| Dances with Dayaks, Tribute to Sarawak |  |  |  |
| Posted by admin | |
| Saturday, 29 November 2008 09:57 | |
| Thinking of the Penans and of the blockades against logging, I think of a world inspired by ecological security as a paradigm of a post-global Depression Obamanomics era. A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Azly Rahman http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/ "We did not ask you white men to come here. The Great Spirit gave us this country as a home. You had yours. We did not interfere with you. The Great Spirit gave us plenty of land to live on, and buffalo, deer, antelope and other game. But you have come here, you are taking my land from me, you are killing off our game, so it is hard for us to live. Now, you tell us to work for a living, but the Great Spirit did not make us to work, but to live by hunting. You white men can work if you want to. We do not interfere with you, and again you say why do you not become civilized? We do not want your civilization! We would live as our fathers did, and their fathers before them." - Crazy Horse of the Sioux tribe MCPX I was just thinking that of all the trails in this life there is one that matters most. It is the trail of a true human being - Kickin Bird, (quote from the movie Dances With Wolves) The recent happenings in Sarawak interest me; something West Malaysians must learn from. A new era is dawning – of culture and consciousness in the face of state-sponsored corporate crony capitalism. The Sarawakians are dancing to reclaim ownership of their sacred land. Eco-feminism and ecosophical thinking of Rachel Carson, Anais Nin, and even of the "Lakei Penan" or "Penan Man" Bruno Manser is resurfacing amongst the indigenous peoples of Sarawak and hopefully Sabah too. For too long, Mother Earth has been subjugated by those who do not understand what "development" means. For too long the Sarawakians and the Sabahans have been colonised by emperors in newer clothes who go into the land of the Orang Asal and install individuals, ideologies, and institutions alien to the natives and call it "progress". In the classic play "Kisah Perjuangan Suku Naga" (The Struggle of the Naga Tribe". The Javanese poet WS Rendra called these outsiders "ogres" from Tanah Seberang. This brings us to the bigger and global question: are we environmentally doomed? Are we at the eleventh hour of total environmental destruction? How devastating has the impact of carbon dioxide emissions been? How serious is the depletion of the ozone layer? How much of the rainforests of the world have been destroyed? How fast are the polar ice caps melting, speeding up the looming disaster of Armageddon/ Qiamat of humankind? How many more frequent, major flash floods must we endure? The Chinese philosopher and mystic Lao Tzu once said, 'Man should not have carved the stone' meaning man should not have invented things for, '... as Man began carving the stone, the process of destruction begins'. Light bulbs, automobiles, power-plants, factories, telephone lines, bombs and computers are inventions that have historically transformed nature. Human beings 'carve the stone' and build structures of power and wealth which transform or even rape Nature in the process. Ancient philosophies and the teachings of 'revealed religion' (of the Judeo-Christian tradition) warned against the exploitation of the physical environment so that humanity would continue to be close to Nature and closer to the realisation of the Natural Self. Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and probably the most extreme of all Hindu sects, Jainism, teach human beings to respect living things as part of the great chain of beings. But Western scientific ideology has taught Man to be free from not only thinking about spirits and spirituality, nature and the natural self, religion and deep reflection, but has also 'enlightened' human beings into mastering Nature and using its resources for the 'progress' of mankind. Progress, measured linearly and scientifically, is then equated with 'civilisation'. What price progress? Civilisation carries with it the necessity for technological progress and more inventions. But if Nature is destroyed in the process of creating 'civilisations', what does being 'civilised' mean? Would 'going back to Nature' and 'destroying civilisations' be a better way to conceive the meaning of human progress? Must human beings de-evolve, de-urbanise, de-technologise and de-construct themselves in order to save Humanity from its environmental doom? Industrialisation is a process of transforming nature to culture by the state's appropriation of natural resources. The resources are transformed into technology and techniques and applications derived from the use of science help fuel inventions. Inventions are products/artifacts of the activities of the human mind, activities that are fueled by the need to master man's destiny and the environment. But these inventions contain 'inert capital' in them, transforming human labour into technologies. Technologies are then used to further transform nature into culture. Culture in this sense means the culture that comes into being as a result of human beings' economic activities. Modern governments, such as those installed in Sabah and Sarawak, are the necessary evil – they use the state apparatuses and transform the environment