KUCHING, March 26 — Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS Baru) today asked the state and federal governments to recognise the legal status of Saban and Lakiput, two small communities found in Baram interior of Miri Division, as natives of Sarawak.

Its president Cobbold John Lusoi said he will be writing to the state government and home ministry for the two communities to be accorded the native status.

He said Article 161A (7) of the Federal Constitution should be amended by inserting "Saban” and "Lakiput” for the purpose of definition that they are the natives of Sarawak.

"If the small communities such as Lugats, Lisums, Tanjongs and Kanowits are defined as natives of Sarawak, I do not see why the Saban and Lakiput are not,” Lusoi said, questioning why the two communities were not defined as natives when the Federal Constitution was drafted.

"The non-recognition accorded to two communities have deprived them of the privileges accorded to the natives of Sarawak,” Lusoi stressed, adding that he is surprised that these two communities have not been deemed as the natives despite the fact that they have been living in Sarawak for centuries.

He said the two communities have been appealing to the government for them to be recognised as the natives, but their repeated appeals have fallen on deaf ears.

Lusoi also expressed his regret that the term "Dayak” has not been given the force of law by amending the Federal Constitution, three years after former Chief Minister the late Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s anouncement.

Lusoi criticised Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun for not treating the matter as urgent.

"I am shocked to hear that he had considered the force of law does not ensure anything,” he said.

Entulu, who is also the Selangau MP, had said recently that any move to table a Bill to amend the Constitution would not pass through as it required two-thirds of the number of parliamentarians to approve it.

He also said that the ruling Barisan Nasional did not have the required number of MPs to pass any Bill to amend the constitution.