Many Dayaks, including professionals and civil servants, welcome the formation of a new Dayak-based party - Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) - following last year's de-registration of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), claimed MDC pro-tem president Nicholas Bawin.

"I've received many calls from Dayak professionals and even civil servants who told me the formation of MDC is timely, describing it as giving an opportunity for Dayaks to have a meaningful say in politics and pledging support and encouragement," he told malaysiakini .

Nicholas, formerly deputy chairperson of Majlis Adat Istiadat, a state government body, was accorded what he described as 'an unexpectedly warm and spontaneous reception' during the weekend when he attended an Iban longhouse gathering in Lubok Antu, Sri Aman Division, about 200km from Kuching.

He said the visit was to give the people from various nearby longhouses the opportunity to hear confirmation from him of the new Dayak-based party which has applied to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) for registration.

Later, he joined Lubok Antu MP Jewah Gerang at another longhouse gathering in the evening at which the latter was guest-of-honour. Jewah is one of the five partyless elected representatives originally from the defunct PBDS.

"I was there in my capacity as SDNU president and during my address briefed them on Iban adat (customs) and native customary laws, particularly relating to land on which they have toiled for generations as farmers."

"I was addressed mistakenly at times as president of the new party, although I was there on behalf of SDNU," he added.

Nicholas said he met ROS senior officials yesterday morning in Kuching to pursue their application. "We're very hopeful of approval."

MDC, if approved, will be the first Sarawak-based political party, although catering to Dayaks, will have a national scope, with Nicholas explaining: "There are thousands of Dayaks, especially Ibans, working in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, and also overseas."

"They should have an avenue to articulate their political interests too," he pointed out.

Attempt by SDNU No 2

Meanwhile, Nicholas claimed that an unsuccessful attempt was made by SDNU deputy president Patrick Sibat to get other members of the SDNU central committee to force him to resign ahead of the union's Gawai Dayak gathering in Kuching last week.

Patrick, a member of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) which has yet to be admitted into the Barisan Nasional and a close aide of PRS president Dr James Masing, the state Land Development Minister, had earlier issued a press statement calling on Nicholas to resign from the union after the latter announced he was heading a pro tem committee of MDC, claiming that his (Nicholas) involvement in politics would bring ill-repute to SDNU.

But at a meeting, almost every member rejected the deputy president's proposal, and instead turned their anger at him after Nicholas suggested that he (Nicholas) could stay away from the dinner gathering if they wanted Masing as guest-of-honour for the event.

Masing later made a last-minute excuse for not being able to attend and the Gawai Dayak dinner went ahead, attended by a large crowd of nearly 800 dinner guests, without any guest-of-honour.

"It was a night of great camaraderie and fun among members and guests, and Nicholas gave a great speech," a dinner guest told malaysiakini .