The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion
The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion |
| ‘Sarawakian first, Malaysian after equality’ Posted: 15 Sep 2012 06:18 PM PDT  Peter Kallang and family (Petrus Kallang is in the white suit, Peter is next to him). For Peter Kallang, however, being the chairman of SAVE Rivers network, a coalition of indigenous peoples, and NGOs to stop the 12 mega-dams in Sarawak, was a no-brainer. Born and raised in Baram, Peter feels that the plan to flood the Baram area, of 41,200 hectares (half the size of Singapore), is a huge travesty to thousands of indigenous peoples who would have to be relocated to new lands. This would not be the first time local communities are relocated to make way for a mega-dam in Sarawak, and promises of a new better home with a prosperous lifestyle, reneged by the government. When I sat down with Peter in early September to learn more of what inspired him to take on his momentous task, he had just returned from a visit to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in Miri. Peter and the rest of the SAVE Rivers network submitted documents as part of their complaint against the CEO of Sarawak Energy Bhd, Torstein Dale Sjotveit. They are saying that he abused his power to award contracts to family members of the Chief Minister of Sarawak. While Peter himself isn't convinced that MACC will do a thorough investigation on the SAVE Rivers complaint, he explains that it is nevertheless an important step to expose the massive corruption taking place in Sarawak. We are sitting in what he affectionately calls "coffeeshop politik", a corner shop canteen in the middle of Miri town that amusingly sells nothing that the large wall menu advertises. "When they took over from the previous owner, they never took the wall menu down. I guess they like it." A reminder of Sarawak's idiosyncracies; where appearances are not what they seem. His inspiration  Peter Kallang (on the right) in the field, showing where the proposed dam is going to be built. "Oh, I have always been like this [active in civil issues] all my life" he laughs, "My father in fact inspired me to look out for the welfare of others." Peter's father, the late Petrus Kallang, was an industrious Penghulu (headman) of three Kelabit longhouses in Lower Baram: Long Ekeng, Long Banyo, and Uma Akeh. Petrus Kallang also started the first school in the area after World War II in 1947. Petrus's pioneering work has been chronicled in the book, "Borneo People", published in 1956. The author, Malcolm MacDonald, then the British Commissioner-General for South-east Asia, describes his visit to Petrus Kallang's longhouse: when he had enquired about the blackboard in the Kallang's bilik, he was informed that it was for classes for the longhouse children. Petrus Kallang also started the first co-operative in Baram, where each family donated a certain amount of harvested padi and the combined proceeds were then used to buy an electric generator for the longhouse. It was the first longhouse in the Lower Baram area to run on an electric generator. His journey Born on September 24, 1950 in Long Ekang, Baram, Peter Kallang went on to study electrical installation in Miri in 1971. In 1975, while working for Shell, he joined the labour union to advocate for workers' rights. Peter remained active in the union where he was elected to be a three-term president, until 1984 when he moved to England to study power plant engineering for two years. When he returned from England, he was promoted to senior staff but remained loyal in looking out for workers' rights by sitting on the senior staff council of the labour union. It was exciting to be in England at that time, especially for someone like Peter with a strong social conscience. The coal miners of the UK had gone on a prolonged strike in 1984, a major industrial action against the country's coal industry. The strike ended in March 1985, nearly a year after it had begun. The committed strikers and their families experienced extreme hardship for they had no wages during that long period of civil action. Many picketers were reported to have been subjected to intimidation, and sometimes violence by the police. Peter Kallang was greatly inspired by the UK coal miners' dedication and symbolic struggle. He was especially inspired by the head of the National Union of Mineworkers, noting that while the coal miners' strike had received much coverage in the press, it was Margaret Thatcher and her political party that received the best press. Peter's passion for meaningful interaction with people remained true throughout the years, and he opted to take the Shell package for early retirement in 1999, to embark on a new career of network marketing. It was an opportunity to travel around Sarawak and to train people on how to optimise their income. In 2006, he decided to concentrate more on church and social work, and thus formed the Kenyah Miri Association (Persatuan Kenyah Miri). He is also the president of the Orang Ulu National Association, and remains active in his church men's group, the Rights of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) and the Sarawak Shell Retiree Association. On politics  Happy smiles after successful (and safe) trip to MACC office (Peter Kallang is in the middle). When pressed to confirm rumours that PKR had offered him to be their Baram representative for the next general election, he laughed it off. Peter explains that if he had any interest in politics, he would have joined a long time ago. For him, there just isn't any ifs or buts or maybes surrounding the "will you ever join politics" question. "When you join a political party, you have to toe the line. I can't do that. I'm a man of principle," Peter laughingly explains. On family Besides God, Peter's source of strength is his marriage of almost 30 years to Maria Usuna Ajang of Long