Dayak Children – Spot the Difference
Posted by: Seliong ak Wau
Dayak Child:
1. When he is born, Identity Card is optional. His father may report him to the District Office/ Registration Department for “late registration.” Sometimes, if he has no money for the fare, petrol and pocket money (hey, in town you need to sit at the coffee shop), he will register until the son is about to go to school.
2. Going to school is always at age when he is independent. Some boys will enter primary school passed six.
3. Most schools are in the town and so, other students have been in kindergarten. While others have a head-start with ABC, the Dayak boy is still with his “jungle” life.
4. At an age where he knows money means being able to buy nice shirt or shoes, a Dayak boy’s introduction to commerce is in for a rude shock. “My family is dirt poor.” At this stage, it takes iron- will for him to remain in school and hope for a better future, or to return home and avoid the humiliation of poverty.
5. At secondary school, assuming he continues his education, he faces another reality of life. The well-to-do students congregate among themselves while a Dayak finds comfort among his kind. They re-enforced each other’s belief. Sadly, this forms the Dayak boy’s raison d etre.
6. At an age where other boys talk about college, PDA, bytes and gigabytes, he is still held back by his evolvement into the outside world. The moment he left school, mostly after completing form 3, he wants to prove his worth, unfortunately the only way he knows is by acceptance ie drinking a smoking. Talk about responsibilities to these kids??
7. At the age where your child worries about the skeletal parts; mandible, patella, cranium, or Cunningham’s or mens rea , or the world of Krugman, Samuelson, a Dayak boy is occupied with how many gallons of cheaply distilled liquor he can consume.
8. Four years down the line, your son or daughter is concerned about housing loans and credit cards, and this Dayak boy, we have’t given him a name yet. Call him James Sigat. James Sigat’s concern is finding work in P Malaysia at the printing shop, “bak kut teh” shop, restaurants, hardware shops. (Please check with the bak ku teh shop behind my office in Klang.) In Klang Valley, their favourite place during weekends: Fishing ponds (pay RM7 per hour). Speak Iban there, someone will answer you.
9. Your son or daughter talks about marriage or migration, James Sigat is eyeing that girl from Katibas, no its Balleh, he meets at the printing shop. If the girl can run away with him, it would be perfect. Your son or daughter is talking about the future, James Sigat is thinking about that girl. Finally he disappeared with that girl and is now backed in the longhouse.
10. Your son or daughter travels to Bali, Bandung, GuangDong (eh, Air Asia its so cheap) with their spouses. James Sigat, his wife is now pregnant and the path of life for James Sigat follows that of his father. He hires himself at Ah Beng’s shop or sometimes at Ah Kow’s construction company. When his son is in is teens, you can be sure he’d be in P Malaysia working in that printing shop that his father once was.
Spot the difference?
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16 Responses to “Dayak Children – Spot the Difference”
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Inspirational word from gkm2020
This is just plain pathetic nonsense. Why wallow in self-pity? What purpose does it serve?
The Dayaks can’t afford to wait until they are university graduates to be educated on the power behind their X on the ballot paper. Every X makes a difference.
You don’t need to be a genius to know the power behind the X.
Through the power of the X, they can get a reasonable slice of the political power in keeping with their status as the majority community in Sarawak.
With political power the Dayaks can not only educate themselves to the highest levels possible but also secure opportunities to gather valuable experience through career path development planning.
Next come the job opportunities and the economic and business opportunities generated by the Government. This is where the Dayaks are losing out. Hence, Dayaks are not able to participate in corporatisation and privatisation of state-owned enterprises through management buy-outs.
Dayaks leaders should be written off as illegitimate since they have actually been thrust upon the people by the powers that be. Hence, they would not speak up on behalf of their community. They are more worried about collecting their weekly ang pow packets from the Grand Puppetmaster who is actually just passing them some crumbs from the millions and billions he makes by awarding himself fat Government contracts which he then sells to the highest bidder for a commission.
