‘Devt of Dayak community central to PRS’

Majang Renggi

KUCHING: Dayak development is central to Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), said its vice-president Majang Renggi.

“We can no longer afford to lag or drift further behind. So it’s very timely that PRS must push for this agenda ever more so now that Vision 2020 is fast approaching,” Majang told The Borneo Post here yesterday.

He concurred with Assistant Minister of Culture and Heritage Liwan Lagang’s statement recently that PRS wanted fairness for Dayak community.

Majang opined that an affirmative action must be taken to fast-track the development of the Dayak community, which after 50 years of independence is still lagging far behind in the social hierarchy.

“We must be reminded that racial disparity has many negative implications and repercussions. It must be corrected and addressed adequately. As such, proactive actions must be taken to help this community,” Majang reiterated.

“Let’s apply the notion of ‘positive’ discrimination in favour of the Dayak community in the government’s policy implementations, be it in business opportunity, employment opportunity or education.

“Last month Prime Minister (Datuk Seri) Najib Tun Razak announced the Bumiputera Economic Empowerment Agenda (BEEA). The question is how much will this initiative translate to ‘real’ development or betterment of the Dayak community who are part of the Bumiputera in Malaysia,” asked Majang.

“PRS is concerned and would like to participate in discussions on its policy implementation. At our party level, we will form a task force to look into this,” he said.

Recently, Liwan who is the new Youth Chief of PRS, had said the youth wing would like to see equal opportunity in education, business, civil service and most importantly basic amenities given to the Dayak community in Sarawak.

He added that since the community had been lagging behind other races in the last 50 years, it was about time that the community be given due attention and recognition.

“We have just celebrated our 50th anniversary of independence but in as far as the Dayak community in Sarawak is concerned we are lagging in many fields be it in business, civil service, education and even the most basic amenities like roads, electricity and water supplies.

“What is very frustrating is that we have been the ‘fixed deposit’ for the BN government all these while but we are not getting our dues. So PRS Youth would like the government to give the Dayak community equal opportunities like other progressive races in this country,” Liwan said.-theborneopost.