A Step in the State Assembly for Marudi PKR Candidate, Elia Bit, is a Giant Step for the Penans
Minority groups in Malaysia are in need of heroes, perhaps none more so than the Penan.
The incessant logging that the government turns a blind eye to has destroyed the forests in which the hunter-gatherers of the Penan tribe forage for food.
Hydroelectric dams that the government built over the years have also led to the forced eviction of many members of the Penan community, as rising waters compromise their safety in their villages.
In 2009, a government task force report confirmed that Penan women and children in Sarawak were raped and sexually abused by timber workers. The Sarawakian government had previously provided vehicles to bring the Penan children home from school during term breaks. But, ever since the government discontinued this mode of transport, the children of Penan families had no other choice but to depend on the vehicles belonging to logging companies to transport their children to and fro, unknowingly compromising their safety.
In a further report by the Penan Support Group, FORUM-ASIA and Asian Indigenous Women’s Network (AIWN), they unveiled that most of the Penan rape cases are unreported and kept under wraps. Although victims of rape are willing to be forthcoming with their stories, they are deterred by the lack of identity cards, high cost of travel and the apathy that the police has accorded to past cases.
Voon Shiak Ni, current candidate for N13 DUN Batu Kitang and PKR Women National vice-chief had coordinated with several women NGOs to deliver reports to various arms of the government, including Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (then Minister of Women, Family and community Development) and Rosmah Mansor (wife of Prime Minister). Despite such efforts, years later in 2013, Voon lamented that “the issue remained unresolved and we have yet to know how much the government had acted on the recommendations and measures put forward by the ministry in the National Taskforce report, to address the heinous crimes on our women and girls in Sarawak.”
Even when authorities are pressured into investigating such cases, prosecution rate remains staggeringly low. In 2009, then Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Mohd Zinin conceded to investigating four rape cases involving Penans at Ulu Baram. Reporting on the actions taken, he shared that “We have charged one person, but the other three cases have no witnesses to enable us to take legal action.”
Clearly, this is a despicable state of affairs. The government built hydroelectric dams and pursued logging, promising the people of Sarawak a better economy and comfortable lives. Instead, it has jeopardised the Penan community – displacing them from their homes, impoverishing them and eroding their culture. The government has showed no sincerity in respecting the rights of indigenous people, leaving the Penans – especially the Penan women and children – vulnerable to exploitation.
The Penan community should not have to suffer in silence anymore. On 7 May, 27-year old Elia Bit, herself of Penan descent offers her services as a representative at N76 DUN Marudi in the 11th Sarawak state elections.
Hailing from Long Lapok in Miri, Elia is an avid activist with local NGO – the Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia (JOAS), striving to better the lives of the Penan community and the state’s many other marginalised tribes.
Elia has been a vocal advocate for the victims of the Penan rape cases. She has opined that rape allegations cannot be taken lightly, and that it is imperative to raise awareness of the rights of women in Sarawak. She has also called for the media to take a more proactive role in educating the public about the realities of all Penan women and children.
Elia holds a social science degree in Linguistics from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and has pursued a master’s degree in Media and Information Warfare Studies at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM). Elia is the second person of Penan descent who has managed to further her education to a master’s degree level. In a 2013 interview with the Borneo Post, she expresses her hope for more Penan youths to succeed in education, asserting that “I may be the second Penan who managed to pursue higher learning to a master’s degree level, but I strongly believe I will not be the last.”
Upon graduation, Elia shouldered several jobs in her home state. In 2011, she worked as a temporary teacher at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bakong, Miri. Last year, she contributed to Radio Free Sarawak’s initiatives to bring alternative news to Sarawak’s diverse communities.
For decades, the government’s actions has condoned a serious breach in human rights in the Penan community – including the denial of land rights, the rejection of citizenship rights and the violation of women’s and children’s rights. We cannot allow the democratic rights of marginalised communities to be compromised any longer. Every vote for Elia Bit counts towards bringing the plight of the marginalised communities at Sarawak to the main stage.
Elia’s ascension into the Sarawak state assembly symbolises legitimate recognition of the need to defend the marginalised, including the Penan community.
On 7 May, I urge all my Sarawakian brothers and sisters to vote for Elia and our other candidates to ensure that a stronger opposition in the state assembly emerges, and the voices of all marginalised communities to be strengthened and heard!
Ngap Sayot! Demi Sarawak!
Nurul Izzah Anwar
Member of Parliament, Lembah Pantai
Vice President & Election Director, People’s Justice Party
