KUCHING, May 9: Sarawak human rights activist Peter John Jaban says he meant no disrespect to the pua kumbu, a traditional woven cloth used by the Iban in sacred ceremonies and rites of passage.
Recently, there was an uproar on social media with netizens criticising Peter John for stepping on a pua kumbu when arriving at an event organised by Pencha Adat Sepring Sarawak and Kelab Kuntau Pencha Ajat Sepring Sarawak in Sibu last month.
Peter John responded by saying that he had been taught growing up to respect the practices of different Iban communities.
“As a guest in a community, we must follow the lead of our hosts. In this case, I emerged from the car onto a pua kumbu already laid out for this purpose by the organisers from the community in question.
“It was not my intention to disrespect the cloth in any way. Quite the opposite, in fact, I believe this was a mark of respect, practised among many communities to recognise guests and visitors,” he said in a statement today.
Peter John believed that the organisers had laid out the pua kumbu for him as a mark of respect and recognition, and there was nothing implying ill intentions.
Expressing his gratitude for the online debate surrounding the importance of the pua kumbu, he called on the Iban community to work together to strengthen its preservation and awareness of pua kumbu’s importance instead of allowing a small group to spread discontent for their own purposes.
“It is incredibly important for our community to understand how it (pua kumbu) has been used in the past and also to debate how it will continue to be part of our culture moving forward.
“In fact, the debate has spread further, to the importance of respecting our adat (customs), and this can only be a good thing. I hope, however, that our community can work towards a more united front instead of resorting to unconstructive complaints and criticism,” he added.
Meanwhile, in a video statement released on social media yesterday (May 8), the event organisers also responded to the criticism online, explaining that they welcomed Peter John with the pua kumbu to respect him as a ‘panglima’ (respectable figure in the community). — DayakDaily
