Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) is a political party in Malaysia representing the Dayak indigenous population. It is based in Sarawak state and is formed by supporters of the deregistered Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak. The MDC submitted the relevant documents for registration on 6 May 2005.
However, up until now, the party never received its status as legal political party's status in Malaysia from Registrar of Societies (ROS).
1. (ARTICLE 1)
No nod for MDC
May 5, 06
The Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) will not be registered before the Sarawak election, its pro tem chairperson Nicholas Bawin said today.
He told malaysiakini that this disappointing message was conveyed by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak following a meeting in Putrajaya this morning.
“He informed us that the party would not be registered before nomination day (May 9). It may be registered after the polls,” Bawin added.
The application for registration was submitted about a year ago and Bawin and other party officials had lobbied through various channels in Kuala Lumpur.
The state Barisan Nasional, especially the Dayak-based PRS and SPDP, have objected strongly to the registration on the ground it will split the Dayaks further.
Bawin said Najib asked during the 40-minute meeting why they wanted to form MDC as it would split the community further politically.
On Snap ticket
He explained that the present Dayak-based parties were not performing and not looking after the interests of the community.
Also the delegation were MDC pro tem deputy chairperson Dr Johnicol Rayong and an Orang Ulu lawyer Baru Bian.
Bawin said Najib then informed them he would report to the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on their meeting today.
"As the outcome of the meeting was not a postive one for us, we do not expect the MDC to be registered before the polls, maybe only after," Bawin said.
Candidates proposed by MDC will now have to consider other options to contest - either as Independents or on Sarawak National Party (Snap) ticket. Former deputy chief minister Daniel Tajem who is expected to stand in Bukit Begunan and Bawin who will contest in Batang Ai are expected to use either Snap symbol or as Independents using a common symbol.
He told malaysiakini that this disappointing message was conveyed by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak following a meeting in Putrajaya this morning.
“He informed us that the party would not be registered before nomination day (May 9). It may be registered after the polls,” Bawin added.
The application for registration was submitted about a year ago and Bawin and other party officials had lobbied through various channels in Kuala Lumpur.
The state Barisan Nasional, especially the Dayak-based PRS and SPDP, have objected strongly to the registration on the ground it will split the Dayaks further.
Bawin said Najib asked during the 40-minute meeting why they wanted to form MDC as it would split the community further politically.
On Snap ticket
He explained that the present Dayak-based parties were not performing and not looking after the interests of the community.
Also the delegation were MDC pro tem deputy chairperson Dr Johnicol Rayong and an Orang Ulu lawyer Baru Bian.
Bawin said Najib then informed them he would report to the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on their meeting today.
"As the outcome of the meeting was not a postive one for us, we do not expect the MDC to be registered before the polls, maybe only after," Bawin said.
Candidates proposed by MDC will now have to consider other options to contest - either as Independents or on Sarawak National Party (Snap) ticket. Former deputy chief minister Daniel Tajem who is expected to stand in Bukit Begunan and Bawin who will contest in Batang Ai are expected to use either Snap symbol or as Independents using a common symbol.
2. (ARTICLE 2)
Malaysian Dayak Congress letter to Britian
Posted by: Jetty
Briefing to House of Lords
Representatives from the Dayak community of Sarawak should have been invited to attend abriefing at the House of Lords regarding the plight of the Malaysian Indians on 8 December 2008. After all, the plights of the Dayaks and Indians are almost the same.
British Conservative Shadow Minister for Education and a Member of the House of Lords, Baroness Verma of Leicester hosted the briefing on the plight of minority Indian rights of Malaysia. The briefing followed a letter written to the British Government by the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) in November last year and later HINDRAF demonstrations to highlight their problems.
Purpose of the Briefing
Held at the House of Lords on behalf of the friends of minority communities in Malaysia, the purpose of the briefing was for members of the House of Lords and House of Commons to obtain a true picture on the plight of the ethnic minority Indian community in Malaysia.
Giving the briefing were the Director of Public Policy of Hindu American Foundation Ishani Chowdhury, Director of Centre for Public Policy Studies Malaysia Tricia Yeoh, Human Rights Advocate Malaysia P. Waythamoorthy and Editor of Malaysiakini K. Kabilan.
