The
lamentation by Peter Minos viz: (quote) “with
so many parties and leaders, many of my KL friends are saying that the Dayak
are asking for trouble and heading for self-destruction” is a display of archaic mentality, one trying
to portray nothing more and nothing less he is supporting UMNO.
To
“his UMNO mates were of the opinion that
the Dayaks would bemoan and complain about everything” Peter Minos and
those thinking like him should better realize it that indeed the Dayaks are
complaining, and rightly so.
Yes,
complain we must. Given the fact that Malaysia, after almost 50 years of
formation, has not brought about better changes to the people of Sarawak, and
let alone to the Dayaks, there is nothing wrong in complaining and bemoaning.
The
people want the promises of Malaysia which, for the majority of them, are yet
unrealized, unfullfilled.
The
rights under article 153, benefits to the bumiputras, which term should include
Dayaks, in term of ranking appointments in civil service, GLCs, and other
Government Agencies, Army and Police, in foreign service, and contracts,
licences, quotas, timber concession, land, scholarships, and many more have not been accorded us. In the civil service, army and police the
Dayaks are mostly of junior rank.
Peter
Minos asking of the Dayak community to emulate the Melanau that “had fully utilized political unity” and
“making a success in their social and
economic development” is very pathetic while unrealistic.
The
reality in its proper prospective is the fact that the State of Sarawak has
been led, after Kalong Ningkan was toppled and after a short stint of Tawi Sli,
by two (2) successive Chief Ministers, Tun Rahman Yakub followed by Pehin Sri
Taib, for the better part of almost five (5) decades since Independence.
Both
are Melanau although they would probably prefer to be called “Malay”. From these facts the Melanau Community can be
better appreciated in term of “their
social and economic development”. The all-powerful office of the Chief
Minister has been seeing to it how Sarawak is developed over the years.
The
fact that (or if) Dayaks are in so many political parties is not necessary a
bad thing. In fact Pehin Sri Taib referring to Sarawak Workers Party (SWP) he
said “the more the merrier”.
And
when he was asked if he considered it an act of betrayal for Larry Sng, who is
special advisor (Youth Matters) to lead an opposition party, he replied that
was not the case because the country practiced democracy and “everyone has the right to form a party”.
And
when “Barisan Club” was formed by the defected former members of SPDP, Pehin
Sri Taib was reported to have said that “they
are still supporting Barisan by being in Barisan Club” and “that is what matters”.
So
who is Peter Minos who all the years has expressed full complete loyal support
to Pehin Sri Taib as Chief Minister of Sarawak to question the “Group of 5”
that started the Barisan Club.
Peter
Minos’s call for the Dayak community to be under one party and under one leader
is ‘utopian’. It cannot be achieved.
Rather more political parties will see Dayaks becoming their members will be on
the card, moving forward. Nothing is wrong in that.
Like
Pehin Sri Taib was reported to have said in referring to SWP that “the people will make their choice”. And
one thing is true the Dayaks will keep on asking for more. Sarawak has
contributed a lot to the Federal Revenue.
Example:
our oil and gas and our tax revenue. And returned each year to us is very small
amount. And all of that goes to SCORE and to the other of Chief Minister’s pet
projects. And despite Dayaks are well
represented in Barisan, the larger of the community is not served well. Our NCR
lands remain untitled, unsurveyed, and unalienated, and otherwise state land.
When
these lands are resumed by State Government “for public purposes” the
compensated values are very small compared to that of a mixed zone land in a
same locality which normally could fetch very high and current market prices. Their participation in land development
schemes through SALCRA and Pelita has brought very marginal returns.
Otherwise
in truth our community has been fending for themselves. Maybe as apparent in the state of things, due
to the blind loyal support given to Barisan Nasional all these years what the
Dayaks get are no more than in the form of minor rural projects, which mostly
would come during the period preceding election times only.
Another
thing is also true: that is despite the diversity of parties and the Dayaks are
found in almost all of them, the Dayaks are still united. In particular in
their quest for better representation in government, better share of the bite
of the economic cake, and for the right to be heard of their quests as such.
Like
they did not weep when Peter Minos was defeated when he tried to bring PBB to
Bau and was defeated by Patau Rubis of SNAP in 1983 general election, the Dayak
community including those in Bau and Lundu will survive the coming GE13.
STAR
will offer itself likewise other parties and including maybe a member of the
“Gang of 5”, and or maybe DAP and PKR as well.
Rest assured, like Pehin Sri Taib has said it “the people will make their choice”.
And
Peter Minos is better advised to not to be in haste to praise everything of
“UMNO”. And certainly it is not for him to call upon the Dayaks to support or
emulate of those Malays in Malaya that support UMNO. This time is not
opportune. UMNO has nothing to offer to the Dayaks because in Sarawak the Chief
Minister is from PBB. And UMNO will not contest in Sarawak as well.
Patrick
Anek Uren
Vice-President
STAR
3 comments:
What Anek Uren said here are the truths. As such i really hope that his response to Peter Minos hereof could be published in our local papers,if it had not been done, as it touches the general attitude of Dayak leaders by taking D.Peter Minos as an example and the Dayak political reality. .Understandably Minos prefer UMNO since PBB could not help him when he was in a very bad shape even though he has been barking for Taib all over these years.Whether the Dayaks are united under one party or otherwise,the Federal head would remain a Malay.Of course unity is noble thing every Dayak wanted but at the current scenario,the 'jaguh kampung' mentality of the Dayak leaders in particular the Ibans still rules-each and every leader is eager to show his loyalty to Taib,not to their community who put them up there.They dare to do backstabbing among themselves if ask by Taib.
Non-dayak doesn't want to see the dayak united. Non-dayak also doesn't want to see the dayak leaders in political parties to unite the dayak. Nor do they want to see dayak based party be strong. Dayak leaders are easily being influenced and dispersed. They only want dayak votes and to see that dayak are not united.
Yes, our dayak community must wake up to the fact that after 50 years we are still ranked as third class bumiputra(lain2), the malays come first followed by other muslim converts (includes foreigners). Peter Minos might like to explain to us why some bumis are more equal than others. Such glaring discrimination could not have gone unnotice. Most probably he's been wearing a blinker for the last 50 years or rather in self denial as typical of dayak "ball carriers".
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