By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 31: It is hoped that in future Gawai Dayak celebrations, the Dayak communities will come together to provide educational awards and incentives for outstanding Dayak students, as a way to inspire and motivate them to pursue greater academic achievements.
In a statement, analyst Dato Peter Minos said that Gawai Dayak is the best time for the Dayak communities to reflect on the importance of education in their lives, as well as for the future.
“Dayaks do know that the world is rapidly changing, that everything is perpetually evolving. Dayaks do strive to catch up with new things, ideas, and ways. They do not want to be left behind in anything.
“The Dayaks can look at the other communities and can see the power and effect of education on them. It is education that has propelled them up. It is education that placed them on the pedestal.
“With good education, the Dayaks will also go up and do wonders, like the others. In fact, a few Dayaks have gone very high in their professions and public service because they have a high education, and that should be an inspiration to the rest,” he said.
Minos added that as the Sarawak government will be offering free tertiary education next year, the Dayaks must take full advantage of it.
“Gawai Dayak is made more meaningful and fruitful if, starting from now, education and its paramount value are appreciated and focused upon.
“A friend in KL asked what relevance Gawai Dayak has to the realities of the present world, and my answer was ‘still relevant, and always will be’.
“So long as the Dayaks exist in this world, there is always a Gawai, where Dayak cultures, customs, and traditions are portrayed and where the Dayak identity is shown to the world, to be acknowledged and appreciated.” — DayakDaily