Dayak IS NOT invited to give any brief
It is sad that Malaysian Dayaks have not been invited to attend the briefing even though we wrote a letter to the British High Commission. In fact the protem secretary general of the yet-to-be registered Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) wrote a letter a month earlier than the HINDRAF, to the British High Commission.
Copies of the letter were sent to Foreign Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, Registrar of Societies and American Embassy regarding the gross injustices and discrimination by the authorities against the Dayaks who were once the British subjects before Sarawak, Sabah, Singapore and Malaya formed the federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. Our letter was apparently ignored as we did not organise “strikes to highlight our problems” as the Indians did or that we were/are a coward lot; or that we have become irrelevant.
Let me produce excerpts of the letter for all of us to see. (Full details of the letter are published in The Broken Shield – The Dayak Dilemma due to be out soon). The letter dated 18 October 2007 said: -
“We feel that we have the right to bring to the attention of Her Majesty Government, as our former colonial masters regarding our plight, hoping that Her Majesty can advise the Malaysian authorities to accord the Dayak community the privileges and rights as enshrined in the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) report and the Malaysian Agreement.
“Our customary rights over land, with the passing of amendments to the Land Code have been taken away from the Dayaks and are being given to rich businessmen or companies under the guise of Provisional Lease for the cultivation of oil palm in big scales. While other communities have progressed by leaps and bounds, the Dayaks have remained mired in the doldrums of poverty, little better, if at all, as they had been under the British tutelage. There is a difference, however, while the British Government guaranteed the rights to land held under customary laws, but in our present situation the opposite seems to operate adversely against the Dayak community.
“As if these discriminations are not enough, the Dayaks are not even allowed to form a party of their own to articulate their political, educational, cultural, economic and social aspirations. What Dayak-based parties they had in the past were being deregistered one by one – first the authorities deregistered Sarawak National Party (SNAP) and then Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) both on flimsiest reasons. The Dayaks who number about 60% of the State population are encouraged to be members of every political party by the BN leaders. This is a subtle way of ‘divide and rule’ community.
“Following the deregistration of PBDS in October 2004, some ex-PBDS members on 6 May 2005 submitted an application to registerMalaysian Dayak Congress (MDC).
After more than one year of submission, the application was rejected by the Registrar of Societies on 19 July 2006 under Article 7 (3) of the Societies Act giving reasons that MDC would be a potential threat to national security for its rejection.
After more than one year of submission, the application was rejected by the Registrar of Societies on 19 July 2006 under Article 7 (3) of the Societies Act giving reasons that MDC would be a potential threat to national security for its rejection.
“It is in this light that we the protem committee members and the Dayak community who were once Her Majesty’s subjects appeal to Her Majesty Government to put pressure on the Malaysian Government.”
Strange it may seem, the Indians have also taken a similar course of action against the British Government, except that they were more aggressive, more demanding and took their problems to the streets. So on 25 November 2007, they launched what is famously known as the HINDRAF (Hindu Rights Action Force) march to the British High Commission handing a note to Her Majesty Government.
Although the Dayaks have missed the first briefing, it is hoped that another briefing may be called specifically to hear the grouses of the Dayaks. Through this blog we appeal to the British High Commission to arrange for the protem committee members to meet any British leader, British MP, or staff of the High Commission so that the committee members can brief any one of them on the plight of the Dayaks. – The Broken Shield
3. (ARTICLE 3)
The Minister of Home Affairs has rejected the appeal of Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) to register it as a political party on grounds of security and public order.
In a letter dated 9 April 2008, signed by an official of the Ministry said that the Minister after a careful investigation and consideration has to reject the appeal to register Malaysian Dayak Congress.
“The appeal is rejected based on Section 7(3)(a) of the Societies Act 1966 on grounds that its registration can cause a threat to security and public order,” the official said in the letter.
However, if the applicants were still interested to pursue the MDC registration then they should submit a fresh application to the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
In revealing this today, Joseph Tawie, Protem Information Chief of Malaysian Dayak Congress said that the application to register MDC was submitted on 6 May 2004. The Registrar of Societies rejected it on security grounds under Section 7(3)(a) on 19 July 2006.
The protem committee on 12 August 2006 appealed against the decision of the Registrar to the Minister of Home Affairs.
“Now the Minister has rejected our appeal under the same Section,” said Tawie, who expressed deep regret over the decision of the minister.
