The majority of the Dayaks are against the government’s intention to replace the term ‘lain-lain’ with ‘bumiputera’ to refer to Dayaks in the race column of official government forms, judging by their reactions and responses.

There were protests, demonstrations and countless statements to the press, as well as petitions to the government to oppose the term ‘bumiputera’ to refer to Dayaks, after Chief Minister Adenan Satem announced three weeks ago that Dayaks would be henceforth known as ‘bumiputera’.

The government’s move could be counter-productive as angry Dayaks demand that their identity is just ‘Dayaks’.