Mawan (fourth left) receiving a memento from Dick as (from left) Dennis, Anthony and Lo and other event organising committee members look on. — Photo by Churchill Edward
KUCHING: The people are reminded not to play the racial card when requesting for assistance in whatever form from the government.
Moderation in argument and approach should be the order of the day especially in a multi-racial country like Malaysia, said Social Development Minister Tan Sri William Mawan.
The Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) president stressed it would be advisable for each and every community not to make racial dominance as the basis of their views and arguments, adding that they should be sensitive and tolerant towards each other.
“When one goes overboard with one’s statements, he or she may be easily misperceived as extremist by members of other races and what might be a noble request might not seem to be so by others,” he cautioned.
“Many times playing the racial, political and economic dominance over others as basis of arguments and overdoing it would backfire. If we try to apply these (racial, political and economic dominance) or use our position to dominate others when trying to ask for the most, it would be difficult to apply moderation then,” said Mawan at SDNU Stutong/Stampin/BDC branch pre-Christmas and Welcoming New Year 2015 dinner at a hotel here last Friday.
Saying SDNU had always been moderate in its approach and would forever be so, Mawan who is also Saratok MP and Pakan assemblyman, told members to express grouses and predicaments of the Dayak community through the union, pointing out that even his ministry could provide a listening ear.
Meanwhile SDNU vice president Anthony Banyan appealed to Dayaks to become members of SDNU as strength would come in numbers.
He added that being sympathetic towards the cause of SDNU was not enough.
He agreed with Mawan that it would be difficult to get things done if one were to have a confrontational approach.
In his remarks, event organising and branch chairman Laurence Dick Sekalai hoped that the relevant authority would consider their application for a village head at Lorong A/Lorong B Stampin.
At the same time, he congratulated event treasurer Dennis Sungkok for being appointed new village head for Kampung Stampin.
As a gesture of gratitude and goodwill, Mawan pledged RM20,000 in government grant and RM3,000 being his personal donation to the branch.
The Christmas carols by a church choir and live performance by singer Genievie Lenya Sigun and KBC Band were the highlights of the night, which also saw the attendance of Temenggong Datuk James Jimbun Pungga, Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association president Dr Dusit Jaul, MPP chairman Lo Khere Chiang and SDNU Samarahan chairman Stanley Belayong Pok.