| :. | Home |
| :. | Pesta Birumuh Concept |
| :. | Objectives |
| :. | Committee Members |
| :. | Location View |
| :. | Pesta Birumuh'09 Launching |
| :. | Contact Us |
| Downloads | |
| :. | Contests Forms |
| :. | Pesta Birumuh Flyers |
| About Bidayuh | |
| :. | Bidayuh Community |
| :. | Demography Maps/Charts |
| :. | Culturals |
| :. | Bidayuh Political Leaders |
| :. | "Pemimpin Bersama Masyarakat" |
| :. | Development In Bidayuh Area |
| :. | Awards/Recognition |
| Info Updates | |
| :. | Activities |
| :. | News Highlights |
| :. | Forum |
| :. | Photos Gallery |
| Associates Links | |
| :. | DBNA |
| :. | bidayuh.com |
| :. | BGA |
| ||||||
The Bidayuh community in briefIntroductionThe Bidayuh community is one of the 26 major ethnic groups in the state of Sarawak, and is found in the Kuching and Samarahan Divisions of the state. According to the Department of Statistics, the number of Bidayuh in Sarawak in 2008 is 197,100, or 8% of the population of Sarawak of 2,452,800.The Bidayuh are one of the original inhabitants of the Borneo Island, and a very large number now reside in Kalimantan provinces of Indonesia. The community comprises five major dialect groupings, namely, the Bukar-Sadong in Serian District, the Biatah in Kuching, the Jagoi in Bau, and the Selako and the Rara in Lundu. The five dialect groups share similar and common customs, traditions and cultural practices. There are often slight variations in the vocabulary, pronunciations, and intonations between the different dialects. The different dialect groups can quickly understand each other’s speech. There is good interaction and inter-mingling among all the dialect groups that the dialectical differences do not matter much. The unity and close interactions among the Bidayuh are helped by the fact that they are clustered close together in Kuching and Samarahan Divisions. This makes it easier for the Bidayuh to meet each other regularly in their normal course of work and activities. Economic activities The majority of the Bidayuh are small-scale farmers. Few Bidayuh have ventured successfully in large-scale commercial agriculture. Many of the Bidayuh with secondary or tertiary education are employed in the public services and the business sector. While the community is well represented in the agriculture, construction and service industries, mainly as employees or workers, very few have been successful or prominent in business. Like most of the other ethnic groups in Sarawak, the Bidayuh have benefited from the fast pace of development after independence in 1963. Nevertheless there are still many Bidayuh villages which are in need of good roads, electricity and piped water supply. In commercial agriculture, land development through government agencies such as Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA) has created positive impacts on the community, not just in opening up the land, but also in opening the mind of the people to the possibilities and potential of venturing into commercial agriculture on their own. Politics The Bidayuh are one of the most politically diverse communities in the State. They are found in all the political parties. The community now has three Members of Parliament and five State Legislative Assemblymen, all members of component parties of the ruling Barisan Nasional. Voluntary community-based associations Two major NGOs represent the Bidayuh community. The core organization is the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) which was established in September 1955. The DBNA, which is open to all adult Bidayuh, focuses on socio-cultural issues affecting the community. It has 22 branches throughout the State and one in Kuala Lumpur. To minimize politicking, the DBNA constitution bars politicians from holding any office in the Association. All the office bearers of DBNA now are civil servants, private sector employees, or business people. The DBNA is currently implementing three new major projects in addition to its usual socio-economic, educational and cultural activities. The first is the Bidayuh Language Development Project (BLDP) to research, codify, standardize, and document the Bidayuh language, covering the five dialects. The project has yielded a standardized spelling system, and is producing a unified dictionary and other reading materials for the all the dialects. The second is the Bidayuh Language playschools, now implemented in seven villages, to teach young Bidayuh children to read and write in their mother tongue. The third is the construction of a multi-purpose hall at the DBNA headquarters. The Bidayuh Graduates Association (BGA) is the second core NGO for the community. The BGA was established in 2004 to provide a platform for all Bidayuh graduates to pool their resources in order to “give back to the community” in skills, expertise, and financial contribution. The BGA is open to any Bidayuh with a diploma or degree. The association aims to be a “think-tank” for the community to identify and study current and future issues affecting the community. The BGA focuses on the promotion of education, especially higher education, in the community. There are many smaller NGOs in the community that represent the regional and dialectical groups, all working with the DBNA and the BGA to further the cause and progress of the community. |
Pesta Birumuh Backdrop Fullsize |
| 2009 Events Schedule |
|
|
Lot 964, Block 10, Jalan Ong Tiang Swee P.O. Box 614, 93712 Kuching, Sarawak
Tel: 082-410324, Fax: 082-256163