Year 2001

By Nathan Achuk

BAU - Adventure-seekers and raft enthusiasts are invited to participate in the Bau International Raft Safari challenge on 2 December 2001.

The safari aims to train more local rafters and expose them to competitive rafting in preparation for bigger events like the White Water Rapid in Baram, Miri Division.

According to organising chairman Christopher Sipen, the safari is divided into five categories namely men closed, inter-government department, international open, ladies open and singles open.

The various categories, covering varying distances, will be flagged off at different points the international open category involving the longest journey (28 km) starting at Kampung Tringgus.

The other categories will start from Babel Bridge or Krokong to cover distances of 22 km and 15 km respectively. The finishing point for all categories is Wind Cave.

To date, there are 13 participants for the men closed, 10 for the international open and five for the singles. In the international open category will be four international participants with two from Australia and Germany and two from the United Kingdom. Sipen disclosed that more were expected to register.

The fee for the group event is RM30, and for singles, RM15. A group event must be participated by three to five members. An additional RM30 is charged per raft as a deposit, which is refundable.

A sum of RM800 will be awarded to the champion of the international open category, RM700 for the winner of the men closed, RM700 for the inter-department, RM400 for the ladies open and RM400 for singles. All champions will receive a trophy. Cash prizes will be awarded to the second-placed winner right up to the tenth position, except for the singles open category where prizes will be awarded up to the sixth position only.

Participants must be above 18 years old of age. Every competitor is insured under a group insurance policy and provided with life jackets on the day of competition.

The safari's organisers include various government departments with the Agriculture and Bau District Council as coordinator and Bau District Officer as advisor.

Planning and Urban Development minister Dato Dr James Jemut Masing is expected to attend the prize-giving ceremony. The dateline for registration before 2.30 pm on 30 November. Details on the safari can be obtained from Christopher Sipen at tel: 082-763115 or Anthony Abad at 082-763129. ---

By Peter Sibon

KUCHING - The Bidayuh language will be taught in schools once it is fully developed, the Bidayuh Language Development (BLD) advisor Encik Peter Nansian Nguse said yesterday.

According to him the BLD has the expertise of three linguists from the United States and Singapore who volunteered their services for the development of the project.

"The main objective of the BLD is to gather enough materials for the Bidayuh language so that it could be taught in schools in the near future," said Nansian.

He added that Research and Development Movement of Singai (REDEEMS) had initiated the project some three years ago and it has managed to obtain some financial assistance from the State government through Yayasan Sarawak.

"But we also hope that the Bidayuh community would help out in this project as this is a community-based project. In order to promote the project we would officially launch it by early next year so that we could raise enough fund and at the same time we hope to get more volunteers to help out," added Nansian, who is also the Tasik Biru State Assemblyman.

The chief co-coordinator of BLD, Encik Jonas Noeb of the Majlis Adat Istiadat Sarawak disclosed that among the shortcomings of the projects were the lack of resources especially in terms of Bidayuh printed literatures and lack of Bidayuh linguists in the four main Bidayuh dialects that is the Serian, Biatah, Bau and Lundu (dialects).

"But we are very optimistic that the project would be successful as we know that the Bidayuh community as a whole is very supportive of the project," Jonas said.

"So even though we may lack the expertise in the field of language, we could still count on our volunteers from retired government servants especially teachers who have a holistic education backgrounds."

The co-ordinator for Bau and Lundu Temenggong Datu Stephen Jussem told the Tribune that the project was very important, to the Bidayuh community.

"I am very certain that our community as a whole will support the idea. This is the best chance for us to be united and standardise our language. So I urge all the four major communities to cooperate and work together to make the project a success so that our community will benefit from it," Jussem added.

Meanwhile, one of the three linguists attached to BLD, Dr. Calvin Rensch disclosed that the project had many stages.

"Among the essential stages would be the compilation of word lists, writing or spelling system, writings or literatures on all the Bidayuh dialects and finally to get the different dialects to come up with a dictionary to facilitate the development of the language," said Rensch, adding that he and his wife were involved in the project since the initial stage together with a Singaporean linguist Dr. Grace Tan. He disclosed that he would be leaving next month but there would be others who would come over from the US to assist in the project.