by collaborating with powerful multinational corporations in speeding up the use of natural resources, leaving the land barren and human beings in famine and poverty-stricken. Enlightened citizens must collectively revolt against governments that systematically destroy the environment in the name of 'civilisation' and 'progress'. Citizens must raise the consciousness on the power of these post-modern multinational corporation in that the power these primarily Western-industrialised corporations have are used to bring destruction to the peoples of this Earth as evident in the refusal of powerful nations to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and other global treaties that are enforced to save planet Earth. Eco-philosophical thinking Thinking of the Penans and of the blockades against logging, I think of a world inspired by ecological security as a paradigm of a post-global Depression Obamanomics era. "Ecosophy" or the paradigm of thinking that synthesizes "ecological security" and "natural philosophy" ought to be explored if we are to honor Mother Earth and tame Father Hell. We need to engage in a form of thinking that takes preservation of the environment as a philosophy of development. Amongst this is to "reuse" and not "recycle". Recycling takes a lot more energy. We need to explore what paradigm of thinking to "reuse" and what to avoid "recycling". We should not even "recycle" politicians who are corrupted or has a record of destroying the environment. We should not even reuse them. To engage in an "ecosophical" thinking means to go back to the drawing board of everything and rethink even the way we think. It is going even beyond metacognition; beyond even understanding the way we think about how we think about the world around us. This might be a mentally paralysing notion even for the thinkers in our government ministries but it is worth exploring. "Ecosophy" takes into consideration not only the environment but the radical ideas about the self itself.
I believe the Orang Asli of Malaysia - the "un-modernized" Temuans, Senoi, Semang, Jakun, Sakai, etc. - can explain this idea of human development better than any expert in any international development bank or in the Ministry of the Environment. I believe too that the Orang Asal of Sabah and Sarawak, the different tribes of the Dayaks, can teach the modern "civilized" man how not to plunder and rape ancestral lands. I believe these natives can teach us in Putrajaya what "ecosophical" thinking means. "Ecosopohy", independence, and freedom are not a slogans but an existential state of mind and a condition of 'lived democracy', one in which citizens are aware of how oppressive systems that destroys the environment are cultivated. From ecosophy we might learn how to "revilligize" and relearn what "kampong-ism" means, a form of economic thinking that values pastoralism. Philosophy of "kampong-ism" We must embrace pastoralism or what we may call "kampongism". For too long the word "kampong" has taken a wrong semiotic turn to connote "backwardness". For too long the word "progress" has been equated with development projects coming from the top and dictated by people who make decisions in four or five star hotels far away from the lives of the natives. For too long "development" and "national progress" has become meaningless mantra shoved into the minds of the natives, be they of the Orang Asal or the Orang Asli. What interests these "ogres from tanah seberang" is logging and plundering at the expense of the lives of the natives. The history of the Penan for example is a classic example of an ongoing saga of the displacement of the natives under the shibboleth of developmentalism. Kampong-ism brings the human mind away from complex theories, complex systems, competitive and cutthroat economic philosophies, and combative male-female relationships. Kampong-ism is driven by the philosophy of Eastern existentialism, sound metaphysical construct, harmonious conception of kinship, a good balance of patriarchy and matriarchy, and an economic production system based on the good old farming system that is not "bio- technologically" driven. It is not a philosophy that kow-tows to the dictates of Wall Street, World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. Kampong-ism is not race-based, ethnicity-based, gender-based, greed-based, sexual-preference- based or ideology-based philosophy of human liberation and organisation. It has the potential of reorganising societies based on the themes Rousseau, Reason, and Revolution in Human Consciousness. More than that it can be inspired by the philosophy of ecological sustainability and closeness to Nature as embodied by the Orang Asli and Orang Asal. If there is a revolution of spiritual consciousness emerging out of the awakening of the Dayak Spirit, we in the "modern world plagued by the disease of corporate crony capitalism" ought to rejoice. We ought to learn what the new dance of the Dayaks mean. No longer will this dance be one exploited for Malaysia's tourist and hospitality industry to showcase "shallow and meaningless Malaysian multiculturalism", but a new dance for a new era grounded in Mother Earth, inspired by the Great Spirit of Dayak Awakening. Will this dance with the Dayaks displace despotic regimes and dying demagogues? The answer lies in the way the dancers becoming the dance.
