Kuching, Malaysia: Something has broken the signature silence of Tasik Biru, one of Sarawak’s six Bidayuh-centric localities, located some 60km outside of the state’s capital. Reverberations caused by Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) campaign in the city centre appear to have reached Kuching’s outskirts, creeping into the quiet townships within the constituency.

While the Barisan Nasional (BN) force has never been conquered here, but villagers now seem notably aware of the growing disenchantment with the administration felt by their fellow Sarawakians living just an hour away from them. They are also opening their eyes to the brilliant shade of blue surrounding the twin crescents that are PKR’s symbol and growing less bedazzled by BN’s scales.

One central issue that has riled up the local folk in Tasik Biru is the government’s refusal to allow Christians to use the word “Allah” in their prayers in Bahasa Malaysia, a restriction alien to them until the recent months. They have also heard the “horror tales” of the ruling government’s decision to impound 35,100 Alkitab Malay-language bibles due to its use of the Arabic word for God, which Putrajaya said was resolved yesterday.

To some, while this may not translate into a vote for the opposition, it is enough to create a sense of animosity between the local Catholic Church and the state. Anger shone in the eyes of the locals here when the Alkitab was mentioned, many expressing confusion that such ado was being made over the use of a single word in their daily prayers.

Tasik Biru, one of the state constituencies in the Mas Gading parliamentary seat, has 15,100 registered voters, 77.5 per cent of whom are Bidayuh Christians. The remaining constituents are 14 per cent Melayu/Melanau, seven per cent Chinese and three per cent Ibans.

Its incumbent is state minister Datuk Peter Nansian anak Ngusie of BN’s Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP), who is pitted against newcomer in PKR, a renowned Bidayuh and former ambassador Datuk John Tenewie, who is also an appointed vice-president in PKR, and Sarawak National Party (SNAP) Frankie Jurem anak Nyombui. In the 2006 state contest, Peter Nansian trounced SNAP’s Joseph Jutem Umen with a 3,203-vote majority.

Patricia Daim, a trader in her 30s who resides in Kampung Serikin, a small township at the border of Indonesia’s Kalimantan, looked flustered when asked for her opinion on the topic. “Of course we are unhappy. I heard of the stories and I don’t understand it. I was born and raised here as a Catholic and I go to church as often as possible, throughout the week. “I have been using this word ‘Allah’ from the beginning and now they tell me that ‘Allah’ is forbidden,” she said.

Crossing her arms as she spoke, the youthful looking villager who was at first cautious when approached, told The Malaysian Insider that parishioners in her village were all equally as angry over the issue. “This is my right, is it not? My right to practise my religion the way I please. I am doing nothing wrong,” she said.

Daim’s words were echoed by almost all villagers met in Tasik Biru. The residents even shared a similar description on their feelings over the issue — “kecil hati” (slighted). Another Bidayuh middle-aged woman from Kampung Bogag said the same, adding that she would not know how to sing her favourite church hymns without using the word “Allah”.

A hawker, along with civil servant “Mr Tan”, who runs a small eatery at the corner of the village, told The Malaysian Insider that while their fellow villagers were “50-50” in their support for BN and the opposition, they were united in their views on the Alkitab issue. “Yes, many are angry. I cannot say for certain who we will vote but we know of what’s been happening. Maybe some will swing to the opposition, we cannot tell,” said Tan.

A short distance away in the steady marketplace bustle of Bau town, locals agreed with their friends in the neighbouring villages. Here, PKR’s flags dangle brazenly from the ceiling of the large wet market complex, some even used to adorn the front of cemented stalls used by traders to display their wares. The younger constituents openly declared their support for PKR and its leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, saying that they had enough of Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and his BN comrades.

“What policies are they making, what kind of message are they trying to spread to us when they try to tell us what we can and cannot do in our own religion,” said Maka, 21. The lanky youth also went as far as to declare that the entire township would abandon BN come April 16. “So what if BN won in 2006? Not by many votes. It will change this time,” he predicted confidently. His friend, fish seller Donald, 26, then told The Malaysian Insider that while the local folk may be considered “poorly villagers”, they were not stupid.

