“By placing the Dayak race as the fourth race after Malay, Chinese and Indian races in government official documents, it is actually recognising our contributions to nation building and development.
“After all, without the support of the Dayaks, there would have been no Malaysia today,” said DNC president Mengga Mikui after its annual general meeting in Kuching yesterday.
“By recognising us as Dayaks, is it going to weaken Malaysia? Or is it going to strengthen Malaysia?” he asked.
“But the Dayaks are angry if you call them ‘lain-lain’ because it shows they are inferior or fourth class citizens; if they are happy, they will continue to support the government.
“The question is whether the government wants to recognise us as Dayaks,” he said, pointing out that the DNC would be writing to the government to officially request for the change in government forms and documents from ‘lain-lain’ to ‘Dayak’.
Mengga said like the Chinese community which comprises of subgroups like the Foochow, Hakka, Cantonese, and so on, the Dayak community is also made up of ethnic communities in Borneo such as the Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, and Bisaya.
There are about three million Dayaks in Sarawak and Sabah, he said.
'Poor Dayaks a liability'
On the allegation that the Dayaks are extremists and racists, Mengga said: “Those who call us racists and extremists are not positive, because they want us to be under their feet all the times. They want us to be poor all the time, so that it is easy for them to manipulate us.
“So what wrong it is if the Dayaks are united and grow together and fight for their rights. Poor Dayaks will become a liability, rich and united Dayaks will become assets to the nation,” he said.
Mengga stressed that there are certain people who do not wish the Dayaks to be organised, because they would then compete with them in education, in the civil service, trade and business.
“Once we are organised, we could talk to other people on networking, sharing and even forming joint ventures to develop our land.
“We don’t want to be consumers all the times,” he said, adding that their priorities are now on the economy, education and agriculture.
In the field of education, Mengga applauded the offer of 500 places by Mara to Dayak students in Sabah and Sarawak who obtained five SPM credits, to study in its colleges, starting next year.
“This is a good beginning,” he said, pointing out that all applications must be made through the DNC office at MJC Batu Kawah.
Meanwhile, DNC plans to launch its branch in Sabah to cater for the Dayak Dusun, Dayak Kadazan and Dayak Murut.
It will also form branches in each of the divisions in Sarawak.
“It is our hope that DNC will be the umbrella organisation for all Dayak non-governmental organisations,” he said, adding that DNC is apolitical.
Msiakini
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