Registration of households for RM500 aid

21 Oct 2011

KUCHING: The government will start register households with a combined income of RM3,000 or less for the RM500 aid.

The registration will be done through the Inland Revenue Board.

Are the Iban households entitled to the RM500 aid?

Not least than 30,000 Iban households are in the hardcore poor. Even many of the households in Pelita JV oil palm schemes are poor as they are paid between RM12 to RM15 per day.

And who will do it for them? The elected reps or district officers or the Tuai Rumahs?

Oil palm dividends only 0.17 sen per acre per year?

KUCHING: For the past 13 years, the native landowners have been taken for a ride by the oil palm companies through the joint venture concept as the amount of dividends given to them per acre per year is about 0.17 sen, asserted a Sarawak DAP leader.

Based on figures given by Land Development Minister James Masing two years ago, Chong Chieng Jen, Sarawak DAP Secretary said that landowners who received RM2.3 million as dividends from one million acres of their NCR Land planted with oil palm through JV with companies were actually about 0.17 sens per acre per year.

“After 13 years, the landowners received that much and it sounded big. But if you do a simple calculation by dividing RM2.3 million by one million acres and by 13 years, the amount of dividend per acre per year is about 0.17 sens.” Said Chong at a Dayak Reawakening Seminar organised by Dayak Consultative Council over the week-end in Kuching.

He said that Alfred Jabu, Deputy Chief Minister, who is also Rural Development Minister tried to argue that some of the oil palm were not matured yet, resulting in low productivity.

“Assuming that it takes six years for the oil palm to mature, the amount of dividends would come to only 0.34 sens per acre per year,” Chong said.

Compared with Sarawak Oil Palm (SOP), he said that SOP had planted 70,000 acres of oil palm, and after three years it had a clean profit of RM230 million last year even though some of the oil palm were still not matured.

“So per year earning for an acre is between RM1,500 and RM2,000 given the current price of RM300 per acre per month,” he said, pointing out that that is the general profit of oil palm plantation.

“Yet the joint venture plantations that the BN government has been encouraging native landowners to do for all these years have paid out as dividends 0.17 sens per acre per year.

“The government has been saying that the oil palm plantations through the JV concept have been very successful.

“Judging by these dividends, are the Dayak landowners not taken for a ride?” he asked.

Chong, who is also the state assemblyman for Kota Sentosa said that the government has not done much in elevating the economy status of the Dayaks through the oil palm plantations.

“For the Chinese community, you cannot say this is a Dayak problem nor can you laugh at it.

“I can tell you that if the Dayaks have no spending power and no income the Chinese shopkeepers and businessmen will also suffer.

‘Likewise, if the Dayaks are rich, the Chinese also will be well off,” he said, pointing out that the country cannot progress when a single community is left behind.

“I give you the figures and statistics to show you thus far the BN government has failed to improve the economy and the education of Dayak communities,” he said.

Chong said that when the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) comes to power, it will start with a pilot project of 100,000 acres of NCR land.

“We will survey it and issue title to the respective community and the target community will decide what crops they want to plant on their land.

“And the government will give all assistance including seeds, fertiliser, technical know-how and financial support.

“For this project, NCR landowners develop their land and the government will not collect even a sen of the proceeds of the crop.

“All the proceeds from the land will go to the landowners on one condition, that is, the landowners must cultivate the land themselves.

“Ask you sons and daughters to return home from Semenanjong Malaysia to help in the cultivation of your land. There are more than 120,000 Dayaks.

“It is when young people start to come back to help in the plantation only then we can ensure our economy vibrant. For instance, one acre can yield RM300 for oil palm and if you have 300 acres, you will earn some RM90, 000. Even 50 acres will bring about an income of RM15, 000 per month,” he said.

Chong estimated that to develop 100,000 acres, it may cost the government about RM100 million.

“That is not much for the state government to throw the money at the project, because we strongly believe that this is the creation of a large group of middle income stake holders who will form the backbone of the state economy.

“This is one how we can sustain our economy and keep it rolling and vibrant,” he said.

Speaking of revenue, Chong who is also the MP for Bandar Kuching said that Sarawak’s annual revenue is about RM4.9 billion.

And the state collection from the oil royalty will also increase from 5% to 20% when Pakatan Rakyat forms the next government.

“This is extra money with which we can subsidise the Ibans, the Bidayuhs and the Dayak communities to develop their own land.

“So far the BN government does not have such a policy to help the natives. What you see now is that your lands, and most of them, are given to their cronies. And if you join venture with them, then you are subject to account manipulation.

“They say that they don’t make profits. No dividends. That is how you get only 0.17 sens per acre per year,” he said, pointing out that the Dayaks particularly the Ibans remain one of the poorest in the state.

According to facts and figures given by Alfred Jabu, there are 13,349 Iban families categorised as hardcore poor representing 47.8%, as compared with 2,925 Orang Ulu families representing 10.5% and 2,757 Bidayuh families constituting 9.8% out of 27,902 hardcore poor families among the Bumiputera.

These are the families who receive less than RM520 per family per month, he said.

Ibans in the Federal Civil Service

KUCHING: There are only 13,882 Ibans and 7,108 Bidayuhs in the Federal departments and ministries out of 601,862 Malays and 57,578 Chinese.

These figures were released by the Prime Minister Department in reply to a question raised by the MP for Bandar Kuching Chong Chieng Jen.

During the recent sitting of Parliament, Chong had asked the Prime Minister to give the total number of civil servants in all the ministries and the racial breakdown of Malays, Chinese, Iban and Bidayuh up to 31 March 2011.

“Based on the reply given to my question in Parliament there is a big discrepancy between the Malays and Chinese, Iban and Bidayuh civil servants,” he said.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should improve the racial composition of the civil service if he is really serious about implementing 1Malaysia concept.

“He has been shouting about the concept for the past two years, and yet the racial composition between the Malays and Chinese in government departments has not improved,” said Chong who is Sarawak DASP Secretary and state assemblyman for Kota Sentosa.

Quoting the reply, Chong who is the MP for Bandar Kuching said: “In the Prime Minister Department, there are about 31,297 Malays to 797 Chinese or 39.27:1. This is about two percent.

“And there are only 412 Ibans and 279 Bidayuhs in the PM department.

“The worst is in the Rural and Regional Development Ministry where there are 2,442 Malays to 18 Chinese or 135.67:1 or less than one percent of the Chinese, and 26 Ibans and 18 Bidayuhs,” he said.

