The Family Minister vs. the Feminist: German Women at War

They are perhaps the most high-profile women in Germany after Chancellor Angela Merkel: Kristina Schröder, the young, glamorous minister for families, women and pensioners, and Alice Schwarzer, the seasoned feminist intellectual and campaigner. And they're embroiled in an unseemly, vitriolic war of words over sex, the role of women and feminism. Played out in the mass media, the slanging match is providing titillating fodder for the press — but many German women fear it is also undermining their ongoing struggle for equality.

It all started when Schröder — at 33 the youngest member of Merkel's cabinet — attacked the 1970s feminist movement, telling Der Spiegel news magazine on Nov. 7 that early feminism "overlooked the fact that partnership and children can provide happiness." The conservative minister, who's known for her prim and proper attire, went on to say: "For me, emancipation will only be truly reached if a woman can wear make-up and skirts without having her abilities doubted as a result." (See Merkel in TIME's top 10 female leaders.)

Then Schröder took a dig at Schwarzer, 67, Germany's doyenne of feminism, claiming that many of Schwarzer's theories were too radical: "For example, that heterosexual sex was hardly possible without the subjugation of women." She added: "It is absurd if something that is fundamental for humanity and its survival should be defined per se as subjugation. That would mean that society can't carry on without the subjugation of women."

The comments provoked a fast and furious response from Schwarzer, author of the 1975 bestseller The Little Difference and Its Big Consequences and publisher of the feminist magazine Emma, who on Nov. 8 posted a fiery open letter on her website accusing the minister of "incompetence." Schwarzer couldn't resist pointing out that it was only thanks to the feminist movement that women like Schröder had managed to climb up the career ladder. And in a personal gibe, the feminist icon said the minister was "simply unsuitable" for the job, having failed, Schwarzer claimed, to introduce any policies to improve the rights of women and families in Germany since she was appointed last year: "Chancellor [Merkel] appointed you ... and whatever her motive was, it couldn't have been competence or empathy for women." (See a profile of Angela Merkel.)

Schwarzer's letter, which was published by the mass-market daily Bild, also slammed Schröder's initiative to help boys perform better at school and her reluctance to introduce quotas for women in leadership roles, despite the fact that out of 185 board members listed on the DAX stock index, only four are women.

After concluding that Schröder was a "hopeless case," Schwarzer delivered another personal blow: "The only exciting news to come out of your ministry this year was your name-change." (Schröder traded in her maiden name, Koehler, after getting married in February. Schröeder hit back, telling Bild on Nov. 9 that she thought it was a "pity" that Schwarzer had personally attacked her.(Comment on this story.)

As the heated exchanges between the two women grabbed headlines, female commentators worried that the row would have damaging consequences for gender equality and would only serve to divide the women's movement in Germany. "These two are arguing over who's the best woman or feminist, but the real debate should be focused on measures to break through the glass ceiling and help women in the workplace," says Marion Bredebusch, psychologist and gender equality expert. "Germany is still a man's world and when men see women bickering over petty things, they'll only say 'Here they go again bitching.'" (See more on past tensions within Germany's government.)

Women politicians in the opposition ranks were quick to use the row to score political points. The leader of Germany's resurgent Green Party, Claudia Roth, accused the family minister of "disparaging" feminism, telling the paper Die Süeddeutsche that up until now Schröder hasn't "provided any incentives for equal opportunities [for women]." Roth urged the minister to adopt "modern" policies for women, including getting more women into leadership roles, helping them juggle careers and kids, and closing the pay gap between the sexes. (A recent study found that German women earn up to 25% less than their male counterparts, and Germany is on the bottom rung of Europe's equal-pay ladder). But Silvana Koch-Mehrin, a member of the Free Democratic Party, one of Merkel's junior coalition partners, stepped in to defend the embattled minister: "I think Frau Schröder is right. We've moved beyond the classical definition of feminism."

When TIME approached the Family Ministry and Schwarzer's office for statements, they declined to comment and simply referred back to their previous remarks. It seems both women have decided to lay down their swords — at least for now.

POSTER MPP

RETHINKING OUR “PALAU” CULTURE

Pengawa “Palau” sigi nadai ngemai pemansang tauka pengidup meruan: True or False?

Most of us like to have a nice casual drink hours when we go out with our friends of an evening, and enjoy that merry feeling that comes after a few pints, when everything we say sounds like the most intelligent thing that’s ever been uttered, and everyone is, like, our best friend, ever.

