Poverty among Dayak – they do not understand money
Written by: Dr. John Brian Anthony
High Income from working in logging camp
In the early 90′s, I have many friends who worked in timber camps. When they came down to town they spent they money in women, drinks and gambling. They boasted of earning $6K and above. They paint the town “red” and splash their money on electrical goods, Arnold Palmer branded collar T-Shirt, watches etc.They talked about consuming 5 cases of beer a night and even copy others by buying and wearing thick big gold chain and bracelet.
I should not mentioned all these because it is not my business and it is the personal choice of my friends. I think not because it is relevant to discuss this issue that Dayak poverty is also contributed by Dayak lack of understanding of what is MONEY.
Today – a case in review
At that point in time, I always took the opportunity to advise them to save their money for investment into ASB and their children education. Well, I am still the same friends now, mostly haggard looking looking and poor.No children graduated – mostly they encourage their children to follow their footstep to work at “bull dozer’s operator”. They have no saving either. They never invested in their land too, by planting cash crops.
Little Change in Dayak
Today some work as construction workers and others doing odd jobs. Nothing much has changed to them and worst still,they never learn from their experience and from the situation they are in today. They continue their careless way of cockfighting,drinking and even when they have grand children now, I cannot feel their commitment towards education.
Will education help Dayak understanding of MONEY
Yes, to a certain degree. But still even graduate Dayak are struggling with managing their finance and much less involved in investment and saving. Even those Dayak with high income currently are satisfied with their single stream income and investment is not a priority at all. It would be to buy better cars, clothing etc.
The Chinese understand money and they focus their activities into investment in fast cash generating activities and also maintain high saving on their earning for acquiring assets. Asset is needed to be a foundation for future investment capital.
I am not going to lecture on finance and investment here.I want to trigger DayakBaru thinking towards starting their investment immediately: in whatever form.
Conclusion
The only way to increase your income is through investment.Investment will increase your income stream. Investment will multiply your wealth quickly.
Change WE Must. That is what we must do my friends – we must think how to make money all the time.
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However, please do not, and never ever pour in ALL your money into an investment. Save up some, God knows what will happen to your money and investment.
Dr John,
I agreed with you especially the Dayak graduates who still struggle with their finances including those degree holders in Accountancy & Finances. Maybe the SDGA also can play a role here in educating our graduates and in return they also can share with the rest about it.
Any comments guys?
Another reason, these people spend money like water is because they are not exposed to the ways of the truly rich.
Being rich to them is like superficial things they see on movie ..new car,drinking, eating,smoking women..
Sadly, most dayak graduates don’t make it rich is because they tend to “show off” and in doing so, get themselves overwhelm in debts! Lets say, they make $3000/month the chances are, they will spend $4000/month well over what they earn.
About time we change our “lakia” mentality and adopt the “chanton money make money mentality”. Saving in ASN etc. or having a savings account in a bank is still investment for a start.Isn’t it all about saving for a raining day?
Bala kaban.
Bala kaban, bisi ga aku setuju enggau penemu ditu baka sida ke bekena ke gelang, marik besai nya nadai entu maioh nya kaban, nya meh laban penemu enggai alah laban orang, nya meh laban penemu enggai enda lawa, pala agong nadai, nadai ngawa…enda pia kaban?
Maioh bala kitai tu tadi ukai ka bejai, tang enggai ke dipeda orang MERINSA ba pengidup, kasih ke bala. Lengan kadang-kadang penuh jam, jari kadang-kadang penuh tinchin, lengan penuh gelang emas besai-besai ga, rekong penuh marik besai-besai ga. Nadai ga salah bala kaban, enti amat bisi pala agong lebih, tang enti nadai anang laban pengidup diatu beguna amat ke pala AGONG.
Pia meh kaban anang kelalu lawa meh diau di dunya tu enggai ke diri merinsa ga wai, wai, sapa tusah diri empu ga.
Tang taja pia ukai ketegal nya aja ga, laban kitai Iban kurang peluang ba semua utai ke beguna kena kitai ngidup ke diri.
Nya meh enti nitih, nya kebuah kitai bisi TUAI, tuai patut ngadu, nunjok, ngator, ke CHUNTO anak biak, nyara ngambi ke bala kitai GERAI NYAMAI GAYU GURU nguan menoa. Tang taja pia maioh TUAI kitai enda berati ke pengawa tu. Tambah sida tuai tu empu pan baka KETAM.
