False to say that Dayak NCR Land Forum has failed to reach consensus

Letter to Administrator

Borneo Post's front page today (Jan 7, 2017) on the Dayak NCR Land Forum yesterday is rather misleading.

The general view of the Dayak NCR Land Forum, with an unexpected large number of participants present.

The reporter  seemed to suggest that the forum had failed to reach consensus on the resolutions. Unfortunately, the reporter did not write what were the resolution all about. All he wrote was that the forum had failed to reach consensus on the resolutions.

The reporter must be referring to the draft memorandum. And there was no question of it being rejected at the forum, as being implied. I was there as a participant, from morning until it ended well past 5pm.

Sidi Munan, president of Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA), was only talking about improving the wording, and he did not object to the general content of the draft. He wanted the wording to be "perfect" or perhaps, adding more input.

 Some of the well-known Dayak participants at the Dayak NCR Land Forum, who include Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi (centre) and Baru Bian (3rd left).

The chairman of the organising committee Dr Charlie Dudang, in replying to all suggestions and queries, had said that his committee would make sure that the wording (in English) would be perfected before submitting it to the Chief Minister.

He also agreed to include some points raised at the forum to be incorporated.

The main points of the draft memorandum are:

(1) that Pemakai Menoa and Pulau Galau should have force of law and should be recognised by the government to that effect.

(2) That the state government need to amend the relevant sections of Sarawak Land Code (Cap. 81) to recognise Pemakai Menua and Pulau Galau and to make sure these two lawful customs of the Natives (Iban) have force of law.

(3) That Majlis Adat Istiadat be re-constituted to be  an independent authority, with power and authority to issue documents of titles including communal titles without referring to a third party

(4) That a native court system having the jurisdiction parallel with the civil courts be constituted and having jurisdiction over native customs, including NCR land

(5) That a Royal Commission of Inquiry, with members consisting of Dayak elders and NCR land experts, be set up to investigate infringement by any leases and or licence of all kinds on Dayak  customary rights over land.

(6) That the state government must come clean and act with all sincerity and honesty in dealing with the Dayak customary rights over land.

If we look at these main points, no reasonable Dayaks would object to the draft memorandum, unless of course, they have some kind of weird motives or simply anti-Dayaks.

I hope that Sematong Express will publish my letter.

By James Jambi anak Gerinang,

Engkilili, Sri Aman