By The Broken Shield

1Malaysia concept as espoused by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should be accepted by all if it is to be implemented. In spirit or sloganeering alone is not enough; it must be implemented in deed and in action.

Under the concept “every race is equal” as Dr. James Masing, PRS president explained over Radio Iban some time ago.

But there are people, government departments, ministries and universities which are working against this concept.

For example, UiTM is one such organisation which does not practise 1Malaysia concept.

Starting 29 April until 7 May, UiTM campuses in the country are recruiting students who achieved only 4 credits to be adopted under “Destini anak Bansa” (literally it means the destiny of our children).

In its campus at Kota Samarahan, 500 students will be recruited for this programme for the various pre-university courses with food and lodging given free especially whose parents are earning RM500 or less per month.

The programme is ranging from six months to one year.

If you look into the programme, it appears that the UiTM staff and lecturers are concentrating only in Malay kampongs such as Tabuan Melayu, Sg. Apong, Kpg. Gita, Kpg. Tupong, Pusa, Bako, Senari, Gobil, Muara Tebas, Demak Laut, Semerah Padi, Buso, Kpg. Gedong, Simunjan, Asajaya, Limbang, Santubong, Mukah, Niah, Bekenu, Sematan, Lundu and Bintulu to name some of the kampongs.

Nothing is mentioned about Dayak Iban longhouses in places like Julau, Pakan, Meluan, Kanowit, Kapit, Selangau, Bukit Begunan and other Dayak Iban areas. Certainly, there are thousands of Dayak Iban students who only obtained 4 credits in last year SPM examination. And I am sure there are hundreds of thousands of Dayak Iban parents who are hardcore poor who also need help.

And at the same time all the teachers/lecturers who conduct the interviews are all Malays. But why are Dayak Iban lecturers not involved?

What the UiTM campus at Kota Samarahan is doing is certainly opening the eyes of Ibans and Iban leaders (if they can really open their eyes due to their eyes covered with greed, financial considerations and fear.)

This is only one organisation that is practising “Ketuanan Melayu”, and there are many departments, ministries and government agencies we know and we do not know that are practising this “Apartheid” policy.

Another case of injustice is the recent exercise in which some 800 students were interviewed for Public Service Commission scholarships to take up medicine, pharmacy, engineering, and etc in overseas universities. In Kuching alone, there were 300 students. In one stream of 185 students, there were only 11 Dayaks – four Ibans, one Orang Ulu and six Bidayuhs.

As far as the Kuching interview was concerned, this is indeed a very poor representation of the Ibans.

But can we blame the authorities for all these inconsistencies, unfairness and injustices? Certainly no! The Iban leaders themselves – the YBs and the Ministers – are to be blamed because they do not stand up and speak up for the Iban community.

Allow me to digress a little bit. I really appreciate what Dayak Bidayuhs like Peter Minos dare to demand (not ask) from the government. When they ask for one deputy minister, the federal government gives them not one, but two including the forthcoming appointment of my friend Richard Riot. The other is James Dawos. They also demand from SUPP that the post of chairman of Padawan Municipal Council be given to a Bidayuh or else SUPP and BN will lose two Bidayuh seats of Bengoh and Opar. They hold the government at ransom.

On top of that the Bidayuh community asked for RM4 million to repair or to renovate the DBNA building, the government not only obliged, but also gave them more than what they asked for.

And as for our Iban leaders, they do not stand up or speak up. Some of our YBs are just like the Iban expression “baka ramaong di rumah raong di tanah” (literally it means they are just like leopards/tigers in the house and toads on land). While at their constituencies or longhouses, they talk big, wanting to be heard by their wives and supporters, but in Parliament or State legislative assembly, they are sleeping. They are only “jagoh kampong” (local champions).

But there are others who are “raong di rumah ramaong di tanah”. While in the house they pretend to be very quiet, because they are scared of their wives, but outside they really enjoy themselves drinking in the company of beautiful women and singers. Some YBs keep not one mistress, but two or three. And I am not jealous when I point out this. Far from it. But what I want to stress here is that being a public figure representing our community, they should speak up and fight for the interest of the people who voted for them. Instead they are doing the apple polishing and womanizing.

No wonder Dayak Ibans do not get any respect from other communities, nor do they get anything from the government given the type of leaders we do have now. – The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com