"My coming over here is sponsored by the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) which is based in Dallas, Texas, USA. But there would be others who would come over to assist in the project," added Rensch who had 47 years of experience in the field of linguistics to preserve and undertake language development projects especially ethnic languages which were bypassed by major languages in other parts of the world.

He hoped that the Bidayuh community would respond to the project pro-actively so that the Bidayuh language could be developed further.

Those interested to know more about the project can contact Encik Jonas Noeb at Majlis Adat Istiadat, Jabatan Ketua Menteri, Tingkat 4, Wisma Satok, Kuching. Tel. 234719 ex. 114.

By Toman Mamora

* First Bidayuh made minister in 30 years
* 3 new Assistant Ministers appointed

KUCHING - Datuk William Mawan has been appointed as Minister of Environment and Public Health and Datuk Michael Manyin as Minister of Housing in a minor cabinet reshuffle which also saw the appointment of three new Assistant Ministers.

The cabinet reshuffle, which came almost a fortnight after the State election, was announced by Chief Minister Datuk Pa-tinggi Tan Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud at a press conference held after the cabinet meeting yesterday.

The appointments, which involve two State Assemblymen from PBB, two from SNAP and one from SUPP, will take effect from Dec 1.

On the appointment of Manyin, a vice-president of PBB, Taib said: " This is the first time since 1970s that a Bidayuh has been made a full minister."

The appointment of Mawan, the most senior of SNAP leaders in the post-election cabinet, was widely expected following the decision of his party president Datuk Amar James Wong not to seek re-election in the just-concluded State polls.

Heading the list of the new Assistant Ministers is Datuk Ambrose Blikau Enturan who has been appointed as Assistant Minister of Resource Planning and Management. He also holds the portfolio of Assistant Minister of Finance and Public Utilities.

In the recent State election, Blikau won uncontested in Katibas for his fifth term.

Deputy Speaker and State Assemblyman for Ba' Kelalan Dr Judson Sakai Tagal will assume the post of Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication, taking over from Mawan who has been promoted to a full minister.

Dr Judson, a vice-president of SNAP, created history by being the first State Assemblyman from the Orang Ulu community to have risen to the level of Assistant Minister under Taib-led Government.

"I am happy to see there is now an opportunity for the Orang Ulu to be represented in the cabinet," said Taib.

To a question, the Chief Minister said Dr Judson would still function as a Deputy Speaker during the forthcoming State Legisla-tive Assembly sitting to be held from Oct 30 to Nov 13.

When asked if a Deputy Speaker would be appointed soon to fill the vacancy left by Dr Judson, Taib said: "The appointment will be considered later."

However, speculations are rife in the media circle that the appointment of the new Deputy Speaker would most likely be announced soon after the adjournment of the State Legislative As-sembly sitting in November.

Two-term Assembly-man for Simanggang Francis Harden Hollis has been appointed as Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Food Industries, taking over from Datuk Ram-say Noel Jitam who did not seek re-election in the September polls.

Son of former Assistant Minister of Welfare Hollis Tini, Francis made his election debut in 1996 and is currently a supreme council member of SUPP.

Taib described the cabinet, following the minor reshuffle, as balanced and reflective of the Barisan Nasional spirit.

"It reflects the kind of solidarity built over the years. All of these people (appointees) have served more than two terms, and I don't normally appoint those serving their first term," he added.

On the factors considered in ensuring balance in the cabinet composition, he said: "Racial distribution, geographical spread and party participation were given priority."

Taib did not rule out the possibility of another cabinet reshuffle and added it could be made some time in the mid-term.

He also confirmed that the portfolios of the other ministers and assistant ministers would remain unchanged.

Later, to a sideline suggestion by good-humoured Tan Sri Datuk Dr George Chan for a member of the press to be given an appointment in the cabinet, Taib responded in an equally light-hearted vein: "Why not, we can make him Minister of Information."

By Harun Jau

KUCHING - Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud yesterday commended the Bidayuhs for being a cohesive community and attributed their progress to their humility and open-mindedness.

"I am more optimistic about the Bidayuhs compared to some other Bumiputera groups in the country who still have to struggle among themselves over positions rather than see how they can serve their community," he said.

Taib added: "What struck me most about the Bidayuh community is their humility which enables them to have an open mind on many issues that affect their lives and they are also prepared to adjust to the needs of the time and take up courses that will improve their lot."

