Sarawak, the land that many Malaysians envy
That’s why when netizens wished that Adenan were prime minister, my inside laughed because they were really saying what I have been saying to myself – that the chief minister is more than the menteris besar and the governor more than the sultans.
Jimmy Adit, The Ant Daily
I could not help feeling good when I read how netizens wished Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem were (sorry guys, as much as I would want to be optimistic I cannot see that to happen, thus the ‘were’) Malaysia’s prime minister.
Nonetheless, I believe Sarawakians will agree with me, being chief minister of Sarawak is not the Malaya kind of menteris besar. It is really far bigger than that. In fact, I have been meaning to tell my Malayan friends that we in Sarawak do not often keep the mobile numbers of our chief minister and governor. Only their close friends and relatives do. If you and I must call them, it has to be through their personal assistants. That’s not only fair and proper but these two offices are highly regarded and deserve the highest of respects. Strangers may argue to the contrary but before you do, just read on.
Malaysians who are not Sarawakians, but still respect them for who they are, sure envy the people of the Land of the Hornbill now.
They envy them for belonging to a state that has what a whole nation aspires for – oneness.
In a country where political parties are founded on race and religion, and their continued domination over others depends on making other races and religions their subject of hate and abomination, the 1Malaysia slogan rings hollow.
There simply cannot be a 1Malaysia when Chinese are labelled as “pendatang”, Christians are told how not to call their God Allah and the core element upon which the nation was founded, the Malaysia Agreement, is never fulfilled.
1Malaysia will never be if certain Malaysians are made to look like they are above the laws of the land and allowed to say all they want without an iota of human decency.
Remember George Orwell’s Animal Farm? Malaysia must not be allowed to go the Animal Farm way where commandments were made and amended to suit those in power until the ultimate maxim was arrived at: All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
All Malaysians must be treated as equals, not just in law but in their everyday life. They must be made to feel they are being treated as equals for 1Malaysia to flourish. It is on this score that Sarawakians are the envy of most Malaysians.
Sarawakians don’t call each other “pendatang”. Yes, we are Dayaks, Malays, Chinese, even Javanese, but most of all we are Sarawakians.
Within the Dayak groupings are scores of sub-groups (Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu), tribes (Sebuyau and Balau in the case of the Ibans; Sadong and Biatah – Bidayuh; Kayan and Penan – Orang Ulu) as are the Malays (Melanau and Mirek Jati) and the Chinese (Foochow and Teochew). All this may look confusing to a stranger, but to Sarawakians, this is where the pride and wealth of a state lies.
In Sarawak, colour and skin differences, mosques, churches and temples, wearing the songkok and kebaya, and the languages are no barrier to friendship. This is why Sarawakians of all races and religions respond well to open houses during Gawai, Hari Raya and Chinese New Year, even Deepavali. This is also why no Sarawakian speaks just one language, besides Bahasa Malaysia and English that is.
