Letter to the Editor
By Lating Minggang
It’s truly disappointing that a seemingly simple consideration, such as the traveling time for rural Dayak students, was overlooked in the Gawai Dayak 2024 school academic calendar by the Ministry of Education (MoE). The MoE, in its discretion, should have accounted for the traveling time to address the needs of these rural students.
The omission or intentional disregard by the MoE for the traveling time of Dayak rural students after their Gawai Dayak school holiday is entirely unacceptable.
Our history, as taught by teachers in schools in the early days, highlights Malaysia as a multi-racial and multi-cultural nation. However, 60 years later, such a misjudgment and decision-making error by the relevant ministry are simply inexcusable.
The federal administration must acknowledge that Malaysia is a multi-racial country with diversity in culture and religious backgrounds.
This incident reflects the ignorance and insensitivity of the Fderal administration, especially the MoE, towards Sarawak culture and its people.
The Federal administration must wake up and be sensitive to issues concerning the people in Sarawak.
Gawai Dayak is celebrated annually in Sarawak by the Dayak community, the largest in the state.
The selective omission of traveling time for this cultural festive day has led Sarawakians to prioritize self-care.
To date, the Dayak’s vision of being an integral part of the MoE’s bigger picture remains an elusive dream. It’s the inclusivity and thoughtfulness in these small matters by the MoE that matter to them.
In our simplicity, we should embrace this honest truth and acceptance before our country can genuinely claim to instill inclusivity through unity in diversity.
The Ftate’s move to take control of education in the state is timely and fully supported. — DayakDaily
Lating Minggang is the Walikota for Kapit District Council.
This is the personal opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of DayakDaily. Letters to the Editor may be lightly edited for clarity.