The Chief Minister was speaking at the official launching of a book on the Bidayuh community entitled "The Future of the Dayak Bidayuhs In Malaysia," written by Peter Minos, a Bidayuh from Kampung Stenggang in Bau.

The 207-page book provides a comprehensive coverage of the history, politics, land use, education, fate and future of the Bidayuh community from the perspective of the author.

Taib cited their readiness to participate in NCR land development programmes introduced by the government as an example of the Bidayuh community's open-mindedness and adaptability to change.

He said they were aware that the development of idle land into commercial estates would improve their living standard.

"Shifting cultivation among the Bumiputeras had left much of their land idle. I wanted to help them and I thought the best way to do so was to develop their idle land," the Chief Minister said.

Taib added that when he could not get enough support from the other Dayak communities in the early years, he decided to start the NCR land development schemes among the Bidayuhs in the Bau and Lundu areas.

He recalled that the Bidayuh leaders were also prepared to sink their differences and explain to their community the benefits of the NCR land development programmes.

"That's why there are many modern land development schemes in Bidayuh areas today," he pointed out.

Taib said he was optimistic of the Bidayuhs' success in education be-cause their dropout rate was the lowest among the Bumiputeras.

He commended the Bidayuhs leaders for stressing the importance of education to their people and added that the community was luckier in terms of education than some other native races in the State for the simple reason that they lived in areas which were nearer to good educational facilities.

The Chief Minister also commended Minos for writing the book. Minos, he said, was qualified to write the book as he knew his community well.

Earlier on in his speech, Minos said he had three reasons for writing the book. Firstly, he wanted to express his sincere and honest feelings about his own community and hoped that his ideas could be useful to them. Secondly, he wanted to spend a little time thinking and pondering about the future of his community.

He said his third reason for writing the book was to encourage other Bidayuhs to write and share their ideas on how to improve the socio-economic status of the community in the future.

By Standley Dikod and Harun Jau

KUCHING - Penrissen Inn, the latest budget hotel located in the city, opened its door to customers yesterday with its soft opening which was attended by members of the mass media from both electronic and printed media.

The newly-renovated Penrissen Inn, formerly known as Santubong Inn and Hornbill Inn is strategically located within the expanding and commercially active Satok-Rubber-Nanas Road area, where there are shops, malls, banks, offices, eating places, tailors, barbers and all facilities required by tourists and businessmen. It is also very accessible and has ample and easy parking areas.

According to the executive director of the hotel, Encik Peter Minos, the hotel has a total of 42 fully air-conditioned rooms (with 6 singles and 36 doubles), a conference room with maximum sitting capacity of 70 people (60 people in theatre style and 70 people in class style), meeting room with maximum of 15 people, beer-garden and a coffeehouse.

"We are trying to put the best as we could in term of providing the basic room facilities like coloured televisions, telephones and other things," said Minos.

The hotel also boasts of having a reception area which welcomes all its guests, clients and visitors alike with a Raphael Scott Ahbeng's painting, in addition to its strong team of warm, friendly and helpful staff.

"The management intends to expand the rooms up to 100 in the future if we get the whole block," said Minos.

Apart from the unique coffeehouse, which has been partly adopted from budget hotels in Bali, Pattaya, Singapore and Penang, it also has a beer-garden that has been created like a Dayak longhouse's 'ruai'.

There are also all kinds of foods and drinks, with the specialties such as genuine kampung or Dayak chicken soup and traditional 'pansuh' (bamboo cooking), 'nasi lemak', best steak and best laksa.

With the motto of 'Affordable, Friendly and Warm, the Best Budget Hotel in Town', Penrissen Inn aims to be the best budget hotel in Kuching City in all aspects.

"We are giving a very affordable and competitive rates and prices as a single room is RM60 per night, double superior room is RM70 per night and double deluxe room is RM80 per night," Minos said comparing the rates and prices with other budget hotel around the city which are RM60 to RM90 per night.

The hotel will be officially opened by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Land and Rural Development, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Alfred Jabu, on 22 November.

The word 'Penrissen' comes from the famous Bidayuh region called the Penrissen area, located within the Kuching District. Associated with the Penrissen area are the Borneo Highland Resort (located at Mt Penrissen), the old Penrissen Road (now called Borneo Height Road) built by Rajah Charles Brooke in the 1880's, the Army Camp Complex and the Penris-sen Police Training Centre.

