Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDS Baru) has urged the federal and the Sarawak governments to render full force to the term “Dayak.”

In a statement issued today, secretary-general Anthony Nais said that there have been no significant efforts to officially recognise Dayak as a race in the three years since the cabinet approved its usage in government documents.

“This was the first step towards recognising the Dayaks as an official race among the other mainstream groups in the country, but nothing transpired after that,” he noted.

Nais, the former PBDS deputy youth chief, said that the government should table the matter as an amendment in Parliament for it to have any legal sanction.

“After this is done, it is okay for the Sarawak Legislative Assembly to endorse the Parliament’s decision. Only when this is done, the term ‘Dayak’ will gain the full force of law.

“The way it is now, the term ‘Dayak’ is just an administrative decision by the federal cabinet, just so that the Dayaks need no longer have to use the term ‘lain-lain’ (others) in official government documents,’ he said.

Nais expressed hope that Parliament would table the amendment soon, claiming that Dayak representatives in the federal government have remained silent on the matter.

“We must give it the force of law. The term ‘lain-lain’ is to accommodate others who refuse to be classified as Dayaks, or for those who are not part of the mainstream, Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnic groups.

“As for the state, it does not matter who tables it, as long as it is done accordingly,’ he added.

Nais said Dayaks do not want to be known as “others” or as an “illegal, faceless race.”

Review ‘natives’

He added that the term “natives” in the Federal Constitution needs also requires review, so as to be consistent with the Sarawak state constitution – given that the terms "Land Dayak," "Sea Dayak" and "Murut" have now been updated to Bidayuh, Iban and Lun Bawang respectively.

“There are many other challenges that affect the Dayaks. The question is, are they afraid or ‘trained to be afraid’ to voice out their concerns?

“We Dayaks must learn to row our own boats, and not let others do the paddling for us,” he stressed.