Among the ministries mentioned by Chong included the following:

~ Ministry of Youth and Sports 2,980 Malays to 32 Chinese, 27 Ibans and 21 Bidayuhs;
~ Ministry of Home Affairs 40,263 (M) to 614 (C), 823 (I) and 476 (B);
~ Ministry of Works 6,221 (M) to 156 (C), 21(I), and 9(B);
~ Ministry of Health 130,106 to 9,500 (C), 3,657(I) and 1,894 (B);
~ Ministry of Finance 15,835 to 508 (C), 247 (I) and 155 (B);
~ Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1,215 to 53, (C), 7 (I) and 6 (B);
~ Ministry of Education 273,791 to 43,669 (C), 7,379 (I) and 3,434 (B);
~ Ministry of Tourism 455 to 19 (C), 6 (I) and 6 (B);
~ Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development 5,461 to 75 (C), 75 (I) and 42 (B);

~ Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture 8,839 to 402 (C), 231 (I) and 134 (B);

~ Ministry of Higher Education 15,012 to 334 (C), 84(I) and 54 (B);
~ Ministry of Transport 9,028 to 205 (C), 198(I) and 168 (B);
~ Ministry of Defence 12,078 to 113 (C), 123 (I) and 76 (B);
~ Ministry of Housing and Local Government 11,363 to 173 (C), 201 (I) and 88 (B);
~ Ministry of International Trade and Industry 785(M) to 29 (C), 7(I) and 4(B);
~ Ministry of Domestic Trade, and Consumer Affairs 2,645 to 47 (C), 43 (I) and 23 (B);
~ Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry 8,826 (M) to 206 (C), 54 (I) and 45(B);
~ Ministry of Entrepreneur and Commodity 195 (M) to 5 (C), 0 (I) and 0 (B);
~ Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation 3,596 (M) tyo 240 (C), 48 (I) and 48(B);
~ Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment 11,849 (M) to 227(C), 108(I) and 67(B);
~ Ministry of Human Resources 6,457 (M) to 129(C), 98 (I) and 60 (B);
~ Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water 553 (M) to 19(C), 5(I) and 0(B);
~ Ministry of Federal Territory 570 (M) to 8 (C), 2(I) and 1(B).

Total 601,862 (M) to 57,578 (C), 13,882(I) and 7,108(B).

Pointing out that these are some of the examples, Chong said: “This clearly shows such unbalanced racial composition in the various government departments and ministries.

“It also clearly shows Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan is a mere slogan. There is no concrete policy to implement the concept,” he said, adding that he had been shouting about it for the last two years.

He said: “There is no improvement in the racial composition based on the racial breakdown in the government departments. Even in his department it is worse than the average.

“It shows that Najib is not the prime minister for all, but the prime minister for one single race,” Chong said.

It should be interesting to know how many Ibans and Bidayuhs in the State Civil Service. Can any Dayak state assemblyman ask such a question?

Are the interests and needs of the Ibans neglected?

According to the Borneo Post today (9 Aug 2011), Second Finance Minister Wong Soon Koh pledged he would dedicate more time working for the Chinese community by going down to the ground.

Speaking in a dialogue with the Sibu Division United Chinese Association (UCA) on Sunday night, Wong is also Minister of Public Health and Environment said he wanted to ensure the needs and interests of the Chinese community were not neglected by bridging the gap between the people and the government.

“It is for this reason I shall go on tour of duty in towns throughout Sarawak to meet the Chinese community,” he said, pointing out that the dialogue in Sibu was his first stop.

“I started with Sibu because it is my hometown and I have a deep affection for the place I grew up,” he said.

In the process of helping the Chinese in Sibu, it is hoped that Wong, who is the assemblyman for Bawang Assan, will not neglect the needs and interests of the Ibans in the constituency.

In the last election Wong’s victory was due on the main to Iban voters, despite the fact that they have been neglected for the last 47 years or so.

Like other Chinese voters in Chinese majority constituencies, the majority of Bawan Assan Chinese voted against him. Wong won by a 1,808-vote majority.

Bawan Assan has 5,834 Iban voters as compared with 10,001 Chinese voters.

During the campaign for the Sibu by-election in May last year, we found out that the majority of Iban longhouses lack basic amenities such as medical care, water and electricity supplies and good roads.

Shocked by poverty of Dayak in Sarawak when there is so much wealth

Written by: By TUNKU ABDUL AZIZ

Although I have in my travels seen abject poverty in such diverse places asAddis Ababa, Dhaka, Dar es Salaam, Kolkata, Mumbai and Manila, I must confess to a feeling of utter revulsion and anger when confronted by stark deprivation in our supposedly well-governed and prosperous Malaysia.


Comparison of poverty between Sarawak and Malaya

The pockets of rural poverty in the Malay heartlands of Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu are islands of prosperity compared to the scene that churned my stomach and assailed my sense of guilt and outrage when I first ventured into the Iban long houses on the majestic Rejang.


Little personal dignity left

It is not enough that we have robbed them of their ancestral lands and impoverished them in the process, but we also felt constrained to strip them naked of any residual personal dignity that they might still have by introducing policies that have succeeded in reducing them to the fringes of mainstream economic life.

The Dayak are the forgotten people?

The Orang Asli tribes and the Orang Hulu, the Malays from the interior, have a great deal in common with their Dayak friends. For all we care, they are Malaysia’s forgotten people, but not quite. Whenever an election is underway, be it a by-election or a general election, they find themselves the centre of attention, in great demand by the rich and powerful, all claiming to love and care for them.


The Dayak votes were bought by BN

Before the day is out, they are the proud possessors of a handful of crisp 50 ringgit notes. Four or five hundred ringgit is a princely sum to them, a king’s ransom, no less, in exchange for their votes. If some of them have become cunning, manipulative supplicants and sacrificed their values for a fistful of ringgit, remember it is we who have corrupted them.


They almost lost their value system

Years of exposure to extreme poverty and unbridled exploitation have rendered many of these once proud and noble people, nature’s gentlemen, inured and insensitive to their own traditional values and value systems. They are reduced to living from hand to mouth, on handouts, from day to day.


The Dayak trusted their Government too much

What a tragedy to befall a people whose only sin is to trust those sworn to protect their native rights. They are bewildered to find themselves dispossessed, as their land is taken away without as much as “by your leave” for commercial exploitation by the towkay friends of the powerful.


