State Spot

History and political development

The largest state in Malaysia, Sarawak was loosely under the control of the Brunei Sultanate in the early 19th century and was under several different rulers thereafter until 1963 when it joined the federation of Malaysia. In negotiating the Malaysia Agreement, Sarawakians insisted on autonomy in four areas: civil service, local government, land and immigration. Sarawak has the right to refuse entry of Malaysians from the peninsula.

In 1965, the first chief minister Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan, an Iban himself, put together a coalition, but it was unstable. Barisan Nasional (BN), the rival coalition led by Umno, threatened to motion a vote of no-confidence. A legal dispute occurred, a state of emergency was declared, and Ningkan was finally removed.

Since 1970, Sarawak has been governed by BN under two Muslim chief ministers of Melanau descent: Abdul Rahman Yakub (1970-1981) and his nephew, Abdul Taib Mahmud (1981-present) of Parti Bumiputera Bersatu, a component party of BN. Umno, however, has not been able to make inroads into the state.

Sarawak contributed 21% to BN’s simple majority victory in the Parliament in the recent general elections.

Ethnic groups & religions

Sarawak is reported to have more than 40 sub-ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language, culture and lifestyle. Dayak is the loose term for these indigenous peoples.

The majority of the Ibans, who make up some 30% of the total population, practise Christianity. The Bidayuhs form about 10% and many too are Christians. Most Melanaus (5%) are Muslims; their lifestyle and practices are similar to the Malays.

The phrase “Orang Ulu” is a term used to collectively describe the numerous tribes that live upriver in Sarawak’s vast interior. They include Kayan, Kenyah, Kajang, Kejaman, Punan, Ukit, Penan, Lun Bawang, Murut, Berawan, Saban and Kelabits. They together make up roughly 5.5% of Sarawak’s population and the majority of them are Christians.

Regardless of their religious background, many continue to practise traditional rituals and beliefs. Under the Federal Constitution, they are the natives (Bumiputeras) who enjoy special privileges similar to that of the Malays. Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia without a state religion. There are no state provisions or penalty for converting out of Islam.

However, Sarawak faces some restrictions (from the federal government, the Home Ministry in particular) in the distribution of Malay-language Christian materials. In April 2003, the Iban-language Bible, Bup Kudus, was banned because it contained the word ‘Allah’ (in the phrase Allah Taala) which is supposed to be exclusive to Muslims. Before this, Bup Kudus had not faced any problem in the last 15 years of existence. A few weeks later, the then acting Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Badawi (now Prime Minister), lifted the ban after a public outcry.

Nevertheless, Sarawak has the least number of incidents of disputes relating to religion compared with other Malaysian states.

Two Major Concerns

Regional Imbalances, Discrimination in Federal Policies and Implementation

Blessed with the abundance of natural resources, Sarawak by right should be one of the wealthiest states in Malaysia. It has one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants in Bintulu and is a major producer in crude oil from its offshore wells in Miri.

However, for decades, the state’s economy has been lagging behind the urban centres in the peninsula. Like Sabah, it is only given 5% oil and gas royalties.

The New Economic Policy (NEP), designed in the 1970s to improve or elevate the economic status of Bumiputeras, does not seem to have done much for many Sarawakian natives. Figures show that at least one minority group remains deprived of basic needs. The Asian Strategic and Leadership Institute (Asli) in a report prepared for the Ninth Malaysia Plan says that some 12,000 Penans in the interiors are lagging behind in income, education and health.

In 2006, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein promised to tackle the lack of basic and physical facilities in the rural and remote school in Sabah and Sarawak. However, little physical improvement has thus far been seen. In May 2008, he said the ministry had planned to review its priorities in the National Education Blueprint to give priority to schools in Sabah and Sarawak.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has assured the people that the government was giving equal focus to all in the country and said the development corridor in Sarawak would bring opportunities to the people, notably the younger generation. The rural development would be given due attention, particularly on basic infrastructure, water and power supply and the building of road (The Star, 11/6/2008). He also said that the evidence could be seen in the decline of poverty rate from 7.5% in 2004 to 4.2% in 2007. However, reduction in poverty rate is far from convincing, especially with the recent petrol hike and rising cost of living due to inflation.

The unfortunate facts are: feelings of marginalisation and deprivation are prevalent among the Dayak community, despite their special rights and privileges enshrined in the Federal Constitution. For years, Sarawakians receive only 30% treated water; regional imbalances have yet to be corrected; and a fair distribution with regard to the control, management and ownership of the modern economy is yet to be seen.

The Economic Planning Unit’s Development Composite Index placed Sarawak 11th among the 14 states in the country (NST, 8/9/07).

Native Customary Land (NCL)

Sarawak’s rainforests, the homeland of the natives even before the formation of Malaysia, have been gradually depleted by indiscriminate logging and land clearance for palm oil plantations. In Sarawak, any land occupied by indigenous groups before 1 Jan1958 is regarded as theirs under the Native Customary Rights (NCR).

In March 2005, at a seminar on NCR sponsored by human rights group SUHAKAM, the Dayaks highlighted their plight. Among the complaints raised were:

1. The encroachment on native customary lands violates and disregards the native law, culture and traditions;
2. Arbitrary issuance of provisional lease and timber licensed to private companies by the state government;
3. Compensation received by the State government covers only property and fruits (the value of the land was not included) and does not match the market value; and
4. Logging activities have caused environmental pollution, jeopardising the source of drinking water, and destruction of crops and property.

According to the Borneo Resources Institute Malaysia (Brimas) Sarawak, indigenous people’s NCR are often violated by the authorities. “Government alienate the customary land of Dayaks to private companies without prior consent from the community, resulting in them becoming squatters on land that they have been staying on for generations.”

Some examples are:

1. Orang Ulu villagers in Ulu Baram were promised economic benefits if they gave up their NCR land for oil palm plantations. They were given 30% equity in the project. They have yet to get the profits, nor have they been paid for their work (malaysiakini.com, 12/3/07).
2. The Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) has called for pressure to be exerted on the state government to stop global logging giant Rimbunan Hijau from “discriminating, robbing and depriving the indigenous people of the natives’ customary land rights.” (malaysiakini.com, 10/11/07)
3. The Penan have been most affected. They complain of game depletion resulting in widespread hunger and loss of traditional medicines and forest products. Nomadic in culture, the Penan have been displaced for decades due to deforestation and conversion of land to oil palm estates, from which they receive no benefits (malaysiakini.com, 16/12/07).

On June 27, 138 Bidayuh families claimed initial victory over the state authorities to prevent their NCR land from being taken away from them without any consultation and compensation. The Kuching High Court granted an interim injunction to stop Naim Cendera Lapan Sdn Bhd, a quarry licence holder, from entering their farmland. The natives said that the stone quarry would cause damages to fruit trees and other crops in their NCR land which has existed for more than a century.

The PM has in recent months promised to fully develop Sarawak, reduce poverty and restore regional balances. The Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy is expected to increase the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) by five times when it is fully realised in 2030 (The Star, 21/4/08).

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Pray

1. Honest and just state government to fairly and effectively eliminate poverty among the natives.
2. All state projects to prioritise public interests and no ethnic groups to be left behind.
3. Business community to help create job opportunities; the rich to empower the poor.
4. Effective implementation of laws to protect the natives and their NCR land.
5. Wipe out any discriminatory policy and action.
6. Commitment of both federal and state governments in improving communication/transport links, health and education facilities and the provision of basic services in the rural areas.
7. Church: unity, vibrant and relevant (e.g. in social & ethical issues), effective youth discipleship, greater passion for the lost, more workers in rural areas; and good support from the churches in the peninsula.