The hotel's logo is the 'Baruk', the famous Bidayuh traditional roundhouse, used in the past for meetings, gatherings and social ceremonies.

Penrissen Inn is owned by the Penrissen Inn Sdn Bhd Group.

For more information on bookings and inquiries about Penrissen Inn one can contact the hotel at telephone number 082-238400 or fax at 082-235200 or e-mail at mailto:penrisseninnn@pd.jaring.my

BUKIT PENINJAU, MIRI, Sun. - The Bidayuh community here is urged to be more progressive to in all measures to upgrade their race in line with other developing races at present.

Even when they are far away from home, the Bidayuhs should cooperate and maintain unity with one another.

They should also keep their culture alive and preserve them for their future generations.

The chairman of Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA), Miri Branch, George Sikien ak Sunow said these in his speech at the "Pelopas Gawea" or Gawai closing ceremony, held at Bidayuh settlement at Bukit Peninjau, here, this morning.

The ceremony themed "Towards a Progressive, Dynamic, Educated and Caring Bidayuh" was attended by more than 200 people including Bidayuhs from around Miri.

George added that as a minority race in Malaysia, they should preserve the Bidayuh culture, so that future generation will know their roots.

"We must not leave our children blank and not knowing anything about their own culture and tradition," he said.

George said besides maintaining the Bidayuh identity, the Bidayuhs should also place importance on education and uplifting their standards of living, keeping in line with the development process.

To achieve greater success, George told the Bidayuhs not to be jealous of the achievements of others, instead these should serve as a motivation factor to spur their own progress.

Bidayuh parents were also advised to ensure their children obtain all the education they needed, as education is the key to success. Guidance and support from parents also served as a main factor in determining the academic success of their children.

To encourage and motivate children of Bidayuh origin, George told that the DBNA is offering attractive incentives for those who achieved good academic results.

During the "Pelopas Gawea" celebration, guests were entertained with various Bidayuh traditional performances such as the "langgi" dance of the Bidayuh Bau version, and gong music beating of the Serian and Biatah groups.

Also witnessed were the "sadis" and "bawal" ceremony which are similar to the Iban's "miring" and "nyarau ranyai" performed during a Gawai celebration.

Head of the Bidayuh community in the area, Ribid Ratap who also spoke during the ceremony said, the previous celebration was held on a small scale in 1999 but this time round is the grandest since the settlement began in 1972.

The Bidayuh residents of Bukit Peninjau Estate were originally from Bau, Serian, Padawan and Lundu.

Members of public who wish to know more about the Bidayuh's tradition and background can visit their web page at www.bidayuh.com. The webpage was launched on last October by the president of Sarawak DBNA.

Also present at today ceremony were the Surea Estate manager Pengiran Empading, Bukit Peninjau Bidayuh chairman Ribid Ratap, and DBNA Advisor II Peter Frank Siburat. - BP

By P Sibon

LUNDU - The natural beauty of Lundu and its vicinity gives it vast eco-tourism potential, said Assistant Minister of Agri-culture and Food Industries Datuk Ramsay Noel Jitam.

This vast district stretches from Tanjung Datu in the north to Kampong Kendaiee (a border village that still has strong Lara cultural heritage) in the south.

Ramsay added that Lundu was famous for its beautiful unspoiled beaches, national parks and lush tropical rainforests. "Pandan and Sia beaches in Lundu and Sematan beach are among the most beautiful in the country, comparable to those of Hawaii. As such, efforts should be made by all sectors to up-grade and attract as many tourists to this district as possible," he said after handing over rural development grants to 48 organisations at the Civic Centre here on Wednesday.

Gunung Gading National Park, he said, was home to numerous rare plants including the big-gest and one of the most exotic flowers known to mankind, the 'Rafflellia tuanmudae' (bunga pak-ma), a rare species of flower that can grow up to nearly a metre in width when in full bloom.

Other national parks found in the district are the Simunsam wildlife sanctuary and the Talang-Talang turtles' breeding and nesting sanctuary. Talang-Talang Island is also famous for its coral reefs and exotic marine habitats.

