OPINION: For the past 53 years, Dayaks have been talking of begulai-sejalai (walking together towards unity). Yet today, instead of greater unity, they have become more fragmented politically as evidenced by the fact that they are in every party there is in Sarawak.
You can find Dayaks in Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), United People’s Party (UPP), Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (Baru), State Reform Party (STAR) and other smaller parties.
Even in Umno, you can find them as members.
Why are the Dayaks so fragmented? Why is unity so elusive to them?
In his research, Professor Jayum A Jawan of Universiti Putra Malaysia believes that Dayak disunity was a direct result of systematic process of political marginalisation and the intention to divide and rule in order to sustain a narrow political agenda – to remain in power.
But there are political writers and observers who put the whole blame on Dayak politicians themselves who seek political positions and material gains at the expense of the majority of the Dayaks.
Moreover, the Dayaks especially the Ibans are too individualistic, and envious of each other.
As I pointed out in my book, The Broken Shield: The Dayak Dilemma, “Personal greed, jealousy of each other’s successes and achievements and weak leadership are some of the main causes that make Dayaks vulnerable to exploitation and manipulation by those who want to see them disunited.
“Disunity causes numerous problems, frustrations and hopelessness; it leads to gross injustices, marginalisation and discrimination. Worse still, it leads to of the weakening of their political power.”
Leaders have forgotten the real issues that affect Dayak unity, the community’s survival and their livelihood; in their pursuit of material gains and political positions, they have forgotten that the Dayaks may one day become displaced and disfranchised or disempowered people with their NCR lands taken away for large-scale oil palm plantations, and their cultural heritage and their way of life torn apart and uprooted.
Some of the longhouses have been demolished by the authorities to pave the way for oil palm plantations, while the longhouse folk have been forced to move out of their ancestral land.
Some have landed themselves in big cities and because of their lack of skills, they are forced to become scavengers, turn to gangsterism, stealing and drudgery and some of their womenfolk have turned to prostitution to survive.
What is happening to the Dayaks now have become the concerns of educated young Dayaks, including Dayak professionals, who want to unite the Dayaks through culture and through non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
It was these concerns that Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) took the initiative to organise the first Dayak NGOs unity dinner last weekend.
Representatives of 18 Dayak NGOs attended the function, even Dayak NGOs from West Kalimantan sent their representatives to the dinner.
SDGA believed that Dayak NGOs could play that vital role to unite the Dayaks through their common adat and culture.
Addressing the guests that night, SDGA president Dr Dusit Jaul said that everywhere he went and every time he struck a conversation with fellow Dayaks, the subject on Dayak unity or rather the lack of it was a topic that never failed to crop up.
“If Dayak unity has been a deficit, this is the time we should be bold and be more aggressive on this issue.
“We all realise that the future of our community is very much dependent on our own selves. Collectively, we’re confronted with an opportunity to shape the future of our people in a manner that holds promise of a better future for them.
“I say this because with me this evening are members of powerful NGOs in whose members I know have done so much community work on a voluntary basis.
“These are the people, our real Dayak heroes, who have summoned themselves to noble, worthy and courageous purpose,” Dusit said.
He said without them, some of the pressing issues confronting the Dayak community might have been pushed to the back burner.
He strongly believed that the Dayak NGOs had an important role to play in the their society.
“In fact, they (Dayak NGOs) have a role to play as the fourth arm of the government in a democratic country.
“They could also provide good platforms for young leaders to acquire and polish their leadership skills.”
He quoted Henry Ford to stress his points. Ford once said: “Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, and working together is successes.”
He said if the Dayaks were to progress further, the simple rule to follow was to come together, keep together, and work together.
“It is my hope that in future we in NGOs will come together, keep together and work together. Unity after all, begins with oneself and thereupon it becomes our collective responsibility,” he said.
Dusit said that Sarawak Dayaks should emulate the successes that their counterparts, the Indonesian Kalimantan Dayaks, have achieved in uniting the more than 300 racial groups and sub-groups not only in promoting and preserving their adat and culture, but also in politics.
The Indonesian Dayaks are now controlling three regions – West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and Eastern Kalimantan.
In Sarawak, despite forming more than 50% of Sarawak’s 2.6 million people, the Dayaks are lagging behind in almost every field, and they are the poorest in Malaysia all because of political fragmentation.
The successes of the Indonesian Dayaks should spur the Sarawak Dayaks to think and seek ways to unite.
The onus is, therefore, on us the Dayaks to chart our own future.-The Ant Daily
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