And while there’s nothing wrong with having a couple of pints or a nice glass of beer/wine, there’s little doubt that too much of a good thing is bad for us. I always doubt a drunker would ever remember what he/she say or do they are under influence of alcohol.

It aren’t good for both young and old health, it leaves our wallets scarily lighter (wasn’t there a couple of fifty Ringgit notes in there before I went out last night?? For it could have been used for good deeds: future education needs, leverage saving, investment, insurances, nice clothing/snickers which you could wear everyday, etc), and those boozy sessions can result in a whole heap of embarrassment, with photographic evidence we’d just as soon never existed.

So find out what’s okay, what’s not, and protect your health, your hard earned money, your own safety, and don’t leave your loved ones behind unprepared. Just think of that for awhile whenever you think of that “Cap Apek”, “Ms Stella Atois”, “Mr Chivas Regal” and so on….

This is a state of creating awareness that alcoholism is bad for you, you family and most of all your community. I haven’t heard a drunker become the champion of others except for him/herself. What if you were caught in a candid camera or in reality TV show; I’m sure you might feel ashamed of what you done “yesterday”?

I don’t foresee you or anybody would look “beautiful”…. If you think “old drinking culture” brings goodness to you and/or your family or community then drink for your success, glory and achievement!

So tell me the basics… What is alcohol, and how does it affect me?

Alcohol is a depressant drug (yup, a drug), that slows down your body functions, both physically and mentally. Explaining why your reactions aren’t as fast after a few drinks, why your inhibitions are lowered, why your speech becomes slurred, and why you wake up the next morning with no recollection of how you got home. It’s likely to make you feel down (it being a depressant, and all), especially if you felt blue before you started, but can exaggerate an existing mood. So if you felt a bit aggressive or hyper before you got going, this will probably be magnified significantly after downing a few drinks.

What causes the raging hangover you get the very next day?

Your body’s instinctive reaction to alcohol is to try to flush it out of your system, resulting in dehydration. It also irritates the lining of your stomach; causing the nausea and vomiting that are such an awful part of the morning after.

To reduce the effects of a hangover, make sure you’ve eaten enough before you go out (that notion of ‘lining your stomach’ is not a bad one), and during the night, alternate booze with a soft drink (if you’re worried about getting slugged – which you SHOULDN’T be, but that’s another issue – then just don’t tell anyone there’s no Bacardi in your Bacardi and coke), and drink a big glass of water or good “teh si peng” or “teh tarik” or “black coffee” when you get home.

But remember, the only cure for a hangover is time. It takes your body a full hour to remove one standard drink from your system, no matter what you do. The coffee, the full breakfast or the cold shower might perk you up a bit, but you’ll be a caffeinated, well fed, clean and shiny drunk!

And why is it a bad idea to mix alcohol with other drugs?

Well, alcohol, being a depressant, is dangerous when you mix it with another depressant (which a variety of prescription and illegal drugs can be), as it can slow your body’s functioning to a point that can lead to organ failure. Combined with a stimulant, alcohol can lead to increased blood pressure, anxiety, confusion, aggression and paranoia.

The effects of certain over the counter drugs, like cough and cold remedies, painkillers, antihistamines and travel sickness pills, can be enhanced by drinking alcohol, even hours after taking them, so you’ll feel even drowsier, and your concentration and coordination will go down the plughole.

Alcohol can also interact with a wide variety of herbal supplements, so avoid these while drinking, especially Echinacea, chamomile and valerian, which cause serious drowsiness and/or sedation when combined with drink. “Enti ka panjai umor badu ngirup; Enti ka padam seput jampat agi anang nagang diri ngirup…”

So what’s too much alcohol?

First of all, you need to know how much you’re drinking – there can be a world of difference between the size of the glass of wine you’d pour yourself at home and the glass you’d get in the pub. And your gender counts too – unfortunately, basic biology means that girls can’t drink as much as boys (damn biology!).

Remember too that’s it not the volume of liquid you drink, it’s the percentage of alcohol that’s in it. One standard drink is considered to have 10 grams of pure alcohol. Even different brands of the same type of drink – different wines or beers, for instance – will have different percentages of alcohol in them. It’s a fantastic resource for calculating exactly how much alcohol is in your favorite drink.

But basically, experts advise that up to 14x standard drinks per week for a woman and 21x for a man is fairly safe. Unfortunately, you can’t save these all up for one “mad drinking splurge” at the weekend or happy hours.

