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 ( left ).

 

“Though socially, culturally and traditionally, Dayak is the largest race in Sarawak. However, the Interpretation Ordinance 2005 has divided the race ‘Dayak’ into ‘Iban or Sea Dayak’ and ‘Bidayuh or Land Dayak’.

 

“Therefore, officially there is no one such race as ‘Dayak’ in Sarawak under the Interpretation Ordinance 2005,” said Chong, who is the Bandar Kuching MP and state assemblyperson for Kota Sentosa.

 

The DAP leader was wondering why there had been no objections from BN Dayak leaders - such as Masing, Michael Manyin, Alfred Jabu Anak Numpang and William Mawan Ikom - when the Interpretation Ordinance 2005 was tabled in the Sarawak state assembly on June 14, 2005.

 

“It is no use shouting at the top of your voice unless you demand for the amendment of the Interpretation Ordinance 2005.

 

“Dayak-based parties like PRS and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) should now initiate a motion in the coming sitting of the state assembly to legalise the word ‘Dayak’ if they are really serious about it,” said Chong.

 

DAP intends to wait for their responses in the next few days, and if they failed to respond, then DAP might introduce a motion to that effect, said the DAP leader, whose party has a sizeable number of Dayaks as its members.

 

Twenty races as Sarawak's natives

Chong went on to say that under the Interpretation Ordinance 2005, there were 20 races regarded as natives of Sarawak - namely Bidayuhs or Land Dayaks, Bukitans, Bisayahs, Dusuns, Ibans or Sea Dayaks, Kadayans, Kelabits, Kayans, Kenyahs, Kajangs, Lugas, Lismus, Malays, Melanaus, Muruts or Lun Bawangs, Penans, Sians, Tagals, Tabuns and Ukits.

He said that some BN Dayak leaders seemed to echo the Dayak NGOs’ call in advocating that there was one all-encompassing race - ‘Dayaks’ - and that Ibans, Bidayuhs, Kenyahs and the rest are different ethnic groups within the Dayak race.

“If this is truly the case, then there should be an amendment to the Interpretation Ordinance 2005 to reflect the true situation,” he said, pointing out that to label them as ‘lain-lain’ in the race column of government forms had been insulting.

 

“To label them as ‘Bumiputera Iban’ or ‘Bumiputera Bidayuh’ or ‘Bumiputera Orang Ulu’ is also not correct as there is no such race as ‘bumiputera’.

 

“However, given that the provisions in the Interpretation Ordinance 2005 do not provide for the race ‘Dayak’, to label the Dayaks as ‘Dayak Iban’ or ‘Dayak Bidayuhs’ or ‘Dayak Orang Ulu’ and so on is also not correct,” he added.

 

Chong ( left ) said that as veteran legislators, Alfred Jabu, James Masing, William Mawan and Michael Manyin should know very well that to give legal recognition to the Dayak race, an amendment of the interpretation Ordinance is a must.

 

“Mere mention of the word ‘Dayak’ in government forms will not render any legal status to the Dayak race,” he stressed.

 

Chong noted that Masing had been most vocal in the press in urging for the Dayaks to be labeled as such, but stressed that the latter had a part to play in the passing of the Interpretation Ordinance 2005.

 

“There is no point for him (Masing) to shout loudly outside of the state assembly, but vote the other way at crunch time,” Chong added.