We who are strong need to help the Dayak

Talking to many of them, the Ibans, I mean, I believe the only way we can restore their pride and dignity is by providing opportunities for regular employment. We are dealing with an ancient people with a distinctive culture. Even those among them whose lives have taken on an urban aspect continue to cling strenuously to their traditional practices. We who are strong have a duty to help the weak by not foisting on the Ibans and others our culture of corruption and other despicable practices.


Corruption in Sarawak is higher then that of Indonesia during election

Some years ago, an Indonesian anti-corruption activist friend of mine visited our country during the 11th general elections, as part of a privately funded election observer mission. His group spent a great deal of time in Sarawak and Sabah and told me that he was shocked by the scale of vote buying.


Election corruption is beyond expectation

I was greatly embarrassed by his revelation because at an anti-corruption conference in The Hague at which I was invited to speak and he was a participant some two months earlier, I had said that while vote buying was rampant in party elections, the practice was unknown in general and state elections.

I was unbelievably naïve to believe the Barisan Nasional government propaganda. The scale of vote-buying must have been so massive as to shock my Indonesian anti-corruption fighter, used as he was to living and working in a corruption-infested nation. It is not that easy to shock an Indonesian over a corruption issue. But unlike Malaysia, Indonesia is on the mend as far as fighting corruption is concerned. In Malaysia, on the contrary, it is in indecently robust health.


Poverty is caused by Government corruption

Malaysia is blessed with rich natural resources and poverty as we have seen in Sabah, Sarawak, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu can only be explained in terms of governance grounded on corruption and political excesses. When we look at the personal wealth accumulated by Chief Minister Taib of Sarawak at one extremity and the Ibans at the other, one begins to wonder what the future holds for Malaysia. I am not at all sanguine.


The thieving and plundering by the Government must stop

The thieving and plundering by those in power must stop because, as history tells us, it is only a matter of time before the forbearance of the long suffering poor takes on an ugly aspect, with consequences too dreadful to contemplate. The Government of Malaysia and the state governments of Sabah and Sarawak in particular can alleviate poverty by governing in the sole interest of the people. Najib’s people first is under close public scrutiny.

Ibans the kindest people in the world?

A friend of mine from Sarikei rang up telling me that the Ibans are the kindest people in the world.

He said: “Diambi orang tanah, bala Iban nadai nemu ringat; rumah, buah enggau getah ditebang orang bala Iban nadai nemu nganu; bansa bukai diberi api-ai, tang bala Iban dikelaong nadai nemu ringat; bala anak sida enda diberi scholarship, enti bekereja enda niki pangkat, enda diberi gaji, pen bala Iban enda ringat.

“Ketegal sida enda ringat, laban udah diberi duit RM200 kena nabar ke pengeringat sida iya, lalu pia mega sida dipinta ngundi Perintah Barisan ke ngerempas tanah sida. Bala Iban lalu ukai semina ngundi parti ke megai Perintah tang lalu muji bala sida ke ngerampas tanah,” pia ko iya.

“Peda ulih nuan bala Iban ke di Bawang Assan, sida di Pasai, Penasu enggau di Rasau bisi 80 peratus ngundi parti SUPP ke udah nipu, ngemula sereta lalu nadai udah mai pemansang ngagai menua Iban.

“Enti apai Robert Lau Hui Yew, iya nya Lau Swee Nguong ke nyadi chairman bala compani KTS, endang gela-gela ngerampas tanah Iban di menua nya, agi ga bala Iban di menua nya nyukong anak iya. Amai-amai meh kitai Iban tu purih Apai Saloi. Patut Abdul Hadi Awang, ketuai PAS ngumbai bala kitai Iban tu agi besirat.

“Diatu bisi dua iti saman nawa Lau Swee Nguong ketegal ke ngerampas tanah Iban,” pia ko pangan aku.

"Leboh Datuk Daniel Tajem campaign ke Pakatan Rakyat di Rumah Baseh, Rumah Robert Lingga enggau di Pasai, iya madah ngagai bala Iban enti kita agi nyunting parti SUPP tauka parti Barisan Nasional, reti nya kita tu meh baka makai asam maram, lalu uchu-ichit kita ila semina ensepi air liur masam kita aja".

I fully agree with the sentiments expressed by my friend from Sarikei. And after what he told me I also agree that perhaps Ibans are the kindest people in the world.

They do get angry when their lands are taken away from them; they do cry when their longhouses, fruit trees and cash crops are destroyed; they do make complaints when their longhouses do not have water supply or electricity; they do make noise when their children do not get scholarships, do not get promotions or being recruited into the civil service.

But their anger is short-lived when they receive RM200 as rewards to vote for a Barisan candidate. They prefer to receive RM200 rather than several millions of ringgit worth of their land.

Isn’t this the stupidity of “Apai Saloi”? Or are we Ibans the kindest people in the world? – The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Should Dayak Ibans continue to build longhouses?

Sidi Munan, President of Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA), in his weekly column, UNCLE DI, in the Sunday Borneo Post, posed this question.

“If we are really concerned with the regular occurrences of fires, let us brainstorm these questions: Should or should not the Dayak Ibans continue to build longhouses? Will it not be more sensible or practical of them to opt for single houses?

He listed the following points in favour of single houses:

1. Reduce the risk of mass destruction by fire,
2. Easier to keep clean,
3. Freedom of choice for the individual in terms of size of room,
4. Freedom of choice of colour of the walls or the roof,
5. Sufficient space for landscape suited to individual taste, and
6. Animal rearing and protection- fencing.

The following points in favour of building new longhouses:

1. Cultural heritage,
2. Ample space for observation of customs and traditional practices,
3. Security of inhabitants under one roof, and
4. Close rapport among inhabitants.

Sidi suggested that Government should conduct a series of seminars during which frank views are allowed in respect of the merits and demerits of the above questions.

“Invite representative of the victims of recent fires as participants, community leaders, representatives from the Ministry of Housing and the Bomba to these talks. Local architects and insurance agents may be interested to observe the proceedings.

“During the seminars causes of fires in each particular case – human carelessness, defective wiring, etc may be disclosed. Their effects are not hard to imagine.

“We are not, by any stretch of the imagination, suggesting that the existing longhouse should be pulled down. We are talking about a ban on constructing NEW buildings,” he said and added: “These are some of my views. Your views could well be much better than mine”. – The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Can Ibans play smart politics?

For the past 46 years of our so-called independence, the story is the same in all the 19 Iban majority state constituencies: complaints of no basic amenities like clean water, electricity, road and clinic not to mention major projects that can generate incomes and thereby uplifting their living standards. Instead their NCR lands are forcibly taken away from them and leased to big plantation companies.

