Joseph Tawie | June 15, 2011
Free Malaysia Today
A blogger has warned Dayaks that BN’s money politics will “devour the community” and eventually make them non-existent.
KUCHING: A well known native activist has slammed Dayak politicians in Sarawak, describing them as ‘shallow and selfish’ leaders who were willing to compromise the community’s culture and intergrity.
Blogger John Brian, who is also an academician, alleged that Dayak politicians were more interested in enriching themselves than looking out for the brethrens.
“Many Dayaks prefer to be BN candidates so that they not only can win easily, but can also enrich themselves faster.
“Helping the people who have elected them is not their agenda, as they are more concerned of enriching themselves.
“This type of politics is shallow and selfish. It has also spread to their supporters who are hoping to get some contracts from their elected representatives.
“Tuai Rumah (longhouse chiefs) and other community leaders are also hoping to get something from their YBs,” said Brian who contested and lost in the Merluan constituency in the April 16 state election. Brian stood on a PKR ticket.
Expressing these views on his DayakBaru blog, Brian said the Dayak community’s integrity had been severely comprised by money politics.
“Money politics has become the Dayaks’ culture. It will stifle the real purpose of politics – that of helping the community.
“There were many incidents of money politics during the recent election. Some Dayaks even sold their votes for RM20 and RM100.
“They are selling their rights, their souls and their children’s future,” Brian said.
Fearing BN
He said because of money politics, some headmen feared losing their positions as community leaders and followed what the BN candidates told them to do.
“One such ‘advice’ was for the headmen to disallow any opposition politician to enter their longhouses during the campaign.
“If they were found out, they would lose not only their positions and allowance of RM450, but also would not receive any minor rural development projects and financial grants.
“Disallowing any opposition politician from entering the longhouse is against the Iban culture in particular.
“This will not only undermine our adat, but also will create further disunity in the longhouse.
“For all you know the opposition politicians have many relatives in the longhouse, and I am sure they do not like their relative (politician) to be treated in such manner.
“Many longhouses are breaking up because of this politics which is encouraged by the Barisan Nasional,” alleged Brian.
He called on the younger generation of Dayaks who understand politics better than their elders to come forward and try to bring change in the mindset of the rural people.
“We must explain to them the meaning of politics and the value of their votes and to keep away from money politics,” he said.
He described BN’s money politics as an “evil that will devour the Dayak community into non-entity.”
“We must do it now since the parliamentary election is coming,” he said, adding that the coming election is very critical to the community
#1 by Jeffrey on Thursday, 16 June 2011 - 8:00 am
No point just blaming ‘selfish’ Dayak politicians. The problem applies universally to Chinese MCA or Indian MIC or Malay UMNOputra leaders (in politics) as well as other social, groupings. They call it (in social science) the Dilemma of the Commons: ie in the pursuit of self interest (ala Adam Smith’s style in ‘Wealth of Nations’ it does not necessarily lead to common good. A couple of individuals acting rationally to promote their individual (pecuniary) interest adversely damages position of the wider group they belong to ie individual rationality leads to collective irrationality.
#2 by Jeffrey on Thursday, 16 June 2011 - 8:01 am
This is a spin off from Garrett Hardin’s 1968 classic” “Tragedy of the Commons”, that illustrates why an identifiable community/social grouping anywhere tends to head for tragedy— In Garret’s example a pasture with a carrying capacity of 10 cows is open to (say) 5 herdsmen, with each herd man wanting to maximize his individual wealth and capacity by putting 3 cows to graze leading to (collectively) 15 cows grazing on a pasture meant for 10 only so that in the end the pasture is so depleted no individual herdman’s cows can ever graze in that pasture anymore!
#3 by Thor on Thursday, 16 June 2011 - 9:04 am
Blame who???
Devil re-incarnated mamak of course!
If not for him, our whole country would not be in a mess.
If this is China, many would have face the firing squad already and who dares to be corrupt then.
Just look at all those Amno related fellas who claimed themselves to be malays.
Indians, Arabs, Pakistanis, Indons and even one Chinese can be “malays”.
“Ada maruah ke” ???
Are they really malay?
Does the prophet teach them to murder, lie, rape, steal, corrupt and so on.
Where in the koran can you find such a thing???
Maybe that mammak devil should come up with one or at least, a fake one to “tipu” !
He can then be a “prophet” for those “Amno malay”, once he dies!
The rural malay folks could be “nyanyuk” but the the younger generation should be fully awake.
We, non malays have already “thrashed” the “good for nothing” Gerakan and MCA so what are you anak melayu waiting for?
Waiting to be duped over and over again.
For the sake of our children, save malaysia!
#4 by DAP man on Thursday, 16 June 2011 - 9:25 am
Blame the community as well. Why did they elect these selfish leaders again and again to enslave them?
The Chinese have rejected their selfish leaders and I hope the Dayaks and others will follow.
A community need not be served by its own kind.
Just pick a principled man/woman.
#5 by Comrade on Thursday, 16 June 2011 - 10:09 am
The Chinese have shown the way
By rejecting their selfish leaders of SUPP
Wake up, rural folks, do not delay
Save Malaysia by voting in PKR/PAS/DAP