DIG raises up Dayak issues with James Masing

KUCHING, Oct 3, 2014: Dayak Informal Group (DIG) had raised a number of issues affecting the Dayak community when its members met with Land Development Minister James Masing last week.

The issues include education, civil service, economics, religious extremism and cultural issues that are of genuine concern to the Dayak community.

On state civil service, DIG once again highlighted Masing that currently, there still exists a single race monopoly on the management of key state departments and statutory bodies.

"This matter had been openly raised in the past and the Dayak are fully aware of the fact that opportunities for them to contribute meaningfully towards the state’s development by holding senior management positions in key or strategic state agencies seem to be very slim as of present day situation," DIG spokesman Dusit Jaul (picture) said in a statement today.

"DIG thus, through the Land Development Minister wish to convey Dayak unhappiness and displeasure of this injustice to the state government, which if left unrectified, would alienate the Dayak further from the government.

"If in the democratic process, Dayak displeasure is manifested through the ballot box, the state government has itself to blame for its seeming policy of favouring a certain ethnic group," he said.

On cultural issues, Dusit said there was a common agreement that more cultural activities and programmes should be organised to forge better rapport and understanding among the community.

Towards this end, a Dayak Cultural and Heritage Night will be held at the end of November 2014. 

On the position of the Dayak community in Malaysia, he said that DIG made it known that Dayak interest cannot be negotiated and compromised.

"The Dayak community had been the indisputable pillar of strength to the government that had enabled the present day government to remain in power for more than fifty years.

"Likewise, the government should recognise this by giving top priority and attention to the Dayak in its development, economic, education and cultural policy.

"More so, based on recent report that Sarawak now has the distinction of taking over from Sabah as being the poorest state in Malaysia.

"DIG is quite sure that the Dayak is a major contributor to this unwelcome distinction. Guided by past development and based on current scenario where Dayak are confronted with wide ranging issues, the minister was kindly informed that DIG would remain constructively critical and become the genuine voice of the Dayak," Dusit stressed.