Richard Lias
KUCHING (March 16): The Dayak National Congress (DNC) is seeking collaboration with the Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) to co-host the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples celebration slated for Aug 9, 2024 here.
Its president Richard Lias said that as an umbrella body of Dayak associations in Malaysia, SDNU should play the leading role.
He added on the other hand, DNC has been tasked by the Borneo Dayak Forum to host the annual event for this year in the state – an appointment which was made at BDF’s meeting in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah last year.
“To exploit this potential to the fullest, it is best that all indigenous people in Sarawak be involved. Thus, being the mother of Dayak-based civil societies in Sarawak, SDNU should be in the lead role.
“As DNC has the network, it is our desire that SDNU teams up with DNC to be the co-host. This is one avenue where civil society organisations (CSOs) can play a role towards indigenous people’s unity in diversity and prosperity; the key to their sustainability; and a challenge to bridge their social, religious and political boundaries particularly in Sarawak,” he said.
Richard said SDNU president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom has agreed in principle to the proposal.
“In our formal meeting with YB Tan Sri (William Mawan Ikom), he was enthusiastic in coming together and working together to co-host this celebration, with indications that he will soon convene a meeting with his supreme executive committee to discuss on this issue.
“The hosting of this event would also be a platform for the beginning of indigenous people’s CSOs collaborating in the best possible manner for their best interest, and the celebration can be made more grand and be given more prominence as a high-impact event with far-reaching effects and implications,” he said.
He even suggested the celebration be stretched to two or three days and to include forums or seminars and can be participated by indigenous people from Kalimantan, Sabah and Brunei.
“The high impact of this event would be an eye-opener and wake-up call for rural communities, or indigenous people as a whole, to really look into and understand their wellbeing and identity – not just in the context of sustainability, but progressiveness.
“They have to be in the present to understand the importance and impact of development, which as to be done holistically as an industry,” he said, adding that regional development entails development for rural communities.