PBDS calls for unity, coordinated action between political leaders and academics for the future of the Dayak people

KUCHING, Nov 5 2025: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) has called for unity and coordinated action between political leaders and academics for the future of the Dayak people.

Dr Bernard Tahim: For PBDS, the struggle is not about who is right, but about what is right for the future of the Dayak people.
 

Its deputy president Dr Bernard Tahim said the need to align the directions of politics, academia and community must be prioritised in advancing Dayak progress.

“PBDS asserts that meaningful development cannot be achieved if each group works in isolation,” he said in a statement today.

He stressed politics without knowledge becomes blind while knowledge without action becomes paralysed, adding that a community without good leadership loses its sense of direction.

“Therefore, PBDS calls for the creation of a Dayak Coordination Platform whose purpose is to unite political leaders, academics, youth, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in drafting a long-term development agenda, whether through the proposed Dayak Community Special Unit (UKMD) or an alternative, a more integrated plan,” Dr Bernard suggested.

“From discourse to implementation, the Dayak people must no longer be a race that merely talks about NCR land, poverty, education, and economic opportunity without tangible outcomes.

“PBDS emphasises that every discourse must be followed by action, and every institution established must have a strategic plan with transparent annual performance indicators,” he said.

He said the Dayak nation must break free from what he called the cycle of “talk without results.”

He said the Dayak must rise together, adding that differences in opinion should not lead to division — rather, they should mark the beginning of a collective awakening, where political courage is supported by academic wisdom and fueled by grassroots spirit.

PBDS urges all parties to see the differences in opinion not as a personal dispute but as a call for unity and genuine reform of the Dayak nation.

“For PBDS, the struggle is not about who is right, but about what is right for the future of the Dayak people,” he added.

He said the party takes note of a recent public debate surrounding the proposal by Selanagu  Member of Parliament Edwin Banta for the establishment of UKMD under the Prime Minister’s Department. He noted that proposal aims to strengthen the socio-economic position of the Dayak community through a structured approach, modeled after the Indian Community Transformation Unit (MITRA).

He also said that the party views the differing opinions expressed by academics such as Datuk Professor Dr Jayum Jawan and Datuk Professor Dr Madeline Berma over the proposed UKMD as a healthy and mature debate as a sign of growing awareness in the discourse on Dayak development.

“However, PBDS stresses that the time for debate has long passed. Now is the time for action,” he said.

Dr Bernard said the party fully supports Edwin’s political courage, saying that it appreciates the MP’s initiative and boldness in presenting a concrete proposal to strengthen Dayak development at the national level.

He said the establishment of UKMD proves that there are Dayak representatives with vision and bravery to pursue institutional empowerment as a crucial step to ensure Dayak development is no longer a mere footnote in the government’s broader policies.

“While PBDS values the academic perspectives shared by Jayum and Madeline, it cautions that academic analysis should not be used as a reason to avoid implementation.

“Academic knowledge should serve as a guiding force to strengthen proposed policies — not to extinguish the enthusiasm of those seeking new solutions.

“PBDS urges Dayak academics to step beyond theoretical discussions and join in designing practical implementation plans that can bring real impact to the Dayak community,” Dr Bernard stressed.

In recent comments published in the Borneo Post, Jayum rejected Edwin’s proposal as “misplaced” and “a half-baked idea discussed over a bowl of kampua noodles.”

He had claimed that the Dayaks’ lack of progress was largely due to the mediocrity of their own lawmakers in introducing workable solutions that could really  and resolve key issues.

Madeline, meanwhile, had said that setting up a new institution meant creating another bureaucratic layer that would not address the root causes of Dayak underdevelopment such as high poverty rates, low academic achievement, unemployment, and low income levels.

She had suggested that the focus should instead be on strengthening governance and ensuring existing ministries and programmes deliver effectively.

PBDS supports initiative to construction of Rumah Mesra Rakyat on native customary rights land

KUCHING, Nov 3 2025: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) has expressed full support to the initiative by the federal Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) to work with the Sarawak government to allow the construction of Rumah Mesra Rakyat (RMR) (People-Friendly Homes Programme) on Native Customary Rights (NCR) land.

