MIRI, Oct 27 — Gabungan Anak Sarawak (Gasak) is telling Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing to stop treating the Dayaks as second class Bumiputera, when he should be leading the community towards prosperity.
Gasak president Bobby William in a statement here yesterday said Masing, being a senior Dayak leader, must stop making the Dayaks as ordinary farmers.
“(The) latest statement from Masing is none other than to protect the interest of their cronies and the interest of the state government under GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak),” claimed Bobby.
Bobby was referring to an article published yesterday quoting Masing as saying that he was worried that the natives would become landless if their Native Customary Rights (NCR) lands are being surveyed under Section 18 of the State Land Code.
He lamented that it was a ridiculous statement from a senior Dayak leader and said that the latter needed to be replaced.
Bobby claimed that Masing’s statement went against the wishes of majority of the Dayaks and that his motive was to prevent them from becoming rich.
“If the Dayaks’ NCR land are given and surveyed under Section 18, individual owners (the Dayaks) will have individual titles and individual rights for the said land and have full authority over that land. It is their land and they have every right to do what they want with their lands,” said Bobby, adding that if they want to sell a portion of their land, they can use the money as their capital to develop other businesses such as housing and commercial development, agriculture and many more.
Bobby pointed out that Masing’s statement also meant that the latter wanted to see the Dayaks continue living in poverty and relying on government assistance, therefore preventing them from selling their lands.
“Thus, stop treating Dayaks as second class Bumiputera, lead us to be a general and not just foot soldiers. Stop making Dayaks as ordinary farmers, lead us to be property developers,” he asserted. — Borneo Post Online