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Comments (8)  ... written by borneoman, November 29, 2008 10:54:15 dayakbidayuh of kampong Bengoh vs naim cendera lapan (taibs proxy) court case thrown out and dismissed by bastard ball polisher bn judge.please help them because taib and co has been gazzeting our tribal land for the sake of his damn politic of development.the ancestral tribal land a.k.a NCR-NATIVE CUSTOMARY RIGHT LAND was taken by the taibs government without consultation and getting permission from the native customary owners and their village chief. Worst of all the land was later given away for free to a private company (naim cendera lapan)to be turn into a quarry.the only compansation some of the villagers recieved is a very small questionable token sum.the villagers are very worried about the sound and air pollution because the quarry is only 1km from their village.the route for transporting the stone goes right trough their village.all these are the work of umno led bn proxy fcuker robber taib pbb and his evil crony naim cendera lapan.pkr or pk must help these poor victims of bn pbb if they want their presence fèlt in sarawak. report abuse disagree 0 agree 22 ... written by Kent Tory, November 29, 2008 12:44:25 In sarawak, the people in the long houses live a simple life and have minimum exposure to the mass media. The most the majority of them have is access to RTM, TV3 and the likes. Hence, they are bombarded and brainwashed with the God Like image of BN and Taib. Come election time, a bag of rice, a bicycle, a bag of eggs, or most of the time, RM5 per person is distributed, and that goes a long way for this simple folk. For them, such gifts shows the good heart of the gov't leaders and accordingly they vote for these BN people. A change is needed. People of Sarawak need to take back their culture and land and life from the Taib and his forty thieves. The people of Sarawak requires a Strong leader to lead the opposition into the depths of Borneo and help the natives to get back what is rightfully theirs. report abuse disagree 1 agree 24 ... written by Sudahlah tu, November 29, 2008 12:48:05 melayu umno kat sarawak sudah lama bertapak dan mendirikan empayar kezaliman mereka tu ... rakyat biasa yang miskin terlalu mudah dibeli oleh melayu umno dalam setiap PRU lah .. lagipun , bukan semua rakyat sarawak berani bersatu menuntut hak mereka di bumi sendiri pasal takut kepada kepolisan dan kehakiman umno. selagi mereka takut akan hantu umno , selagi itulah lamanya mereka terpaksa diseksa oleh umno .. kami bukannya tidak mahu menolong , dalam keadaan sedemikian cuma orang sarawak yang berani sahaja yang boleh menjamin hari esok yang mulia. buat masa terkini , orng sarawak masih lemah dan cuma bersuara kecil sahaja , jadi melayu umno langsung tidak melayan mereka malahan mengandakan usaha merampas kekayaan orang sarawak sebanyak yang boleh. orang sarawak ingat duduk diam-diam dan tidak mengacau melayu umno , mereka akan dilepaskan ... satu tanggapan yang salah dan bodoh sama sekali .... kini melayu umno semakin kuat dan begitu berkuasa di sarawak bagaikan pemilik segala-galanya ..... siapa yang bodoh ? report abuse disagree 0 agree 8 ... written by ahmadneil, November 29, 2008 13:42:16 A number of community leaders in the Sg. Asap and Sg.Koyan near Bakun expressed their disappointment over the way the government has treated them over the unpaid water bills issue as highlighted in a national news agency yesterday. One of the communities that will be badly affected by the government decision on December 16 will be the 20 odds Penan Talun families at Sg. Koyan which is part of the larger Sg. Asap resettlement scheme. Jack Paran said “When the supply is discontinued as scheduled, they may be forced to return to the jungle”. Now there are worries of what will happen to the Penan in the Murum area. They too will be relocated to make way for another multi-billion ringgit dam in Murum. report abuse disagree 0 agree 25 ... written by ST ALI, November 29, 2008 15:42:51 Facts of life, rely on the respect the people of the land that lived b4 the so called civilisation came into being. I love the statements given by the red indian chiefs of america. Though outdated, the way of