The Sarawak DAP today urged the state government to amend the Interpretation Ordinance 2005 to officially and legally restore the race ‘Dayak’.

In the race column of all government forms, Dayaks have been referred to as “dan lain-lain” and recently, state Chief Minister Adenan Satem announced that the Dayaks could now fill the government official forms with ‘Bumiputera Iban’, ‘Bumiputera Bidayuh’ or Bumiputera Orang Ulu’ in the race column of the forms, said state DAP chief Chong Chieng Jen at a media conference.

Many Dayak leaders in BN disagreed with the use of the word ‘bumiputera’ and preferred to be labeled as ‘Dayaks’, and among them was senior minister and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president James Masing.