"The trend among foreign tourists nowadays is to make a home-stay visit of the various ethnic communities in the State, so they could stay with their hosts for a few days to ex-perience the real life in longhouses and villages. Lundu has been found suitable for this type of tou-rism," noted Ramsay.

Meanwhile, he advised farmers in Lundu, especially those with pepper gardens, to maintain them as the government would endeavour to provide various forms of assistance.

He also said a suitable site was being considered for the construction of a market where they could sell their farm and jungle produce.

By P Sibon

BAU - The Bidayuh community has to be united to enable it to catch up with other communities in the State, said Assistant Minister of Finance and Public Utilities, Encik Michael Manyin Jawong.

He said the Bidayuhs made up only 8 percent of the State's population out of which 80 percent were in the rural areas. Hence, he noted, they could not afford to be disunited in facing the challenges brought about by modernisation, globalisation and the era of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT).

Manyin was speaking at the Bidayuh Forum cum official opening of the RM4.38 million Water Sup-ply Project at Kampong Stenggang, some 10 km from here on Sunday.

The Assistant Minister noted that this was the first time all Bidayuh political leaders were gathered to discuss ways to uplift the standard of living of Bidayuhs in the State, and that he was grateful for this opportunity.

He stressed: "No doubt we are divided politically but through the spirit of unity and cooperation in the BN, all state assemblymen and members of parliament from our community are able to work as a team."

He pointed out that one of the weaknesses of the Biyayuh community was the involvement of members in all political parties in the State, be it in the government or in the opposition camps. This made the community even weaker and this had been identified as one of the reasons why the community was lagging behind other communities in the state and country, he added.

"If there is unity and even though we are from the various BN component parties we can become strong and this will definitely al-low us to voice our needs to the government," assured Manyin.

He disclosed that the Bidayuh community was lagging far behind the other communities in terms of basic amenities like electricity, roads, telephone service and treated water supply.

According to him, this year the federal government had approved total grant of RM117 million for rural development projects in the State - RM40 million for water supply, RM52 million for electricity and RM25 million for road.

Among those present at the function were National Unity and Social Development Deputy Minister, Dr Tiki Lafe, Tasik Biru Assemblyman, Encik Peter Nansian, Kedup assemblyman, Encik Frederick Bayoi, Tarat Assemblyman, Encik Roland Sagah, Bengoh Assemblyman Encik William Tanyuh, Mam-bong Member of Parlia-ment, Dr James Dawos, Member of Parliament for Serian, Encik Richard Riot and Temenggong Datuk Michael Ben.

Bidayuhs urged to discard narrow ethnic struggle for greater progress

By Fraser Barui and P Sibon

KUCHING - Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud yesterday called on the Bidayuh community to do away with narrow ethnic struggle that could hinder efforts to achieve greater development and integration.

He stressed that the State's efforts to develop further depended on co-operation and unity among the various communities and their ability to understand the government's development policy.

Opening a two-day Bidayuh Millennium Forum here yesterday Taib pointed out: "A community cannot go it alone but has to interact and co-operate with other communities to attain greater socio-economic development."

Taib warned that narrow ethnic struggle - though a good start to focus the people's attention on what affect their fate most in the future - if pushed too far, could pose a threat rather than become a wall to defend the people against outside challenges. "Unity in diversity is the essence of development for a minority group like the Bidayuh to develop in whatever fields they undertake," he said.

Commending the role played by the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) as well as the political leaders in providing direction to the community, Taib noted that the Bidayuh were no longer looked upon as a threat and a community that preferred isolation and thought only about themselves.

The community, he said, had shown it could co-operate with the other races through their involvement and commitment in the Barisan Nasional.

The ability of the community to work with other communities had provided many for the Bidayuhs to advance in education and socio-economic activities, among others, he said.

The Chief Minister noted that the breakthrough of the community came in the 80s and 90s when it showed signs of the potentials of what the it could achieve, having been able to remain united regardless of the different political parties they belonged to.

"Let not the Bidayuhs fall into the "political trap" of the 80s and the 90s when the community was divided by political agendas of the different parties they were in-volved in," he said.

Taib urged the Bidayuh leaders and the community as whole to consolidate their knowledge from the other more advanced communities and the Bidayuh intellectuals.

He also urged the community be positive in their outlook especially in the development of the NCR land into modern commercial farming and economic activities in a more professional manner.

