Politics of Pocopoco

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One of the participants asking questions at the Q&A session at the Dayak National Conference 2018 at BCCK last Monday. — Photo By Muhd Rais Sanusi

DAYAK politics is like a popular Indonesian dance called Pocopoco.

I did not say it. It was said by Dr Dusit Jaul, president of the Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association and advisor to the Dayak National Conference held in Kuching on Monday.

To a large extent, I tend to agree with Dr Dusit. I would add that if you have watched how Pocopoco is danced or have tried it yourself, you will appreciate what Dr Dusit meant by ‘politik yang tiada hala tuju’ and his advice to his audience to ‘avoid politics of trivialities (politik yang remehtemeh)’.

A line group dance has twists and turns, each dancer following basic steps – one foot forward and backward, repeated for a couple of times, followed by a turn -sideways twice to the left and to the right.

This is the stage when you are likely to make a wrong move by bumping into your neighbour or stepping on his or her toes. The best position is at the end of the line where you make the first move when the music starts.You lead the way and the rest follows. Dayak politics is somewhere in the middle, following others and saying sorry for stepping on some one’s toes. And then fall in line.

The Dayak Dational Conference 2018

But we are not talking about a dance as such today. I’m referring to the recent gathering of a thousand- strong of Dayaks of all descriptions, representing various political shades and dimensions; they descended on Kuching from many parts of Sarawak on Monday, 17th September 2018. This date happens to be a day after the 55th year of the formation of Malaysia.

The significance of holding the conference a day after the 16th of September is self-explanatory – Dayaks missing the boat for 55 years!

In his keynote address, Dr Dusit was saying about how the larger Dayak community was faced with various issues and challenges while spending more time on politics of trivialities. In other words, if I may add, we are at the political crossroads and we need a compass for direction or get stuck in port.

At the moment, our political movement, like the pocopoco: one foot forward, two steps backwards!

The conference

I have been to any number of conferences of this nature – each time talking about almost the same things over and over again and passing resolutions after resolutions, then submitting them to the relevant authorities i.e. to the State government and to the Federal government, hopefully for action.

What happens to those resolutions, nobody knows nor does anybody follow up. If any idea has been incorporated into a government policy, it is not widely noticeable. Resolutions are kindly received and kept somewhere in the lockers by the recipients, or stacked up on the shelves gathering dust.The memorandum sent to the State government in 1962 by SDNU has met such a fate.

If any idea has crept into a policy, the credit is not the originator of the idea but the property right of some – one else who came across it, later.

As I read it, the whole conference was an exercise for the organisers and the sponsors to assess the views of those present, presumed to be opinion leaders of the Dayak communities, in terms of the kind of political affiliation that is more suitable and beneficial for the Dayaks in the immediate future after the political tsunami in May 2018.

This jerk move is a wakeup call of sorts – a Dayak dilemma, if you like.

Dayaks at the crossroads

The Dayaks in Sarawak are at the crossroads – wondering what the future holds for them as a group though possessing certain assets yet not knowing how to channel their energy for the benefit of a larger number to produce a political clout.

Unfortunately, the views of those opinion leaders present were limited by the constraint of time; time was allowed to dictate the proceedings of the conference. People from the floor with ideas to offer had not the time to elucidate them. It is high time we Dayaks learnt how to manage time itself.

The main objectives of the conference “were to provide a channel for Dayak experts to share their ideas and opinions on Dayak political roadmap, economic issues, and NCR development model based on current political scenario; to show Dayak grassroots’ capabilities to rise to the occasion to adapt, empower and encourage change for the community”.

Unfortunately, for those who have good ideas to offer there was some disappointment because they could not share their ideas and opinions, thus missing the chance to enjoy the healthy exchanges and the fertilisation of ideas and ideals.

But don’t worry. There will be another time and place for the expression of your ideas. Keep them fresh, not frozen.

Furthermore, one-day conference is like a swallow – one swallow does not make a Summer.

There will be many smaller swallows or swiftlets on the way.The important thing is to keep on talking together; perhaps, this time it is high time for more less talking but more time for more action; less rhetorical and less partisan politicking except in matters directly tied to electioneering. Off- election time is time for more non-partisan dialogue and debate.

In this vein, I propose that a National Dayak Economic Congress should be held.

During that time, let us talk more about Articles 153 of the federal constitution and Article 39 of the state constitution. We have neglected these constitutional provisions for 55 years! Revisit the affirmation programme for the Dayaks who have missed the boat for the past 55 years, if we are serious about our lack of political clout in Malaysia.

At the next conference, allow for ample time for people with good ideas for consideration and debate, please. Cross-fertilisation of ideas is vital; this was missing in the conference just concluded.

Meantime, do we stand by and watch how other people are partying?

For instance, shall we step in and dance with the others in a line to the rhythm of some loud music or dance solo like the ngajat following the rhythm of the ngkerumong and drum only?

This question was barely touched during this particular conference. A suggest for a political leaning or alignment for broad based multiracial politics for them was not fully debated. It came during the Q & A session which was supposed to go for two hours but was cut short in favour of some other matters – failure to see the woods for the trees.

The other topics relate to Economics and, invariably, the native land rights. Both matters were not fully discussed.

I was invited to the conference and had prepared a few notes on what I consider to be important issues along with my proposals for practical solutions, but I was unable to deliver them because of the constraint of time. However, I managed to get the green light later from the organiser that I could assemble a group for a brainstorming of my proposals at some future date.

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