Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu has taken the Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) to task for not consulting him over the date fixed for a seminar that it is organising.

The Sunday Tribune quoted him as saying that the date - Sept 11 - is unsuitable for two reasons.

It would clash with the birthday celebrations of the head of state and therefore cause embarrassment to the Dayak community, while the date also falls close to the Ba'Kelalan by-election on Sept 18.

Alluding to "the independent streak" of SDGA, Jabu said: "We must remember that the Dayak community must always work together closely with the state Barisan Nasional government and that the future of the community depends on its willingness to work with the government."

The theme of the seminar is 'Challenges and Responses to Poverty Eradication among Bumiputra Minorities in Sarawak'.

Facts 'wrong'

Association president Prof Dimbab Ngidang Dimbab, who has helmed SDGA since its inception three years ago, claimed that Jabu got the facts wrong.

He said the date for the seminar - decided three weeks ago - is Sept 24 and not Sept 11, as claimed by the deputy chief minister.

Dimbab said SDGA had approached former Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor Prof Ungku Aziz to deliver the keynote address and asked him to set a suitable date.

Ungku Aziz initially chose Sept 11 but the organising committee negotiated with him to reach agreement on a new date because of the birthday celebrations of the head of state.

"Because of communication problems in Sarawak we've not been able to notify every member of the date," said Dimbab.

He said SDGA had invited Deputy State Secretary Wilson Bayo to deliver a paper on the state's policy on poverty eradication but he had declined.

Previous clash

Three years ago, at SDGA's first seminar held in Kuala Lumpur, Jabu was said to have been upset when Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud ( photo ) was not invited to speak at the opening by then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Following this, he demanded a written apology from Dimbab and several senior SDGA officials.

At a subsequent meeting with a SDGA delegation at his office, Jabu had asked them to apologise to Taib but the association decided against it on the ground that they had never intended to slight the chief minister in the first place.

Since then, Jabu is said to have kept his distance from SDGA. He is also said to be unhappy that the association is pursuing a different agenda from his in relation to problems faced by Sarawak's bumiputera minorities.

Jabu is also said to believe that certain 'disgruntled politicians' in the state could be behind SDGA and trying to undermine the state government's policies, especially on land development.

However, SDGA officials have brushed this aside, saying "if there is any problem it is due to certain quarters perhaps feeling only they should have a monopoly on ideas" on how best to tackle the issues affecting bumiputera minorities.

Dimbab has refused to be drawn into making any other comment regarding Jabu's latest outburst against the association.

All he said, when asked, was that the seminar is being held to "to listen and learn from others (on) poverty and the instruments that can be developed in field studies".

"It is basically an academic exercise,' he said, explaining that apart from SDGA members, those representing other organisations would also be invited.

He said the association hopes to receive the necessary co-operation and support from the authorities.