First things first on the way to X power. Dayaks need to register the birth of their kids and secure the required personal documents for them. They need to register as voters and above all turn out on voting day and vote according to their conscience without fear or favour.
It is enough, some may not happy with the statement.Perhaps we put some suggestions or find the best solution to help dayak.
Seliong & Meramat Tajak are indeed addictive to blogging as claimed by Pensioner. Once became addicted their mind get crashed (crazy), they didnt use common sense anymore because of insanity, worst than the effects influenced by alcohol or abused drugs.
For them to get cured they must limit their time sitting in front of their laptop, only then they can back track and able to share the used to be brilliant ideas.
If they talk nonsense in the longhouse like the way they presented their ideas here, James sigat got the right to grab their necks and throw them out of the berandau into the pig bathing pool- the pigs family are too happy to accept them as distant relatives.
Their comments were not only malicious but a blasphemy to Iban race.
For militants, they need to speak and doing evil things in order to beat the devils. Militants talk civil only when they achieved victory or being tortured by their enemy.
[[Re-posting here as some of my discussions relate to my friend Seliong's observations]].
++
I read some extreme views here albeit educated ones. Certainly there are still some Dayaks fit the bills and having such backwardness.
It is hard to accept many things such as the fact that some fathers did not register or get birth certificates for their children. However it could be that those fathers are probably not having Identity Cards themselves & have failed to get help.
To an innocent baby, born into poverty is not by choice. If we see our Dayaks people struggle and go to West Malaysia to try their lucks it should be seen as their efforts toward self improvement.
No education or lacked of it is not necessary due to stupidity. Tun Jugah was an exemplary example.
I am sure some of the immigrants to West Malaysia are people from my area; some may work at Bakuteh shops or construction sites.
The influx of Ibans migrated to Johor, living around Pasir Gudang areas are clearly due to the 3 Fab Yards nearby. Iban workers are skilled people and always receive high recognition especially in oil and gas.
If you look at the incomes doing these sorts of jobs they are quite lucrative if compared to what you could earn in our longhouses. Besides, these workers would earn valuable exposures in the challenging environments.
Thus I would just accept the fact that we Dayaks are coming from a certain societal strata. But we must refrain from over generalising and being stereotype. Not all Dayaks or Ibans are beyond help or so hopeless.
Our complaint to the Government for help is not because we are so helpless. They are mainly related to inequities. We can’t be expected to be contented until social justice is received. What we want is fair treatment in many areas. There is strong need to highlight things which are important to the Dayak people. These voices should continue in the electronic media or dialogues. I understand this is the main objective of Dayakbaru – we should ask Dr John Brian.
We heard some positive rulings on NCR lands these few days. This is a new positive development. If it is proven in court that Sarawak Government has erred in dealing with NCRs, then they can no longer be allowed to bully the NCR owners. Our knowledge and awareness must go on. The sons and daughters of illiterate NCR owners who read such news or learn certain things from forums & discussions should try to help protecting their lands.
Do ignore the debate about blogging as hobby or addictive – those are simply “randau ruai”. We also should not encourage the planting of terrorism or the so called militant – ways of doing things.
We all know in this internet age, what you have posted would reflect upon what you think and therefore yourself as a person. For instance you would have certain idea about me, my affiliation and views. They may not be all agreeable to you and certain things I wrote may disgust or offend others – although not on purpose on my part.
In internet discussions there are always people who seek attention or displaying certain amount of insecurities. There may be people who are tasked to side track discussions – especially those that touching certain politicians or Government (cannot bear as truth hurt).
We have attempted to prove that those who believe that all Dayak bloggers as anti –Government are the ignorant lots.
Nonetheless I believe we should not go for personal bashing of the leaders or of each other -either in internet or at coffee shops.
Regards, CA
too true to disagree….bala YB, orang ti keran jadi YB…please do something to CHANGE our people…
Seliong and CharcoalArt seem to see the big picture. These are the substance that will navigate the dayaks into the future. We shouldn’t get engaged with the blaming culture. The right things to do is to correct our past and present mistakes.
