---

VOLUME 6

NOVEMBER 2000

PERMIT NO. PPK 231/4/2001

Tan Sri Jabu (3rd right) presenting a cheque to the winner of the Men's Open category, Baharuddin Ismail of PULASAR who clocked 46 mins 56 seconds to cover the 7.5km uphilI run. Also seen are YB Peter Nansian (right), YB Dr James Dawos (2nd right) and YB Michael Manyin (4th left). ... Full story.

C o n t e n t s DBNA Central Executive Committee 1999-2001 News & Update DBNA Padawan anjur Larian Puncak Borneo DBNA Sibu daftar Bidayuh di Sibu Gawai Dayak in KL DBNA Bintulu anjur ceramah motivasi Views Let Us Change Our 'Sikap' Euducation IT - Outlook for the community Career Information Make it Fun And Enjoyable Culture Bidayuh Folkways "Situbieng"    "Semah" Behind the scene About the women in DBNA The Story Behind It Publicity Sub-Committe From The Editor's Desk About DBNA

---

Interview with the President YB Dr James Dawos Mamit

Quality Education

SteeringThe Bidayuh Towards Economic Power What this millennium will bring to the Bidayuh community will depend on our abilities and capabilities to participate in the mainstream activities of the country and how our leaders will guide us.

As a community, we have made some significant contributions toward the achievement and development of Sarawak. Nevertheless, we must remember that we still have a long way to go especially in economic power.

To amass economic power, I believe we must preserve and maintain a sense of community, which means that we must develop a keener sense of self-interest. This was said by DBNA president YB Dr James Dawos Mamit.

Furthermore, an essential ingredient to economic opportunity is quality education that equips every one of us to play by society's rules. Solid education and social development from the early years through the adolescence lay the foundation for opportunity. Without quality education, there can be no economic power, he pointed out.

Saying that education builds intellectual capital, which is the community's most important resource, he further said that in the new millennium, the world economy revolves around globalization, and that globalization is a business-driven phenomenon and is unstopable.

"Even though it may be in its early stages, it is already intrinsic to the world economy. We have to live with it, recognize its challenges and advantages, and learn to manage it. At the same time, we must realize that we live in an era of fantastic increases in the global knowledge base, and that too is part of the phenomenal challenges.

"To mobilize ourselves in meeting the challenges of the new millennium, we must change the role of literacy in our lives. Literacy in the new millennium does not only mean the ability to read and write. It is, of course, the doorway to a fantastic universe of imagination and global knowledge base," he said. Dr Dawos said today there are millions of people in the world are excluded in the job markets because they are functionally illiterate, adding that it is undeniable and obvious that the majority of the Bidayuh in the rural areas are functionally illiterate within the context of the new millennium.

Thus, he pointed out there is an urgent need for an outreach programme for the youths/students of our community, especially those in the rural areas, to provide access to relevant information on higher education opportunities, information on financial assistance or scholarship, and advice on educational related matters. He said there are many who might need proper counseling, motivation and moral support.

As such, he advised members of the DBNA to be more vigilant to the rural educational and social needs, and find ways that are effective to fulfill such needs. "While we are pursuing our goal for economic power through education, we must not allow our community's wisdom tradition remained dormant or dwindle, he said.

"It has to be relearned by each succeeding generation because it contains a value system cis-a-cis trust that enables us to respect one another's actions and enhance our performance. Without trust, there cannot be cooperation between us and consequently the role of individualism emerges prominently among us. This can bring about disunity," he said.

He reminded that DBNA has a vital role to play in preserving wisdom tradition in our community.

As a social and cultural organization, he believed that DBNA must always instill the habits of cooperation among its members and the Bidayuh community as a whole, because the habits of cooperation reinforced in the wisdom tradition create prosperity.

Thus, he urged members of DBNA to consider the following as operational precepts:

. Make progress a partnership
. Make learning and teaching a continuing part of our community's life.
. Build esprit de corps by believing the best of everyone.

He said, to guide the Bidayuh in the new millennium, our leaders should work to ensure that our community has a vision of what it is becoming, appropriate basic assumptions and values, and a strategy for remaining competitive amongst other communities.

"They should foster a sophistication in dealing with differences, acknowledge all relevant differences and value them differently so that they can examine the potential impact of the differences.

"Those that can expand our community's vision and contribute to our success should be embraced and those that are capable of harming our community should be rejected right away," he further said.

He further convey his appreciation and thanks to members of the DBNA for their support and contribution, and most of all for placing their trust in him to lead the association during this trying period - the period that is full of challenges and tribulations during this trying period
- the of globalization, adding that their continued contribution can bring about long-term prosperity of the DBNA.

"My thanks also go to the members of Suara DBNA Editorial Committee for their tireless effort in producing the first issue of the newsletter in this new millennium. The newsletter project needs contribution and support from all Bidayuh, be they articles, advertisements or financial support. This newsletter is an important link to keep us informed of current development in our communit," he said.

---

©2000 . 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