Baru: People come last for ‘me first’ elite
Sarawak, being rich and vast, her wealth should be harvested and enjoyed by all the people on a more equal footing.
KUCHING: Sarawak PKR Chief Baru Bian, in a “Gayu Guru, Gerai Nyamai” message — Iban for Wishing you a Happy Gawai Dayak — said his thoughts this June 1 are on the state of the nation, not so much on the Harvest Festival.
Foremost, said Baru who is also Ba’ Kelalan Assemblyman, “is the scandalous plundering of the country’s wealth by the ruling elite with no apparent consequences”.
Then, he added, there was the huge inequality in income and unequal distribution of wealth in the country.
The recent exposure of inequality in the civil service in Sarawak was still being debated in the social media, said Baru, in pointing out a third factor. “There’s so much unhappiness and discontentment among Sarawakians that the civil service does not reflect the demography of the state.”
“All the above are inconsistent with the spirit of ‘ngumum’.”
“Ngumum” is a Lun Bawang word for “gotong royong” (working together and helping each other).
Whereas “ngumum” was also about looking out for each other, besides helping each other, reiterated Baru, “what’s happening in this country reveals that those in positions of authority practise looking out for themselves first.”
“The welfare of the rest was secondary, if at all.”
This Gawai, in the midst of these developments, there appears to be no good reason to celebrate the festive joy, confessed Baru. “Yet, I want to remain hopeful.”
Under the”ngumum” concept, he stressed, it’s the people’s willingness and ability to work together that makes the difference and leads to the success of the villagers. “So, it’s in the country, where the power to bring about change in the government lies in the people’s will and desire.”
“The result of the recent Sarawak election gives us much food for thought.”
The question that arises, agreed Baru, was whether the people were going to allow “the injustices and selfishness of the present regime to continue”.
He wonders whether the people are willing to rise up together, in the spirit of “ngumum”, come GE14 in 2018, to bring about change. “Sarawak is rich and vast. Her wealth should be harvested and enjoyed by all Sarawakians on a more equal footing,” he argued. “It’s up to the people to come together to make this happen.”
One of the traditions of the natives of Sarawak was “gotong-royong”, the customary concept of working together, and helping one another to finish the farming activities in the village.
At the village level, explained Baru, the “ngumum” concept of working together was practised. “Every family unit/bilek in the village was able to complete their respective farming activities in time.”
“None was burdened to finish the work on their own.”
The concept also inculcates the spirit of working together and supporting one another when in need, so that every one was happy, he elaborated. “They can expect a good harvest at the end of the farming period.”
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Thanks to “ngumum”, he said, no one has to beg for food and no one was in need. “The villagers look forward together to celebrating a good harvest. They bergawai (celebrate).”