KUCHING, Nov 15: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) Youth has slammed PBB Muara Tuang assemblyman Datuk Idris Buang for saying that people should not take to the streets to protest for their rights.
On Nov 13, some 3,000 peope from across the state rallied in Kuching to advocate for native customary rights (NCR), especially land rights. This follows a series of landmark cases which native landowners have lost.
“What choice do the natives of Sarawak especially the Dayak have? Natives of Sarawak especially the Dayak have lost (their cases) in the Federal Court and the motion on NCR (native customary rights) matter was oppose by 58 BN (Barisan Nasional) assemblymen and women lead by PBB. Do you think the Dayaks will keep silent on this matter? This (Idris’ statement) is insulting the natives of Sarawak, especially the Dayak. They treat us like animals. PBB president (and Chief Minister) Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg’s BN government has failed to protect the rights of Sarawakian natives,” PBDSB Youth chief Rapelson Richard Hamit said in a statement yesterday.
“The Sarawak BN government is suppressing the rights of the people in the state and even accused the opposition of politicising land issues, but are they aware that it is the BN government itself who brought the case(s) (all the way) to the Federal Court?”
According to Rapelson, Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian’s proposal was dismissed by Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar after the motion was objected to by 58 BN elected representatives led by Uggah who is also Deputy Chief Minister and Dayak elected representatives while only 10 elected representatives from the opposition support the motion.
“This is an insult to the people of Sarawak,” Rapelson said.
He highlighted that there are an estimated 400 NCR cases still pending in court, and that in certain landmark cases, native landowners have won in the High Court and the Court of Appeal only to lose later at the Federal Court.
“The only choice is to change the brutal BN government that rob the people of their land through the Provisional Leases (PLs) to crony companies. I call on the Dayak of Sarawak in the country to rise and unite under PBDSB to against the tyranny of the BN goverment,” he said. — DayakDaily
