'Blame Masing for Hadi’s remarks on loincloths'

malaysianmirror

Why Masing had not taken any action against his deputy Joseph Entulu who wanted to obliterate the word “Dayak” as it implied the Dayaks were uncivilized, uncouth and low class.

“To me this is a small issue, but Masing used it to hide bigger issues where Dayaks have been short-changed"

“These are the bigger issues that affect the lives and the livelihood of the Dayaks”

“As the minister of land development, Masing should ensure that NCR lands are not taken away from the owners"

“All these issues are much bigger than the issue of Iban wearing loincloths,”


Joseph Tawie

A Sarawak PKR leader and former Sri Aman Member of Parliament, Jimmy Donald, has put the blame squarely on Parti Rakyat Sarawak president James Masing for remarks alleged to have been said by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

Hadi was reported to have said that Pakatan Rakyat lost the Batang Ai by-election on April 7 this year because the voters did not know how to vote as they were still wearing cawat (loincloths).

“In all previous by-elections, the results were favouring Pakatan. Only in Batang Ai, we lost because the voters did not know how to vote as they are still wearing loincloths,” Hadi had said on the run-up to the Manek Urai by-election recently.

Donald, who was an ex-colleague of Masing (pic) in PRS said: “I would like to put the blame squarely on Masing who was once the state minister of tourism.

“He spent time and money travelling overseas promoting Sarawak by showing Lemanak Ibans wearing loincloths in order to attract tourists to the state.

Iban wearing loincloths pictures

“In my visits to European countries, I saw with my own eyes photographs of Ibans wearing loincloths appearing on their televisions.”

“If you are using Iban culture as tourist attractions, who is to be blamed?” he asked, adding that Hadi’s remarks could be traced back to Masing, who used the Iban wearing loincloths pictures as a tourist attraction.

Stressing that he did not condone any insults on any community by anybody, Donald said: “To me this is a small issue, but Masing used it to hide bigger issues where Dayaks have been short-changed.

“As the minister of land development, Masing should ensure that NCR lands are not taken away from the owners.

“These are the bigger issues that affect the lives and the livelihood of the Dayaks,” he said.

He also questioned why Masing had not taken any action against his deputy Joseph Entulu who wanted to obliterate the word “Dayak” as it implied the Dayaks were uncivilized, uncouth and low class.

Hadi should apologise if he made the remarks

“All these issues are much bigger than the issue of Iban wearing loincloths,” he added.

Meanwhile, the PKR has distanced itself from the loincloth remarks by Hadi. PKR supreme council member Baru Bian said in a report in The Star Daily that the party leaders condemned the remarks if indeed Hadi had made them.

He added that the matter was raised at the state PKR’s supreme council meeting last Sunday. The party’s adviser Anwar Ibrahim was requested to convey to Hadi the feelings of Dayak leaders in PKR over the remarks and to ask Hadi for an explanation.

The feeling among PKR leaders was that if Hadi did make the remarks, it is right and proper that he apologise.

There also appears to be a concerted effort by the state BN particularly PRS to arouse anti-PAS feelings among the Dayaks in Sarawak.

The pro-BN newspapers keep on highlighting comments from Dayak leaders and politicians on the remarks made by Hadi.

Such comments can stir racial tension

Just as Teoh Beng Hock’s death has been made an issue by the Pakatan Rakyat against the government in the peninsula, Hadi’s remarks have been capitalized by BN especially PRS to arouse anti-PAS feelings among the Dayaks.

Since Hadi’s remarks were made public by Masing last Friday, many Dayak politicians have come out to condemn Hadi and demand he apologises to the Dayak people especially Ibans.

Masing felt that such remarks reeked of PAS’ especially Hadi’s ignorance and arrogance, pointing out that his comments meant that the Batang Ai voters, the majority of whom are Ibans, were uncivilized.

“Such comments can stir racial tension in the country,” he said and added: “Calling Dayak voters uncivilized are uncalled for. It shows just how ignorant PAS is of the situation in Batang Ai. It is ignorant about the fact that the people there are well-educated and civilized.”

Masing advised Hadi to go to the longhouses and see the situation himself.

Malcolm Mussen who won the Batang Ai by-election on April 7, 2009 said that Hadi’s remarks were an insult not only to the Ibans, but Sarawakians as a whole.

‘Hadi should resign as PAS president’

PBB deputy president Alfred Jabu, who has returned to work after more than two months of sick-leave, joined other Dayak leaders in condemning Hadi and accused him of being an “armchair” politician who did not know what was happening on the ground.

His remarks were not only damaging, but derogatory also to the people of Lubok Antu, added Jabu who said that any sensible person would apologise because such remarks were untrue and if he did not apologise, then the people knew what kind of a person he was.

Another PRS leader Mong Dagang labeled Hadi as a typical narrow-minded politician who should resign as PAS president, adding that he does not care for other parts of Malaysia except his own kampung.

PRS women chief Doris Brodie said that Pakatan Rakyat should forget about making any headway in Dayak majority constituencies if its leaders continued to talk like Hadi.

As it is, Hadi’s remarks are sure to be used by BN leaders as an effective tool to frighten Dayaks from supporting Pakatan come the next election.