It started with an idea

DAYAKS from various dialect groups who were working as civil servants or teachers or policemen in Kuching had been observing how, during Hari Raya and Chinese New Year, friends and relatives in their best clothes visited one another in their homes.

Fellowship, fun and laughter were the order of the day as people were shaking hands, children kissing the hands of their elders, or receiving red packets. Food galore!

By the 1950s, the old Dayaks of Kuching, descendants of the Dayak Padungan and migrants from other districts, had mostly become Christians and they celebrated Christmas only. They were mostly government servants. Their friends from the same office or place of work visited them in their homes to join in the celebration. Food and drinks aplenty!

However, rural-based Dayaks such as the Bidayuhs celebrated their ‘Gawai Suwa’ at varying dates during the year. The Ibans held big festivals such as ‘Gawai Kenyalang’ or ‘Gawai Antu’ on special occasions only because these were very expensive to organise. There was no fixed day in the year for the whole community to celebrate.

That gave the Dayaks in Kuching an idea. Tra (Dato Sri Tra Zehnder) said to me once: “All this while we have been visiting the Malays and the Chinese during their festivals; it’s time they visit us during our festival.”

Those Dayaks, working in broadcasting (Radio Sarawak), the Museum, the Cooperative Department, the Police Force and in the teaching profession, started talking about having a special day for their community. Forefront in this move were Benedict Sandin, Andria Ijau, Tan Gerunsin Lembat, George Jimbai, Michael Buma, Ah Guan, Robert Sulis Ridu, Austin Jaga, Temenggong Salau, Nelson Ngundai – to mention the more vociferous ones. Me, just started teaching, was always up to anything that seemed a bit adventurous. I was told to keep the minutes of their meetings.

When more interest was evident in what we were doing, we needed a name for ‘The Day’. What would be a suitable name for it?

If the Malays called their festival Hari Raya Aidilfitri and the Chinese called their lunar festival, Chinese New Year, then the Dayaks should call their festival ‘Dayak Day’ – so it was reasoned.

However, that concept posed a bit of a problem for the authorities to accept; the government thought it sounded just a bit too political, and lots of officials didn’t want the Dayaks to get interested in anything other than their happy simple rural lives!

Yet, recognition by the government was necessary. What to do?

Enter the distaff brigade: Barbara Bay, Gladys Janting, Mrs Senada, Julia Linang, Mary Jamuh, May Kallang, Eunice Gawing, Vida Bayang, Mrs Ang, Nurse Judy Chung, Susana Kitto and her mother Mdm Tuyah, Jenny Empenit Adam and all the other ladies living along the Sekama Road, Kampong Pinang/Ban Hock Road, Ellis Road and Tabuan. They got themselves involved in the campaign for the official recognition of Dayak Day.

Looking for a legislator to bring up the matter to the Council Negri for a gazette notification of Dayak Day was another problem. Fortunately, by design or by coincidence, housewife Tra Zehnder of Astana Road, had recently been appointed as a member of the Legislative Council. She picked up the cudgels like a man! She was fighting hard for government’s recognition of Dayak Day to be declared as a public holiday.

Still, there was the political aspect of the proposal that was in the way of official recognition. Frustration began to set in among the advocates. Delay, delay, delay (does this sound familiar, even in the 21st century?).

Then Michael Buma, a teacher, decided to celebrate Dayak Day anyway, at his house in Siol Kandis on June 1, 1964. By then, I had been away overseas, but I’ve heard them tell of it many times. An emotional gathering by all accounts – a wakening of sorts.

Tra persisted and finally the Chief Minister, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan approved the day as ‘Gawai Dayak Day’, not as Dayak Day, and June 1 would be officially recognised as a state public holiday every year. As a compromise, I suppose. Anyway, it was accepted by the promoters with great gratitude, out of respect for the chief minister.

Since then, Gawai Dayak Day has been celebrated every year without fail in a grand style – parades, dances, dinners and open-house gatherings.

I have noticed, however, that a modern Gawai is followed by the ‘Ngiling Tikai/Bidai’, one or two weeks after the main celebration. In this regard, I don’t remember the promoters of the official Gawai Dayak ever considered ‘Ngiling Tikai/Bidai’ as an essential part of the festival, akin to the concept of the Chinese’s Chap Goh Mei.

I don’t think the early advocates of the day would approve of it. Somehow or other, this ‘end of festivities’ is considered important by many Dayaks, especially the politicians.

Who am I to object?

Still, it is the negative part of Gawai that should be done away with because it is too much of a financial burden for the organisers, and also a waste of time. My personal opinion – take or leave it.

Sadly, this year the celebrations would be greatly muted, for good reasons. For our own safety, house-visiting is not on. No open house, say sorry to your friends and relatives. Blame the coronavirus! That virus is waiting for any big festival that attracts a large crowd of people to use as its agents to infect more people in the community.

You don’t want to be such an agent, do you?

During this Gawai period, it is our bounden duty to protect ourselves from the virus by strictly abiding by the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), getting yourself tested and vaccinated. The war on Covid-19 pandemic must be won at all costs. When the enemy has been totally wiped out, then we can hold a ‘Big Gawai’.

Forget about the ‘poco-poco’ or the cockfighting for now because these activities draw large crowds of people in one place. Physical-distancing, so vital to prevent the virus, is impossible, in a large gathering.
‘Gerai Nyamai, Gayu Guru!’