Plantation”s Samseng

Written by: Dr. John Brian Anthony

Recently we heard from Danau Melikin that “Samseng” were used by plantation owner to put the Dayak under control or even to issue threats to Dayak. In Bintulu, the same tactic was employed by a plantation company at Sg Spadok. They challenged those Dayak coming back from their farm in the evening to a fight.

Then we have various reaction from the online facebook etc media calling for a response from Dayak to take up this gangsters / samseng challenge. It has now dawn to Dayak youth that other races are ready to fight the Dayak in order to own their land through the issuance of provisional lease by BN Government. The culture of “berandau” or open discussion to find solution was ignored or not used. The investors representatives choose to make shady deals with community leaders and even bribe them with monthly allowance in order to stop them from objecting to the “grabbing” of their land. Many less then “principled” community leaders succumb to this ploy and scheme. The Dayak YBs are no better then the community leaders they lead.

History

The people who used gangsters extensively are the Chinese investors. In Ulu Niah, KTS employ gangsters to protect their plantation from the demand of non payment of share and profit from the Dayak from the long houses. One such incident ended with bloodshed where 5 gangsters were killed and beheaded by Dayak. These gangsters literally moved into the Dayak villages and challenged them to “a fight till death” scenario which is not an acceptable situation for Dayak as they are peace loving and law abiding people. They have nothing to gain except that they only want to protect their livelihood by sticking to farming on their land.

Why are the plantation owners resorting to gangsterism?

In the first place maybe many of these rich investors are “gangsters” themselves. We can also say that some of BN YBs are gangsters themselves. We can see them being protected by “gangsters” rather then by regular police when they move around to meet the people in their constituency. They might have made their money through shady means or gain important position by contesting and winning election under BN, but in reality they are down right gangsters. They live by the gangster’s code, by gangster’s mean and therefor live according to the gangsters way of life and culture.

In a corrupt society as provided by BN government, gangsters got richer by receiving favors from government by using their money to buy favors from those in authority. It started during the “timber boom” and now comes the “plantation boom”. In both cases, gangsters gain ground that in some instances the police who “sold” themselves are under the control of gangsters.

Dayak counter – offensive option

The correct thing to do and say is to ask the police to protect the Dayak from gangsterism. But this is not as easy as it is made to look. The police would say to the Dayak “yes, i will take your report for record purpose only”. The people of Spadok was given the exact reply from the Police in Bintulu when they made a report about encroachment by the plantation into their land. It that a fair reply or response to Dayak when they made a police report?

By the same process, when plantation people report of Dayak interference in their plantation, the police are quick to response and arrest the Dayak without much investigation. This was done to some villagers at Danau Melikin. I see this as a gangster plus police team to subdue and frighten the Dayak into submission to allow freedom for the gangsters plantation owners to do what they want to the Dayak land.

To my mind, this attract a Dayak response that should not be on ad hoc basis. The response must be highly discipline with clear cut chain of command and structure. It may be seemed wrong but what choice has the Dayak when those in authorities are not responding to their call for help and that their life and livelihood are endangered by gangsters and irresponsible law enforcement agencies.

Suggestion got from Dayak youth

It seems many favor the idea that the Dayak must formed their own fighting team but without the “gangster’s culture”. It is a team to take plantation gangsters challenge to a “fight till death” with weapon of their own choice not excluding guns and explosive.

If the rich investor demand war in order to be rich I think that we should grant them that favor in the face of some “police station” that are already under the control of gangsters. I strongly believed that the Dayak has the right to self defense. The Dayak has the right to protect their property and to live as a free men.

I am not an advocator of war, killings and even disturbance of public peace. I am standing for the rights of Dayak to be left in peace with no provocation by gangsters and allow the rule of law to be the key approach to solve most of our problems.

The threat by gangsters and the words they used when talking to Dayak in most cases are crude, provoking and lack any sense of manners and respect. We cannot demand that from one another as that depended on our culture. If you are dealing with gangsters and they live by that culture you either have to kneel before them or fight them till death. This make the role of POLICE very crucial and important and they never ever compromise the safety of the people and always protect a reasonable rights and provide reasonable time to solve their problems by rule of law. Any weakness from the police would be felt and seen by the public who would then have to seek the right to self defense.

The idea is for Dayak to open up self defense training centres to get young Dayak men to fight and defend the Dayak specifically from gangsters who are either a lowly street men to the level of gangsters who raised their life to be plantation owners, Datuks and even elected as YB. The wisdom of an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth is still relevant in most cases.

Conclusion

The Dayak cannot surrender and roll on their back allowing the gangsters to walk all over them. This is made worst when “bad policemen” are involved with the gangsters activities.

The Dayak youth is encourage to train themselves in the Dayak art of self defense. The community is encourage to response strongly to any physical threat by gangsters and should not limit themselves to just protecting their personal life but to protect their properties and families from the bad criminal act of gangsters.

Change WE Must