And yet in every election, the Iban voters continue to vote for the “dacing” symbol after the BN has promised them all these, knowing that the same promises have been made over and over and again and again.

The famous quote by US President Abraham Lincoln that “you can fool some of the people all the time, and all the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time” cannot apply to the Iban voters. It appears that “all the Ibans can be fooled all the time” by BN and worst still through Iban representatives.

After each election, the BN government has forgotten them. No doubt one or two of our elected YBs did ask for funds for projects in their respect constituencies, but they are not forceful enough. Many a time their requests are ignored. In other words, the government does not really respect them because they are weak, fragmented and found in every political party. If Abdul Taib Mahmud or even Awang Tengah were to be an elected representative in the Iban constituency, that constituency would have certainly undergone tremendous development and progress.

For now, even if you are shouting at the top of your lungs, nothing will come out; nobody will listen. State assemblyman for Meluan Wong Judat’s speech during the recent Council Negeri meeting clearly shows the disrespect the BN has on the people.

He said: “The Rakyat in my constituency are thinking that the government only knows how to make promises come election time to fish for votes.” And what made him say such statement like an Opposition elected representative was the delay in the construction of the long-awaited Nanga Entabai-Rantau Limau ulu road and the 29km Pakan-Engkamop road had not been tar-sealed for a long time.

It was not just the roads, but also the construction of suspension bridges across Kanowit river (from Julau town to a Chinese settlement and another suspension bridge to SK Nanga Luan).These had not been implemented although the cost had been determined at RM1.8 million.

He said he had raised the issue with the relevant authorities numerous times and each time he asked the ministry concerned, the reply was that funding from the federal government was insufficient.

“We the people of Meluan have waited a very long time, our patience is running low. The projects have been proposed since the seventh five-year Malaysia Plan and it was brought forward to the eighth Malaysia Plan and then to the ninth Malaysia Plan. Now the ministry could bring it again to the tenth Malaysia Plan.

“I want to know in which Malaysia Plan can the government have enough allocation to finance these projects considering they have been proposed a long time ago (more than 15 years). I do not want my people think that the government is only making promises during election,” he said.

Wong who is Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party supreme council member also spoke of the people’s dilemma in 30 longhouses, individual houses, three primary schools and Nanga Entabai clinic which are in dire need of clean water and electricity supply.

Likewise, the Kapit MP Alexander Nanta Linggi has bemoaned the absence of funds for the construction of Kapit-Sibu trunk road. Nanta’s grandfather, Tun Temenggong Jugah made the call more than 40 years ago, and the call was echoed by his father, the two-term MP for Kapit and it was repeated by the former MP for Kapit James Jimbun. Now Nanta is the fourth generation of MP for Kapit and hs been making numerous requests for funds for the Kapit-Sibu trunk road. Until now the requests have fallen on deaf ears.

So what are the solutions in order that our YBs can be an effective voice of the people? Could form a new political party specifically catering for Iban interests of any help? Or better still if SPDP, PRS, SNAP and Pesaka can form a merger called Iban National Front?

Never mind about the comments against it, but just imagine the impact if our elected 19 state representatives can come together – segulai-sejalai-sepenemu - under one political banner from Balai Ringin, to Bukit Begunan, Engkilili, Batang Ai, Layar, Bukit Saban, Krian, Pakan, Meluan, Machan, Ngemah, Ketibas, Baleh, Pelagus, Tamin, Kakus, Sebauh, Marudi, and Batu Danau and 11 Iban MPs.

This is not a racialist move, but rather that we take care and put our own house in order first before thinking of others. Let charity begin at home.

We do not aim to put our man as chief minister; neither do we want to frighten other communities. Whoever is the chief minister be he Malay, Chinese or Bidayuh or Orang Ulu as long as long as he respects our rights of existence, respect our NCR land, be fair in terms of distributing development, business opportunities, in education, and so on, we will support him.

Certainly with the 19 elected representatives and 11 MPs our voice is not only strong, but they (the government be it BN or PR) cannot simply ignore us. In other words, we will play the role of “king maker”. – The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Where are the Iban Warriors In Politics?

Written by YB Encik Voon Lee Shan *

Rentap, the most famous Iban warrior in Sarawak

Iban people were traditionally brave people. They feared no one and were well known for their bravery. History told us that they also had good leaders, who were capable to enter into military alliances with one another and able to moblilize hundreds of followers under their direction for territorial expansion.

For newly opened region or territory during their head hunting days, their tuai menoa allocated settlement areas to their followers and their young men who displayed courage in the battlefield were entitled to called bujang berani or “brave bachelor”. In the old days, they were truly warriors and they led and were never wanted to be led by other people. So, they fought against the Rajahs.

Their bravery helped young Malaysia grew to what it is today. Malaysia needed them in early years and in time of peace, they still served the nation well. Iban were good trackers and their service in the Royal Malaysian Rangers was exemplary and many were awarded with bravery awards for their prowess in fighting the insurgencies. Their display of bravery was consistent with their motto, “Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban”.

In Rangers, they also displayed not only exceptional courage, but, also exemplary leadership and discipline.


Brookes Changed Iban Leadership

Things now changed. They no more led, but, were led by others through their leaders. Why and how could this happen?

One thing for sure about the Iban people was that, the Iban or Dayaks in general were good, honest and obedient followers. The Brookes were smart and when they ruled Sarawak, they appointed Iban warriors as native chiefs. It was through these native chiefs that Brooke’s rule became more peaceful and Sarawak’s territory then expanded.

The British who took over from Brookes also did the same thing and this strategy worked well to keep the Iban in peace with the government. Iban people lived simple lives and were never demanding and it was their culture taught them to respect and be obedient to their elders or tuai.

In the longhouses, their tuai who headed their longhouses were called tuai rumah. These tuai rumah were powerful figures and they provided the link with the government.

The anembiaks in the longhouses in return for their loyalty and obedience to their tuai rumah will get some subsidies in terms of fertilizers, some granite for their roads which normally were distributed to them as “election installments”. That is, these subsidies will only normally be distributed when elections were around.

However, the Iban could not simply get these subsidies unless their tuai rumah were obedient and loyal to the government. The BN government held them under 'political ransom' and the present system will continue to make them so.

Therefore, until today the system of tuai rumah has been maintained and given the few hundred ringgits as monthly allowances, these tuai rumah had then been instrumental in controlling and influencing their anembiaks to be obedient and loyal to the government.

