In the aftermath of the Sarawak state election, I am baffled, frustrated and disgusted at how Malaysia, and Sarawak in particular, are being governed. I am a Dayak, born in a longhouse and now with tertiary education. Having worked as a senior government officer and currently working for a multinational company, I have painfully witnessed the systematic erosion of my fundamental heritage and rights by the powers-that-be.

Firstly, let me talk about the denial of our share of development funds and education opportunities especially for the rural population. After 43 years of independence through Malaysia, the Dayaks still are the ones with the highest poverty and illiteracy rate in the country. What is there for us to celebrate when Hari Merdeka comes? We have nothing to cheer about being independent from the British as our livelihoods are no better. We are being 're-colonised' by our very own people?

We are still not 'merdeka' from poverty, illiteracy, intimidation and fear from of own government of the day. Our rights to our land are being systematically extinguished, our rivers are severely polluted due to extensive logging, and our rural schools are in such a dilapidated state that our people have no interest in education. Teachers are merely wage earners with no motivation to produce quality students. In areas where the majority are Dayaks, roads, electricity and treated water supply are something that we can only dream of 43 years after independence.

Secondly, let's talk about our opportunities to enter higher education in Malaysia and to serve as senior public officers. It is a common knowledge in Malaysia that the Public Services Commission is there only to enforce the unseen discriminatory government quotas. Dayaks are bumiputeras, but some bumiputeras are more bumiputera than others (like the story in 'The Animal Farm'). Even if Dayak students are accepted in local public institutions of higher learning, they are only given courses which no one else wants. Hence, they cannot find jobs and this leads to unemployment.

Public services are the most critical part of the government 'delivery system' for the government to effect changes. However, if the policy implementers are non-Dayaks, it is natural that their priorities are different. I have seen and confronted several non-Dayak government officers serving in the rural areas who are so indifferent toward the innocent and helpless rural folks.

The state's natural resources (timber, land, mines etc) which generated billions of ringgit, have been literally controlled by one person who effectively exploits them to maximise returns. This at the same time provides an enormous source of cash for election expenses in order to sustain the 'divide and rule' system of governance. Loyal but gullible politicians are given some comforting perks while those whose loyalty are suspect there is enough cash to ensure the demise of their political careers.

If you travel from Miri to Kuching using MAS' Fokker flights, you will notice the vast amount of state forests being 'harvested' until the hills are bald. Where have all these billion of ringgit gone? What does it take for the Dayaks to deserve some share of these billions? If political loyalty is the answer, the Dayaks have demonstrated it since Independence Day. In the last state election, Dayaks showed their undivided loyalty to BN, this despite the Sarawak government's policy that all land without titles are 'state lands'. Mind you, approximately 90 percent of Dayak lands are without titles classified as Native Customary Right (NCR) land and Native Customary Land (NCL).

The present PM and his cabinet have promised a 9MP with billions for development. What guarantee is there that these billions will not go to a few political leaders and their cronies? Who will speak for the Dayaks to ensure they get what they rightly deserve as promised by the PM? Do the Dayaks have any credible leaders the likes of Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh or Wong Ho Leng?

Yet the most insulting to our intelligence is the fact that there are so-called Dayak political leaders who claim that the land issues, exploitation of timber resources and unfair distribution of state wealth are 'propaganda of the opposition'. Despite the attempts of several Dayak intellectuals to explain what the state government has done, is doing and going to do, the Dayaks in the longhouses were not convinced. They fell into trap of increase allowances for Tuai Rumahs (longhouse chiefs) intimidation and threats from the BN campaigners (who are mostly Dayak themselves) during the last state election.

People like Jabu Numpang, Mawan Ikom, Jemut Masing and Entulu Belaun all claimed that the government has been fair and sincere in bring Dayaks into mainstream of development. Yet these leaders quarrel and finger point one another. The demise of Pesaka, Snap, PBDS and now probably PRS too can be attributed to the characters of such leaders who put self above party. I cannot be far wrong in saying that some of the billions siphoned out from the state are being used by the powers-that-be to pit these Dayak politicians against one another so as to sustain their mutual hatred.

As a Dayak, I am truly flabbergasted by this system of governance divide, rule and exploit. Few of my friends are even talking about migrating to another country which is willing to accept the skilled and professionals with free education for their children up to the tertiary level. Wake up my people lest there is nothing left for our children in this country. The nation is gearing itself toward Vision 2020 while we Dayaks are still in the 19th century.