The Baram Dam area and arena covers three state constituencies; of N76, N77, and N78. The NGOs of ‘Stop Baram Dam,’ their friends plus allies, and the natives of Orang Ulu of Baram communities; of various heritages, cultures and local practices are involved in the Upper Baram battle.

The people in these areas are majority Christian; maybe about 98 percent of them. They have together have declared war in all three constituencies against the neo-colonial mindset of the current BN government.

What is that wrong mindset? It is an assumption that all authorities are always appointed by God, even when they do wrong things. This wrong teaching of Romans 13 allocates blind obedience even when truth and personal conscience speaks otherwise. The simple truth is all authorities are appointed by God for good governance and right stewardship for the benefit of all rakyat.

If and when that does not happen, then it is time to bring about radical and fundamental change. Such ideas are biblical too, as demonstrated by Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa. The same was the argument of a pastor who spoke at the ceramah for candidate of Telang Usan, Roland Engan.

Why war?

The native peoples of Baram have been administered and ruled by new foreigners for almost 53 years; ever since the Alliance and Barisan Nasional governments took control of the administration of Sarawak from the British; the first generation colonialists. That was since the formation of Malaysia.

True owners of traditional heritage never abuse them with disregard because they usually assign a high value to their heritage and custodianship of culture, faith, and all such heritage from their ancestors. While they do not worship these ancestors; their hold high regard for them and their covenanted values and principles.

Such is the true stake in the Baram Valley and in the specific three constituencies of about 88 villages and communities. In three days with Roland Engan’s team, this writer got to visit or meet about 20 of these villagers or hear them.

They have declared war against such rape and reap of their traditional heritage and all of them are together saying, “Enough is enough”. They are going to bring about change now before they bequeath a far lower quality of life to their children and grandchildren.

It has therefore become an identity war for them. They do not want the mere material progress and development of the current quality and kind of ‘divide and rule dominance’. They love their motherland and they will not stop until its abuse is stopped and the ownership of their lands is returned to the rightful stewards.

Case-story of rape and theft

The candidate for Telang Usan revealed one case story of theft of heritage lands in Upper Baram region to the shock and dismay of all listeners. I repeat that story here as the candidate has challenged the BN Government to deny the truth of these matters. I have sighted visible evidence about the same and they look fairly legitimate to me.

Twelve concessions of land plots have been made to companies listed and named in the documents sighted. The total acreage is ... Each concession is for ... years. Roland Engan even named the share-holders of the companies holding these concessions appeared like a who’s who of Sarawak personalities of fame and prestige. Why are they given these concessions which belong to others?

Another question that needs to be asked is why either the state or federal Government does not develop these same lots which sit on ancestral or native customary lands into a Felda-type programme instead of giving concessions to these private interests under a provisional licence?

The Felda model is proven and it will surely benefit the natives of the regions and enable them and their older children to develop these traditional lands for the benefit of their grandchildren.