Ingat ngirup kena berandau enggau pangan diri, ukai ngambi mabok, tang maioh bala kitai enti ngirup enggai enda ngirup ARAK laban bisa agi pia ko jako.
Nyabong kurang ke lalu anang mai semak Rumah Panjai, laban nyabong diatu ukai baka nyabong kelia. Nyau bala SAMSENG magang ba kelang manok kaban, kaban. Taja pia nyau bala CHANTONG ke bekerigang belah kelang sabong. Pia mega pengawa ke bukai ke nadai mai penguntong nuju pengidup kitai Iban.
Mupok kaban. Idup Iban Idup Dayak. OOhhaa….
Kaban,
DAYAK POVERTY-THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND MONEY
There are so many Dayaks who are earning good incomes nowadays.I believe that there are many who have savings in the banks or there are others who are investing in stocks and trust funds.But the proportion is still considered small.Slowly the number is appreciating.
However the buying habits or the spending pattern of the Dayaks are often more to the extravagant side.The number of WANTS always exceed that of the NEEDS.That had resulted because we always started with NOTHING in our initial environment. The modern TREND had always misguided the poor Dayak to satisfy his WANTS rather than his NEEDS.
That would lead to less savings as income has become depleted or disposed.The Dayaks should be oriented in BUDGETTING and SAVING starting from early childhood from the longhouse environment to be continued during their primary education.
But who should initiate all the new ideas to them?
A house to house campaign should be organized to get the Dayaks informed about SAFE ways of saving to multiply whatever amount they already have in their hands.
It is still a COMMON PRACTICE where a Dayak entrusted THE TOWKAY to keep whatever cash surplus/balance left from sales of his products. This practice is popular in rural towns where there is no banks or Post Office.
There could be still some rural Dayaks who keep
their savings inside their TAJAU,don’t be surprised.
DAYAK POVERTY – Those dayaks who fall on that categories.
1. Drunken
2. Gambling
3. Womanize
If any dayaks could avoid all the above they will be success in their life.
My advised to my dayaks friends, if you start buying any 4d or toto’s number mind you its’leads you into your poverty. Believe in what you can do and trust GOD too.
Nya sida iya ka ngiga nasit nya igat Hentap. Main indu sigi siok amat. Aku hindu endar ka betukar ganti indu ke ka diembar. Enda boring pendiau. Ari tu lain, ila lain ga….enda leju! Pasal ka ngihop sampai mabok nya pen siok ga. Nama udah nya iya bulih…jaku pen inggar, enda bepampor, semua bot pansut magang….enda malu agi. Sampai ke saiz tugal diri pen ditusi ba mua sida endu. Untung nguan menua enti kitai balat enjoi baka nya. Enda rugi idup.
Nya aja uchu
Kaban,
I have lately come to know of a fellow pensioner who saves from his monthly pension through what he says as a SHREWD method.He makes it a point to keep aside and save all the RM5.00 notes,50 and 20 cent coins which have been given to him as ‘change’ after every purchase.
He admitted that if ONLY that UNIQUE habit had started earlier or when he was still in the service,he would be really loaded by know.
But I assured him it is NOT TOO LATE.As I have said earlier it not your income that really matters it is actually HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE.
Aki Manang,
Amat endar jako nuan nya Manang.Empai abis bir sebutul udah abis menua Brunei,Ulu Baram,Menua Chinabatangan disebut.Udah dua-tiga butul lalu ngiga laya pia neh Manang.
Bala ti bebekal ka kunchi enti bedau dagu ba atas mija bedau badu minum.Tusah tusah perangai bala ti bulih gaji besai baka sida nya anak bini nadai dikirum belanja,ni enda bala di menua enda ngadai tanah ti dampih lubang agu nya.
Assss! deh apai charut dunya parai Iban.
I have no points in particular to make, on the subject- just sharing a few random thoughts.
If only we can live like monks: rice, beans, water, robe, and a rice bowl ? We would certainly have more cash to save … But c’mon – lets admit the guilt, who have not savor a RM 8 coke or a RM 12 coffee ? Did we ever stop to consider it really “banyak rugi” to spend, quite irrationally – over and above the need for nourishment ? Ahem … RM 10 a can, at any happy hour joint (live music,GROs,LCD screen), versus 3 can for RM 10 in the back lane – which would you choose ?
