KUCHING, March 27, 2017 - Dayak National Congress, a
non-governmental organisation, has asked the state government to review,
evaluate and to place under public scrutiny of native customary rights land
managed by the land custody and development authority (LCDA) in joint ventures
with the private sector.
The newly elected members of the Dayak National Congress executive committee. Paul Raja is seen seated (middle row) fourth from right.
"In the event that LCDA is found to have failed in
its object, it will have to cease to be the managing agent for Dayak NCR
Lands," the newly elected DNC president Paul Raja said in a statement
today.
He said so far there has been no transparent report to
the public on its success in uplifting the rural Dayak economy.
"Instead it had been sued throughout the state on
the grounds of land grabbing and failure to improve the lot of the rural
Dayaks," he said, adding that the government must intervene to rectify the
situation.
Raja also suggested that before any proposal to develop all
NCR land developments is carried out, either present or future, there must on
free prior and informed consent basis and involve the native landowners
directly.
At the DNC triennial delegates conference on March 25,
Raja said it was resolved that the Dayak customs must be available as a subject
in all Dayak schools throughout Sarawak.
Other resolution adopted at the conference was for the protection
Of Dayak Intellectual Properties, including traditional knowledge, traditional
cultural expressions, literary expressions, motifs, arts, medicine, dances and
performances and artifacts from being exploited by non-Dayaks.
Raja said it was resolved that prior permission or
consent must be obtained from a proper Dayak body or organisation.
He said necessary laws be enacted to protect Dayak
Intellectual Properties.
The other resolutions were:
(1) That the Dayak system of titles and awards be
established to award and recognise deserving individuals and that a Council of
Elders be established to be the Custodian Adat on titles and awards.
(2) That all the necessary assistance including the
Sustainable Palm Oil Clusters [SPOC] be provided to Dayak smallholders, and
(3) That development, namely, communication system such
as road, telecommunication, public facilities, utilities and infrastructure
must be expedited in Dayak rural areas to be on par with urban development.
Meanwhile, a new committee has been elected for the new
term from 2017 to 2020.
Apart from the election of Raja as president, the
conference also elected Richard Lias as deputy president, and Jalumin Bayogoh,
Robert Tella Gunjom and Abell Ahing as vice presidents.
The post of secretary general went to Douglas Alau while
Teresa Gintin was elected as deputy secretary general.
Fabian Tissen was elected treasurer general and George
Young Siricod Jr as deputy treasurer general and eight ordinary committee
members were also elected.
Immediate past president Mengga Mikui and former deputy
president Datuk John Tenewi Nuek have been appointed as trust officers of DNC.
Raja also explained that DNC is an NGO, not a political
party.
"Some people are still thinking that we are a
political party. We are not," he said, adding that DNC, as an NGO, speaks
for and on Dayak issues particularly on NCR land matters and development.
"Of course there are many Dayak NGOs who also speak
on NCR lands, but our involvement has been pioneering unity among various Dayak
NGOs to work together in our struggle for our rights, interests and
privileges," he said, adding that he believed in working with all Dayak
NGOs as each of them has its own strength.
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