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Monday, March 31, 2008

NEP - Another Misfortune for Bidayuh II

Dayaks need the NEP, says Moggie
(News Strait Times, 30th March 2008)

KUCHING: The Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called for the continuation of the New Economic Policy to help the Dayaks effectively participate in business.

Newly-elected president Tan Sri Leo Moggie said the community needed more assistance than others to succeed as businessmen.

"There may be a debate in the peninsula on whether the NEP should continue. But as far as the Dayak community is concerned, they should be given opportunities," he said yesterday after chairing his first annual general meeting -- the chamber's sixth -- here.

The former federal Minister of Energy, Communications and Multimedia said this was the spirit of the new economic policy.

Moggie, who claimed to be a "reluctant president" of the chamber, said the Dayaks were still behind in commerce and business skills as they lacked knowledge in those fields.
"Their networking capacity is very limited. They have a very steep learning curve. They need all the help, support and encouragement they can get."

Moggie took over the presidency from Datuk Amar Leonard Linggi Jugah.

"I can see it's going to be a challenging time ahead (for me)," Moggie said.

"Though there are not many Dayaks in business, we are now seeing more younger ones venturing into it.

"With the level of education among these young Dayaks being better than it was 10 to 15 years ago, we believe they can succeed in their ventures if they are given opportunities."

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Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) was formed as to fulfill the requirement from Registrar of Association to fill the bumiputera-owned business registration quota. As like other commerce chambers, DCCI was made to take care of business interest of entrepreneurs according to their races. Malay Chamber of Commerce and Chinese Chamber of Commerce are also organizations that form business according to races.

Every time I listened to ‘Cotton Field’, a song sang by a classic rock group- CCR, it reminded me of the African slaves brought to America to work in the cotton fields there. Their slavery and struggles can be seen through the story ‘Amazing Grace’. My friends used to sing this song when I was working at the construction site. We spent time to sing and play guitar after a day of hard toil, while some of other friends played poker as we were waiting for the night to set itself.

NEP 's Promise for Bidayuh - Walk with laden.

Bidayuh can be found in almost every construction sites. As for the West Malaysia, these construction workers are foreign workers from Bangladesh and Indo-China. In Sarawak, these construction workers are those who have fed-up being a farmer. They find jobs in construction sites as an alternative to pay for their kids’ education. For me, working as a labor is an honor rather than asking for money from someone.

On weekends, I went to Satok Sunday Market to visit my sister who was selling rice and other jungle’s products. At the same time, I met with my co-villagers to exchange stories. These wonderful memories have always been my motivation that Bidayuh need economic attention from their fellow leaders. My sister brought together mosquito net to sleep along the footway with her other friends. The stinky smell from the drain and the chicken dung from the nearby fresh chicken shop were ignored for the sake of her children.

Bidayuh Multi-National Trading under NEP

There was one time at the Sarawak Transport Company bus station at Jalan Gamber, I saw a group of Bidayuh ladies were scattered, leaving their stuffs as they were pursued by the DBKU officers. Their tambuks were confiscated and loaded into the DBKU trucks. These ladies were from Kampung Git and Gunda. It was their fault for selling without permits but they are also poor and had families to be taken care of. I managed to ask an auntie who was selling spring onions about her husband. She told me that her husband is working at the construction site and she had 5 children who were still studying at SMK Penrissen.

It is sad to think of them (Bidayuh) who do not have the opportunity to get subsidy and help for the government under New Economic Policy (NEP). What more for me who worked under the hot sun, mixing cement to pay for my college fee? Where should I whine and complain? This is the New Economic Policy that was agreed and accepted by all Dayak’s leaders.

NEP was never on the Dayaks’ side, and they were overlooked even worst than the non-bumiputera community. DCCI is therefore, a place of cronyism and nepotism for the Dayaks. What are DCCI’s roles in advancing the Dayaks scrupulously in business arena? I agreed with Leo Moggie’s statement when he said that business opportunities and contracts should be given fairly. I do not envy Dato Leonard Linggi and his friends’ wealth at DCCI but business opportunities should be given to small contractors.

Bidayuh leaders should also bargain for more scholarship for hardcore poor students. They are in SMK Padawan, SMK Penissen, SMK Lake, SMK Paku, SMK Tebekang, SMK Serian, SMK Taee, SMK Siburan, SMK Tun Abdul Razak, SMK Semtan and so forth. Their social problems are closely influenced by the economic depression and should be given serious attention. Students in the rural are different from the students in urban area where their parents have fixed income and their social problems ware caused by too much money and entertainment.

