TAN SRI DR JAMES MASING
KUCHING: The claim that the Penan community is incestuous is both outrageous and slanderous, said Senior Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing.
“As far as literature on the Penans is concerned there has never been any mention of incest in their society. I think the writer who made the claim has very vivid imagination,” Masing told The Borneo Post here yesterday.
Masing, who has a doctorate in anthropology, hoped the journalist concerned would be ready to substantiate his report with findings as such allegation was serious and sensitive.
He was commenting on a wild allegation by Metro Ahad, which had raised angry calls for a boycott, following a disturbing May 13 story alleging that unnamed Sarawakian Penans practise incest.
In a report <http://www.hmetro.com.my/articles/Abangkahwinadiksendiri/Article/artikelMA> headlined ‘Abang Kahwin Adik Sendiri’ (Brother is married to his own sister), the report claimed that ‘investigations and research by the Sunday Metro – a tabloid – found that around 15 families in the Ulu Baram area live in a nomadic fashion although a longhouse has been provided for them, and have married blood relatives, in fact ‘10 couples married their own flesh and blood’.
The report also published a photo of a young couple with their faces digitally disguised. The caption suggested that the couple had claimed they were married, but their faces showed as if they were related. No details were provided.
The tabloid also suggested that incestuous marriages were one of the reasons the Penan found it difficult to obtain MyKad and other documentation.
Another reason, it claimed, was that ‘Indonesian Penans’ had infiltrated the state, making the National Registration Department wary of registering thousands of Penans without MyKad.
But most Penan settlements established even before the formation of Malaysia found it difficult to obtain the document.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak vice-chairman and Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How called for the Sunday Metro to retract the article and demanded that the newspaper make a public apology to all Sarawakians.
“The content of the article is derogatory towards the Penan community and an insult to all Sarawakians,” said See in a press release.
The writer of the article, who is from Peninsular Malaysia, appears to be unfamiliar with Sarawak, has little or no knowledge of the Penan way of life and was obviously not reporting facts, he said.
Firstly, Tinja is in Middle Baram far away from Ulu Baram. Secondly, no nomadic Penan would build dwelling houses as shown in the photograph published in the newspaper.
“In fact, I have enquired with the state assemblyman for Telang Usan, Dennis Ngau, who confirmed with me that there is no Long Baram within his constituency. To say that there are incestuous marriages in 10 of the 15 families found in this mythical ‘nomadic Penan community’ is an absolute falsehood.
“I have personally visited most of the Penan communities in the Middle and Ulu Baram. I know for a fact that the Penan communities do not sanction or approve of incestuous marriages. If there is any truth in the article, the reporter concerned should report it as a crime under the law.
“I appeal to the Sarawak state police contingent to follow up on this matter, obtain statements and evidence to ascertain the truth of this article.
“The newspaper is inconsiderate in carrying the article which contains disparaging comments on the Penan community.
“The writing appears to be politically motivated since the reporter infers that their incestuous and nomadic lifestyle is the reason they did not apply for and obtain their identity cards,” said See.