The diverse minority Kenyah community in the state were told in no uncertain term to be united in order to play a significance role in the development of the country.
“We must move in unison as one united association in order to be able to do great things. We must refrain from infighting among ourselves. We must give our full support to our association because the moment we go our separate ways we create walls between ourselves,” said the deputy minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan.
He said this at the Sarawak Kenyah Cultural Festival dinner at the Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club last night.
Present were Pujut assemblyman Andy Chia, the organising chairman Marcus Gau Lian, the association president councillor Simpson Njock Lenjau,the Miri Resident Datuk Ose Murang, the Miri District Officer Abdul Aziz Yusuf, Datin Winnie Jolly the wife of Jacob, Penan community leader Datuk Hassan Sui, several Kenyah community leaders both from Baram and Belaga like Penghulu Paul Kalang, Penghulu Theodorious Lenjau Kuleh and Penghulu Danny Ebang.
The dinner organised by the Kenyah National Association (PKKS) marked the closing of a three-day festival which saw more than 800 guests attending.
The festival itself, a combination of cultural and traditional games competition between the seven branches of the association saw a participation of nearly a thousand people taking part in the first ever Kenyah festival with the theme The Spirit, Pride and Patriotism of Usun Apau.
Jacob, himself a Kenyah from Long Anap, is the only Kenyah holding the highest political post for the community. He was appointed by the Prime Minister after the last general election after successfully defending the Baram seat,a predominantly Orang Ulu constituency for the third time for the Barisan Nasional.
The Kenyah tribe, unlike the other indigenous groups in the state is as diverse as the more than twenty ethnic groups, divided along dialectic groups. As a consequence, there is a tendency to be parochial within the community.
“United we stand, Divided we fall. We must be like a team of paddlers in a boat that must paddle the boat in unison toward a common destination. For example, if a few paddlers start to paddle against the direction of the boat, the boat will not move forward and neither will it reach its desired destination,” said Jacob.
“Then we must ask ourselves, what is the way forward for our community? That is where the association must sit down to discuss and chart the way forward for the community. We must not forget we are part of a bigger community the Malaysian society at large and we have a role to play in nation building,” he added.
During the dinner the deputy minister was given the honour to launch the PKKS Education Fun thereafter announcing a donation of RM20,000. Yesterday, another Orang Ulu politician, the Telang Usan assemblyman Lihan Jok pledged a donation of RM15,000 after launching the beachton, a fund raising effort toward the Education Fund.
Besides donating toward the Education Fund Jacob, being the patron of the festival, also announced a donation of RM8,000 to the organising committee for hosting the festival.
Other guests who were moved spontaneously to donate toward the Education Fund during the dinner were Datin Winnie, Hassan Sui, Dora Kalang, and a prominent Kelabit doctor Dr. Roland Dom Mattu who pledged RM1,000 each.
Chia pledged a donation of RM3,000 to the Education Fund.
The total donation collected during the dinner for the fund was RM29,176.
Jacob said education must continue to be the top priority of the association in its struggle to assist the community to elevate its socio-economic status in a competitive and globalised society.
“It is hoped that through this Education Fund we can take the initiative to lend a helping hand to our children without having to wait for aid from the government or other sources,” said Jacob.
Meanwhile, 22-year old Veronica Usun Jok from Long Moh was crowned the Bungan Lisu in the first ever Kenyah beauty contest beating eleven other contestants,walking away with cash prize RM800, a trophy, a beauty set and a certificate. First runner up was Serrlyn Bungan Nyurang and second runner up was Priscilla Nadin, each walking away with RM600 and RM400 respectively besides a trophy and a beauty set and a certificate each.
The overall champions for the cultural and the traditional games competitions was PKKS Asap Belaga and PKKS Bintulu respectively. Each walked away with a challenge trophy.ENDS.
Caption: WARRIOR DANCE: Jacob displaying his Ngajet Lasan-the traditional Kenyah dance-skill to the dinner guests as a way of officiating the dinner.
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