Beyond the 'cawat' mindset

PAS president Hadi Awang may not have been too far off the mark when he described Iban voters in Sarawak as still bogged down by a 'cawat' (loincloth) mindset in politics.

Critics in Sabah and Sarawak said Hadi's comments in the run-up to the Manek Urai by-election as to why PKR failed to wrest Batang Ai from the BN on April 7 had its merits.

Sarawakians from both sides of the political divide were outraged by Hadi's remark that Pakatan failed to win Batang Ai because of Sarawak's 'cawat' (loincloth) mentality.

They are demanding that he apologise for his insensitive remarks. Already, the PRS (Parti Rakyat Sarawak) youth wing in Batang Ai has threatened to burn PAS flags in public in protest.

Critics gave varied and differing views. PRS president and Lands Minister James Masing ( right ), an Iban from Balleh, is a case in point.

"Loincloth mentality and pakai cawat (wearing the loincloth) are two different things. The Ibans of Batang Ai are a discerning lot," said Masing. "No one need to apologise for PAS' ignorance and arrogance."

Masing said that not enough credit is being to the Ibans of Batang Ai. He said that PKR was rejected by the voters of Batang Ai because it was from Peninsular Malaysia.

It also had no record of service to the people and picked a five-term MP, Jawah Gerang ( left ), who had been "rejected by the people for being a poor performer".

Masing said Jawah was also tainted by his association with former PRS deputy president, Sng Chee Hwa, "a moneybag notorious for long meddling in Dayak politics".

His secretary-general, Wilfred Rata Nissom, a Bidayuh from Singghei, who recently received an award from the King, warns against anyone being a "batu api (instigator)".

"They (the instigators) may not be able to manage the consequences to ethnic relationships (in Sarawak)," said Nissom.

"Ethnic relationships in Sarawak are complex. These are the realities on the ground. We don't need ignorant armchair critics driven by their prejudices."

Own worst enemy

He denied he was deflecting public debate on the democratic rights of Ibans and trying to turn the 'cawat' remark into a racial issue in the mould of Umno.

"Why do we have to interpret what Hadi meant?' asks PRS supreme council member Tedewin Ngumbang Datu, an Iban from Betong, who speaks for a younger generation.

"But I agree that the Ibans need to focus on what democracy means. They had their chance with PBDS (Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak) and blew it. It's sad."

A related comment left on Ngumbang's blog, Borneo Warrior , goes beyond the 'cawat' and is more revealing about what went wrong in Batang Ai for the opposition.

"Taib (chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud) is not a problem for the Dayaks. The problem is the Dayak legislators, aided by the longhouse chiefs who are keeping Taib in power.

" Why? Taib's work is to collect and share the spoils of office with them. If Taib is not around, the Dayak legislators will simply gather around another Taib who can serve them,'' said the commentator.

"So, if you want to bring change to Sarawak, forget about Taib. That would be barking up the wrong tree.

"Focus on discrediting the Dayak legislators and the longhouse chiefs for propping up the current political set-up which works against the interests of the Dayaks."

The commentator recalled that it was also the traditional Dayak chiefs who kept the Brooke Dynasty in power for 150 years in Sarawak.

Equally critical was a senior Federal Government servant, an Iban-Bidayuh from Serian, who works in Kuala Lumpur and is married to a Malayalee from Kluang. She agreed with Hadi's 'cawat' remark.

"The Iban mentality is hard to predict. Generally, they are impulsive, temperamental and suspicious," said the civil servant. "Their leaders are inefficient and ineffective. There is a lot of internal bickering."

"The Ibans of today are not like those in the past. They are lazy. Someone like Sng Chee Hwa ( above) comes along, plys them with booze and lead them by the nose. He's smart."

Mixed reactions

Sng who fell out with Masing and was kicked out from PRS made his presence felt in Batang Ai.

Critics say that although he was rooting for opposition candidate Jawah Gerang, Sng ( right ) was betting on the BN candidate Malcolm Mussen Lamoh "and the Ibans took the bait".

In neighbouring Sabah, the cawat remark has drawn mixed reactions.

Kimanis MP Anifah Aman ( below ), also the Foreign Minister, said that "one should not gamble on the future of our kids".

"If we want change, there must be a better alternative. I don't see one now," said Anifah giving his take on the 'cawat' Ibans of Batang Ai. "The people are capable of evaluating good and the bad."

Kota Kinabalu lawyer and PKR Tuaran chief Ansari Abdullah sees similarities between Sabah and Sarawak and attributes the BN win in Batang Ai to a 'cawat' mindset driven by money politics.

"Money politics in Kota Belud during polling last year was reported to the MACC but nothing has been done so far because it involves the BN," said Ansari, implying the same thing happened in Batang Ai where there have been accusations of electoral fraud.

"In Tuaran more than RM6 million was dished out to parent voters from the Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pelajar Miskin on the eve of voting."

The KWAPM, according to Ansari, has not been approved by Parliament.

Former Sabah state secretary Simon Sipaun, the vice-chairman of Suhakam (Malaysian Human Rights Commission) "has no reason to disagree with Hadi's cawat remark".

"The literacy rate is also the reason," points out Sipaun. "It's a similar situation in the rural areas of Sabah."

Opposition leaders in Sarawak have yet to make a public stand on the cawat remark although they have been challenged to do so by the BN.