This year Gawai Dayak saw greater unity among the Dayaks of Borneo as evident by the presence of our Dayak brothers and sisters Majlis Adat Dayak Nasional Indonesia and Kadazandusun Cultural Association of Sabah.
“My hope is that this kind of collaborative effort among the three biggest associations that represent the indigenous people of Borneo will be sustained,” said William Mawan, Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation in a message in the souvenir programme for the pre-gawai dinner-cum-cultural show on 15 May.
Gawai, he said, is a time for joy and celebration. More important, Gawai is also a time for us to forge the spirit of unity.
“This is the time for us to let go the divisive elements in us, whatever it may be. This is especially so among us Dayaks whom we know comprise many ethnic groups and coming from regions and localities far apart.
“It is not far-fetched for me to say that Gawai is a powerful unifying factor for us,” he said.
I was hoping that this Gawai gathering should be the best one that I ever attended especially when witnessing the performance of the Indonesian Dayak cultural troupe.
But my hope was dashed and I was in no mood to enjoy after we were shabbily treated. I am referring to an ugly incident that could have been adverted, if there was a strict supervision by the organising committee.
Someone should have been appointed to ensure the table arrangement and numbering of tables was not disturbed. This type of incident kept on being repeated over and over again. Why can’t we learn from past mistakes?
For the night Gawai function, we bought a RM500 table hoping to be seated nearer the stage where the “Kumang” contest was to be held. And the colour of the tickets was pink indicating the RM500 table. We arrived at 6.00 pm.
To our surprise, we were asked to seat on a Table number 25J covered with a purple table cloth meant for the RM400 table. We were not the ones affected as there were few other people faced with similar problems. Ambrose Gramong and his guests were also grumbling as they asked to sit on a RM350 table.
I asked the SDNU Secretary General Joshua Jabing and assistant secretary Spencer Birai of the organising committee as to why we were seated in the RM400 table when our table should be in the RM500? They could not explain.
Naturally, each one of these people who were seated with me demanded the return of their RM10. It was very embarrassing to me and the guests. Worst if non-Dayaks were involved.
In future, no one wants to buy RM500 tables if this is the type of treatment that greets us.
Let us learn one or two things from this incident. One, numbering all the tables in their order and not one here, two at the other end and 20 near the table number one, and so and so on. In other words do not jumble the numbering of the tables.
If the tables are priced differently, then make a clear division. Someone should supervise this arrangement.
Please look after the comfort of the dinner guests, otherwise you are going to embarrass not only the organising committee, but also reflect badly on the SDNU as well as Dayak community.
And please do not allow other people who do not like SDNU to have an opportunity to criticise and condemn the organisation. We have enough of it. – The Broken Shield
Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com
“My hope is that this kind of collaborative effort among the three biggest associations that represent the indigenous people of Borneo will be sustained,” said William Mawan, Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation in a message in the souvenir programme for the pre-gawai dinner-cum-cultural show on 15 May.
Gawai, he said, is a time for joy and celebration. More important, Gawai is also a time for us to forge the spirit of unity.
“This is the time for us to let go the divisive elements in us, whatever it may be. This is especially so among us Dayaks whom we know comprise many ethnic groups and coming from regions and localities far apart.
“It is not far-fetched for me to say that Gawai is a powerful unifying factor for us,” he said.
I was hoping that this Gawai gathering should be the best one that I ever attended especially when witnessing the performance of the Indonesian Dayak cultural troupe.
But my hope was dashed and I was in no mood to enjoy after we were shabbily treated. I am referring to an ugly incident that could have been adverted, if there was a strict supervision by the organising committee.
Someone should have been appointed to ensure the table arrangement and numbering of tables was not disturbed. This type of incident kept on being repeated over and over again. Why can’t we learn from past mistakes?
For the night Gawai function, we bought a RM500 table hoping to be seated nearer the stage where the “Kumang” contest was to be held. And the colour of the tickets was pink indicating the RM500 table. We arrived at 6.00 pm.
To our surprise, we were asked to seat on a Table number 25J covered with a purple table cloth meant for the RM400 table. We were not the ones affected as there were few other people faced with similar problems. Ambrose Gramong and his guests were also grumbling as they asked to sit on a RM350 table.
I asked the SDNU Secretary General Joshua Jabing and assistant secretary Spencer Birai of the organising committee as to why we were seated in the RM400 table when our table should be in the RM500? They could not explain.
Naturally, each one of these people who were seated with me demanded the return of their RM10. It was very embarrassing to me and the guests. Worst if non-Dayaks were involved.
In future, no one wants to buy RM500 tables if this is the type of treatment that greets us.
Let us learn one or two things from this incident. One, numbering all the tables in their order and not one here, two at the other end and 20 near the table number one, and so and so on. In other words do not jumble the numbering of the tables.
If the tables are priced differently, then make a clear division. Someone should supervise this arrangement.
Please look after the comfort of the dinner guests, otherwise you are going to embarrass not only the organising committee, but also reflect badly on the SDNU as well as Dayak community.
And please do not allow other people who do not like SDNU to have an opportunity to criticise and condemn the organisation. We have enough of it. – The Broken Shield
Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com
