Why so Racist?

Saturday, July 25th, 2009
PRS Batang Ai Youth plans protest against Hadi with PAS flag-burning
By Saibi Gi and Raynore Mering

KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Batang Ai Youth is planning to torch Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) flags in a show of protest in Engkilili town tomorrow.

Its deputy chief Edwin Raoh said they were very angry with the disparaging remarks made by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang about Batang Ai voters recently.

“His statement insults the dignity of the Iban people. We are very upset and we are very offended. We are planning to burn PAS flags,” he said yesterday.

He hoped that with the burning of the flags, the people of Lubok Antu and Engkilili would realise how opposition leaders really saw them.

Hadi said in a report in Malaysiakini on July 11 that the opposition lost in the Batang Ai by-election because the voters did not know how to vote and they were still wearing ‘cawat’ (loincloth).

Also reacting to the remark was PRS information chief Richard Wil Uban who wanted to know the stand of Dayak leaders in Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), specifically Ngemah assemblyman Gabriel Adit Demong and former Lubok Antu MP Jawah Gerang.

He said that Hadi must surely know that Adit and Jawah are Ibans and yet he still made such derogatory comments about members of the community.

“I feel demoralised and looked down upon. We have been in Malaysia for 45 years and they are still talking about us as if we are cavemen.

“But what are Adit and Jawah going to do now that their friend in Pakatan Rakyat (Hadi) has insulted their dignity and the dignity of the Ibans as a whole? What do they have to say?” he asked.

Adit and Jawah could not be reached for comments yesterday. PAS, PKR, Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Sarawak National Party are members of Pakatan in Sarawak.

Wil added that voters had the right to vote for whoever they chose and no one should think that those who supported the government or Barisan Nasional (BN) did so blindly.

“Voting is every eligible Malaysian’s right. I can vote for the opposition if I want to. But I vote for the government not because I am a fool.

“It is those people who vote for the opposition even when they have been receiving assistance from the government of the day who are fools,” he said.

He pointed out that he spent five days in Engkari to help campaign for the BN during the Batang Ai by-election and every longhouse along the Engkari river had tiled corridors, flush toilets and other amenities.

“Where are the people wearing ‘cawat’ there? If Hadi doesn’t believe me, ask our Deputy Prime Minister (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) who visited the place during the by-election.

“But I wish to say this to all Dayaks of Sarawak, if we are marginalised it is because of people’s ignorance of our existence,” said Wil.

PRS secretary general Datuk Wilfred Nissom, meanwhile, said as far as he could see, no one cast their votes in their loincloths during the by-election.

At the same time, he said there were not many spoilt votes so it must mean that the people there knew how to vote.

“Actually, I think that the people in Batang Ai are very smart because they know what a constituency under PAS or Pakatan is like. They have seen the level of development in Permatang Pauh, so they decided to vote for the best, and that’s BN,” said Nissom.

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