Archive for August, 2009

KUCHING: Land Development Minister Dato Sri Dr James Masing said the target one graduate per longhouse by 2020 may be achievable when the state has better educational facilities and more schools in the rural areas.

He said the target would be impossible to achieve when parents did not take a more active role in their children’s education.

Masing said this meant that the Dayak parents must be more determined in order to meet the target.

“Parents must take on more active role in the education of their children. Teachers are not the only educators of children. The whole community must be held responsible,” he stressed.

According to him, to have 10 graduates per longhouse is not ‘mathematically’ possible by 2020 because longhouses vary in length like 10 to 50 doors each.

But if the aim was to have one graduate per door then it may be possible, he said.

“Therefore, the state must first have better educational facilities and more schools in rural areas to realise such a vision,” said Masing who is also Parti Rakyat Sarawak president.

He was commenting on Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA)’s vision to see more graduates of the Dayak descent by 2020.

On Saturday night, SDGA president Dr Dusit Jaul said the association had come up with a development paper framework for the community to excel in education.

He said since February this year, SDGA had embarked on a number of educational and career development programmes throughout Sarawak.

News from the Borneo Post, 25 August 2009

KUCHING : Dayak-based NGOs have been told to work hard at finding ways to help Dayak children who should be going for further studies but could not do so because they did not have the financial means.

Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Joseph Entulu said he believed no parents want to see their children drop out of school but that they were helpless because they did not have money with which to support them.

According to him , most Dayak parents in the rural areas do realise the importance of education and how it can determine their children’s future.

"However, , after Form 5, even if their children have achieved good results they still cannot send them for further studies because they do not have the money. This is where Dayak-based NGOs should be able to help," he said when explaining why some excellent rural students could not further their studies.

He said he would like NGOs like Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU), Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) and Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) as well as political ideologies - to work together to raise the education standard of rural Dayak students.

He lamented that even though there were bodies like Yayasan Sarawak and Mara offering scholarships this did not mean all applicants would get them because of the quota system where scholarships were limited to certain fields.

"For example, if a scholarship is for a specific field, it may be allocated to one of a total of 10 applicants. This means many qualified students will still not get the scholarship," he said when asked to comment on SDGA’ s vision to have at least 10 graduates from one longhouse or village out of the more than 7,000 longhouses in Sarawak by 2020.

Entulu, the Selangau MP, said the vision is achievable if the whole community could work towards it with tireless commitment and not just leaving it to teachers of parents.

"Therefore, don’t just talk. Please walk the talk," he said.

SDGA is working towards the vision by holding educational and career development programmes, capacity building programmes, motivational talks and excellence awards.

News from the Borneo Post, 25 August 2009

KUCHING :Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister Datuk Joseph Entulu was among the notable VIPs at the Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) education award presentation and dinner on Saturday night.

He donated RM20,000 to SDGA’s Excellence Education Award fund or DEEDS. Entulu, the deputy president of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), even applied on the spot to become a life member of SDGA and it was accepted in principle by SDGA president Dr Dusit Jaul.

Later in the night he entertained other special guests and diners with an Iban song he personally named ‘Indai Tuai Blues’ (literally translated, Old Woman Blue).

Entulu, on Saturday  night, was not what he was made out to be in May when he was accused of scheming to destroy the identity of the Dayaks by dropping the term ‘Dayak’.

What he did and said at the dinner may have projected him as just another Dayak and that what were attributed to him in May a mere allegation.

Several of Entulu’s hard critics over the Dayak identity issues were also at the dinner and he was seen talking with them enjoying the evening just like anybody else.

It was claimed that on the evening on May 9 in Sibu, Entulu uttered some phrases to the effect that the term ‘Dayak’ should be dropped because it connoted derogatory meaning and had caused several Dayaks to face difficulties when dealing with officials in Peninsular Malaysia.

But two days later, Entulu denied uttering such remarks, claiming a reporter had misunderstood one or two of his crucial statements.

The event led to more events, including the one where Entulu had to resort to advertising a full-page report to clarify on what had transpired on the night he was said to be misquoted by the reporter.

He also held a press conference denying that he had suggested the term ‘Dayak’ be dropped. In fact being an Iban himself, Entulu said, he would oppose those who intended to ‘illegalise’ the term or erase it from history.

Subsequently The Borneo Post held a forum over the issue with the title "Should the term ‘Dayak’ be dropped?."

The forum was just an intellectual discourse and had nothing to do with whether Entulu had in fact wanted the term ‘Dayak’ dropped.

The forum held that anyone who tried to illegalise the term ‘Dayak’ would be committing "ethnic cleansing in the most subtle form."

SDGA’s Saturday night dinner was officiated by Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation Dato Sri William Mawan and attended by Dayaks irrespective of their professions, ideologies and standing.

Almost 900 people packed the dinner hall of the Christian Ecumenical Centre in Jalan Laksamana Cheng Ho here.