Palai, Baram. Together, they have four children: Petrus (25 years old), Pius (24 years old), Polina (20 years old), and Priscilla (15 years old), all of whom are just as active as their parents in church and social work. Peter remarks with pride how well-travelled his children are, having travelled to India and the Philippines for church youth retreats. His extended family is just as proud and very supportive of his work with SAVE Rivers network: Peter's laptop and PA system were donated by fundraising from his siblings and cousins. Peter recounts the generosity of a cousin whose husband had just passed away; she donated RM1,000 without question for his hard (unpaid) work in SAVE Rivers. All the funds were channeled into equipment and travel expenses for the campaign. On Malaysia With Malaysia Day coming up, I asked Peter his thoughts of being a Malaysian. "Malaysia is a nice concept but not practised in reality. They [West Malaysians] don't treat us like an independent country that joined the Federation [along with Sabah] to form a new country. They look down on us in fact. There is no equality in Malaysia. "I'm a Sarawakian, and only a Malaysian when they start treating us as equals.". * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. |
| Can art and art education flourish without race? Posted: 15 Sep 2012 06:03 PM PDT  The main interior exhibition space of the Segaris art center. All photos by Victor Chin The title of their first exhibition in May this year was "Suarasa" and they showed 14 of their best artists from their alumni. This collection of over 30 artworks covers four generations of artists from the 1970s, 80s, 90s to the present. Since then it has had other art-related events and is beginning to attract an audience. In the 60s, there was no art school in Malaysia; the nearest was the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore and it was mainly for Mandarin-speaking students. Many who could afford the cost of an overseas education went to the United Kingdoom, USA, France or Australia. For the Malays, the government started the Maktab MARA in 1965. Later in 1967 it became Institute Teknology MARA. Then in 1999 it took the name Universiti Teknologi MARA. At present, with a student population of 200,000 spread over 12 branch campuses, three satellite campuses, nine city campuses and 12 affiliated collages nationwide, it is Malaysia's largest institute of learning in terms of size and population. It also logically takes up a large percentage of the over RM50 billion the government allocated to national education in its last Budget. This sum goes to feed UiTM's workforce of over 20,000 that run over 300 academic programs -- including the arts.  Sharifah Fatimah, Floating 2, 2009, 61 x 76 cm acrylic on canvas. - All Pictures by Victor Chin Her artworks have their roots in American Abstract Expressionism and are mainly abstract constructions of bright primary colours, designs and shapes. This painting "Floating 2" has a predominantly orange network of angular shapes of various sizes and designs contrasting with the blue and the yellow ones. This is a medium-size work and conveys a floating feel about it as the title suggests.  Awang Damit Ahmad, Jejak Waktu Serie ll, 2008, 122 x 122cm mix-media on canvas. In "Jejak Waktu", we see large and heavy horizontal and vertical bands of greyish-coloured shapes interlocking at the centre of the canvas. It is almost like a detail of a geological formation 50 million years old from some part of the Malaysian landscape like that found in Langkawi. The red bits at the corner as well as that at the top could represent the volcanic forces at the bottom of the geological movement.  Ahmad Shukri Mohamad, Waiting for Mr Right (detailed), 2012, mixed media, 203 x 203 cm. Besides his artistic concerns, he is also trying to perhaps suggest that he is worried about the looming deterioration of the environment through deforestation and other man made threats. Featuring pitcher plants which are endemic to certain parts of the jungle, as in this painting, "Waiting for Mr Right", we get the sense that these unique plants need the right sort of protection from extinction. But the question is, how well and far can this "embedded" message get? Art and the environment is a major issue with Fauzin Mustafa and he shares this same theme with Ahmad Shukri. The many issues from climate change to food security in the world are not just a national concern but a global one. The answers to some of these urgent questions are not found in a painting like "Hutan Simpan IV", we have to look for them at the world's geo-political stage.  Fauzin Mustafa, Hutan Simpan lV, 2007, mixed media, 97 x 127 cm. But an artist like Fauzin has persisted in using images of the plants, trees, insects and animals in juxtaposition in a well-balanced composition like "Hutan Simpan IV." This fine balance of all the shapes, images and colours gives off a sense of beauty amidst imminent environmental disaster. In a deeper sense, this artistic striving for beauty by all artists may hopefully lead them to the truth. If that's the case, what has this truth to offer us? To a certain extent, this truth perhaps can save us and get us to commit to becoming better people; we are then obliged to be more just and fair. But after more than 45 years, have any of these illustrious UiTM artists paused to ponder if the system they enjoyed is a just and fair one to fellow artists who are not Malays? Failure to address the injustice is also a refusal to achieve a vision of equality. Honestly, will not a more inclusive and open environment nurture and perhaps produce better artists that transcend institutional racism? In that way we can truly champion Malaysian artists and Malaysian art as opposed to Malay artists and Malay art. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. |
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