NOTES: Our bodies just can’t process all that alcohol all at once and you should really only have 1 or 2 drinks in one go, if you’re a girl, and 2 or 3, if you’re a boy. Anything above this is considered unsafe, and is damaging to your health. You should also ensure that you have at least a couple of alcohol-free days during the course of the week. If you drink beyond your standard, you may be a target of a known “predator”? Beware too… “haruan makan haruan”…

What are the risks in drinking too much?

* It might not seem likely, but you can become dependent on alcohol, or alcoholic
* It can interfere with your sex life, causing erectile difficulties in men
* It can cause stomach problems, such as ulcers or stomach ulcers
* It can cause a nice little thing called pancreatitis, that results in severe abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting
* Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to liver disease
* An increased risk of certain cancers or other unforeseen diseases
* Mood changes
* Alcohol poisoning can lead to coma, brain damage and death

And that’s just the damage to your body. Other risks include:

* Alcohol’s interference with your functioning increases your vulnerability to fights, unprotected sex and sexual assault, getting robbed, or having an injury or serious accident (like a car crash).
* You are more likely to suffer relationship difficulties while drinking to excess
* You risk getting into trouble with the enforcement officers/authorities, and ending up with a criminal record

Remember, you don’t have to be an alcoholic to harm yourself or others – just one binge drinking session is all it takes to put yourself in danger. Favorite Dayak Lama’s words: “nama nuan ka ngemai bebukut pia…”/ “apooo…bajik amat indai blues nya madik….”/ “ehh….anang mayoh jako nuan wai, kitu tua belalai sulu….”/ “babi makai kita…ai bisa irup kita…”

And you should NOT drink in any of the following circumstances:

* If you are pregnant or think you might be
* If you are taking certain medications (check with your doctor)
* If you are driving, operating machinery, playing sports, seminar, official ceremonial or doing anything that requires coordination or unimpaired judgment

So how do you know if your drinking culture is becoming a problem?

You don’t have to be an alcoholic for drink to start causing problems in your life. If any of the following are true, you might want to have a closer look at how much your drinking culture has affect you and why? And maybe take a bit of a break from the booze for a while.

* You drink to forget about your problems, or conquer your shyness or anxiety
* You drink over the recommended amount on a regular basis
* You find it difficult to stop drinking once you start, even if you don’t drink too often
* You are secretive about drinking
* You suffer from memory loss or blackouts after drinking
* You feel guilty about drinking
* Drinking interferes with your ability to do the things you usually do, or should do, like going to work or interview or examination/test or college and/or even school
* Drinking starts to disrupt other areas of your life, like your relationships with family or friends, your finances, your health or your behavior and/or financial status

What to do in an emergency… If someone you’re with is very drunk

* Stay with them, and do not allow them to have any more alcohol
* Keep them warm
* Get them home safely and do not just bundle them into a taxi on their own
* If they pass out, put them into the recovery position (on their side, with the top leg bent, the top arm bent across the chest, with the palm of the hand under the cheek). Never move anyone with a suspected spinal injury
* Call an ambulance or ask someone else to do it

But how can I have fun without drinking?!

It can be difficult to go booze free, especially as our Dayak Lama Culture often centers in the “ruai of rumahpanjai” and/or around the pub either during the festive holiday or “election fiesta”. Ask your friends to support your decision, and not to give you too much of a hard time if you’re enjoying a soft drink in the pub. If they just won’t quit, tell them to “F-off”.

If pubs aren’t your thing anyway, there are lots of other things you can do. Put your persuasive hat on and ask your friends to try out some of your hobbies, whatever they might be.

But if you do take such drink

* Don’t forget your dinner! Fill your belly with carbohydrates like rice, noodles and bread. Yummy!
* Don’t be in a hurry! Remember – your liver can only remove one standard drink from your body an hour.
* Think water, and drink water! While you drink, and after. Also pace yourself with lots of soft drinks.
* Avoid drinking games, or competitive drinking! Maybe fun now, but you’ll pay the price later. Try not avoiding rounds too, or limiting them to just one or two friends. If others in a round are drinking faster than you’re comfy with, just slow down, or opt out of the round altogether.
* Never accept drinks from strangers, no matter how good-looking they are, and remember that the reason they might look so great anyway might be all down to the beer goggles! And you’re hardly drop dead gorgeous yourself when you’re drop down drunk.
* Don’t leave your drink unattended either… if you leave one on the bar while you go to the loo, ditch it and buy a new one.
* And remember to plan how you’re going to get home before you start drinking. Keep your taxi numbers in a safe place, along with some cash to pay for your cab.