He acknowledged the diversified roles the Bidayuhs had played in the socio-economic development in the State, particularly in Kuching and Samarahan Districts.

He was confident the Bidayuhs could continue contributing to the development in the State.

Meanwhile, Taib urged the Bidayuhs to prepare themselves for a modern economy through smart partnership with the other races and acquisition of knowledge in information communications technology (ICT).

"The new challenge of globalisation and greater mobilisation cannot be ignored. The holistic approach is not one which is emotional but should be seen through the light of professionalism and the mastery of the ICT," he said.

The Chief Minister added that the community could further develop through its ability to see the bigger picture of the government's concept of land development, knowledge-economy and the creation of a knowledge-society.

"We have to upgrade ourselves all the time and we have to grow with our market as the situation of the market is always changing and getting more competitive in the globalised world. We have to get our people to be committed to life-long ventures," he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Alfred Jabu, Assistant Minister of National Unity and Community Development Dr Tiki Lafe, Bidayuh political leaders including Member of Parliament for Mambong Dr James Dawos Mamit, community leaders, professionals, intellectuals and entrepreneurs were among those present.

KUCHING - The aim of the Bidayuh Millennium Forum is to provide an avenue for the community to review their past educational performances and socio-economic status as well as propose new directions and strategies for them to meet the challenges of the new millennium.

Dr James Dawos Mamit said this in his opening address at the two-day Forum launched by the Chief Minister yesterday. Dr Dawos who is Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) president and the organising chairman, said among other things, the Forum was designed to chart a course for the Bidayuh community to make further headway in education, socio-economic development, ICT and the globalisation issue.

"To amass economic power, the essential ingredient is quality education that equips every Bidayuh to play by society's rule. Education builds intellectual capital," Dr Dawos said.

"While we pursue our goals for economic betterment, we must not allow our community's wisdom of tradition to dwindle. It has to re-learn and rejuvenate because it contains a value system, vis-a-vis trust, that enables us to respect one another's actions and enhance our performances. Unity in diversity is vital for our success and future," he added.

Dr Dawos hoped that through the Forum, the community would be able to discuss its weaknesses and traits that impede their political and economic progress.

He also expressed his sincere thanks to the two advisors of the Forum, Deputy Minister of National Unity and Social Development Dr Tiki Lafe and Assistant Mi ister of Finance and Public Utilities Encik Michael Manyin Jawong. Four working papers were presented at the Forum.

KUCHING - Bidayuh students have to refocus their efforts, interest and performance in science, mathematics and technical subjects in order to participate and benefit from an industrialised Malaysian economy.

Assistant Minister of Finance and Public Utilities, Encik Michael Manyin, said this in his paper 'Steps and Strategies Towards A Highly Educated Bidayuh People' presented at the Bidayuh Millennium Forum yesterday.

Manyin said Bidayuhs have to find out the root causes of low enrollment and poor performance in pure science subjects and mathematics at school and tertiary level.

"Once the root causes have been identified, they have to be tackled in a concerted and systematic manner by all concerned be it the government, schools, teachers, parents or students."

He pointed out that the small number of Bidayuh students in science stream at school level and eventually university level meant that Bidayuh participation in an increasingly high-tech world would be limited or they would be marginalised. Manyin stressed the urgent need to retrain and redirect students into an area that interested them and was within their capacity to be productive. Compounding the problem, he said, was a large percentage of Bidayuh youths without SPM credentials. "These youths do not even have the basic level of education essential in today's economy. Thus, they are ill-prepared to compete for skilled or technical jobs in an industrialised economy," he observed.

The Bidayuh community needs to maintain the quality and proportion of its population, suggested Deputy Minister of National Unity and Community Development, Dr Tiki Lafe, in his paper presented at the Bidayuh Millennium Forum yesterday.

He pointed out that this could only be done through education and the acquisition of correct attitudes and skills for survival in the future. "We have to ensure that our people of all ages are healthy and well adjusted. We have to reduce our dependency ratio and increase our working lifespan. We need to plan how to take care of the elderly and underprivileged in our society," Dr Tiki said in his paper entitled 'Bidayuh Social and Cultural Issues In the Development of the Bidayuh Socio-Economic Charter.' He pointed out that most Bidayuhs still lived in rural communities characterised by underemployment, folk society, isolation, subsistence economy and rural neglect. Those who migrated to urban areas encountered anonymity, social distance, regimentation, crowding, and urban personality.

