A leading Iban businessman in Sarawak, Leonard Linggi Jugah, has defended the recent actions of a group of Dayak political and business leaders in highlighting the economic plight of their community.

At the same time, he denied they have ever blamed Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, the government and other communities for their situation.

Linggi said in a statement today that he was 'surprised' at the reported remarks and allegations made by Taib in a recent public function in Kuching against an unnamed group of Dayaks who he said had claimed the Dayaks were being neglected and victimised.

Taib's comments were headlined in local papers under such headings as ' The pessimistic Dayaks ' and ' Be positive, stop blaming others' .

The former secretary-general of Taib's Parti Pesaka-Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB) said: "Since he (Taib) referred to 'those Dayaks who have received some of the biggest timber concessions' and I happened to be awarded a timber concession by (Taib's predecessor) Tun Rahman Yakub in the 1970s, presumably the chief minister had me in mind when making those remarks."

At least two Dayak opposition leaders, once in the state Barisan Nasional, came out to publicly criticise the chief minister for his remarks. One of them, State Reform Party (Star) president Dr Patau Rubis even asked Taib to name the group of individuals who had benefitted from huge timber concessions.

Linggi's speech

Linggi, a lawyer and son of the late Tun Jugah anak Barieng, a former Sarawak Affairs Minister and the last Iban paramount chief, said: "As far as I could recall, I have never made any statement blaming the chief minister, his government or other communities for the economic plight of the Dayaks."

He added that if Taib had referred to the recent Bumiputera Minorities Economic Congress (BMEC) held in Kuala Lumpur last month, his (Linggi's) speech did not blame the chief minister, his government or the other communities.

"We merely requested the federal authority in their process of preparing for the Ninth Malaysia Plan to give greater business opportunities to the Dayak community.

"We also requested the Economic Planning Unit to assess the present status of the Dayaks in commerce and industry since figures of achievement are already available for the Malay Bumiputera, Indians and non Bumiputera".

Linggi said the purpose of assessing the current status of the Dayak's performance in business was to enable the government to have a clearer picture of the economic status of all communities, including the Dayaks, in the country.

"Our hope is that any community who lags so far behind could be assisted," Linggi said, adding that the congress, jointly organised by the DCCI and the Kadazandusun Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Sabah and opened by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, submitted 13 resolutions to the government, none of which blamed anybody or pointed fingers at anyone.

On Taib's criticisms that a group of Dayaks could not distinguish business from politics, Linggi responded: "As far as I am concerned, I can clearly distinguish business from politics and politics from business."

No ambition

He added that he had voluntarily given up his post as PBB secretary-general and happily became an ordinary member of the party.

"I have no intention or ambition to bid for any position in PBB and furthermore I have neither the wish nor the desire to move away from PBB of which I played a substantial role in its formation," he said.

Linggi's late father who headed the now defunct Dayak-based Parti Pesaka Anak Sarawak and the then Rahman Yakub-led Parti Bumiputera merged to form what is now PBB. Linggi went on to become secretary-general while Rahman took over as president.

In the early 1970s when Rahman was chief minister, Linggi served as a state minister and member of Parliament.

Now a businessman with interests in banking, shipping, oil palm plantation, hotel, property development and insurance, Linggi proudly exclaimed that "I do not require anyone or any institution as a 'ladder' for political ambition as I have no such ambition."

This was in reference to Taib's comments that the group of Dayaks were using other Dayaks as 'ladders' to fulfill their own ambitions.

"Throughout my past political career, I pride myself that I have never been in the opposition and I continue to cherish such a record," Linggi said in apparent reference to attempts by some quarters to try and link him with some personalities, once supporting the BN and now in Dayak-based opposition groups.

His son, Alexander Nanta Linggi, is the BN Kapit member of Parliament and son-in-law of former state minister Celestine Ujang.

Be successful

Linggi admitted that the government had given him the opportunity to be in business "just as it has given many other Bumiputera" and said he had no intention to give up business just yet.

In an indirect reference to Taib's comments alleging that some Dayak were trying to blame the government for their own failures, inspite of having been given a lot of opportunities in timber and plantation business, Linggi said: "I want to make sure that I can earn the trust given to me by being successful in business by managing my business well."

"On the other hand,. I feel it is my duty to share my experience with other members of the Dayak business fraternity so that they could be given the same opportunity," said the Iban businessman who now heads the 350-member Dayak business chamber.

Linggi said the Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry was now tasked to provide a vehicle for the Dayak business community to improve themselves through organising workshops, training, relevant information updates and preparing them for new business opportunities.

"That is why during the economic congress we lobbied for greater business opportunities for the Dayak which we see as a positive move for greater economic participation, he added.

Linggi said he had to make a statement now "to clear any misunderstanding", adding that the Dayak chamber had written to the chief minister to seek an appointment to see him and to brief him on the chamber's objectives and activities.

"We hope he will spare the time to see us," Linggi said.

The chamber had also invited the Taib to the congress during the opening by the prime minister "but unfortunately the chief minister was unable to attend."

TONY THIEN is malaysiakini 's Sarawak-based stringer.