I have written quite a detail history on where we were from in Penatai Bansa Iban but the most important thing now is where are we heading. Our future should be our main interest becaue we are going to spend the rest of our life there. The history tells us that we used to be a hero in Borneo and now things are almost the other way around. We may be the first to step our feet on this island but now sometimes we feel that we don't belong here. What I call "Stranger on their own land" tauka nyadi temuai ba menua diri. We used to own every inch of the land at Lubok Antu, Engkilili, Selanggau, Simpang Lubok Antu, Simpang Niah, and etc, but now, urang bekedai di dalam rumah, kitai bansa bejual di luar ba kaki lima.
What went wrong? Maybe kitai bansa suba enggai tauka malu bedagang. Maybe kitai bansa rindu bebeli ari bejual. Rindu nepan ba belakang lori ari ke driba. Rindu bekerja ke urang ari bekerja ke diri empu. Maybe we are born to follow instead of to lead. Maybe other races have better vision or smarter than our people. Anyway, if the other races had not been here, we may still be hunting each other heads. Maybe we should thanks them. Yes, I think we should thanks them but I guess we cannot continuously work for them or under them.
Let me share with you on my view on the education of the Dayak people. Education here is mainly mean education that we get from school, college or university. In this modern world, the best weapon to have is education. I believe this is the best way if not the only way up for our Dayak people. Education can automatically change their livelihood in every aspect. But unfortunately, it is not always the interest of our Dayak people, at least in general. Their conversation is always hot on cock fighting, politic and hunting. Anyway, when talking to me or when I join their conversation, they seem to deviate their attention to education. I am happy to see that and I wish they continue to talk on education.
Each and every Dayak family to have at least one graduate by the year 2020.
Tiap-tiap pintu kitai Dayak bisi enda kurang ari siko graduate leboh tauka sebedau taun 2020.
That is my dream. I hope it is your dream too. I wish and hope every Dayak people have the same vision or dream. It is definitely not an impossible dream, not if every body aim toward that.
In order to achieve this, we need to work together. We need to monitor the progress closely. We need to change our way of thinking, our mentality. First of all we need to get the message across to all our people. Sound like a YB jobs. But we cannot leave it to them. We all can play our part. It is not that difficult to tell them. Maybe a bit tricky in making them understand it. I guess by now all our people should have a clear picture on the important of education.
If we can achieve it before year 2020, why wait. Why not get our YB to launch this vision of ours. So that it will be embbeded into mind of each and every Dayak people. So that everybody will talk about it. So that everybody will work toward that possible dream.
I guess all can talk about it. All can play part. Let it be our goal. Not only my goal. Not only our leaders' goal. But everybody's goal.
Well, I hope that all will be geared toward achieving this vision. At any occasion, all to talk about education. All occasion to be related to education. Sleep education, eat education and ...drink education. Every move we make should be toward education. We think of education. We talk of education. We discuss on education. Make education our way of life. Then, our vision of having at least one graduate for each and every Dayak family by the year 2020 will be achieved.
During cock fighting, we talk about education. During Gawai, we talk about education. When hunting, we talk about education. During school sport, we talk about education. When harvesting paddy or working, we talk about education. It will be education, education, and education, always education. Then maybe we achieve our target before year 2020.
As I mentioned earlier, education is still not the top priority in our Dayak people. When I ask them why do you go to Brunei? Most of them answer, "Ka ngiga duit kena meli tinso (chain saw). Ngiga duit kena meli injin". I wish they say "Ka ngiga duit kena melanja anak sekula".
Sekeda serabana nadai duit kena melanja anak besekula, tang bekena ke gelang mas. Sekeda madah ke diri enda tepelanja ke anak nurun sekula maia ngirup Guiness Stout di pak kopi. Bisi duit kena ngirup, kena nyabong, kena bejudi tang serabana nadai duit kena nyekula ka anak.
Besaup meh kitai ngemansang ke bansa.
Kirum meh penemu nuan ngagai aku uthant@engineer.com
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