With the exceptional loyalty as trademark and embedded as a culture, the Barisan Nasional government has until now since independence ruled Sarawak through Iban patronage. That also prolonged Pehin Sri Taib, a Melanau and a Muslim as the Chief Minister of Sarawak. With that, Taib may wish to perpetuate the Melanau dynasty which began from his uncle Tun Rahman, in ruling Sarawak, by making his son, Sulaiman as the next chief minister.


Kuala Lumpur followed Brookes

When Malaysia was formed in September 16, 1963, the federal government in Kuala Lumpur also followed Brooke. They knew, Apai Jugah was too influential among the Ibans and other Dayaks. They respected and were loyal to Apai Jugah.

So as not to rock the peace already established through Brookes’ rule, the federal government then appointed Apai Jugah as a Federal Minister. With Apai Jugah, the Iban just continued to get some subsidies. The Iban together with the Melanaus and Malays in Malaysia were Bumiputera, but, the Iban until today could not enjoy what the Malays could get.

Gone was Apai Jugah, the BN government perpetuates Iban loyalty to the government by absorbing Iban leaders and politicians into the government. These leaders were given posts and many perks.

The few leaders, like Jabu, Moggie, Masing, Mawan, Entulu, were said very rich. So, the story continues. The Iban never then led, but, was led through their leaders. What the Iban got until now were subsidies and not capitals for the development of the community.

The majority of the Iban will continue to be poor. While their leaders lived in big towns and cities could enjoy piped water and driving luxurious cars with oil palm plantations from Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands giving them perpetuating income and wealth, the majority of the Iban will see themselves poor and to live without proper water and electricity supply.

In return for their wealth they got from their positions in the government, these Iban leaders who presently are in the government will continue to tell the Iban people that only BN government could give the Iban subsidies in the longhouses.

This was of course true, but, the Iban did not realize that the giving to them subsides will continue to make them poor. It would be different, if Pakatan Rakyat takes over the government. Instead of subsidies, the Iban will get capitals to start their lives.

The Iban now has no political warriors who are capable to lead the community against the Barisan Nasional and against the dominance of the Melanau-Malays in Sarawak politics.

Ningkan an Iban from Betong who was supported by many Chinese tycoons in his days was too aggressive. His display of the typical Dayak arrogance and bravery was seen a threat by the federal government led by the Malays from UMNO, who then politically kicked him out of his chief ministership.

Ningkan who displayed exceptional political courage and leadership of an Iban warrior, Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban, was seen a threat to UMNO rule in Sarawak through Melanau-Malays. These Melanau-Malays were mostly Muslims, but, is not a large group in the state.

Had Ningkan not been toppled, Iban today would be under a better umbrella had enjoyed better lives. Maybe, it was and still is the policy of federal government to see that Iban should not become the governor and chief minister of Sarawak.

This was made more difficult in recent years after the amendment of the State Constitution because, it seems that to be a governor, the governor must be a Muslim and in the case of Iban, this would be something almost impossible as most Ibans are Christians.

Due to the amendment of the State Constitution, the Iban, like the Chinese, would also find themselves difficult to become Speakers of the Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN).

Peter John (centre), is he our modern Iban Warrior?
Picture Credit: www.dayaknation.com

Iban Must Change

DAP and PKR are here to change the Iban lives, but, if Iban people refuses to change nothing much DAP and PKR could do. Iban leaders like, Jabu, Masing, Mawan, Sylvester Entri, Peter Nyarok and Francis Hardin, being senior Iban politicians could bring better change to the Iban community, but, it seems that they prefer to be led and not to lead.

They should be the Iban political warriors taking lead to bring the Iban to greater heights. They should realize that Iban being the largest race in Sarawak should lead and not be led by the minorities.

Never, at anytime I heard them speaking against any of the policies put up by the government. They lacked political courage to speak against the evils of the government and when they saw Taib coming to the Dewan Undangan Negeri, they all rushed towards him, trying to get Taib’s attention. Sometimes, I observed that when Taib saw them coming, Taib just shook their hands with them, but, with his face turning away looking at others around!

So if Iban people want to change themselves, they should no more be dependent on their present leaders. Instead, they have to take the lead themselves, throw away their present leaders and change the government.

The Iban people have lost its grip in power and the only way to overcome this is to change the government. So, the coming Batang Ai by-election will a testing ground for Iban Baru or New Iban. Whoever be fielded by the Opposition against the BN in Batang Ai, the Iban people, please rise up to the occasion to support the candidate for a change. He is your Iban Baru!

Good luck, my Dayak friends! DAP are with you!

14th day of March, 2009

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* YB Encik Voon Lee Shan is a member of Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Sarawak, N. 11 Batu Lintang

Can we defeat the arrogant “kingfisher”?

The more we try to be united, the more we become divided. Dayaks especially the Ibans must learn from past political miscalculations in order to build a better future.

In Japan, homogeneity is a unifying force. Here in Malaysia, despite the Ibans being homogeneous, why are they so divided, so much so that the unity is so elusive? asked Dr. Dusit Jaul, a senior INTAN Program Coordinator.*

Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) which tried to group the various Dayak tribes under its umbrella was about to achieve that unity. But certain forces both within the party and outside were determined to see that the party not only failed to achieve its objective, but also wanted the party destroyed and at the same time sabotaged the unity among the Dayaks.

The Dayaks should be united to fight these forces and should ponder and learn a lesson from a story of a race between “burung ensing” (kingfisher) (read BN) and “kuyong kerikap” (fresh water snail) (read the Ibans).

The kingfisher is always poking fun at the snail for its sluggishness. Angered by the daily taunts, the snail, despite its handicap challenges the kingfisher to a race. The kingfisher cynically laughs off the challenge knowing very well that the snail in no way can beat it in the race.

And when the snail looks very serious the kingfisher smilingly accepts the challenge with a condition. If the snail loses the race, the snail and its descendents will become the slaves of the kingfisher and its descendents. The snail accepts the condition also with its own condition that if the kingfisher loses the race, the kingfisher and its descendents will also likewise be their slaves. The agreement was sealed.

Before the race begins, “kuyong kerikap” asks several other “kuyong kerikap” for a meeting and tells them of the pending race, a very important race that will determine their future well-being.

To save their kind, the snail wants each and every one of them to cooperate and asks each one of the “kerikap” to station itself at a strategic point along the river starting from the estuary to the very “ulu”. The duty of each one of them is to answer when the kingfisher calls.

