Archive for February, 2009

KUCHING : Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) can build up its role and influence among the Dayak community if it has strong and solid financial strength with a large number of members, says its newly-elected president Dr Dusti Jaul.

Towards this end, membership drive and generating of income make up the two-pronged strategy he has envisioned for the association to achieve in the short term. "I will discuss and strategies with the other SDGA office bearers during our meeting," he said yesterday. Dusit, a senior programme coordinator at National Institute of Public Administration (Intan) since 2000, replaced Sarawak Planted Forest Sdn Bhd (SPF) general manager Dr Joseph Jawa Kendawang as the new president of SDGA.

During the election held on Saturday, Dusti polled 90 votes against Jawa’s 29 to win by a majority of 61 votes. Dusit, who has served in the government for 14 years as an administrative and diplomatic service officer, said the current number of members in SDGA is not reflective of the real number of Dayak graduates, adding that the association needs to make its presence felt among the Dayak community.

"Either they are unaware of SDGA’s presence or they just adopt a ‘wait and see’ attitude. But if we can have more members, the better we will be," he said. On plans to generate more incomes, he said the association will pursue ‘any ideas worth pursuing’. Asked if this includes his predecessor’s proposal to set up a business entity dealing in consultancy jobs, he said this can be one of the ideas the association may mull upon.

"We need to raise our own funds that will enable us to carry out our roles more effectively," he said. Dusit also said that he would uphold three values, namely team player, respect and high integrity, in the association. Meanwhile, in Saturday’s election, Dr Elli Luhat and Stanly Lingoh retained their respective deputy president and secretary general posts. It is learnt that 119 delegates participated in the election, held during its annual general meeting that day.

News from the Borneo Post, 23 February 2009

KUCHING : Sarawak Dayak Graduates’ Association (SDGA) members have been urged to give full support to whoever leads them.

"Support your leader by not adopting the jealousy culture to bring him down," Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Alfred Jabu Ak Numpang, told the SDGA members yesterday. Speaking at the association’s Annual General Meeting held at the Telang Usan Hotel here, Jabu called on the SDGA members to allow their leader to plan and guide the association.

"In my observation, a good leader will have his leadership quality showing up on the second or third year of his tenure of office," Jabu said.

He also said, "whatever is your differences (regional, academic, political or social, and the like), do not use SDGA as a platform to go astray from the govenment.

"If you do your organization will stand to lose, and the community you represent will consequently suffer because they tend to base their judgement on your opinion for leadership," he said.

Jabu added he had seen many good organizations which genuinely had a humble, moderate thinking, hardworking leader with good linkage with the government being "axed" out from his leadership by the criticism from the 10% to 25% minority amongst the members, who by their loud noise and sometimes rough tactics could silence the 75% to 90% majority.

"It is my hope that these silent majority must rethink and come forward with good proposal which can be justified and supported in order to save the organization which originally has noble objectives and purposes.

"Work closely with the government. Never attempt to run away from it otherwise you will lose out by distancing hourself form benefiting from its programmes.

"Respect our adat and tradition. Don’t throw or neglect our adat/customs for the sake of promoting in a hurried manner social and political influence from outside," he said.

Earlier in his speech, he said the "big" questions for university graduates was how to organize themselves to make effective use of their qualifications to translate those talents and skill as graduates to serve the society.

He reminded them that in multi-racial and multi-religious Sarawak, it was important to be mindful at all times that a balance of harmony and tolerance should always be maintained.

Jabu later announced a grant of RM20,000 to SDGA. SDGA president, Dr Joseph Jawa Kendawang, in his speech earlier said under his leadership, "we decide to take a moderate approach to work with all including the government on a win-win situation, and this has yielded results."

He added SDGA  would continue to pursue its noble objectives, not only for the betterment/advancement of its members, but also the progress of all communities in Sarawak.

He also pointed out in its new structure, SDGA had divided its committee members into three sectors, namely, that of education, economic and social integration.

Among those present were State ministers Datuk William Mawan Ak Ikom, Datuk Micheal Manyin Ak Jawong, and the 130 registered graduates of the association.

Source: Sunday Eastern Times, 22 February 2009

KUCHING : This year the Dayak Cultural Foundation will be giving Incentive Performance Award for top Dayak students based on their SPM or STPM results 2009/2010.

Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr.) Alfred Jabu disclosed this while officiating at the opening of the Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association’s 2008 Annual General Meeting, which was held at a hotel here yesterday. Jabu said in the past, the foundation had sent its top scholars/civil servants to Harvard University and to other prestigious universities.

"The present State Secretary, Wilson Baya Dandot, the late Denys Lang and Jacob Dungau Sagan and a few others, have benefitted from such sponsorship.

"Our Dayak Cultural Foundation will also give Appreciation and Cash Incentive to Dayak students/officers who passed with Doctor of Philosophy/Post Doctorate Degrees from recognised universities," he said.

Jabu is also the  founding chairman of the foundation in 1992 until now.

On the new Rumah Dayak/Shophouse Project, Jabu regretted that an offer from the govenment before was turned down by the Sarawak Dayak National Union.

"To me this is a big loss of opportunity by SDNU…the project is still not completed," he said.

News from the Sunday Eastern Times, 22 February 2009

KUCHING: Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) aims to expand into business by setting up a consultancy firm some time this year.

Its outgoing president Dr Joseph Jawa Kendawang said yesterday the entity, tentatively named SDGA Consultants, would concentrate mostly on consultancy jobs for various projects.

Jawa, who is also Sarawak Planted Forest Sdn Bhd (SPF) general manager, said the establishment of th entity was proposed by the SDGA’s economy unit as the business arm for SDGA.

"This is to raise money for our association as we cannot rely solely on donations from the public and government leaders," he said at the opening of SDGA annual general meeting here.

Apart from improving its economic standing, he said SDGA would also continue to organise seminars and initiate studies to bring about education and social transformation to the Dayak community.

He was happy that Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu consented to officiate at yesterday’s opening ceremony.

Jawa said this was indicative of the support of the government for the moderate approach undertaken by SDGA especially since he took over as president in 2007.

He said SDGA would continue to work alongside the government, as well as other Dayak-based organisations to uplift the economic and social standards of the Dayak community.

The new line up of SDGA office-bearers for the term 2009-2011 were also elected during yesterday’s meeting.

Its new president is National Instutute of Public Administration (Intan) senior coordinator Dr Dusit Jaul.

The full line of SDGA new office-bearers are as follows: President - Dr Dusit Jaul, Deputy President - Dr Elli Luhat, Secretary-General - Stanly Lingoh, Deputy Secretary-General - Jona Kerani, Treasurer - Johnny Jalin, Deputy Treasurer - William Howell, Exco Members - Dajai Mancha, Edwin Tawie, Utap Sebau, Dr Thomas Buan, Winston Bale, Diana Ningkan, Albert Jalin, Edmund Dagin, Elli Lawai, Dr Alex Sayok and Eli Luntai.

Taken from the Sunday Post, 22 February 2009