If you’re a soccer star extraordinaire or just an occasional jogger/hiker, get the low down on how alcohol can affect your performance with our guide,

Having a drink is a big part of Dayak Lama’s culture and social life. So is sport and exercise. For most adults/youths, enjoying alcohol in moderation as part of a healthy lifestyle shouldn’t cause any problems.

Of course many people enjoy a drink when they are socializing as alcohol can help you relax. There are many good health, family and social reasons why you may decide not to drink. If you choose not to drink alcohol either as a lifestyle choice or on any particular occasion, people should support you in this and you shouldn’t feel pressured to drink by your team mates.

One Standard Drink: A glass of stout/lager/cider (284ml) or a small glass of tuak/wine (100ml) or a pub measure of spirit (35.5ml)

Change our Dayak Lama “ngirup” culture first

If we want Change then change this old traditional “ngirup” culture first! There is no such thing as “enti ka ngirup, ngirup mimit-mimit aja tau”…. And I do believe there’s no such thing as “one for the road” too. Societies that believe in promoting “bad drinking culture” are normally the loser and usually faced with backwardness. Alcohol win but you’re looser!

Conclusion

To the Iban and/or bansa Dayak in general, kindly rethink your old “ngirup” heritage culture. Used alternative drink to welcome your honorable guest and/or promoting a toast. We’re already living a change of modernization or a Dayak Baru civilization. I know Iban/Dayaks are known for their bravery as the great “headhunters’ but they’re also great “pemabuk” too! You no warrior if you’re alcoholic.

Lastly, from me: Teach your children to drink alcohol; you train them to become a professional drinker one day. Teach your children to save money; you help them to build their own wealth one day. To become prosper like others, you have to learn from their success culture and/or stories.

Not just Change the political arena but Change your old alcoholistic culture too. I started yesterday and how about you? Good luck!

Kenyataan Naib Yang Dipertua PERMAS

Kepada ahli-ahli PERMAS & BAKSAR, saya berharap anda semua bertenang terutama dalam isu POSTING yang hangat dikatakan. Semalam saya sempat mengadakan perjumpaan dengan TNC Akademik & Antarabangsa UPSI, Prof Dr. Zakaria Kasa berkenaan dengan isu ini. Beliau telah menjelaskan bahawa beliau hanya ingin mengingatkan kepada pelajar sahaja kemungkinan kalaui berlaku masalah ini kelak, para pelajar UPSI sudah bersedia menghadapinya. Prof. Zakaria turut menyatakan bahawa tidak ada mana-mana pekeliling daripada KPM berkaitan penanguhan atau pembekuan posting kepada pelajar di IPTA atau mana-mana institusi. Beliau juga menyeru kepada bakal graduan terutama semester 7 supaya merebut peluang yang ditawarkan oleh UPSI untuk menyambung pelajaran ke peringkat MASTER dan kemudian PHD sebagai satu langkah untuk memajukan pelajar dan mengukuhkan lagi peluang pekerjaan pelajar-pelajar nanti. Menurut beliau, Universiti juga menawarkan semakin banyak peluang untuk menyambung pelajaran ke peringkat MASTER dan PHD. Saya berharap semua pihak bertenang dan sekiranya ingin mengetahui lebih lanjut, bolehlah bertemu dengan saya untuk penjelasan lebih lanjut.

* Pada 29 HB OKtober 2009, Jabatan Sejarah akan mengadakan Majlis Anugerah Dekan dan dijangka dirasmikan oleh TNC Akademik & Antarabangsa. Sesiapa yang berminat menjadi AJK Perlaksana Majlis bolehlah menghubungi saya dan anda dialu-alukan menjadi AJK Perlaksana. Sijil akan diberikan.

"Mahasiswa Didahulukan, Kebajikan Diutamakan, Kualiti Dimartabatkan"

Sekian.,
Samuel Sila Mathew Unjah
Naib Yang Dipertua PERMAS
Setiausaha Agung BAKSAR

The Way I see It: Keyword is implementation

I DO not know how Malaysians would look at the targets set by the government in improving the six National Key Results Area as unveiled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak recently.

The six areas are reduction of crime rate, combating corruption, widening access to affordable and quality education, raising the living standard of the poor, improving infrastructure in rural areas and improving public transport in the medium term.

It reminds me of the pledge made by former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to combat corruption, incorporate good governance, restore safety and security and improve the delivery services by the civil service when he took over from his predecessor, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2003.