Without being asked, he brought up the issue of Anwar’s latest sex video scandal and said that many were of the opinion that the caper had been a set up timed for the Sarawak polls. “I do not need to watch the video to know that it is fake. You think we are stupid? What sense does it make that just when the election is around the corner, a video like this crops up. “I read the newspapers, I know,” he said.

Aside from the Alkitab holy books, villagers also complained of their rights having been stolen by the ruling administration, citing the row over native customary rights (NCR) land. “You steal our land and turn us into beggars. And you think we will not rise up against you to fight?” said Maka. Jonis Dobin, 51, complained that she was yet to hear from the government over the status of her 8-acre piece of land. “They are yet to release it and give me my land title. I have not received any compensation from the government yet since they took over my land,” she said.

Earlier this month, local daily Borneo Post reported that villagers in Bau would soon receive good news over the status of their NCR land, which had been reserved as government plots. The report quoted Peter Nansian as revealing that requests had come from folk in Singai, Grogo and Opar for their land to be released.“Landowners along the junction of Kampung Opar and Kampung Grogo have requested that the government release their land from Section 5 (3) (4) of Sarawak Land Code 1958. I have referred the matter to the government and ministers in charge. They have studied the matter and they have given positive indication,” he told reporters during a press conference.

According to him, the 40.441-hectare area was supposed to be gazetted as Bau Government Institutional Zone in 1998. “I do not like this uncertainty,” she complained. PR has been expounding on the NCR land issue in its campaign and have pledged in its manifesto that it would solve the problem through the establishment of a Native Land Commission should it come into government.

When met at his campaign trail yesterday, PKR’s Tenewie revealed that the NCR land issue was one of the primary concerns raised by village folk during his rounds. “Let’s put it this way, how would you feel if I simply came and stole your land?” he pointed out. He added that the 30-year-old Taib administration had denied Sarawak its riches and hogged its primary jungles for timber to benefit the ruling elite.

“I remember a long time ago when I used to walk around in Stenang... I see the primary jungles, so rich in its resources. Where is it today? “Yet, what has Taib done with the timber? Do we have a major furniture industry here? Factories?” he said. He quipped that Sarawak could have had its own “Ikea”. “But he sold off all our logs. And there is no trickle down to the people. No job opportunities created. That is why, look, there are over 50,000 Ibans now residing in Johor. They have been displaced,” he said.

Tenewie added that voter sentiment towards the opposition looked more promising than what it used to be before but admitted that it would be a tough battle to fight due to the long-engrained belief that villagers share that voting against the government would destroy their livelihood. “We need to teach them that having an opposition is critical in a good democracy. We are not the enemy, we are just the opponents,” he said. Tenewie’s words rang true in many parts of Tasik Biru.

A few yelled out “BN!” when asked for their party choice this April 16 as many chose to refrain from revealing their views, a clear sign that they were thinking twice. At Kampung Duyoh, traders looked suspicious when posed the question. One Bidayuh woman even piped up to ask, “Why do you want to know? Who are you telling me to vote for?” Three others declined from answering, pointedly saying, “Our vote is in our hands”, a popular tagline used by the opposition during their campaign speeches.

Sarawak goes to polls this April 16.

Of the 979,796 voters in Sarawak, the Chinese make up 31.5 per cent, Ibans 29 per cent, the Malay/Melanau 27.5 per cent, Bidayuh eight per cent, Orang Ulus 3.7 per cent and others 0.26 per cent. BN presently holds 63 seats in the 71-seat assembly, DAP has six and PKR and Parti Cinta Malaysia has one each. PKR has fielded 49 candidates for the polls while DAP is contesting in 15 seats and PAS in five. SNAP will clash with PKR in 26 seats. Of the 71 state seats, only 27 will see straight-fights. Catholic Herald

Courtesy: The Malaysian Insider