On the day of the race, both the snail and the kingfisher start the race from the estuary and follow the river upward. Smiling arrogantly, the kingfisher begins the race and flies along the river, while the snail slithers its way.

At the first ‘tanjong’ (point) the kingfisher calls for the snail’s whereabouts, the snail replies “here I am ahead of you”. Startled the kingfisher flies faster and at the second tanjong, it calls for the snail, the snail says that it is ahead of the kingfisher. The kingfisher tries to fly faster and faster and every time it calls for the snail, the snail is always ahead. The kingfisher becomes frustrated and tired until it cannot fly anymore. It collapses.

The kingfisher concedes defeat and from that day until today, the kingfisher and its descendents, according to the tale, become the slaves of the “kerikap” snails. The kingfisher’s job is to daily forewarn the snails of the coming of tide and it flies all the way from the river mouth to the very “ulu” shouting at the top of its voice. Hearing the voice of the kingfisher, the “kerikap” snails know that the tide is coming and so they will quickly climb to a higher ground to avoid being drowned.

The moral of the story is that although the snails appear to be stupid and sluggish, they are able to defeat the fast flying and arrogant kingfisher simply because of unity and cooperation among the snails and strategically use their numerical strength and a bit of intelligence to outsmart the kingfisher.

Do we Ibans have the esprit-de-corps of “kuyong kerikap” among us to beat the BN in the Batang Ai by-election? - The Broken Shield


* An excerpt from the second volume of The Broken Shield – The Dayak Dilemma, which will be published very soon.

The Layar constituency: The battle of relatives

In the next State election, the Opposition is expected to give the BN component parties a run for their money especially in the 29-Dayak majority constituencies. Of all these, the focus is certainly on constituencies like the Layar constituency of Deputy Chief Minister, Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang who has lately been exchanging spats with the Opposition, Dayak bloggers and leaders of Dayak non-governmental organisations.

They have been questioning the effectiveness of Jabu’s leadership since he became a minister and later deputy chief minister for more than 30 years. These Dayak leaders have been calling for his replacement come the next election. But then it is not going to be easy to dethrone Jabu.

However, the person who is going to challenge him must be someone who is related to Jabu; someone who has an equal number of relatives, because in this constituency it is the number of relatives that counts. It is going to be the battle of relatives.

The constituency has an electorate of 7,415 with 72.2% of them are Ibans, and the majority of them are related to Jabu. Since the 1974 election, Jabu has been challenged by those who were either a political novice with fewer relatives than Jabu’s or with little financial means or those who wanted to “kacau” (disturb) him only.

But the next election that may be called the latest in 2011 is going to be different, as Jabu is expected to face a serious and determined contender, someone who is going to be backed by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and who is related to him. The contender is expected to bank on those voters and his relatives who have not been happy with Jabu as many of his (Jabu’s) promises such as the construction of roads have not been fulfilled.

In the last election, the majority of the Chinese and Malay voters either gave their votes to a SNAP candidate or they absented themselves from voting.

Like the Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, Jabu is over staying his welcome and no longer has ideas to help the people who want change, the change for the better. But if he is to defend the seat, he is expected to be aggressive in his campaigns, and as in previous campaigns, he often hit his opponents below the belt. But this time around, his opponent is ready to open Jabu’s cupboard where he has allegedly kept many skeletons in the past 30 years. - The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Click here to read comments on the above article by Mr Joe Fernandez @ Fernz.

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.

Let us promote Iban Language and Literature

“Language is the roadmap of a culture. It tells you where its people came from and where they are going” – Rita Mae Brown, a famous American author.

Like other languages, the Iban Language is an identification of the Iban race and culture. A common language in Sarawak, the Iban language is spoken by other Dayak tribes, Chinese and Malays. You will not be surprised to hear a Chinese talking to another in Iban in some towns like Kapit, Song, Sibu, Simanggang, Lubok Antu, Saratok, Kanowit, Bintulu and Betong.

Like other languages also, the Iban language is being polluted or adulterated by other languages. Also assaulting our culture and language are various influences of today’s global and ICT world as well as certain government policies. When its originality and purity is gone, the Iban culture is also affected. This is the stark reality. Yet many of us seem to be unaware of this trend or just could not be bothered.

During the colonial regime (1946-1963), the Iban language was recognized and even used during the Council Negeri meetings. The Borneo Literature Bureau was set up to help popularize the language through its Iban magazine called Nendak and through the printing of Iban books.

When Sarawak obtained her independence through the formation of Malaysia, the Borneo Literature Bureau (BLB) was abolished and in came Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) some time 1978 to take its place. The abolishment of BLB saw several hundreds of Iban books and magazines destroyed.

I remember several members of Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) led by Sidi Munan tried to salvage some of the books from being burnt at the DBP headquarters near the Printing Department, Kuching.

When Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA) was formed in early 80s, one of its activities was to revive the learning of Iban Language in schools. A committee was setup together with officials of the Education Department to look into the standardization of spelling, text books and syllabus.

After several years of discussions, the government finally approved the teaching of the language in selected primary and secondary schools in Sarawak. But the lack of reading materials poses a major problem to the teaching of Iban. Even Iban dictionaries are a rare commodity.

However, the Tun Jugah Foundation is currently compiling an Iban dictionary encompassing words spoken by Ibans from Saribas, Sadong, Batang Rajang, Remun and others.

To further instill interest in the study of Iban Language, culture and literature such as renong, dungai, sangai, pantun, sabak, pengap, bejawang wai, etc it is, perhaps, a good idea to revive the defunct Society for the Advancement of Iban Language and Literature (SAILL). Set up in 1967, it died a natural death in the 80s due to lack of interest.

Its revival now will not only help to complement the works carried out by the Tun Jugah Foundation, Radio and Television Malaysia (Iban Section) and SADIA, but also help to promote it as one of the “lingua francas” of Sarawak.

After all, to quote Angela Carter, “Language is power, life and the instrument of culture, the instrument of domination and liberation”. Sad, isn’t it if our children and their children do not speak Iban properly, do not know their roots and their culture?

Any comment?

Landowners want to submit petition to King

See news by Malaysiakini: "Hasrat Orang Asal hantar memo tidak kesampaian"

Image Credit: Malaysian Bar

Members of Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA) are among 100 members of the Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia (JOAS) who were stopped this morning (13 September) by Police from marching to the palace in order to present a petition or memorandum to the Yang Dipertuan Agong regarding the erosion of their rights as guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.

