Dayaks: Don’t Put Hope on The Police!

By A Concerned Iban

The recent incident in Sarikei where father and son were mercilessly attacked by loggers for asking them to stop logging their timber on their (NCR) land serves to confirm further that when it comes to NCR land issue, do not expect the police to care for you! THEY WON’T. And there are reported (and many unreported cases) to support that conclusion.

As reported, police report was made about the illegal logging. They even made report to Land and Survey Department.  

Was there any follow-up by the police and Land & Survey? Your guess is as good as mine. 

And funny enough, the 2 of them (as reported) are now being detained by the police for alleged trespassing! What a joke? The bashers got scot free; the victims got detained! 

Are there any policemen in Sarikei? Or are they all on leave? 

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/02/19/bashed-by-assailants-remanded-by-police/ 

Ulu Niah Murder Case 1999

Do you remember Batu Niah murder case in 1999 where 19 Ibans NCR landowners were charged for injuring and killing 7 “gangsters” employed by Sarawak Oil Palm to harass them? 

The landowners in compliance with the law made a number of police reports at Niah Police station about their land being encroached by SOP and also about gangsters who came to their longhouse to harass them. However their reports were never looked into by the police. Only the police and God knows why no action were taken! So the landowners were left with no choice but to put their lives on the line to defend their land! 

http://brimas.www1.50megs.com/Ulu_Niah_Murder_Trial_Begins.htm

Sebuyau Case

The Sebuyau Case is still fresh in our mind where landowners were treated in same manner. They were robbed of their land right under their own eyes. They made police report. But either the police could not do anything or they were not be bothered about doing anything primarily because the complainants are Dayak. And when the true intruders’ property were damaged, they (“intruders”) accused the landowners of the crime. And lo and behold, the police acted swiftly and arrested the landowners!

http://thebrokenshield.blogspot.com/search?q=numpang+suntai 
 

It sounds strange and illogical but it is true. That is the state of affair in Sarawak when it comes to the Dayak’s right. Anybody can trample on their rights with impunity! Nobody bothers! There are Dayak people in the BN government but perhaps they are mere politicians and not leaders. Someone says “Politicians are people who come to talk to you before election and promise you the sun and the moon and once elected, they slowly get blind, deaf and dumb (bdd) syndrome (per Dr John Brian); leaders are those who care and protect you even when you are asleep.”

Conclusion

Based on these incidents, it is safe to say that when it comes to NCR land issue which 99% of the time involve the Dayaks, the police  are either  slow to act or not taking action at all. A friend of mine casually joked that the police are but an extension of the land grabbers who usually employ gangsters to help them in running their activities. 

Datuk Idris Jala may be reviewing Home Ministry performance soon and there are indications that Hishamuddin will get good report because crime index is reported to go down! (not sure of how these numbers are crunched together). But it doesn’t make a difference to the Dayak in your home state here; they get maimed in protecting and asserting their rights over their land! 

It looks as if there are different sets of laws, one for the rest of the Malaysians and one is for the Dayaks. Other people can take and rob them of their property and even maim them and it is still not a crime, but when the Dayak defend their rights, the rest of the world and the police would be well and alive, arrest and charge them under any imaginable crime in CPC! 

I know nobody cares for us especially for those of us in longhouses and country side – even our fellow Dayaks who are up there, will not raise a finger to help you and me!

But the least I can do for now is to remind you that in so far as NCR land is concerned, do not expect the police nor Dayak YBs to come to your aid.

There is only one guy that you can hope for to help you in the hour of need and that is Baru Bian!

Baru, I know you don’t know me, but I want to say all the same, that I just hope that there are 10 other Baru Bians around, the Dayak will be better off than we are today.  

Tell me, who really cares for the state of affairs in Sarawak and her people?