This immediately led the BN to an impressive outing in the 2004 general election where it garnered 198 out of the 219 seats contested, the best ever result achieved by the ruling coalition.

But four years down the road in 2008, the BN coalition suffered its worst electoral outing when it lost its two-third majority in Parliament and five states (now four states) to Pakatan Rakyat, a loosely formed opposition coalition led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

This was very much due to many factors, chief among them was the failure of Pak Lah to deliver many of the promises he made after taking over the premiership.

And now that Najib had come out with similar promises immediately after his 100th day in office, how would Malaysians perceive it and how confident are we that the new government led by the son of our second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak would be able to achieve those targets?

Kudos of course must be given to Najib for doing away with the 30 per cent Bumiputera equity which has won accolades from ma-ny of us, including foreign investors who found it not conducive to invest in the country in the past.

I must say the things which were unveiled by the prime minister from the day he took office until now should not be seen by BN politicians as something they can rely on to win votes in any coming election.

For one, Malaysians over the years have grown well aware that many of the promises made by these politicians end up unimplemented or unachievable and become another lip service, resulting in many of us casting doubts on whether the targets will remain yet another rhetoric.

Secondly, the new Malaysians are made up of those who are well travelled and well read and thus their views on many things may not be in sync with many of our politicians who have come of age.

Cases like the Lingam tape, the murder of a Mongolian model, Perak constitutional crisis, PKFZ case and the death of DAP’s Teoh Beng Hock have given doubts to many Malaysians as they left more questions than answers.

Malaysians are demanding answers for all these, which have yet forthcoming due to weak implementation.

The point is this - for a government to rule effectively and efficiently, it must receive the confidence and support of the people lest it be unable to convince them, despite policies made in good faith and for their benefit.

Whether what has been done or formulated by Najib is able to win votes for the ruling BN coalition remains to be seen, as politics is a tricky game with an unpredictable outcome.

While I would not pour cold water on those targets set by the government for the benefit of the people, what I must remind is that it is always easy to come out with an impressive long list of targets to be achieved, only to end up without proper implementation.

The government’s duty is of course to improve the livelihood of the people but at the same time, it must be complemented by an effi-cient civil service to look into the implementation stage.

So here I am agreeing with what Pak Lah who used to focus on - that is the ‘software part’ as in improving governance, fighting corruption, restoring safety and security and improving delivery services by the civil service except for his failure to see it done.

Now the ball is in Najib’s court to make good what he had promised to Malaysians and the keyword is, of course, implementation.

Dayaks lack element of smartness: Masing

Borneo Post April 20th 2009)

“Politics within the community (Dayak), particularly in rural areas, is fluid until now because there is lack of the smart facor. And because of that they will listen to instigation and get manipulated by certain individuals” Dato Sri James Masing.

Who manipulate the Dayaks?

I think James is talking about himself, Jabu and his other bunch of friends - they traveled by helicopters to long houses during election, used Gov’t 4WD vehicles etc and pour in a lot of money to buy food and drinks and music and they spoke and lied to the Dayak in Batang Ai.

They lied and give Dayaks empty promises because they believed that Dayak lack element of smartness.

Dayak lack element of smartness

Only a Smart Ass like James can say such things about Dayaks. He believes he is the king of Dayak and can say whatever he likes - because he treated all Dayak as fools - just because PRS/BN won the Batang Ai By-election so James is smarter.

Those Dayaks that do not “blindly follow” Smart Ass James in politics are less smart. So there were 2000 over less smart Dayak voters in Batang Ai - all fools because they do not accept BN land policies, poor Mycard service, poor roads, no electricity, no hospital, no clean water, no proper mean of cash income through properly organized agriculture etc.

Focus on Delivering BN promises

James and Jabu should focus on delivering on their promises during the By -election. What happen to the land titles that are suppose to be given to Batang Ai resettlement people - the balance portion / parts of their land compensation.

It is wrong for the government to sell the long house to the Batang Ai resettlement areas for $80,000.00 per door when they never issue land title to the individual houses - just like in town.

Two years from now - the next state election, in Batang Ai the BN promises will still not be delivered - do you think that is because the Dayaks are less smart or it is just that James is the politician who manipulated the Dayak and getting their votes by manipulating them.

When did BN make the rural Dayak smart?

The radio programmes - most of it are full of BN propaganda. Message that lack meaning or substance and at best is causing confusion to the rural people. Things like - ” mina BN aja ulih meri pemansang ngagai Sarawak”etc.

