By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 27: Ngemah assemblyman Anyi Jana has urged the Sarawak government to revise the State’s shotgun inheritance policy, to allow shotguns to be passed to siblings, rather than strictly from parent to child.
He also appealed to the government to restore the “carry and use” permit for these shotguns, for cultural purposes.
Anyi pointed out that shotguns are often ancestral heirlooms in the Dayak community, and traditionally, their heirs are family members who take care of the family’s ‘bilik utama’ (main room) in the longhouse.
“Currently, the Sarawak government has allowed shotguns to be inherited on the condition that they are re-registered and the applicant passes security and health screenings.
“Permission for ownership and inheritance is limited to transfers from parents to their sons or daughters only.
“However, the issue arises when the caretaker of the ‘bilik utama’ has no children or legitimate heirs; in such cases, the ownership and inheritance status of the shotgun becomes complicated,” he said during the debate on the Supply Bill 2026 at the Legislative Assembly (DUS) today.
He emphasised that the law should permit inheritance by siblings in such cases.
Aside from that, he said reinstating the “carry and use” permit would prevent disputes and ease lawful usage for cultural and livelihood purposes. — DayakDaily
