By Joe Fernandez
The Ibans, and by extension the other Dayaks, need to re-think their politics if they are ever going to get out of the vicious cycle of poverty, according to the Sarawak DAP.
‘DAP and PKR are here to help change Iban (and Dayak) lives but if the people refuse to change, there’s nothing much DAP or PKR can do’ is the message that Batu Lintang state assemblyperson Voon Lee Shan is sending out in the run-up to the Batang Ai by-election tomorrow.He described how low the Ibans and other Dayaks - 50 percent of the population - have fallen in Sarawak.
“When they see Taib (Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, right) coming to the state legislative assembly, they all rush towards him, trying to get his attention,” said Voon.
“I have observed that when Taib sees them coming, he just shakes hands with them but with his face turned away, looking at others (more important) around him. That’s telling.”
Voon doesn’t recall Dayak leaders speaking up or against the policies of the Barisan Nasional state government.
Voon doesn’t recall Dayak leaders speaking up or against the policies of the Barisan Nasional state government.
“Iban leaders like Alfred Jabu, James Masing, William Mawan, Sylvester Entri, Peter Nyarok and Francis Hardin, being senior politicians, are in a position to bring change to the Dayak community, but it seems that they prefer to be led and not to lead,” he alleged.
The system of tuai rumah (longhouse chiefs) is a system that has prevented the community from emerging as rulers.
“With exceptional loyalty as a trademark and embedded as a culture, the BN government has until now since independence ruled Sarawak through Iban patronage.” said Voon.
“That has prolonged Taib’s stay as chief minister. He may wish to perpetuate the Taib/Melanau Muslim political dynasty which was started by his maternal uncle and predecessor Abdul Rahman Yakuub and nominate his son Suleiman as his successor and chief minister.”
The state constitution has been amended to prevent an Iban from being the governor, unless he is a Muslim. Another amendment makes it extremely difficult for the post of Speaker to be held by an Iban (and other Dayaks) or Chinese.
Voon said Iban people live simple lives and are never demanding and that “it is their culture to respect and be obedient to their elders and the tuai rumah”.
In return for their loyalty and obedience, the longhouse residents get subsidies, among other perks.
The tuai rumah is given a monthly stipend and other allowances by the government.
‘Chance to lead’
Iban politicians co-opted into the BN government, according to Voon, are an extension of the tuai rumah system complete with posts and perks.
“What the Iban has received until now is subsidies and not capital for the development of the community.”
Voon said the majority of the Iban will remain poor and semi-literate under this system while their leaders live it up in the towns, earning a perpetual income from timber concessions and the development of plantations on native customary rights land seized under one pretext or another.
“Subsidies are not the way and will continue to make the Iban poor. It will be different when the Pakatan Rakyat government takes over Sarawak. Instead of subsidies, the people will get capital - the idea of rural credit - and access to capital to help improve their lives.”
“If the Iban people want meaningful change for themselves, they should no longer be dependent on their present leaders and their tuai rumah. Instead, they have to take the lead themselves, throw away their present leaders and change the government.
“The Batang Ai by-election will be the testing ground for the New Iban or Iban Baru. The opposition candidate (Jawah Gerang) is the agent for change. He is the Iban Baru. The Ibans of Batang Ai need to rise up and support the candidate for change.”
However, many Iban are stateless people who lack personal Malaysian documents. Also, many are not registered as voters and this further reduces their political strength, as the largest community in Sarawak at 30 percent of the 2.5 million-odd population.
Registered voters not turning out to vote or selling their vote for a few ringgit, directly or indirectly, at election time further compounds the problem.
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