UMNO Acceptable by Natives in East Malaysia?

Is UMNO acceptable by the Kadazandusuns, Dayaks and other natives in Sabah and Sarawak ?

Read the text below (adopted from Dr. John Brian Anthony of DayakBaru.com) on key issues such as:
* UMNO attempted entry into Sarawak
* Sabah [regretted | painful] experience with UMNO
* UMNO is a ultra racist Malay Party
* Bumiputera of Sabah and Sarawak do not benefit much from NEP
* Why is UMNO interested in Sabah and Sarawak?
* Race Relation in Sarawak

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From DayakBaru.com

Is UMNO Acceptable by Dayak?

Posted by Dr. John Brian Anthony

UMNO for Sarawak

After UMNO entry into Sabah there was a lot of talk of UMNO possible entry into Sarawak. Datuk Abang Abu Bakar was trying very hard to bring UMNO into Sarawak and there are strong interest shown by the Sarawak Malay and some Dayak supporters sometime in 2001. In 2007 a large numbers of UMNO flag was flown on flag posts and roofs and wall of houses in the villages throughout Sarawak. Some suggested that UMNO will make YB Joseph Salang their candidate in the PRU12 as he was without a party then until Taib directed him to join Party Raayat Sarawak headed by his good friend YB Dr. James Masing.

Sabah experience with UMNO

A raging discussion on the merit and threat of UMNO entry into Sarawak was being discussed by the Dayak younger generation in their discussion portal. Many felt that UMNO is already in Sarawak through their proxy, that is Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) while a good numbers reject the idea of UMNO entry into Sarawak because their Sabahan friends are saying that UMNO is the worst thing that happened to Sabah politic. UMNO is greedy, UMNO are suckers and UMNO is a narrow minded party. Many do not believed in such superlative mega negative description of UMNO.

What evidences are the Dayak made to see now about UMNO?

UMNO is a ultra racist Malay Party

This may sound unkind to UMNO who has led Malaysia for a very long time but the Dayak after 45 years of the formation of Malaysia do not feel belong or even close to UMNO. Mind you, the Malay and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak are categorise as Bumiputera yet we do not see any UMNO policies and leadership that are friendly to the Dayak natives. Why? being a Malay based party UMNO have only one view, that is to see a united Malay using the racial and religious card to force them to support UMNO.

Bumiputera of Sabah and Sarawak do not benefit much from NEP

UMNO politician are heads and heels over each other to get their share of the NEP economic quota for “Bumiputera”, exception is the Dayak who was made non entity by UMNO politician and businessman. If the UMNO bumiputera is serious about helping fellow Dayak bumiputera from Sabah and Sarawak, why is it that the economic standing or share equity and asset value of the natives in Malaysia does not even amount to 1% of the total Malaysia economic wealth. UMNO says the bumiputera has 19% of share in Malaysian economy and we look at Sarawak bumiputera share we are not 0.1% of UMNO bumiputera 19% share in the economy.

Is UMNO interested in Sabah and Sarawak?

UMNO leadership only interest in Sarawak seemed to be focused on getting a bite on the rich timber land and plantation land in Sarawak. UMNO other interest is to take in as much oil and gas revenue from Sarawak to allow the Federal government to develop the other states in West Malaysia with UMNOputera getting the bulk of the contract. Most Federal contract are awarded to UMNO related companies or supporters and the Sarawak bumiputera are forced to pick the crump left under the table by successful UMNO members using the NEP umbrella. UMNO businessman are not at all friendly with their bumiputera brothers from Sarawak. The UMNO business man are only interested in the CHIEF MINISTER of Sarawak because of his power to approved natural wealth richest for their exploitation.

Race Relation in Sarawak

In Sarawak today we have Dayak and Muslim eating and drinking in the same coffee shop and even living together in one house sharing eating utensils. We have Chinese talking in Iban with his Dayak friends and Malay Muslim sharing the same eating table and consuming food of their own choice. There are no issues of what is halal or not and the Muslim friend just do not eat what is non-halal but he will not make an issue of sharing the same table with his friends and enjoying his food. Is this religious backwardness or simply not “holy” enough in the practice of a person belief? Or is this the real meaning of tolerance and not suck by trivialities of forms in dress code etc.?

Adulterating Dayak Culture by Ministry of Culture

Race relation in Sarawak is the benchmark for Malaysia and also its cultural diversity and traditional dances. are well known and beautiful. Even to this end, the Ministry of Culture sideline cultural performers from the bumiputera population of Sarawak and instead they send their national cultural troupe dancers to perform Sarawak native dance. Do you know what we Dayak see in the dance performed by the Minsitry dancers? We see joget instead of “ngajat” and the traditional dress of the various Dayak ethnic were all mixed up by the dancers with Orang ulu head gear worn by lady performing Bidayuh dance and Iban warrior performing so call “war dance” using orang ulu customes.

The Ministry of Culture has no perception of the the diversity of the Dayak performing dance and yet it must be performed by bumiputera from West Malaysia in London and European capital cities. The Ministry of Culture limit the exposure of Dayak traditional dance performer and Malay-nize the Dayak traditional dance. It is really awful and very painful to see most of the time and are we to fall in love with the new adulterated version of our traditional dances.

Summary

This article will be elaborated in more detail later as the subject is a wide as our dissatisfaction for UMNO leadership. We are not at all happy with the non representation of Bidayuh in the Federal cabinet and the reason given for rotaion between Orang Ulu and Bidayuh is NOT acceptable. The Bidayuh is in need of as much development as the other races in Malaysia.

The recent happening in West Malaysia give Dayak an opportunity to analyze UMNO politic. From our intial assessment it contain elements that we Dayak would not want to have any part of it. Deceit, lies, back stabbing etc. It is so uncultured except for wanting to have important post and make more money ( clean or otherwise).