Dayak Leaders In Sarawak Should Learn From the Dayak Leaders in Kalimantan Indonesia

Dayak in Indonesia, just like us under Barisan Nasional Government rule, they had also been marginalised since the 18th Century when Indonesia was still under Dutch rule. But following the collapse of Suharto regime in 1999, they started to unite under the dayak flag. The dayak associations in Kalimantan (Central Kalimantan -Kalteng, East Kalimanatan -Kaltim and West Kalimantan-Kalbar) have been used as a platform for dayak unity in politic. Nowaday dayaks in Kalimantan are politically strong and stable.

After being marginalised for century, with political power that they owned, the dayak leaders in Kalimantan started to help it communities by providing good basic amneties such as road and elecricity. Eventhough the size of Kalimanatan is about double of the size of Sarawak but they still manage to provide better roads and electricity to the dayak communities.

For example In March 2009,they signed an Agreement with Sarawak Energy Supply Berhad (SESB) for a supply of electricity to Kalimantan Barat (West kalimantan-Kalbar). The event was officiating by his excellency the Governor of West Kalimantan Drs Cornelis MH. SESB was reprented by its Chairman Datok Abdul Hamid Sepawi . Drs Cornelis in his speech said

“Selagi untuk kepentingan rakyat banyak bagi kita tidak masalah, karena secara ekonomis memberikan manfaat besar untuk meningkatkan taraf hidup dan kesejahteraan masyarakat khususnya di daerah perbatasan yang selama ini serba tertinggal,” (Translated -As long as the project will benefits the people, the cost is not a matter for us becauses economically it will uplift the living standard of the people and brings peace to the people especially those stay along the boarder who has been left behind)...

Dayak leaders in Kalimantan are willing to spent monies to upgrade the standard of living of the dayaks, contrary to the dayak leaders in Sarawak (especially Jabu and Masing) who are only keen to fill their own pockets. Everytime when the problem of electricity being raised, they will give 1000 excuses to their people and the most popular excuses are that the long houses are scattered and blaming the big size Sarwak. Is sarawak bigger than Kalimantan in size?

To all the dayaks in Sarawak, Stay United under Dayak Term....

Mupok aku..

"Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban"