Marginalization of Dayak by suggesting to drop the term Dayak

Taken from Keadilanrakyat.org

It was reported in the media recently that Joseph Entulu, the Federal Deputy Minister for Rural and Regional Development, has called for the term ‘Dayak’ to be dropped because according to him it conveyed negative connotations like being uncivilised, uncouth and ‘low class’.

Marginalization of Dayak

This call is yet another attempt at selectively marginalizing some of the native Dayak peoples of Sarawak. And not surprisingly, it comes from a generation of ‘yes men’, the so-called Sarawak leaders whose signature contribution to nation-building has been to extinguish Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands. NCR is the last important resource in the hands of the natives.

Erasing Aspects of Dayak’s identity

Now, evidently, not satisfied with the taking away of this Dayak resource, they are prepared to erase aspects of the community’s identity. As such they are not only being negative but also being manifestly unjust.

The term “Dayak”

Lest the Deputy Minister has forgotten, the term ‘Dayak’ is a social and cultural construct, much like the term ‘Bumiputera’ is a construct. While the term remains a construct of social identity, they often have a policy implication.

Thus, for instance, since the 1970s our country have used the term ‘Bumiputera’ to define and demarcate certain aspects of the country’s New Economic Policy (NEP). Dayaks do not enjoy such a status because in the 70s and 80s, there was no political will to refine the NEP to that level in Sarawak. There are those, for their own reasons, who may have been uncomfortable with the term ‘Dayak’, who have politicised the term, and have sought to extinguish it.

The present Sarawak Government has sought to drop the usage of the word ‘Dayak’.

Indeed, until recently in Sarawak the term was included in the Interpretation Ordinance so that the term ‘Sea Dayak’ was used to mean also Ibans and ‘Land Dayak’ to mean those who are now commonly called ‘Bidayuh’. Now, clearly, from time to time politicians who hope to revive their credentials will call for the term’s further degradation, evidently in an attempt to burnish their image and please their controllers.

Why Blame others

Entulu laments the fact that Sarawak’s native communities have not been acknowledged “according to their respective ethnic groups.” He pointed out, “if we look at official forms or documents in the column for race, they only state either Malay, Chinese, Indian or Others.” Instead of blaming others, he should evaluate his own performance carefully; and if he did so objectively, he will find that this is damning proof that his generation of leaders have been ineffective representatives of the Sarawak natives.

We are proud to be called Dayak

The fact of the matter is that most Dayaks, with the exception of an opportunistic few, are proud of the name ‘Dayak’. They see the futility and the needlessness of changing the term just because some locals, the ‘jaguh kampung’ in power, have agitated for its abolishment.

When the federal bureaucrats get around to consider the dropping of the word ‘others’ in official forms, they should take a pointer from the Dayaks themselves. The Sarawak Dayak National Union, the Dayak Bidayuh National Union and the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association have, amongst others, used the word ‘Dayaks’ and have no problems about its reference for the 26 non-Muslim native communities in Sarawak.

Dayak to be used instead of “lain2″

It is time that the term ‘Dayak’ be accorded its proper place as a collective name to denote the non-Muslim natives of Sarawak. In the offending federal forms that Entulu griped about, the term ‘Others’ should be removed and in its place ‘Dayak’ and the names other specific communities should be put in its place.

BARU BIAN

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May 14, 2009 · Filed Under General

Comments

2 Responses to “Marginalization of Dayak by suggesting to drop the term Dayak”

Igat Buyah on May 15th, 2009 5:40 pm

Diatu sida Tonguyong ka chadang scholarship diberi nitihka pemandai. Bala Tonguyong pepandai tang bala iban, dayaks endang kurang. Angka bisi ari ga Dayak enda ampit scholarship laban semua peluang diambi sida Tonguyong. Sida Tonguyong mayuh pandai mangku pengawa ba perintah alai sida planning to marbinalized the Dayak baka ke diatu neh. Sida Tonguyong pandai amat ngiga opportunity bakani ka ngambi harta sida Dayak. Peda kitai sida Tonguyong nulong Taib makai Dayak. Nya meh laba nyau udah mayuh Tonguyong bulih pengaya kena makai dayak.
Iban Militant on May 24th, 2009 1:57 pm

Declare Jihad against JE. Do it through ballot box. Do you guys have ball to do it?

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