There are more books written on Sarawak in the 19th and 20th centuries than any other part of Malaysia. The Dayaks’ bravery and their rich cultural heritage featured very prominently in those books.
For many of our ethnic Dayak countrymen, bejalai has always been a rite of passage.
Many Dayaks have now moved out of their longhouses, migrated to towns and cities and even settled in other lands. In Johore alone there are no fewer than 50,000 living there. Wherever they have settled this festival is celebrated and has become an annual reminder of their rich heritage.
For our Dayak brothers and sisters wherever they may be, in our cities, our towns, our rural areas and overseas, this is a time to not only for celebration but also reflection. Especially at this most trying and difficult time when we are at war with an invisible and deadly enemy, the Covid-19 coronavirus.
Some modified form of lockdown and staying at home does give us ample time to think.
The traditional Muai Antu Rua ceremony in the Gawai Festival has a significant message for everyone in our society. Present day society has become increasingly obsessed with other values. Yet the really important aspects of our lives are the quality and the standard of living.
For all of us this unique celebration is a time to reflect on our good fortune — to be in a tolerant society where ethnicity, custom, culture and belief system can be celebrated and where those celebrations are welcomed by everyone in the general community.
It is also a time to consolidate the basic tenet of our society that we will never allow our ethnicity, customs, culture, or belief system to be used in our society as a divisive issue.
To ethnic Dayaks, we thank them for their substantial contributions to the peace, progress and prosperity of the nation. In conflicts and in wars, the Dayaks are known for their gallantry and neutrality.
May God Bless our people!
Datuk Seri Ang Lai Soon is a philanthropist, charity director, social and environmental campaigner.