The dayaks leader are the goons who don’t really serve the people but taking care of their own pocket. What can we say because the political system in Sarawak is ‘pick and choose’. Those leaders knows the problem that crepe in dayaks community but cannot do much.
To change the things that somehow went wrong after Jugah was cheated, political system with two parties should be established. In other words, to become more democratic. Can you smell it?
The real great challenge now is how to established the next big political party. PKR seem to be the right choice but still in the shadow. BN are great bullies. They are only interested to develop P Malaysia and Sabah Sarawak are still left behind. The wealth came from Sarawak but we can’t enjoy it. Event after 50 years independent the basic infrastructure is still not there.
I believe in the power of the people but first thing first, we need another strong political party. Then only we can wakeup the dayaks. The politics of development and the politics of lies must go. The politics of development is to cheat the dayaks during election. After the election the YB is no where to be seen, disappear with the ghost.
If the money is there and the allocation is there after the YB proposed the planning, development will start to come in place. This is a continuous process. There is not need for YB to promise anything during election. If the allocation is not there the promise will be treated as lies.
Politic of lies has no place in our society. Those YB are selling themselves with lies.
Change and kick the fella who cheat you.
Sound familiar with what happen with us in the Remun District of Serian. When will we change when those with the “B” in between their name rules?
Jika bukan sekarang, Bila?
Jika bukan kita, Siapa?
Change is what we need.
RE: “DAYAK CHILDREN_SPOT THE DIFFERENCE”
Udah! Udah! Stop bickering among ourselves! Ngelaban diri sebansa baru kitai berani. When it comes to defending our rights, be-asuh-asuh aja. Nya kitai beli dipeda bansa bukai. Semina kejah-kejah, “rauh-rauh” nyembur ke “rhetorics” ba screen PC/laptop.
Enda ibuh kitai bekambuh ke nyabur, begaga ke terabai, bebai sumpit,bebai ke senapang patah,betangkin ke pengaruh. Enda ulih menang kitai chara nya.
Sabar. Simpan dendam enggau pengeringat kitai nya. Like a “pressure-cooker”, dont release your steam here. Dont loose steam. Simpan. Ngambi ke nyadi peransang kitai ngerak serta nerang ngagai diri sebansa ,lalu ngalih ke runding sida iya ,mai sida iya ngubah nasib enggau pengidup kitai sebansa.(Peda kitai bansa china.Berapa iti penuduk SUPP dirampas lalu diberi sida ngagai DAP/PKR? They dont
talk.But if they do talk, they dont ONLY talk; they DO it.)
Bah!! Aram kitai angkat ngayau!! Ngayau ngena undi. Aram kitai sama serta,ngundi pengari ke ngelaban perintah BN. Enti BN alah ,nasib bansa kitai tau berubah manah. Our future will definitely improve.It cant be any worse than now!
We crave that change. For our future”s sake. So CHANGE WE MUST.
Millions of thanks for your reply.
In this James Sigat circle – where and what can be done? In Dr Rozieta’s article she proposed 3 words: “freedom of choice.” I hope we remember that.
If you trace back Dayak Baru’s articles since last year, this is the focus we tried to bring to since last year. We started with our predicaments. In this, somehow, it got entangled with political quagmire. Is there anyone out there who cares for the plight of the Dayaks? Yet, I wrote mostly on “personal finance” and Dayaks’ participation in the world of commerce and industry. I outlined the challenges that Dayak have for the past 40 years. Compared to the Chinese 3,000 years of exposure, we have plenty to catch up.
Another writer gkm2020 wrote on the broad spectrum of Dayaks in Commerce. If you read his articles, you’d have enough ideas that Dayak Baru’s concern is the over-all aspect of Dayaks’ role in today’s society. Another writer, Futurist often outlined the barriers that Dayaks more likely to face in this 21st century.
The LA By-election last month saw a slight diversion into politics. The blog owner, Dr John Brian tested the roles and concepts of Dayak Agenda into the voters. The result, I think, explained it in his earlier postings.
