A Dayak opposition politician has said there is little for the Dayak community to be proud of in Sarawak in terms of progress in education, the economy and politics, and that it has to do more for itself in making progress.

"Their position is not very satisfactory," said Sarawak National Party (Snap) deputy president Justine Jinggut, when addressing delegates and guests at a dinner in conjunction with the party's annual council meeting in Kuching last Saturday night.

Among those present were Daniel Tajem, the former president of the now defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak, Sarawak Reform Party president Dr Patau Rubis and DAP Bandar Kuching member of Parliament Chong Chieng Jen.

The Dayaks, comprising the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu (Kayan/Kelabit/Kenyah, Lun Bawang/Penan/Murut), form the largest single indigenous non-Muslim group in Sarawak or 46 percent of the state's population of 2.4 million. The rest are of Chinese, Malay and Melanau descent.

"The tremendous economic progress that has brought advancement to this country has not touched the Dayaks. Although this country has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the billions, the position of the Dayaks in the national economy is negligible," Justine said.

"(You) can go to any town in Sarawak and enter timber concession areas, banks, firms or industrial warehouses. It is very clear that the Dayaks have very little or no share in these."

Justine said it was not wrong for the party to highlight problems and shortcomings faced by the Dayak community, who have not progressed beyond a "peasant economy consisting of planting rice and other crops on a small scale".

While the state's economic activities are bourgeoning and show huge profits, he reminded his audience that "Dayak participation is very small....(as) office boys, watchmen or manual labourers".

"The few Dayaks (occupying) the higher rungs are just for window-dressing," he claimed, pointing to their negligible participation in all levels of industrial activity, administration and management, and control and ownership of business.

'Change mindset'

Justine also said it was worrying that Dayaks themselves have apparently accepted the situation, thereby necessitating a fast and radical change of attitude to galvanise them to advance, particularly in the face of increasing competition and escalating demands.

"Time is a factor that must be overcome and time will not wait for the Dayaks," he said, warning the community to change their way of thinking or face the possibility of becoming even more marginalised.

"But equal opportunities cannot materialise if there is imbalance in a society, in terms of wide gaps in certain fields. It is common knowledge that such gaps cannot be narrowed if a liberal economic policy and free enterprise are allowed to continue untrammeled.

"In fact, such a policy will widen the gap and divide society - there will be a small exceedingly wealthy elite and wretchedly poor masses."

He said this would be worsened if the wealthy were to come from one social group and the poor from another, because the gap would lead to deeper feelings that may divide and destroy society.

Therefore, a policy of unity through equal opportunity in the economic field should be implemented firmly and fully "as the economy is the main factor that affects every level of society and every household in daily life".

"This is also a question that is most senstive and touches everyone's life most directly... economic factors (determine the situation between) peace and war or strife and harmony among (all) nations, classes and individuals."

Snap, which through its existence since the early 1960s, has been in and out of government. It lost its membership in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition after it was de-registered by the Registrar of Societies three years ago, following a leadership dispute.

The party now considers itself in the opposition with a mission to champion the rights of the natives, especially Dayaks, by highlighting such issues as land and their low level participation in commerce, industry and the civil service.

Tony Thien is malaysiakini 's Sarawak-based stringer.