‘Our people who have been identifying with these NGOs risk being left further behind other communities’

PAKAN: Dayak-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are still very weak despite the fact that most of them have existed for a long time.

Dayaks are, therefore, urged to unite behind these NGOs to strengthen them.

Social Development and Urbanisation Minister Dato Sri William Mawan Ikom said this on Saturday during a Gawai Dayak dinner at Dewan Masyarakat here.

The function where Pakan Branch of Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) was launched was also attended by Mawan’s wife Datin Sri Julia and Deputy Minister of Energy, Water and Telecommunications Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum, who is also Julau MP.

“Take for example, SDNU, Serakup Indu Dayak Sarawak (SIDS) and Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) which were established more than 40 years ago. These organisations are strong in spirits but weak in action. They may have far-sightedness but they have been stumbling over the years,” said Mawan.

“We must address these problems immediately or else our people who have been identifying themselves with SDNU, SIDS and Sadia as well as other newer NGOs, would risk being left further behind other communities, many of which are already well ahead of us.”

Mawan said some negative traits affecting Dayak community were the tendency to pick on and blow up trivial issues, parochialism and self-centred mindset and these had become our community’s stumbling block towards our development and progress.

“We have the bad habits of always picking up on little, little things that are in fact very negligible, and too tiny to be seen, felt or heard. We must try our very best to discard this negative mentality as we strive to address a bigger picture of development and progress within and for our community,” said Mawan.

Mawan said therefore that this year’s Gawai Dayak theme of ‘Segulai Sejalai Sepenemu’ (Journeying Together Harmoniously) should be taken seriously and practised by the community.

“We should forge greater unity, forgive and forget as we celebrate our traditional harvest festival of Gawai Dayak,” said Mawan, who is also Pakan assemblyman.

Datuk Joseph Salang, who spoke earlier at the function, reminded Dayaks to be thankful and be appreciative of what they had and whatever successes that they had achieved.

“We should also always be thankful to God for our achievements and abundance that we enjoy physically, mentally and spiritually,” said Salang, who went to promise that he would work closely with Mawan in developing Pakan and Julau areas through the BN government.

Among those who also attended the function were two political secretaries to the Chief Minister – Paul Igai and Peter Howell Jilan, Sarikei Resident Michael Dawi Alli, Pakan District Officer Inting Nyami, Meradong and Julau District Council Secretary Adrian Luang, organising chairperson who is also SIDS Pakan branch head Selah Kasen, local heads of government departments and agencies and community leaders.

At the function, Penghulu Bakak Mirom was installed as SDNU Pakan branch chairman while Selah was formally installed as SIDS Pakan branch chief. Datin Sri Julia Mawan is the permanent advisor of SIDS Pakan branch.