James himself spoke on many occasions - but in all those occasion, instead of inspiring the Dayaks and show them the correct direction to take in personal development - he belittled them with LIES.

It is the duty of government to develop the state and its people - and the people need not feel that they owed the government for such development. But why is BN syaing that the people must appereciate their good work?

State Level Land Seminar in Bintulu

Why is James - as Minister of Land Development not a speaker at the Land Seminar in Bintulu? Is that an indication that his views are not important and that he is actually a puppet to Taib and Awang Tengah on land matters?.

We Dayaks are still looking for new ideas to ensure that NCR land owners really benefited from land development through direct participation instead of injecting their landed asset but do not hold any decision making power in the plantation company.

Why don’t James you answer that question first - rather than talking about Dayak are less smart because there raised too many questions that you are not able to answer personally..

Educated Dayak

Most educated Dayak do not want to see Dayak being lied to and being fooled- 45 years is enough. We have nothing more to call our own and yet James felt that by explaining the real issues and truth to rural Dayak is wrong.

No James - we are not liar like you and we do not have self interest - like holding political position and make personal money out of politics. We Dayakbaru are really concern that too much lies has been told to Dayak by BN Dayak Ministers.

Rural Based Party

It is good to know that PRS - and James is the President, is a rural based party. This rural areas would be the main focus of Dayakbaru in the next election - to educate then on the truth and what sustainable development is all about. It is about increase incomes, create value through their land cultivation, employ technology to increase productivity and to say NO to Dr. James model of land development - akin to pirate scheme.

Dayak - Let us pursue unity and not fight

Pursuing merger among Dayak based party

I am sorry to say but I am not 100% favor UMNO, PKR, etc. to further divide the Dayaks. I would be more in favor of pursuing unity and merger among the Dayak base parties such as PRS and SPDP. I wish to see that all Dayaks should group into one party like similar to UMNO, MCA and MIC. This may not happen in Taib’s era but time will change and perhap one day it happens.

There is still hope that we can be in one party

The current Dayak leaders who are constantly bickering, scheming, competing with each other will eventually be phased out although some more funny characters will surface. But like people say, politic is so liquid, anything can happen, therefore for me there is still hope to eventually get something like MDC.

At this moment we are still not able to overcome the “divide and rule” modus of operandi which has been systematically administered to our society since the fall of Kalong Ningkan.

It is painful to be in Opposition

History from PBDS has taught us that it is painful to be an opposition in Sarawak and beside the ever so powerful “divide and rule” had resulted in Dayaks/Ibans unwilling to make sacrifices in order to support Dayakism. Thus we see our leaders like Dr James, Dato Salang , etc. are with BN not only for own political sakes but for the rakyat as well. Ibans/Dayaks cannot afford to be left out completely from Gov’t as our bottom line is bread on the table.

Money politic is about holding to power

The determination to win election or money politics are simply part of the efforts to hold on to power and keep on with the present regime. It is tough to fight this without strong support like what PBDS had once upon a time. PKR will not be able to garner similar support from the Dayaks. Dayakbaru will remain frustrated. Ex-PBDS die hard fighters like Datuk Tajem, Baru Bian, Telajan, Adit, Augustine, etc. will soldier on. In the midst of it all will create some sort of organised challenges such that BN need to be on their toes - or like what happen in BA.

Fighting among Best of Friends

However, in such midst, if we are not careful, we will forget to look at the bigger picture. We will continue to end up fighting one another within friends and families. We have seen Salang fought Jawah in Batang Ai, yet they are actually the best of friends. It is easy to fall into the pit without realising how you end up there in the first place.

We cannot get rid of each other

I have heard before that in order to unit the Dayaks, we have to get rid of BN Dayaks. While it is theoritically correct, like Shakespeare said “Long live the king, kill the king!”, our Dayak population is simply too small to be able to have enough credible Dayak leaders in the stature of Leo Moggie, Linggi or even Salang. Therefore when you kill them, you will end up with no many left. Surely you would say, pls don’t under estimate the many educated and capable younger generation, sure, but to garner the grassroot support, bloggers like you and I won’t be so effective. We need the already establised personalities whether you like it or not.

I believe we should pursue unity, lets don’t fight, lets enquire and discover instead of critising. We should use all available avenues to promote unity such as SDNU, SDGA, etc. We should free these kind of organisations from politic.

Conclusion

We should continue to harbour hope to have a party like MDC and that all that Dayaks will group into this with proper concensus from the Gov’t coalition.