The aim of the dinner was to raise funds for SDGA’s educational, motivational and ‘people-building’ programmes. SDGA also relaunched its website-this time around with a better design and more user-friendly.

News from the Borneo Post, 24 August 2009

KUCHING: Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association’s (SDGA) effort in getting everybody involved in educational development for the Dayak community is a step in the right direction.

Social Development and Urbanisation Minister Dato Sri William Mawan said Saturday night this was necessary because the Dayaks could not do it alone. Although the Dayak community was driven by Dayakism in most of its endeavours, members must not be so parochial when it came to education, he said. He stressed education should be everybody’s concern.

“We are driven by Dayakism, but don’t be so parochial. We need a lot of people to support our mission,” he said, adding that by ‘other people’, he meant other races including the Malays, Melanaus, Chinese and Indians.

Mawan also suggested to SDGA to initiate a study on finding how many Dayaks were there in various fields and their occupation. He said the findings of the study would determine the Dayaks’ educational and social progress in line with the government policy.

“The Dayak community is still lagging behind in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, engineering, accountancy and law,” he said at the SDGA dinner and Dayak Education Excellence Awards (DEEDS) presentation at Christian Ecumenical Centre here.

“Sarawak’s rural areas, where the Dayaks reside, are among the poorest today. Development is needed in all aspects of their daily life, from agricultural production, health care and technology to environment and education,” he stressed.

The minister said education was the key to the creating change and progress in the Dayak community. As such, he felt that the Dayaks should give more priority to providing education for their children.

“Parents should be the first to show concern about the future of their children. In fact we should not neglect pres-school education. It is in the hands of the parents that rests the direction and destiny of the children especially in the first seven years of the children’s life,” he said.

Mawan commended SDGA for embarking on a vision to have at least 10 graduates from one longhouse or village out of the more than 7,000 longhouses in Sarawak by 2020. “I believe this vision can be achieved if the parents, teachers, non-governmental organisations like SDGA, Sarawak Dayak National Union, Sarawak Dayak Iban Association, Dayak Bidayuh National Association, Orang Ulu National Association and Dayak leaders in various political parties can work together,” he said.

He said everyone should strongly support SDGA’s programmes of capacity building, motivational talks and excellence awards. “This is the only way where we can help to change the mindset of parents and students in rural areas,” he emphasised. In a show of support for SDGA’s cause, Mawan also pledged a grant of RM10,000 to the association to carry out its programmes.

Others who also made financial contributions were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu who gave RM20,000; Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Joseph Entulu (RM20,000); Kapit MP Alexander Nanta (RM2,000) and Mambong MP Datuk Dr James Dawos (RM2,000).

Like Mawan and Dawos, Minister of Urban Development and Tourism Datuk Michael Manyin also bought a dinner table worth RM3,000 each. Other Dayak politcians who bought dinner tables in support of SDGA’s cause include Serian MP Datuk Richard Riot, Kedup assemblyman Frederick Bayoi and Opar assemblyman Ranum Mina.

Mawan’s ‘Suara Emas’ (golden voice) managed to fetch RM10,100 and among the groups which chipped in substantial sum in the session include members of Mawan’s family; SPDP Muara Tuang Division and; Kuala Lumpur -based Yayasan Ikhlas led by Datuk Pengiran Juliana Tambi.

Meanwhile, SDGA president Dr Dusit Jaul said the association had come up with a framework of a development paper towards community education excellence. He said since February this year, SDGA had embarked on a number of educational and career development programmes throughout Sarawak.

They included a motivational programme involving more than 100 students and parents from three secondary schools in Kapit, parenting talk in Rumah Anggah, Sungai Lengan in Sibu and a UPSR motivational programme in Krokong, Bau involving more than 80 students from five primary schools. He said Nanta was supportive of the programme which he opened that day.

Dusit also stressed the importance of Dayaks being equipped with proper education and skills to enable them to compete with other communities in the country. “It is pertinent that if we are to progress collectively as a community, we all have to ensure that every Dayak child is well educated. Every Dayak youth must be equipped with a degree or at least some sort of industry certification,” he said.

He also shared his vision of Dayak success in education which was every Dayak child and youth must have access to and achieve world class education and that the Dayak community to have its own university that could produce Dayak graduates annually, especially in the professional disciplines.

“The university should not be exclusive, but inclusive - meaning it should also bring in races other than the Dayaks,” he pointed out. The event also saw the association re-launching its official website www.sarawakdga.org.my. As the website is accessible to all, Dayak graduates outside Sarawak will find it useful now that they can apply as members online.

Others present at the function were past SDGA president Prof Dimbab Ngidang, Bidayuh Graduate Association president William Nyigor, former Deputy Chief Minister Dato Sri Daniel Tajem and former MP Dato Sri Edmund Langgu as well as Sadia Kuching president Datuk Dr Anthony Nait.