Section 7 (3) says: “The Registrar shall refuse to register a local society where - (a) it appears to him that such local society is unlawful under the provisions of this Act or any other written law or is likely to be used for unlawful purposes or any purpose prejudicial to or incompatible with peace, welfare, security, public order, good order or morality in Malaysia;”
Tawie said the protem committee members will meet in the next few days whether to submit a fresh application or not.
In a letter dated 9 April 2008, signed by an official of the Ministry said that the Minister after a careful investigation and consideration has to reject the appeal to register Malaysian Dayak Congress.
“The appeal is rejected based on Section 7(3)(a) of the Societies Act 1966 on grounds that its registration can cause a threat to security and public order,” the official said in the letter.
However, if the applicants were still interested to pursue the MDC registration then they should submit a fresh application to the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
In revealing this today, Joseph Tawie, Protem Information Chief of Malaysian Dayak Congress said that the application to register MDC was submitted on 6 May 2004. The Registrar of Societies rejected it on security grounds under Section 7(3)(a) on 19 July 2006.
The protem committee on 12 August 2006 appealed against the decision of the Registrar to the Minister of Home Affairs.
“Now the Minister has rejected our appeal under the same Section,” said Tawie, who expressed deep regret over the decision of the minister.
Section 7 (3) says: “The Registrar shall refuse to register a local society where - (a) it appears to him that such local society is unlawful under the provisions of this Act or any other written law or is likely to be used for unlawful purposes or any purpose prejudicial to or incompatible with peace, welfare, security, public order, good order or morality in Malaysia;”
Tawie said the protem committee members will meet in the next few days whether to submit a fresh application or not.
But in the meantime two options are open to tens of thousands ex-PBDS members who have remained partyless since the deregistration of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) on 21 October 2004. (Before its deregistration PBDS had nearly 200,000 members.)
One is for them to join Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and the other is to join any of the existing parties in the State.
Personally, I will call on the ex-PBDS members to find a leader and in a group let us all join PKR, hoping that one day PKR together with DAP and PAS will form not only the State government of Sarawak, but also the Federal government.
One is for them to join Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and the other is to join any of the existing parties in the State.
Personally, I will call on the ex-PBDS members to find a leader and in a group let us all join PKR, hoping that one day PKR together with DAP and PAS will form not only the State government of Sarawak, but also the Federal government.
Only with a change of government can we change laws that are harmful to the Natives. - The Broken Shield
4. (ARTICLE 4)
Following a brief interview with BERNAMA yesterday, the following article was published in The New Straits Time Online, today 18 Jan 2009.
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By: Caroline Jackson, BERNAMA
By: Caroline Jackson, BERNAMA
KUCHING, Sun.: The pro-tem committee members of the yet-to-be-registered Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) will decide soon whether to make a fresh application to the Registrar of Societies (ROS), its protem information chief Joseph Tawie said.
He said, alternatively, party members, comprising former Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak PBDS) members who remained partyless, could join Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) or other political parties in the state.
He said, alternatively, party members, comprising former Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak PBDS) members who remained partyless, could join Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) or other political parties in the state.
“We (MDC) have received a number of invitations to join the opposition but we are still holding on as we have yet to decide on the next course of action,” he told Bernama today.
The Home Ministry, in a letter dated April 9 last year, rejected MDC’s appeal to be registered as a political party on grounds that its registration could pose a threat to security and public order.
The pro-tem committee members had appealed against the ROS’ decision to the Home Minister in August 2006, after an application to register the MDC, submitted on May 6, 2004, was rejected on July 19, 2006.
Following the deregistration of PBDS on Oct 21, 2004, many of its 200,000 members opted to join its offshoot, the Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), a state Barisan Nasional (BN) component party while “tens of thousands ex-PBDS members remained partyless,” Tawie said.
Following the deregistration of PBDS on Oct 21, 2004, many of its 200,000 members opted to join its offshoot, the Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), a state Barisan Nasional (BN) component party while “tens of thousands ex-PBDS members remained partyless,” Tawie said.
In the May 2006 state election, MDC candidates had to contest under the opposition Sarawak National Party (SNAP) tickets as its registration could not be approved on time. ROS, meanwhile, advised the applicants to submit a fresh application if they were still interested to pursue the MDC registration.
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