Then we have a repeat of posting from Iskandar Zulkanain (indiscipline and poor work ethics).
Iskandar said the same thing about 3 months back. But that posting left many of us with a wake-up slap on our faces (at least that’s what I felt). If Iban Militant cared to study his posting, it reflected the life of “James Sigat.” A large percentage of the Dayaks are in there – and we have to thank Iskandar for that wake-up call.
If Dayaks are aleady in that “freedom of choice,” this blog serves no purpose at all. But “freedom of choice” cannot exist with Iskandar’s posting. Let me explain it in the world that I know.
“Freedom of choice” is called “Option.” An “option to buy” or “option to sell.” You buy a buy option when you should sell a buy option – disaster. You sell a sell option when you should buy a sell option – also disaster. Sounds confusing but that is the gist of Dr Rozieta’s and Iskandar’s postings. How can you have Dr Rozieta’s “freedom of choice” when you have James Sigat trapped in his “circle of poor ethics”?
Militant, my participation here is as a friend to the blog’s owner. With the participation of Meramat Tajak who uses words I came across 15 years ago (eg Occam’s razor), Dr Dyaks with his interesting dry wit (kepayang), Iban Aboad with his broad experiences and Charcoal Art with his common sense, I find interaction to be more stimulating.
If we are careful to follow the main argument in this blog, we might find some suggestions on breaking this circle that entraps the likes of James Sigat and give “freedom of choice” to our community. There are more than enough brains here; unless of course, we start to shoot each other.
Or wash off our hands and see, hear and talk no evils (and grow tails).
It is important when your reply to a posting to keep to the subject.
Stop associating – meaning do not import other examples and conclude that there are the same as what the author of the article intended to. Stay on the intention and spirit of the discussion.
By doing the above, we will get substance from our discussion. Now we have been diverted by certain posting that is “not focus” of the issue discussed.
Just learn to follow rules of discussion – to make the best out of it.
Keep your EGO down in any discussion – it is not required.
RE: “Dayak Children-Spot The Difference.”
Hope you “brainies” dont utilise this blog-space just to spar and display and show-off your eloquence in the intricacies of your arguments that in the end,will only confuse the muddled minds of the simple “ordinary-brained” Dayak readers here.
What these ordinary Dayak wants to know are the “Whys”,the “Hows”, the “Dos”, the “Donts”….in their search to improve themselves, to be at par with the sucessful people.
So the sooner you”brainies” reached this never-ending but,as yet,”devoid-of-outcome” shows; lay your solutions to their predicament in simple Easy-to-Understand terms. They badly need them. Now.
I understand this post intention is to highlight the cycle of poverty, that unfortunately still affects many Dayak children, using lucid prose to paint the plight of James Sigat, from the point of view of the observer.
As usual, we bloggers have many different views on the subject based on our own entrenched positions. It is with the intention to break up the standard mental model of our collective understanding of the Dayak predicament that I had tried to introduce Occam’s Razor into the fray albeit in the style of Jonathan Swift satire.
If readers care to look beyond the joke in the 10-point Occam’s, readers may readily admit the solution to break James Sigat cycle of poverty is quite plainly feasible (not so offbeat!).
His parents could have taken him out of the longhouse and build a farm house, preferably near a road.That way, James Sigat and siblings will have less opportunity to play with his peers from the long house and have more opportunity to learn how to rear pigs and chickens, and to study and develop the cognitive skill in private.
To develop an alternative sense of responsibility and personal destiny: the parents will partake in the local church activities on Sunday. The parents would be conscious that they are raising their children to lose some of the Dayaks value system, in favor of an imported culture and values (thereby losing part of themselves), but the alternative is less attractive.
Unlike his peers in the longhouse, the parents will be more productive, since the farm–pepper,rubber,pigs,chickens, vegetables plots — would be right at their doorstep. James Sigat would often help his parents, not so much as a chore, but for the learning and experience. So he will end up growing rich with experiences of the farm: and may actually grow up to be a man of letters (or lawyers!).