"What we need to do is to enhance the urbanisation of rural life through rural-urban convergence characterised by towns, rural non-farmers, and fading rural-urban distinction," he said.

"Even if Bidayuhs choose to stay in rural areas, they can still follow the example of the Amish in the United States of America who choose to stay in the rural areas and maintain their traditional lifestyles while having a good quality of life," he said.

According to him, the Bidayuh community needed to have some form of social planning to guide them through social changes as reflected in changes in the social structure and social relationships in society.

Dr Tiki said they also had to monitor their cultural changes like addition of words to the Bidayuh language, changing concepts of what is proper and morally right, and new forms of music, art or dance. "We have to ensure that our social and cultural changes proceed in a desirable direction."

He said those agents to guide the community through these changes would have to make sure that the people accepted those cultural changes.

"Whether a certain change or innovation should be adopted depends on our people's specific attitudes and values, demonstrability of innovation, compatibility with existing culture, cost of changes, technical difficulties of changes and vested interest."

According to Dr Tiki, social and cultural development should ideally be planned as the collective effort of all Bidayuhs, so they can create the type of society and environment to live in.

He said Bidayuhs would experience human development through social, economic and political developments.

Promoting the entrepreneurial spirit and getting a business-minded community to undertake modern business venture is not easy but often frustrating for the individual and policymakers.

This was stated by a Member of Parliament, Dr James Dawos Mamit, in his paper 'The Bidayuh Economic Status: Past Performance and Strategies For the Future' presented at the two-day Bidayuh Millennium Forum yesterday.

According to him, there aresome aspects of local culture that continue to negate efforts for active participation in the economy, among them low confidence, deep-rooted negativsm, aversion to risk, low need for achievement and easily blinded by success. "Equally destructive are poor business management, planning and inability to expand their businesses.

"Coupled with these, Bida-yuh participation in business and the modern economy is hampered by limited business opportunity, highly dependent on public spending and projects, poor networking, competition from other Bumiputera as well as among the Bidayuh entrepreneurs themselves," he added.

Gauged from statistics, overall Bidayuh participation in business was far from satisfactory, he noted. "While other Bumis have demonstrated an improved level of participation, Bidayuhs are not showing any progress. In fact, some Bidayuh small businesses stagnated and a few have stopped operation."

Hence, he said, efforts should be made to promote and develop Bidayuh womenfolk in business starting from micro-entrepreneurs at sidewalks of street and village stalls.

He stressed the govt should continue to enhance and if need be, accelerate affirmative action to ensure that the existing Bidayuh firms and prospective entrepreneurs from members of the community continued to stay and prosper in their businesses until they were able to compete in a level playing field.

He suggested the Third Outline Perspective Plan 2001-2010 should include addressing pockets of poverty in remote areas and among the Orang Asli and Bumiputera minorities in Sabah and Sarawak, and increasing the income and quality of life of those in the lowest 30 percent income category.

By P. Sibon

SEMATAN - The supply of treated water in Sematan sub-district will be increased to double its present capacity once the new pump starts operating in March this year, Agriculture and Food Industries assistant minister Datuk Ramsay Jitam said yesterday.

The plant at km 22 Lundu/Sematan Road can treat about 6,000 gallons per hour of water from the Sebat River. The people of Sematan consume about 50,000 gallons of treated water daily.

"Let it be known that the state government assures the people especially in this area that it is serious in tackling the issue at root. In a month's time, water should not be an issue to complain about," assured Ramsay who is also state assemblyman for N.1, Tanjung Datu.

He also said that the state government planned to supply water to Sematan from the Bau Water Treatment Plant which will be completed under the 8th Malaysia Plan.

The briefing was given by Aaron Gorino, engineer in charge of the waterworks section, First Division.

Meanwhile with an increasing number of consumers and industries in the area at 5-10 percent per annum, it is hoped that the up-grading of the water plant would cater to their increasing water needs.

Sematan is famous for its beautiful beaches that attract visitors including fo-reign tourists on weekends and public holidays.

The sub-district is also famous for its silk-farming, wood processing and oil palm industries.