Sanjan Daik: This effort is not merely about building houses but it’s about building futures for Dayak families on their ancestral land.
 

Its secretary-general Sanjan Daik said the initiative is timely and relevant, as it recognises the realities faced by rural communities particularly the Dayaks who have long resided on ancestral and customary lands.

 “PBDS welcomes this move as it respects the ownership and traditional use of native land by the Dayak community,” he said in a statement when commenting on a reply by the minister Nga Kor Ming in Parliament recently.

Sanjan explained that many families in rural areas do not have access to state land, but they possess NCR land inherited from their forefathers.

“Building affordable homes on these lands is both fair and practical,” he stressed.

He emphasised that clear coordination between federal and state agencies is crucial to ensure smooth implementation, particularly concerning land status verification, building plan approvals, and financing procedures.

He also urged the government to expedite the survey and recognition process of NCR land so that more rural residents can qualify for the PMR programme.

“This effort is not merely about building houses but it’s about building futures for Dayak families on their ancestral land,” he said.

He also reiterated that Sarawak’s development policies must strike a balance between physical progress and the protection of native rights, adding that PBDS stands ready to work with both the state and federal governments to design inclusive policies that are sensitive to the realities of indigenous communities.

Replying to a point raised by Puncak Borneo Member of Parliament Datuk Willie Mongin on Oct 30, Nga said his ministry was ready to discuss with the Sarawak state government to find a solution to the issue of ownership of customary land without a grant which affects the eligibility of applications under the PMR Programme.

He said he welcomed a proposal and assured that he would look into the specific cases raised by the MP.

He said he would instruct Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) to discuss with the Sabah and Sarawak governments so that this customary land matter can be managed properly and comply with existing conditions.

Nga also stressed that KPKT is committed to ensuring that all Malaysians have a place to shelter.

Willie proposed that the government provide flexibility to rural applicants in Sarawak who own customary land but do not have an official grant.

He stressed that many young people and new families are unable to own their own homes due to the constraints of the land grant conditions.

 

Sarawak on track to achieve its target of RM12.7 billion in tourism revenue this year

KUCHING, Oct 31 2025: Sarawak is on track to achieve its target of RM12.7 billion in tourism revenue this year, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg tonight.

Photo: The Sultan of Pahang (left) was received on arrival at the Kuching International Airport by Sarawak Governor Tun Pehin Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar Friday afternoon.
 

Abang Johari said Sarawak has already recorded tourism revenue of RM8.2 billion as of August.

“This achievement shows that Sarawak is on the right track to achieve  its target,” he said at a state dinner held in honour of the visiting Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and his consort Tengku Ampuan of Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.

The premier suggested that Sarawak and Pahang hold a joint tourism promotion as both have great potential to develop integrated tourism packages based on eco-tourism and local culture.

He said through the joint promotion, cultural exchange and strengthening of air and land networks, Sarawak and Pahang will be able to introduce to the world the true beauty of Malaysia, which is rich in diversity.

“When we start operating our AirBorneo services, Kuantan and Kuching will be connected,” he said.

Sarawak Governor Tun Pehin Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and his wife Toh Puan Fauziah Mohd Sanusi, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian and Speaker Tan Sri Asfia Awang Nasar were among  those present at the dinner.

The Sultan of Pahang and Tengku Ampuan of Pahang are on a four-day official visit to Sarawak.

 

Peter John urges state government to take immediate steps to resolve disputes over NCR land ownership

KUCHING, Oct 31 2025: Native customary rights (NCR) land activist Peter John Jaban has urged the state government to take immediate steps to resolve Native Customary Rights (NCR) land disputes that are being prolonged due to bureaucratic red tape, causing immense suffering and injustice to the rightful landowners.

Peter John Jaban: The state government should establish an independent review mechanism to ensure that bureaucratic procedures never override the rights of indigenous landowners. 

In this connection, he suggested that the state government streamline the NCR land recognition process, cutting down unnecessary steps and overlapping jurisdictions between the relevant government agencies.

He also said the state government set strict timelines for land verification, surveying and gazettement.