I can go on and on, to illustrate how James Sigat will not be doomed to live in his cycle of poverty by simply doing what a Dayak family is -not- expected to do. That change has to start by taking the family from their comfort zone of their bilek in the longhouse, and to strive on their own.
Of course, much can be done incrementally through direct social activism and through the ballot box. But since the vast majority of Dayaks are at the bottom of the ladder in terms of actual wealth and assets, the chances of them ever be on par is almost nil without a drastic and encompassing social re-engineering.
Winning elections does not automatically give Dayaks the power to pursue their social agenda. Power without inherent wealth and intellectual capacity,is power waiting to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. While the Malays have their religion to unite them (in the us vs them play), and to drive their motivation — the Dayaks have a polyglot of motives: so any power bestowed on the Dayak leadership through the ballot will be doomed to be shortlived.
Needless to say, I’m not in favor of voting in anyone, just for the sake of change – without prior consensus thinking by the Dayaks themselves on the nature of change and necessary prioritisation they want and willing to negotiate hard for.
Social activism, self-help workshops, and the elections, remains a useful toolkit towards the social re-engineering that I presume everyone has envisoned for the large proportion of our Dayak brethrens. The approach may work for the likes of James Sigat in the micro scale, and at incremental rate.
But I maintain, the solution is even simpler – that of complete dismantlement (or transmigration) of the already loose concept of Dayak people; so they may rise like a phoenix into a new type(s) of people for whom the tyranny of the majority will find no reasons to oppress and to discriminate against. By then, Dayak dreams of parity and equal treatment would be realised by becoming (joining) the majority themselves ! Its so simple, so true to the Occam’s Razor. As for James Sigat, heck – the institution in question would send a team upriver, if his whole family were to write in to express their wish to convert !
Btw: in the interest of discussions, I could be really wrong: the Occam Razor argument may be a satire on Dayak unity ?!
When his son is in is teens, you can be sure he’d be in P Malaysia working in that printing shop that his father once was.
_________________________________________________
Seliong,
Look at your conclusion above! How come you said, we are sure of James,s son working at the same printing shop in 20 years time? That really show your negative presumption towards your own race.
That’s why I dare to conlude that your motive of writing that article was/ is purposely blasphemy of Iban race?
I dont care what James was/ is doing but I believed after gone through all the hard or bad experiences in life (if we agreed to treat your narrative article as it is) he should dare to do all good things to bring up his son into a well educated teen on earth. Hopefully, one day James’s son can be successful like Seliong or JBA. Who knows his son one day becomes YB of the constituency where Seliong was born?
Seliong must count himself lucky if he was born to an economist (either mother or father). I knew JBA was not born to a PhD holder, that for sure!
In this blog we were/ are so much talking about discrimination by the ruling govt and are dare to dream and change the current political disadvantages into our favour.
What the Dayaks really want from the BN government is a FAIR treatment. That surely can avoid James’s son coming back to his father previous employer, working at the same printing shop.
My point here is ANANG nyumpah pengidup orang/ bansa, ukai reti apai/ indai iya merinsa, anak iya enda ulih idup senang (baka orang bukai) jemah ila.
If you want the commentators be in the right context of Dayakbaru at all times, in the first place, you should not divert the article into a very negative presumption.
Thank you
Militant, if you insist on returning to politics and seek political solution, then excuse me, I make my retreat from this blg now. Please take over.
Seliong,
Ok…do whatever you think is good/ right. No worries, I will never respond to your article/ topic. That doesnt mean I agree with what you write here.
Peace brother!
Seliong & Iban Militant
Both of you have very good points and urguments brothers.
Enda bekelakar dini penemu deka pansut, endang gaya kitai bejurai ka utai. Endang ka baka, penemu enda ulih sebaka.Tang arap ka penemu ti enda sebaka nya enda ngasoh kitai beserekang.
Arap ka kitai sama-sama bejurai serta ngadu ka penemu…..