News from the Borneo Post, 24 August 2009

KUCHING:  Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) is not only for Ibans but benefits all Dayak communities.

Kapit MP Alexander Nanta Linggi said therefore the presentation of education awards and incentives to children from all Dayak community is a step in the right direction for SDGA.

"The greatest challenge for Dayak-based NGO today is perhaps to quash misperceptions that some are dominated by Ibans," he said when receiving a courtesy call from SDGA fund-raising organising committee at his office in Wisma Tun Jugah here yesterday.

Those calling on Nanta were organising chairman Edwin Tawie, SDGA treasurer-general Johnny Jalin Jarit, its exco Albert Jalin Abol and publicity associate Churchill Edward.

When told that SDGA comprised those from various ethnic groups, Nanta said: "I must agree with you that is the best way to dispel misperceptions."

Dayak NGOs must be true to their cause apart from remaining apolitical to enable their original objectives to be achieved, he said.

"If they do this, there will be no room for any quarter to get suspicious of then but instead members will gain the respect of the public.  Dayak NGOs must remain objective and work for the betterment for the public at large," he said.

Nanta commended efforts by SDGA to bring people together through their various programmes, especially the fund-raising dinner tonight (Saturday) which include the presentation of education excellence awards which SDGA called ‘DEEDS’ and the launch of its new website.

Nanta, also a member of SDGA, said in developed countries, NGOs are part of their system and sometimes contributed in policy-making. He hoped to see almost all NGOs in the country play such a role.

Nanta advised SDGA not to neglect their website but maintain it all the time with useful information including its membership application forms and permitted e-government forms so that all levels of Dayak society - including those abroad - can have access to them.

He said constant maintenance of the website reflected the commitment of SDGA to its cause and struggle. Edwin said Social Development and Urbanisation Minister Dato Sri William Mawan would officiate at the SDGA dinner to be held at the Christian Ecumenical Centre in Jalan Laksamana Cheng Ho here.

He said Mawan, who is also Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) president, will be presentating ‘Suara Emas’ (Golden Voice) as part of the SDGA fund-raising highlights.

Public response to the dinner is ‘overwhelming’ with 80 dinner tables sold out.

Source:  The Borneo Post, 22 August 2009

Date : 22 August 2009 (Saturday)
Time :  6:45 pm
Venue : Christian Ecunemical Centre, Jalan Stampin, Kuching
Guest-of-Honour / Patron : YB Dato Sri William Mawan ak. Ikom (Minister of Social Development & Urbanisation Sarawak)
Ticket Price : Sold at RM500, RM1,000 and RM3,000 per table

For enquiries on the sales of table, please contact Mr Johnny Jalin (019-8769681) and Mr Jona Kerani (019-8887420).

For enquiries regarding the Dayak Education Excellence Awards (DEEDS) 2009, please contact Mr Elly Lawai (013-8016464) or email elly_99099@yahoo.com

View Programme Itinerary

KUCHING: Social Development and Urbanisation Minister Dato Sri William Mawan has called for an end to the ‘berhutang’ (owing money) habit among those so-called charity diners.

He said those who came to dinners and had undertaken to pay for tables or made monetary pledges for fund-raising events must pay up and honour such pledges.

He said he was saying this because it had come to his attention that some were not paying up, leaving organisers in a lurch.

“This culture of ‘berhutang’ should stop right away. Be prompt in making the payment because that’s what you should do when you have said yes to an invitation,” he said after receiving a courtesy call from the executive committee of Sarawak Dayak Graduates’ Association (SDGA) at his office yesterday.

The SDGA delegation was led by its president Dr Dusit Jaul. The courtesy call was to brief Mawan on SDGA’s fund-raising dinner at Christian Ecumenical Centre, Jalan Stampin on August 22.

During the meeting, Mawan agreed not only to be the guest-of-honour but also to croon his ‘golden voice’ during the dinner. He also purchased a RM3,000 table in show of support for this initiative by SDGA.

Meanwhile, Dusit said SDGA was very grateful for the support given by Mawan. “Dato Sri (Mawan) also sportingly agreed to sing a few songs during the dinner, to raise more funds for us,” he said.

He said the delegation met Urban Development and Tourism Minister Datuk Michael Manyin prior to meeting Mawan, and Manyin also agreed to purchase a RM3,000 table.

On the dinner, he said 80 tables priced from RM500, RM1,000 and RM3,000 are on sale. The presentation of cash incentives and certificates to Dayak students with outstanding results in PMR and SPM examinations will also be held concurrently.

He urged the public, especially Dayak graduates yet to sign up as SDGA members, to support the dinner and also register themselves as members.

For more enquiries on the dinner, the public can call SDGA deputy president Dr Elli Luhat at 013-8289795 and committee member Albert Jalin (013-8066876).

Source: The Borneo Post, 14 August 2009