life of the various indegenious people of the world have a great impact in the current world situation.They are the actual way of life. Civilisation refers to the religions, development & advancement man has created that came into effect much later to coordinate the various people to cope with a new environment being forced into being. We cannot the ignore the past for the present & future of mankind. Likewise, Malaysia is no different. Sabah & Sarawak people need to assert their existence unlike the so called ketuanan melayu in w/m'sia. THis will spur an enlightment for their counterparts in w/m'sia & in turn will contribute to a better malaysia. Moving ahead, the malays need to assert that they are malays & not arabs. In this context, we will progress positively in all aspects. Always for a better malaysia. As said by a great red indian chief, WHAT WE DO TO THE WEBS OF LIFE, WE DO UNTO OUR CHILDREN. Do not blame others. report abuse disagree 0 agree 6 ... written by asguard, November 29, 2008 20:45:00 UMNO has screw-up most of the states resources for too long ...plunder for themselves... report abuse disagree 1 agree 10 ... written by sueteh, December 02, 2008 16:49:16  KICK out/SEPAK keluar your Pek Moh/Sang Rambut Putih FIRST. he is the SOURCE of all your misery/poverty together pak masing, pak jabu dan lain lain.AND stop blaming us, the west malaysians. if sarawakians constantly HARP on us with that 18 point agreement of yours, best we go our seperate ways. we can cerai/divorce. again and again..you sarawakians show your dislike on us and you people can be rather cocky and thinks that you are quite 'above' us due to many of you inter married with chinese/tribes. very proud of your pretty maidens/awek due to inter-marriage. good for you..your maidens command high price, ya. sarawakians are so proud that you all so called live in harmony and that you pride in yourselves that you are not racist. but yet, you are racist when comes to treating the west malaysians. how's that?? many of us in west malaysia despise/meluat/benci with UMNO/MCA/GERAKAN/MIC. why then we have 5 opposition states?? if you want to kacau/disturb the melayu umno,then you might just have to pay a price. i have yet to see a sarawakian being ISA-ed? report abuse disagree 6 agree 4 ... written by borneoman, December 09, 2008 12:57:05 sueteh,excuse me colonialist malayan.what make you think you have the right to decide what is good for us?based on what you say in your posting you know dont know much about sarawak. smilies/wink.gifKICK out/SEPAK keluar your Pek Moh/Sang Rambut Putih FIRST. he is the SOURCE of all your misery/poverty together pak masing, pak jabu dan lain lain. ....thanks but no thanks...we are trying very2 hard to kick taibs butt but it is the power from malaya that supported him .if umno led bn of malaya can do it to pairin why cant they do it to taib and his friends too?please dont put the blame squarely on us because we have given you so much from our oil,gas and timber revenue to develop your malaya.what did you do for us in return?kacang lupakan kulit. sarawakians constantly HARP on us with that 18 point agreement of yours, ...should be 20 points agreement. again and again..you sarawakians show your dislike on us and you people can be rather cocky and thinks that you are quite 'above' us due to many of you inter married with chinese/tribes. we never said we are above you it is you who said it.what has all these got to do with inter marriege? is it because of the immigrations restriction as agreed in the constitution? your maidens command high price....have your sarawakian boyfriend leftyou for our ladies and make you very angry and envious of them?kesian you..dont jual mahallah or better still be humble,nice,sweet and smart like our maiden. i have yet to see a sarawakian being ISA-ed? ...this is the problem with you west malaysian,you think you know everything about sarawak.how can you be so sure no sarawakian has ever been detained under isa? go to bukit aman and find out for your self. i think you are 1 very2 frustrated lady.if it is because of your sarawakian boyfriend i sympathize with you.good luck next time. report abuse disagree 0 agree 6 |
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