So I suppose it means, to save is an option thats available for any income, for any race. When it comes down to it: one can always choose to emulate the Buddhist monk; live off rice,beans,rain water, once a day – walk barefoot to anywhere, and save the rest. Anybody know anyone who did that ?
There has been no equivalent rags to riches story within the Dayak community,as has happened in many others. Why ? Is it because we have no genetic material in our blood for a monk-like frugality and financial discipline ?
Or is there something else at work ?
I think we need to understand the early Ibans “bujang bejalai” definition of wealth, success and money is quite different than what modern financial guru would preach.Basically,bujang bejalai/belelang would feel compelled to flaunt what they have “achieved” from their excursions to the city and foreign land, to friends and enemies alike. One have to understand what drives these young Iban motivation.They do not want money for its sake! They want to be seen to have money to spend.They want the prestige ! Why ? Its crazy, but bonafide Iban who has lived in the longhouse understand it, the supposed collaborative community are also fiercely competitive. I think the Iban word for competition is the intense desired to “makit” each other. Good for capitalism but bad for the community -as it turned out. Any young man coming from his “bejalai”, would have his prestige up a notch, if he can bring home materials goods and if can fete the whole longhouse during gawai.
Now, there is also an aspect of Iban culture that treasure friendship/kinship above material things.For better of for worse, there remains a part of the Iban cultural DNA, that would make a young man spent his entire day’s earning, to belanja a friend or a relative – for in his Iban worldview, he would put money at lesser priority than his friendship/kinship.He would savor the notion that he could treat this friend or his relative – even just for that encounter.
By way of a counterpoint, I also have heard, a really “progressive” young Iban, who would charge his father for taking a ride in his car. He was reputed to have explained to his father, that the fare is for the extra fuel caused by the passengers weight – his father. A fuel surcharge, if you will !
And the point to all this, is ..?
Nothing in particular. There is a truth to the adage, do what you want out of life.
Bill Gates made tons of money, and is now in a position to help the world with his philantrophy.
Whether philantrophy was what drives him to exceed, nobody knows… he hasn’t said so.Maybe he does it for the crossbranding between Microsoft and Philantrophy. For the good of MS.
But perhaps, there also – is a truth to a truism that we all need higher purpose/calling, to be motivated in any difficult and lifelong passion for work and frugality. And come to think of it, certainly there can be no more compelling higher -personal- purpose than to escape a life of poverty.Would be good to inculcate this very motivation to the young, especially many of our struggling brethrens.Tell them – the prize would be sweeter, the tougher life’s challenge is.
About that RM 12 coffee: if you can afford it, although affordability is a relative thing, why not ? Hell, I ain’t rich, but my wife have learnt not to question my taste for expensive coffee either. Its life’s simple pleasure, I would say …Modest philantrophy begins with er, me … as I’m sure,many would agree..
Igat PRPR,
Bisi kedua nya pulai ari menua Chinabatangan nyau mai indu Sungaiga. Lawa amat neh!
Bisi mega utai kala nyadi ba menua antu kamba kitai tu nya sida indai tuai ke kena tinggal apai tuai meringga kampung jerong ba menua Pua Kumbu Batu Bebini nyau sunyi alu merampau ka nyadi indai belus ga. Enti sida apai rok nya iya udah boleh ba sebelah pab alu besatop enggau sida nya, sigi bisi ari sida indai belus nya baka punggu laboh enda bedaun. Sida nganta bau rengot alu bejalai ngelimpai sida ke rok, ngesai ke bau wangi ngicha ke bisi kena tutu indu nyeruwan. Nyau sida iya ga melanja bir. Akai dai…nasit amat.
This topic is very funny. How can they understand how to use money if they hardly have enough money? Dayaks are equal to prositutes and beggars because THEY love it that way so that Dayaks stay in the forest forever just like what James Brooke did in the past. Today’s world is about money…no money no talk.
Enti kampong enda diperingga abis, sida dayak ke diau dulu din sigi nyamai senang ngiga utai kena ngisi perut sida iya, enda iboh meli ngena duit; so duit is not everything. They can still talk without money. Tang ba bandar tu, no money no talk. Amat ga ku nuan nya Igat Dayak Thinker. Tang enti nyau diperingga, tanah nyau kusi kena indik lipan batang, sida kera ke nyadi lauk pen nyau enda ulih idup laban nadai daun kayu ke sayur sida iya, nyau mati kebeluran ga.