He suggested that the state government empowers local land offices and community representatives to handle disputes quickly and transparently.

He said the state government should establish an independent review mechanism to ensure that bureaucratic procedures never override the rights of indigenous landowners.

“The state government should also provide sufficient funding to fund the employment of more

magistrates and equip Native Courts with an up to date equipment to upgrade the current

Situation,” he said in a statement today.

He lamented that for decades, NCR landowners have been trapped in an endless cycle of paperwork,

delayed verification, overlapping claims, and weak coordination between the relevant government  agencies.

“Many of them are elderly, waiting their entire lives for recognition and titles that never come,” he said in a statement today, adding that some even lost their ancestral land to encroachment and development while government files move at a snail’s pace.

Peter stressed that this was despite the much touted effort by the state government to revamp the Native Court system, even though a special committee has been appointed to reshape the Native Court system to be on par with the civil court.

“But to-date no positive move has been seen to that effect,” he said, adding that there is even shortage of  magistrates to handle all native and NCR cases in Sarawak as those former magistrates who are over 70 years of age have been phased out.

He noted that only a handful of magistrates are still in service.

He also said there should sufficient funding to assist the Native Court system to be more effective not only to employ more magistrates but for other matters for the administration of justice.

Peter also noted that some cases in the Native courts have been delayed for proceedings and decisions of up to over three years or more due to the acute shortage of magistrates.

He said some disgruntled litigants gave expressed lack of confidence in the Native Court system to serve their rights, adding that the bureaucratic delay is not just inefficiency, but it is also a denial of justice.

“When rightful owners cannot obtain land titles or defend their territory because of slow processes, the system itself becomes complicit in their loss.

“As rightly put by the former prime minister of British the late William Ewart Gladstone who once said that justice delayed is justice denied,” Peter said.

He urged the Dayak state ministers to assist the state government and its agencies and to report on the development of the revamping of the Natives Court system  so to give confidence to the NCR land owners and the public at large.

He said the natives people have heard countless promises of land reform, surveys, and mapping

exercises and yet every initiative gets stuck between departments, legal reviews, and approval

chains that take years to resolve.

“This must end,” he said.

 

PBDS questions Awang Tengah's claim on surveying of NCR land, says should give priority to Section 18 of the land code

KUCHING, Oct 31 2025: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) has questioned the Sarawak government’s claim that over 1.2 million hectares of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land have been surveyed under the first stage of perimeter survey, saying the figures do not represent real ownership or justice for the Dayak people. 

Sanjan Daik: Land rights are not political favours but birthrights protected by adat, the Federal Constitution, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

Its secretary-general Sanjan Daik, who is also a practising lawyer, said most of the surveyed areas were only gazetted under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code, which remains state-controlled communal land.

“Surveying under Section 6 is not the same as giving ownership under Section 18. Until the government converts those communal reserves into individual titles, native landowners do not truly own their ancestral land,” he said in a statement today when responding to Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan’s speech on the surveying of NCR land.

Sanjan noted that only 47,443 hectares, or less than four per cent of the total surveyed NCR land, have been issued with individual titles under Section 18 since 2010.

He urged the state to prioritise Section 18 issuance and to include native representatives and PBDS observers in the NCR verification process.

“Land rights are not political favours but birthrights protected by adat, the Federal Constitution, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). NCR justice must be measured by ownership, not announcements,” Sanjan added.

Yesterday, Awang Tengah had said that a total of 1,217,766 hectares (3.009 million acres) of NCR land across the state have been surveyed from the year 2010 to September 30 this year under the first stage of perimeter survey.

Out of the total, he said 938,342 hectares (2.3 million acres) have been gazetted under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code.

Awang Tengah, who is also the Second Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Planning, said so far 105,344 individual lots involving an area of 125,703 hectares (310,618 acres) have been successfully surveyed.

Out of the total, he said 34,122 lots involving an area of 47,443 hectares (117,234 acres) have been issued with land title deeds under Section 18 of the land code.

 Awang Tengah was speaking at the handing over of land titles issued under Section 18 of the land code in Pakan, Sarikei.