KUCHING, June 6 — Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) today urged Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong to immediately pursue the recognition of Gawai Dayak as a national public holiday in Malaysia.
PBDS president Moses Ripai said Ugak should not just make the suggestion but instead bring the matter to the attention of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for the consideration of the federal government.
“We, on our part, will give our support to Ugak for making the suggestion because we believe that the festive occasion should be made a national holiday,” he said when asked to respond to Ugak’s suggestion.
Ripai said Ugak is the right person to pursue the matter due to his position as the deputy minister in charge of Sabah and Sarawak and Special Functions.
Ripai said there are thousands of Dayaks working in peninsular Malaysia who want to celebrate the festive occasion with their families in Sarawak, but are unable to travel back to Sarawak as Gawai Dayak is not a national public holiday.
Gawai Dayak has been celebrated on June 1 and 2 in Sarawak as a state holiday since the 1960s.
Ugak had two days ago suggested that the federal government recognise Gawai Dayak as a national public holiday in Malaysia, saying that it is in line with the unity government’s concept led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Ugak expressed hope that the proposal can be brought to the Cabinet for consideration with the aim of enabling all Malaysians to celebrate the festive occasion together.
“If Hari Raya can be a public holiday, Chinese New Year can be a holiday and other festivals are also a holiday, what’s wrong with having our Gawai Dayak to be declared as a national public holiday to enable Malaysians to experience this celebration,” Ugak had told reporters at his Gawai Dayak open house at his residence at Taman Sebiew in Bintulu.
