Kerajaan digesa iktiraf ‘Dayak’ sebagai klasifikasi kaum rasmi

Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) has urged the government to officially recognize Dayak as a recognized ethnic category, rather than placing them under the "Others" category in forms and government systems. Sanjan Daik, the Deputy Leader of PBDS, stated that the party's leader, including its President John Brian Anthony, raised the issue during a meeting with the Sabah and Sarawak Welfare Section at the Prime Minister's office yesterday.

The meeting included Ahmad Nazib Johari, the Deputy Minister of Prime Minister and former PKR Sarawak chairman. PBDS emphasized that the recognition of Dayak identity should not continue to be an ongoing issue without a definitive solution, according to Borneo Post. Daik recalled that in 2015, the then Prime Minister's Department Minister Joseph Entulu Belaun announced the Ministry's agreement to include Dayak in the government's official forms.

However, he added, the implementation was limited to the official forms that did not require a legal amendment. In other words, some forms allowed for a blank space for ethnicities, allowing applicants to fill in their own ethnicity, while others provided specific options. The recognition of Dayak identity is not just about changing the ethnic classification in government forms, as it is also about recognizing history, primacy, and the community's dignity.

PBDS called on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to make this matter a priority and ensure the principles of equality, inclusiveness, and respect for diversity translate into action, according to Sanjan.