How fast these industries grow will much depend on the basic amenities available especially water.

By Elizabeth Serai

KUCHING - Malaysians have generally prospered on the wealth of rivers and other natural resources within river basins, so it is imperative to develop a national policy on rivers and their management.

Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) chairman Dr James Dawos Mamit said this when presenting a working paper entitled 'River Management: Integrated Management of Natural Resources' jointly with SRB assistant controller William Jinep at a seminar on 'Plenary Lecture at Environment and Safety Awareness' at the Science and Technology Convention in Ipoh, Perak recently.

"There must be sustainability plans for all river basins to reflect the focus on integrated catchment management of natural resources within the entire area," noted Dawos. "The plans are to promote and coordinate effective planning and management for the equitable, efficient and sustainable use of water, land and other natural resources."

Malaysia has introduced legislations, laws and regulations that aim to reduce damage to river systems caused by human activities. Under the Federal constitution, the management of rivers comes under the jurisdiction of states.

"To date, only Sarawak has enacted a legislation for the conservation and management of river systems, cited as the Sarawak Rivers Ordinance 1993," said Da-wos, who is also the director of Sarawak Waste Management Sdn Bhd.

Nonetheless, the existing legislations and regulations treat water narrowly, and undervalue the immense diversity of goods and services supplied by aquatic ecosystems. "In Sarawak, even the Water Ordinance 1994 fails to underscore the value of water in the context of society's interests in water," he said.

"Hence, improvement in the existing laws and enactment of new ones are urgently needed if we are to restore and maintain the physical, chemical and biological integrity of rivers." "Similarly, Malaysia must formulate the national river policy so the management of rivers could be kept in focus," Dawos stressed.

Management strategies should also be developed that focus on human dimension, monitoring and evaluation, natural resources management, integrated catchment management, wetland management, salinity and drainage, irrigated regions management, upland regions management, water quality management, fish management and riverine environmental management.

Dawos noted that all plans should involve enhancing individual and community well-being by following a path of economic development that safeguarded the welfare of future generations. The plans should also provide equity within and between generations, protect biological diversity and maintain essential ecological processes and life-support systems. Since the management of rivers entails an integrated management of natural resources, its requires an informed community supporting and promoting sustainable natural resources management.

"It also requires an integrated catchment management approach that takes account of economic, environmental, social and cultural values, together with an understanding of the ecological and cultural values of the landscape," he elaborated.

Dawos, who is also the Member of Parliament for Mambong, said issues associated with water quality and allocation of water for a range of beneficial uses underpin the sustainability plan for any river basin.

By P.Sibon

BAU - Deputy Minister for National Unity and Social Development Dr. Tiki Lafe has stressed the need to maintain racial and religious harmony for the sake of national unity.

Parents should encourage their children to mix freely with one another regardless of their racial origin or religious background, he said at a Kongsi Raya gathering organised by the Rukuntetangga of Bandar Bau and the Grogo zone yesterday.

He also called on the parents to be more pro-active in providing the best education they could afford for their children.

"They are the future leaders of our society, therefore, your children should be given the utmost opportunity to further their education to the highest level," Tiki said. He added that the government was ever willing to assist in educating the people. "Grants and aids are provided to the poor and the less fortunate by Yayasan Sarawak, the Tunku Abdul Rahman Scholarship Fund and from the State government."

On the less fortunate and the needy, Tiki called on the corporate bodies and private individuals to help them in every possible way.

He also hoped that the government would give more grants to set up centres for the less fortunate, the poor and the single mothers.

The Deputy Minister also called the voters in Bau and Lundu (under the Mas Gading Parlimentary constituency) to vote for the Barisan Nasional government to ensure continued development and harmony among the various races in the two districts.

At the ceremony, he also thanked the "Badan Amal Tenaga Isteri Menteri dan Timbalan Mentari" BAKTI, the State National Unity and the Welfare Departments and the Rukuntetangga of Bau Town and its Grogo zone counterparts for the cash contributions to the less fortunate and the needy in the Bau district.

At the function, 90 people received gifts and " Ang Pows" and eight students received their scholarship awards from Dr. Tiki.

©2001 . All rights reserved. Material from this site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed. All reproduction or redistribution is expressly forbidden without the prior written agreement of .

Back