By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 10: The Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) has played a central role in transforming the Bidayuh community from a group divided by dialect and geography into a more unified people, says former president Dato Peter Minos.
Minos said the community before 1955 was largely separated along district lines, with limited interaction between Bidayuhs from Lundu, Bau, Kuching and Serian.
He said this division was further shaped by the existence of four major dialect groups — Salako-Rara, Bau Jagoi, Biatah and Bukar-Sadong — which historically created social and communication gaps within the community.
“After doing its part since 1955, DBNA, I must say, has helped in bringing unity to the Bidayuhs.
“Maybe not 100 per cent, but definitely over 75 per cent of Bidayuhs know and acknowledge each other,” he said in a statement after attending DBNA’s Triennial General Assembly (TGA) welcoming dinner recently.
Minos said the biggest shift today is that Bidayuhs now recognise one another beyond dialect and district differences, with a growing sense of belonging to a single community.
He said this is especially evident during Gawai celebrations, where Bidayuhs across Sarawak and Malaysia now share similar cultural expressions, including traditional attire, music, dances, food and drinks.
“Because of DBNA, Bidayuhs now think and feel they are of one community and of one people, sharing one common history and one common culture,” he said.
Minos also pointed out that political representation has become more unified compared to earlier decades.
He noted that all Bidayuh ADUNs are now aligned under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), unlike in the 1960s and 1970s when Bidayuh leaders were spread across different political parties. For MPs, only one remains outside GPS, with the rest aligned under the coalition.
“The GPS has given the Bidayuh an umbrella for political unity. That means a lot, because if a community is politically disunited, its social and economic development will also suffer,” he said.
Minos, who led DBNA in the 1980s, said he personally witnessed the growing momentum of the Bidayuh unity movement during his tenure.
“The yearning for unity was very strong then, and I was proud to see it taking shape,” he said.
He added that government support is naturally more effective when dealing with a united community rather than a fragmented one.
“Unity makes everything easier — social progress, cultural preservation, and economic development. Without unity, things fall apart.
“Since its inception in 1955, it is with joy and happiness to say that DBNA has successfully done its part in Bidayuh unity,” he emphasised. — DayakDaily
