KUCHING: The failure of the Dayak Consultative Council (DCC) seminar organised by the DAP in Siburan last Sunday afternoon has prompted several state BN leaders to advise the opposition party to forget about bringing their brand of politics to the rural or semi-rural areas.
The seminar had Dr John Brian Anthony, chairman of DCC, as main speaker and state DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng and secretary Chong Chieng Jen as supporting speakers. Also present at the event to lend moral support were DCC members Edward Luak and Ben Diomedes
As only a few people turned up, the DAP had to convert the seminar into a press conference attended by six reporters, mostly from the Chinese press. There were about 80 empty seats at the venue.
The failure was a massive blow to the Chinese-based opposition party’s effort to penetrate the rural areas. John Brian had flown all the way from Kuala Lumpur, hoping to deliver his speech in front of a full house audience.
Ho Leng, the Sibu MP and Bukit Assek assemblyman, explained that the people in Siburan had other commitments and that was why they could not attend the so called non-political Dayak seminar.
The Borneo Post asked state BN leaders on what they thought about this ill-fated seminar.
Bengoh assemblyman Dr Jerip Susil, who is also Assistant Minister of Public Health, said: “They (DAP) are trying to penetrate Bengoh, but the people are not keen on their brand of politics.”
Dr Jerip’s comment was echoed by another elected representative of a rural constituency, Lubok Antu MP William Nyallau Badak.
Nyallau, who is also PRS vice president, said: “This means that the majority of the Dayaks have no faith or confidence in the DCC, formed by the DAP to champion their cause or people’s grouses, as the opposition can only talk and talk. But at the end of the day nothing is being done.”
State BN secretary-general Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said the DAP must not underestimate the Dayak political maturity.
He said the party was only interested in using the Dayak to achieve their dream of ruling Sarawak.
“I am very sure there is no sincerity in them to bring progress for the Dayak community. The cancellation of the recent seminar because of poor response from the Dayak community is an indication of a ‘No Go’ for DAP into Dayak areas,” said Dr Rundi, who is also Kemena assemblyman and PBB secretary-general.
Asajaya assemblyman Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who is also Assistant Minister of Youth, said the poor show for the seminar was a clear indication of the Bumiputera’s rejection of DAP and DAP’s chauvinistic politics.
DAP politics, he said, was divisive and dangerous to Sarawak and Dr John Brian should have known better.
Meanwhile, PBB Batu Kawah chairman Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim said Sarawakians in general had matured and figured out that the opposition only knew how to find faults in BN or only good in giving negative feedback, but not in providing realistic solutions or solving problems.
“Every time BN comes up with an initiative that is good for the rakyat in general, they would say it’s because they (opposition) initiated, suggested or pressured the BN to do it.
“We, in BN, know that the power is from the people and by the people. It is not our right, but our duty to serve for the common good of the people as fairly as possible,” he said.
Ahmad opined that the seminar’s cancellation due to a poor turnout was because the Bidayuh there were not interested with DAP’s propaganda and efforts to instigate the Bidayuh to reject progress brought by the government.
The area (Padawan/Tarat) has a federal deputy minister in Datuk Dr James Dawos and a state assistant minister Dr Jerip Susil in Bengoh, he said.
Further up country, in Serian, Datuk Richard Riot is also a deputy federal minister, he added.
“The Bidayuh are grateful people so they rejected and demanded the opposition to stay away and leave them alone.”
Land Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing said he had always maintained that DAP policies and philosophy were targeted more to the Chinese urban voters.
“The failed seminar in Siburan, a semi-urban area, is a case in point,” said Masing, who is PRS president and Baleh assemblyman.
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