Of the number, 23 are from Sarawak representing the various ethnic groups, while 20 others are from Sabah and the rest from other parts of Malaysia.

SADIA secretary general Nicholas Mujah said that the proposed march today was stopped on the advice of the Police due to tense political situation in the capital following the arrests of Raja Petra Kamaruddin, MP Teresa Kok and Sin Chew Daily news reporter, Tan Hoon Cheng under ISA. The march had earlier been approved by the Police.

“We are still in Kuala Lumpur waiting for the green light from the Police,” Mujah said.

For SADIA, this is the second time that it had submitted a memorandum to Yang Dipertuan Agong. The first was submitted in late 1980s when the association urged the Yang Dipertuan Agong to look into the rights of the Ibans when formulating National Development Policy.

Article 153 of the Federal Constitution: Reservation of quotas in respect of services, permits, etc., for Malays and natives of any States of Sabah and Sarawak.

“(1) It shall be the responsibility of the Yang Dipertuan Agong to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article.”

The common complaints from Dayaks especially Ibans are that they have been deprived of business opportunities, of development, of recruitment into the civil service, and intake into tertiary education. But lately, their complaints are against the encroachment into their NCR land.

When they reported the matter to the Police, the Police did not take action. But when the authorities and companies lodged a report to the Police, the Police acted swiftly. Then they took the law into their hands and landed in prison.

Up to now about 200 cases of NCR land that has been encroached upon have been filed with the Court. But this takes time.

In the meantime, they have decided to submit a petition to Yang Dipertuan Agong.

NCR land: The Ibans' greatest dilemma

(Click picture to enlarge)

Nowadays, it is not uncommon for Native Customary Rights (NCR) land owners to take the law into their own hands when Police fail to act on their complaints that certain companies have encroached or trespassed into their land. They have lodged reports, not once, but a number of times. And their reports have fallen on deaf ears.

So when the Police and the authorities fail to take action, what are they supposed to do? Do they have any alternative? Certainly no. The only way to make known their grouses or complaints to the outside world is to take the law into their own hands. They put up barricades and burn the company’s machinery. The company then lodges a report to the Police and almost immediately the Police come and arrest those “culprits” giving the impression that they are working for the company. The mass media then come and write their reports.

We have heard over TV and radio and read over the newspapers of NCR land owners being arrested in Lundu, Serian, Sri Aman, Niah, Bintulu, Miri, Sibu, Mukah and Julau for defending their land. And the latest arrests were made by Police on 26 June 2008 at Simunjan where Tuai Rumah Jayuh and three of his followers from Kpg. Sg. Raya were detained for allegedly putting up barricades and burning the company’s machinery at Paya Belebak, Simunjan, a stretch of land between Keniong and Temiang. (Read reports about the arrest here >> http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/85163.

Police used tear gas to disperse some 300 Ibans from several longhouses in the area who had gathered at the barricades. By a twist of luck, the tear gas which was fired towards the crowd turned against the Police personnel themselves who ran helter-skelter.

The villagers claim that some 10,000 ha of land are their NCR land which they have planted with fruit trees, pepper, cocoa and other cash crops and have been toiling the land for generations. Suddenly last year the BN government sold the land to the plantation company from Sibu (after paying millions of ringgit worth of premium). Armed with a Provisional Lease (PL), the company comes along and destroys their fruit trees and whatever is on the land.

I believe that our family has also a piece of land being taken by the company. Our great grandfather Rabong migrated to Ulu Simunjan some time in 1850 from Temiang Undup under the Brooke Internal Migration Policy (IMP). Under this policy, many Ibans from Lemanak and Skrang migrated to Kanowit, Kapit, Baram, Bintulu and much later to Limbang.

Rabong and his followers first settled at Kpg. Sematong Panjai a.k.a. Semalatong and gradually moved and spread to other areas such as Kg. Gayau, Kpg. Munggu Ai, Kpg. Keniong, Kpg. Kepayang and Kpg. Temiang. The writer is the fourth generation of the Rabong family who has settled in Ulu Simunjan.

Land is life to the Ibans (I cannot speak for other races) and as a result you often hear Ibans fight for and go to jail for their land. Land to them is like water to fish. Take away the water, the fish will die. And take away their land, the Ibans will not survive.

* It is my argument that the opening of NCR land, especially under the present system, is going to have greater impacts on the livelihood of the rural people. When the land is being taken away, where will they plant their paddy, fruit trees, rubber trees, pepper and other cash crops? Where will they fish as most rivers are polluted and fish have depleted due to chemical pollutants? Where will they look for paku-tubu (ferns and bamboo shoots) and other wild vegetables and fruits when all the land has been cleared for oil palm plantations?

No doubt some will benefit from bonuses and dividends, but the majority will adversely be affected especially when they become labourers on their own land for mere RM8 to RM15 per day. The health and the education of their children will also be affected. It will not be surprising therefore to see that in the next five, 10 or 15 or 20 years from now the rate of poverty in Sarawak instead of decreasing will be increasing.

Little doubt that the oil palm companies are transforming the rural areas into growth centres and economic hubs, but for the rural people these areas will become a living hell for them. Those who cannot stand this hell will migrate to urban centres hoping to find greener pastures. As they do not have the skills to compete in the highly sophisticated society, their livelihood will be like jumping from the frying pan to the fire itself. More social problems are being created in the towns – crimes, gamblings, prostitution, drugs etc. It will not be surprising to see one day that the Ibans find themselves living under the bridges as can be seen in some Asian cities. Already some Ibans have become scavengers looking for food among the dust bins.

* Source: Volume two of The Broken Shield – The Dayak Dilemma

Further readings:

1. http://www.borneoproject.org/index.php
2. http://www.rengah.c2o.org/
3. http://www1.50megs.com/brimas/

Excerpts from Chapter 1: The Formation of SNAP

The formation of the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) in Sarawak on 10 April 1961, the third party to be formed after the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and Parti Negara Sarawak (PANAS), opened the way for Dayaks’ active participation not only in the efforts to prepare Sarawak’s independence, but also to be fully involved in political activities. Although there were Dayaks in SUPP and PANAS, which were and are essentially and basically Chinese and Malay in character and in their objectives respectively, the Dayaks’ interests in the two parties were secondary and their roles minimal.

