KUCHING: A special committee has been established to handle issues related to minority ethnic groups, particularly in safeguarding native languages.
Minister in the Premier’s Department Datuk Seri John Sikie Tayai said the secretariat of the committee — Sarawak Indigenous Matters Committee (Jawatankuasa Berkaitan Perkara-Perkara Pribumi Sarawak) — is the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts.
“The purpose of setting up this committee is to discuss the names of ethnic groups, particularly in terms of spelling and pronunciation, the population of minority ethnic groups, especially those newly recognised, sub-ethnic groups who wish to be identified under their own ethnic names, and matters relating to cultural heritage including the traditions and languages of minority ethnic groups.
“It will assist in preparing for the official gazettement of ethnic groups with correct and agreed-upon spellings/pronunciations as approved by the ethnic communities themselves, and also in obtaining up-to-date data on the population and main settlement areas of minority ethnic groups in Sarawak,” he said.
He said this in his speech during the Kuching Division Journalists Association (KDJA) Gawai Media Night at the Grand Riverine Ballroom on Monday (Jun 24).
At the same time, Sikie also referred to the announcement by Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil on a strategic collaboration between the Ministry of Communications and low-cost airline AirAsia in conjunction with Malaysia’s chairmanship of Asean 2025, saying as part of the initiative, AirAsia is offering a 50 per cent fare discount to local media practitioners holding the Information Department Media Accreditation Card (JaPen).
“This one-off offer applies to return tickets to any of the 57 Asean member country destinations, a gesture reflecting federal-level appreciation for the media.
“I hope media friends here already have the JaPen Media Card to be eligible for this travel discount offer,” he added.
On the Gawai Media Night, organising chairperson Indun Silong said it was held to honour all media colleagues in Kuching while celebrating one of the major cultural festivals in Sarawak, which is Gawai Dayak.
“The idea for the event came from the first meeting of the newly appointed KDJA committee members back in April.
“Therefore, I am very honoured to carry this responsibility despite the short preparation time,” she said.
She hoped the celebration would continue to strengthen relationships among everyone and showcase the culture and traditions of the Dayak community in Sarawak.
“If the response is good, then… I’ll be knocking on your door again next year, Datuk Seri, and earlier too, I’ll knock a bit louder,” she quipped.