Funds to help hardcore poor families should be given to the rural people who work as farmer and are confirmed qualified. This is one of the NEP’s objectives to help the indigenous community. Bidayuh can be categorized as one of the poorest community compared to others. It is their leaders’ responsibility to help the community instead of being tied up with their own business.

NEP is indeed not profiting the Dayak as a whole, but even become a struggle for them because they are not given the same opportunity as other indigenous group. With these evidences, DCCI should reject NEP because it is only relevant for the DCCI and not Dayak as a whole. Equity should be prevailed and cronyism and corruption among the Bidayuh leaders must be condemned for the sake of the Bidayuh’s future.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

By kasumdot:,

Yes the NEP must continue for the dayak leaders (only) to carry on using it to lobby for contracts and APs i.e. claiming their rights for the dayak quota. Let them continue to fool the poor uneducated folks!

Since when does the NEP help the poor village folks who trade their goods (jungle produce) on five foot ways and at Sunday Market? How and when? Will the chamber now help them?

(I accidentally delete your comment. Very sorry for that)

Anonymous said...

NEP just another tool of crooks, a form of a very organized crime.

It's all about how the politicians(whether the Malays, Bidayuhs alike) to make away with the loots: govt contracts, Treasury Dept. tenders, permits, direct negotiation contracts etc. Each of Bidayuh YBs got their own construction/ trading companies to share the loots. It's all about the money first.

NEP to help the rakyat? Sounds like a piss.

Marburyn said...

I agree with you tbsbidayuh, I am an Iban, but I have many Bidayuh friends who struggle each day to make ends meet, I feel for all of them. I also feel that the NEP has done NOTHING for us Dayaks, as it only feeds the rich, not for us Sarawak bumis.

Good job on the post. A bit of grammar mistake, but overall very thoughtful. I am promoting your blog to my colleagues. May we all spread the power of the Net to our generation and screw Taib and gang!!

Unknown said...

I agree with you tbsbidayuh, I am an Iban, but I have many Bidayuh friends who struggle each day to make ends meet, I feel for all of them. I also feel that the NEP has done NOTHING for us Dayaks, as it only feeds the rich, not for us Sarawak bumis.

Good job on the post. A bit of grammar mistake, but overall very thoughtful. I am promoting your blog to my colleagues. May we all spread the power of the Net to our generation and screw Taib and gang!!
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Thank you marburyn, indeed there is nothing the Dayak can enjoy under NEP. The fact is that NEP is only an advantage to our politician either malay or non-malay.If you have time to visit DCCI website, then you will see the NEP beneficiaries. From YB to class "O" contractors. "O" means those poor contractor who are waiting for spill over rice from the YB's pets cage.

On the grammar mistake, well this is my true self. Product of local university under bumi's quota. I deserve the worst education system under UMNO baru. My wife always help me to edit. Thank to her.

Anonymous said...

dear tbsbidayuh

don't be too concerned about the grammar, we are all learning. we help each other and we learn from each other too. good editing on the part of your other half.

besides, we did not come to read your site to learn english but rather to be informed by you and as well as being entertained by your sometimes humourous (albeit in a cheeky way) writeup. it is the content that matters. keep it up, maybe one day you will decide to write a book, who knows eh!

btw i hope it is not too late to wish you a Belated Happy and Blessed Easter.

Unknown said...

dear tbsbidayuh

don't be too concerned about the grammar, we are all learning. we help each other and we learn from each other too. good editing on the part of your other half.

besides, we did not come to read your site to learn english but rather to be informed by you and as well as being entertained by your sometimes humourous (albeit in a cheeky way) writeup. it is the content that matters. keep it up, maybe one day you will decide to write a book, who knows eh!

btw i hope it is not too late to wish you a Belated Happy and Blessed Easter.
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Hi kasumdot,

Happy Easter to you too. Quite busy with many thing today and sorry for the late reply.

Pink Rabbit said...

I am an Iban lady and I've always admire the guts of all ethnic bumis.We all have our role to play and to play fair and square!Try to unite together and help those who really are in need of help. And I think since we have vote for those politicians and it's their turn to help out your own 'kampung' folks rather than just goes around opening ceremonies and gives empty promises!No wonder at times we are still backward & conservative.