Thus the Dayaks, particularly the Ibans felt that they might be left behind in the decision making of Sarawak that was desirous of becoming an independent country, if they did not have a party of their own. So SNAP was born in Betong, Second Division, and its formation was greatly welcomed by the vast majority of the Ibans, who formed one-third of Sarawak’s population then. Among the founders were Stephen Kalong Ningkan, who became its secretary-general, T.S. Tinker (chairman), Edward Howell, Edwin Howell, Ivory Kedit, Mathew Dana Ujai, David Lawrence Usit, Nyipa Julin and Lionel Bediman anak Ketit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ningkan was sacked as Chief Minister on 17 June 1966. Penghulu Tawi Sli was appointed as Chief Minister. Ningkan brought the Governor to court and subsequently won the case. He was reinstated by the court as Chief Minister.

Unhappy with the court decision, PESAKA, BARJASA and PANAS leaders went to Kuala Lumpur and urged Federal leaders to call for an emergency meeting of Parliament to amend the State Constitution to allow the Governor to call for a Council Negeri meeting. A state of emergency in Sarawak was proclaimed.

Thus Ningkan's government was dismissed when Council Negeri met on 23 September 1966 when 25 voted for the motion of no confidence on Ningkan as Chief Minister, while six from SNAP and 10 from opposition SUPP refused to attend the meeting. One independent member walked out during the meeting.

The Governor delivered a letter to Ningkan the same evening, calling on him to resign and if he did not resign, the Governor would sack him.

Four persons from PESAKA who were the brains in Ningkan’s dismissal were Thomas Kana (secretary-general), Temenggong Jugah (president), Sidi Munan (secretary of Jugah and secretary of Sarawak Alliance) and Alfred Mason, political secretary to Jugah. SNAP accused them of being used by Rahman and Taib Mahmud to get rid of Ningkan.

To the writer, this was the first public plot to undermine Iban unity, and consequently, the Ibans were there and then split in two main regions – the Batang Rajang represented by PESAKA and the Saribas by SNAP.

Excerpts from Preface

This book is written based on my experience – from what I read, I did, I wrote, I saw and what I heard as well as from my discussions with civil servants, reporters, friends and politicians. This is my memoir, my record."

I was among the lucky ones to have witnessed and recorded so many historical and political events that occurred between the times of Sarawak gaining its independence from the British in late 1963 to the present day Sarawak in the Federation of Malaysia - a period of more than 40 years. As Assistant Press Officer with the Information Department between 1965 and 1975, my duties had not only endeared me to people of all walks of life, but had also taken me to almost every corner of Sarawak.

Being an Iban, I was assigned to cover the visits of VIPs to remote areas of Sarawak where other reporters could not go. I became both a reporter and a photographer. And my stories and photographs became the official versions of government press releases and statements. Among those whom I covered were Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak, Tun Dr. Ismail, Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie, Tan Sri Sardon, Tan Sri Musa Hitam, Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan, Datuk Penghulu Tawi Sli, Datuk Abdul Rahman Yakub, Datuk Abdul Taib Mahmud, Tan Sri Temenggong Jugah, Simon Dembab Maja, Leonard Linggi Jugah and Dunstan Endawie.

It was during such visits that I had seen and witnessed numerous events such as demonstrations, general elections, political crises, rallies and meetings and launching of various development programmes. For example, I had seen the downfall of Ningkan Government, the swearing-in of Tawi Sli as Chief Minister as well as the premature swearing in of Rahman as Chief Minister, the merger of Parti Bumiputera and Parti Pesaka, Sarawak National Party (SNAP) crisis (1981-1983), the formation of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), the Ming Court affairs, deregistrations of SNAP and PBDS, the registrations of Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) as well as being involved in the formation of the proposed Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC).

Towards the end of 1975, I left the Information Department for the Police Department as the Press Liaison Officer. My duties in the department were similar to those in the Information Department. The only difference was that my efforts were concentrated on Police activities. Here again I had the privilege of accompanying Commissioners of Police during those visits to other divisions, where we were briefed on security, crime and political situations in the State. Giving those briefings were senior Criminal Investigation and Special Branch officers. Some of my political knowledge came from these briefings by the Special Branch officers. I served nine Commissioners of Police during my 22 years and 10 months in the Police.

As a retired civil servant, I look back to the time when I joined the government with a feeling of nostalgia, especially when reading some of the files and paper cuttings on politics that I had collected since 1965. I wrote many of these political articles for The Sarawak Tribune, The Borneo Post, The Borneo Bulletin, The Sun, The Borneo Sun and The Malaysian Today. I had to use nom-de-plumes, because as a civil servant I was not allowed to contribute political articles to the newspapers. My job was only to write government press releases. The extra money I earned through writings helped me to send my four children to universities.

It was during this reminiscence that I decided to write a book. Some of the articles that I wrote decades ago are being included in the book I now call “The Broken Shield”. This book attempts to cover political events from my perspective and knowledge.

This book is about a journey or a “road map” of Dayak political unity from the day Sarawak gained independence until this present day political scenario. Along the journey, the Dayak unity was persistently being undermined. Their hopes and struggles were constantly being frustrated either by the Dayaks on their own out of personal greed and jealousy or they worked in collaboration with others, whose interests were detrimental to the Dayaks’ political struggles.

You may ask why “The Broken Shield”? The shield is more than a Dayak warrior’s weapon of self-defence against all weapons of enemies; it is an instrument that symbolizes the unity, strength, struggles and hopes of the Dayak community and depicts their culture and their day-to-day life. And for this reason, the shield has been incorporated in the logos or symbols of all Dayak-based parties like SNAP, SPDP, PBDS and PRS. Even PESAKA, which merged with Bumiputera to form Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), to this day continues to retain the shield as its emblem to reflect its aim of protecting Dayaks’ interests in PBB.

Figuratively speaking, the shield breaks into pieces in its efforts to protect the Dayaks’ unity, interests and rights, and its bits and pieces have been scattered all over the place and along the road of the Dayaks’ political journey to an unknown destination. Translated into modern day politics, “The Broken Shield” reflects the Dayaks’ profound disunity while its fragments figuratively represent each and every one of the Dayaks who are divided and scattered among the existing political parties in the State, namely PBB, SUPP, SNAP, SPDP, PRS, STAR and in the proposed Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC).

My intention of writing this book is to let the future generations know, study and perhaps learn from the failures, misgivings and misfortunes of their forefathers. And although for now it is impossible to unite the Dayaks under one political umbrella, it is hoped that the future generations may be more successful in forging unity among the Dayaks. The possibility of the broken shield being pieced together again is not impossible. God willing, with political will and sacrifice, I may even live to see it happens.

Joseph Tawie
Kuching, Sarawak
September 2007