Can Adit lead PKR to fight BN? ~ ref. Malaysiakini

Can Adit be our "Dayak Obama"?

Gabriel Adit’s joining Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is not a surprise at all. He was seen with PKR leaders many a time and had been involved campaigning for Anwar Ibrahim in the Permatang Pauh by election in August.

But what surprises many of us are the number of people he brings with him to join PKR. Just imagine he handed 11,753 application forms, over 6,000 of which were from Kanowit, to Anwar Ibrahim at a dinner in Sibu on 15 November 2008.

Adit is really smart as he knows how to maximize the impact of his entry to PKR. Instantly he is being recognized as the leader of the group and is being given full responsibility to spearhead campaigns for the overthrown of the State Government.

Since the March election, PKR has been looking for someone especially from the Dayak community to be the leader; someone who is able to convince the Dayak voters to support the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) or the People Alliance.

PKR knows that to win the election in the State, the Dayak voters in the 29-Dayak majority seats (out of the 71-seat State Legislative Assembly), play the most crucial role in the coming election – whichever side they support that side is likely to win.

Not surprisingly, both the BN and PKR are gunning their campaigns towards the Dayak constituencies. For the time being, the BN seems to have the upper hand as they know how to exploit the Dayaks’ weaknesses, coax and even intimidate them into supporting the Barisan parties.

On the other hand, PKR is also confident because of changing political mood prevailing in the country as well as having certain issues to be used as weapons and these include NCR land issues and the alleged discriminatory practices against the Dayaks which have become very evident during the 27 years of Taib Mahmud’s dictatorial rule.

Can Adit, the newly found leader of PKR, who is also the State assemblyman for Ngemah, and Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto leader of PKR, open the 'eyes and minds' of the Dayaks who have been too “barisanised” to support the Pakatan Rakyat in the coming election?

If what had happened in Sibu on 15 November, that is the huge response to be PKR members, is going to be the trend in other parts of the State in the next few months, then Sarawak is set to become the battle ground for the control of the Land of the Hornbill come next election.

We are waiting for a Dayak Obama

Future "Dayak Obama" in the making?

Every body is talking about Barack Obama’s election as 44th president of USA. From Asia, to Africa, to Europe and in the USA itself, newspapers, televisions, radio stations, big or small, rich or poor, hail the man’s victory.

For us in Sarawak especially the Dayaks what do we learn from his victory, the impossible victory for the black American in a country where the whites are the majority? Who would ever imagine of such a victory? And yet his victory has not only created history, it is also the first time in 60 years that the Democrats have scored unpalarelled successes in both Houses of Representatives. Obama’s victory is very inspiring.

Coming from various countries in Africa, the black Americans have been marginalized, suppressed and treated as slaves since the creation of USA as a nation. Although slavery was supposed to end in 1964, discrimination and humiliation by no means was over.

But tributes should be paid to one man, Martin Luther King, who inspires the black Americans with his “I have a dream.” The dream that America would one day rise up and live out the true meaning of creed. The dream that black Americans will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skins but by the contents of their character.

Like Martin Luther King, the Dayaks in Sarawak have a dream but we need someone like Barack Obama who can transform that dream into reality; because like the black Americans, the Dayaks have also suffered in the hands of injustices, treaded by the feet of marginalization and mired in the cruelty of poverty. Since the Brooke regime, the Dayaks have been subjected to divide and rule policy. They were and are pitted against one another; they fought and killed one another.

Like the black Americans, we also have a dream - that one day we will be able to reclaim our rights that we have lost such as native customary rights over lands; our rights to justice, equality, fairness, business opportunities, development, etc. We also have a dream - that one day we will be united under one political umbrella through which a Dayak can and will once again occupy the highest seat of the State government.

At long last the black American dream is fulfilled, even if it takes 200 years for its realization. For us Dayaks, 45 years have gone and our dream still remains elusive. But we must be patient and resolute. Surely one day a Dayak “Obama” will come along.