MIRI: A number of Dayak-based non-governmental organisations (NGO) here are supportive of the proposal for a Dayak to be appointed the chairman of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) board of directors.
Wellie Henry Majang
Moreover, the chairmen of these NGOs agree that there are many academic figures from the community who would be suitable for the post.
“Referring to a statement by Lubok Antu MP Jugah Muyang in The Borneo Post, dated Jan 13 and headlined ‘Select new Unimas chairman from Dayak community’, we the Dayak-based NGOs fully support the suggestion,” these NGO leaders said in a joint press statement, issued yesterday by representatives of the NGOs.
They comprise the founder of Dayak Think Tank Group (DTTG) and Dayak Think Tank Association Sarawak (DTTAS) Wellie Henry Majang; DTTAS president Elias Lipi Mat; Dayak National Congress (DNC) president Paul Raja; Sarawak Iban Association (Pais) president Samuel Suring; Harapan Orang Asal Sarawak (Hoas) president Leighton Manjah; Society for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of Sarawak (Scrips) representative Micheal M Jok; Persatuan Balang Balai Nyabong (BBN) president Mengga Mikui; and Alum Besai Dayak Association Selangor (ABD) president Luang Janbi Munan.
Elias Lipi Mat
“We fully support the suggestion by Lubok Antu MP Jugah Muyang, who has suggested qualified a Dayak, such as Prof Dr Jayum Jawan, an academic figure and deputy dean (Graduate Studies) of Faculty of Human Ecology of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), for the position.
“Before this Prof Jayum, 56, had served overseas as the 15th holder of the Tun Abdul Razak Chair at the Ohio University in the US. Currently he is the deputy chairman for the Cluster Security Political and International Affairs, National Council of Professors,” said the statement, which also listed Prof Ilan Mersat and Prof Madeline Berma as worthy candidates for the Unimas chairmanship.
In his argument, Wellie regarded this issue as ‘not something sensitive’, but the policies implemented by the government under the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration previously, ‘had made it somewhat sensitive’.
Mengga Mikui
“Such unhealthy and unfair policies should be reviewed by the present federal and state governments.
“We fully agree with the state government that the Unimas chairman should be appointed from among local Sarawakians,” he said, adding that it was impossible for Sarawak to not have even one qualified candidate among the 2.7 million Sarawakians.
“We also hope that the government would give such opportunity to scholars from other ethnic groups to lead this institution of higher learning.”
In his remarks, Elias called upon the two Dayak deputy chief ministers – Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing – to bring the matter to the Sarawak Cabinet for discussion.
In concurring with this, Mengga said: “It is our hope to see scholars from the Dayak community lead a university like Unimas, which Sarawakians are very proud of.”