean "one malaysia under ketuanan malayu" as per civil service. Divide and rule has always be the front runner in BN politics. That explains the reasons why our bidayuh YBs were sidelined in the federal cabinet. They are insignificant! Najib can do without you whimpers, who chickens out after each and every threat rendition. Sabahans are the preferred lot because they have balls, fought for it and got what they wanted.
Sadly, we dayaks are being marginalised when it comes to employment in the civil service. Its so glaring yet our YBs don't see it! Should start SMSs or email them to wake them up to the fact we want our fair share of employment opportunities in the civil service!

Agom said...

I believe BN government is practising the spirit of power sharing so that the rights of every citizen must always be protected, guaranteed and respected as provided by the Constitution. In short, it means what ever we have must be shared equally among us.

The question is whether this power sharing policy is being implemented fairly among the partners (people of Malaysia)? The answer is no if we look at non-malays spoke about the grievances of their communities were marginalised and sidelined as a result of slippage in the implementation of certain government policies.

Now we look at the percentage of races composition in Sarawak with its total population 2.4 millions, by right each race must get its share according to its population percentage. However, this has not been fairly and impartially implemented in almost in every field, like education, civil service, recruitments, scholarships, licences and etc. A good example is the low percentage of dayak in the state in the civil service which has reduced from 50% to 20% now.

Are our dayak leaders in the government not aware about this? They are become more concerned with their status and self-interest and less concerned with their own communities.

Anonymous said...

One Malaysia munyi ia manah tang ia ke bendar dini bala laut UMNO ka sama ngau bansa bukai. Najib nda tan diachok sida ia, X pecaya ka nya

Anonymous said...

27 ethnic groups in Sarawak.. does that mean we need 27 Sarawak MPs holding portfolios in Federal Govt? Is that the definition of One Malaysia? huh? Huh? Huh?

NEIL said...

Remember just after winning Batang Ai,Najib chuck Taib out through the window.Sarawak were given second class ministerial post.Even Taib own son Suliaman were also given consolation post.
umno don't have sarawak at heart.tThey all know that sarawak can't do anthing other than just keep quiet.All the sarawak leaders are dumb and they just are balless to take on the federal gov't.
Sabah got what they wanted.umno want to show sarawak that Sabah,been umno playground, got a better deal than sarawak.
We have seen many time umno sidelined sarawak and our dumb leaders never speak out.How can sarawakian kept on electing dumb people to be their leaders.
Today ,we blame no one ,except the people of sarawak for the way they are treated.Keep on voting these corrupted and let them chart your destiny.
For the blind and deaf voters of Batang Ai,I's still waiting to see what BN will do as promised during the by-election.I will follow all this closely becos I will personally confront masing and Jabu in the next GE about this handouts.If they don't walk the talk then I want to hear what they will tell me.Read my lips!A pen is mightier than the swords.

Phyrestarter said...

And so the comments are starting to come out. I guess the 4 million is not enough to make friends. You won the battle but lost the war.

For Sarawak who contributes a lot to the Bee End to stay in power, we sure are being overlooked in deference to Sabah. I wonder why? Maybe they think we Sarawakians are very pacifist and would not dare revolt and make noise unlike the Sabahans. And Sarakians are suppose to be decended from warrior clans except Jabu and Masing and some others.

If this is the suprise that Pek Mo said we would get then it really is a surpise. The joke is on us. HA HA! SUPRISE!!

Maybe we need to lose a couple of seats to PKR,DAP then we get some attention. Or revolt openly...

Anak Sarawak said...

If Supp only protects Chinese interest then why should Dayaks still support Supp?????

Anonymous said...

As the saying goes, "The proof is in the pudding".

Najib's choices of Ministers and Deputy Ministers have put a marker down on his budding tenure as PM. Not a good start at all.

Maybe now is the time for the Sarawak BN MPs to start thinking about resigning or transforming themselves into frogs and jump to the other side.

The Bidayuh MPs should not complain. You chose to become BN's pawns. Now take it like men and start begging for scraps!

Anonymous said...

hi there everyone.
ha ha. All are not happy except the Ibans. Iban tolak kayu enggau batu. Enti lapar endar, kayu pan dipakai.
Pehin Seri Taib is correct. Let PM decide what is best to run the country. We cannot pleased everybody.
Ha ha, the Bidayuhs are complaining that they do not have any representative in the lineup. Hem.... let see and have a thought about it. how many issues have the bidayuh representatives so far have settled or solved while being federal ministers? Hem... i, being a Bidayuh, do not regret it at all. leave it to the PM. He knows better. Have some tolerence than only one malaysia can be successful. After all we dayaks hold many important state posts, why complaint? Be practical, has Tiki ever poke out any cent from his pocket to be given to the dayaks? Has he? Can any bidayuh come up with that?
Sabar la as Pehin Seri Taib says, we cannot please everybody. The bidayuhs shoud be more than pleased. Jangan tamak. Nanti terlawan towkay jadi susah pulak tau. Berhati di jalan raya. Jangan macam jabu. His era is near the end. Frankly speaking if iam taib myself, i surely do not like Jabu to talk so many nonsenses. He has hurt Taib. If a dayak is to be slotted in, meaning to say, Sulaiman will have to give way, simple kan, so dont plair (play) with fire.
tq

Anonymous said...

hi there everyone.
Bravo Pehin Seri. U talk more like a dayak than any dayak leaders. most wellcome your suggestion that registration time for rural new born child be extended. U have the heart of the rakyat, not like other dayak leaders, who knows how to polish your balls.
once again, a very big thank to you Pehin Seri.
To all dayak representatives, do your work as wakil rakyat, ukai michit rakyat, ukai begiga ka reta pengaya. a true leader let me teach you dayak leaders, is to meet people in your areas, hear and solve their grouses, not your grouse as why you are not selected as a minister.
tq