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