Dennis (seventh right) with other guests showing the second edition Kayan language Bible.
MIRI (March 21): The second edition of the Kayan language Bible has been launched on March 15 at the Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM) Long Bedian church.
Telang Usan assemblyman Dato Dennis Ngau, who officiated at the launching ceremony, said he was honoured to be part of the special event.
Dennis, who is the Sarawak Kayan Association (PKS) president, also thanked the association’s committee members who have worked tirelessly since 2013 to have the second edition of the Kayan language Bibles printed.
He revealed that the first edition of the manuscript was published in the 1970s, and the second edition was printed following popular demand.
“Apart from that, with the challenges of today’s world, where our children prefer to communicate, speak, write in English and Bahasa Malaysia, it seems that there is a possibility that the fluency of the Kayans themselves in their ethnic language is fading over time,” he said.
In addition to getting closer to God, he said reading the Bible can also be a way for the Kayan community to recognise, understand and speak Kayan better.
In view of this, he urged BEM Sarawak members, especially the young ones, to get a copy of the Bible.
“It is not wrong for us to buy a copy of this Bible and give it to our children, especially on their birthdays.
“Make it a birthday gift so that they are close to God and understand their ethnicity through the writings in the Bible,” he said.
Dennis was informed that 6,000 copies of the Kayan language Bibles have been printed overseas and brought to Sarawak.
However, he said that there is a possibility that those would not be enough compared to the estimated number of Kayan population of between 60,000 to 70,000, who have become members of BEM Sarawak.
Therefore, Dennis said, it is appropriate for PKS to increase the number of prints to meet the new demand.