Ethnicity and ethnic relations in Sarawak
Abstract
This study aims to address some of the issues relating to ethnic
relations in Sarawak. It discusses the reasons behind the non-integration
ethnic groups in the culturally plural society in Sarawak.
There are three main reasons focused on in this study: the
non-integration due to the inter-tribal warfare and headhunting during
the pre-colonial period, the artificial ethnic markers and segregation
program imposed by the Brooke government and the significance of
ethnic identification within the continuation of etlmic separateness.
The analysis was conducted by comparing the situations of ethnic
relations during the pre-colonial period, the Brooke rule (1841-1941 ),
and the post-colonial.
During the pre-colonial period, the practices of headhunting and intertribal
warfare between the native groups in Sarawak were the main
reasons for the hostility and tensions between them. The dominant
Iban group, which was the most notorious of all, raided other groups
for heads to fulfill the requirement of their traditional ritual ( Gawai).
This situation was heightened with constant raids by the Iban alliance
with the Malay for economic purposes. Thus, interaction was merely
among dispersed minority groups. The antagonistic relation, separated
the etlmic groups physically. The separateness was also due to
identification based on geographical location. Even the people who
were supposed to be in the same ethnic group were separated. For
example, the Iban identified their groups on the basis of the river near
which they lived. The involvement of the Brooke rulers (1841-1941) in local affairs
lessened the antagonistic relations among the people in Sarawak.
Through the policy of abolishment of inter-tribal warfare and
headhunting policy, the Brooke government managed to create a
peaceful situation in Sarawak. The ethnic groups interacted through
trade and a few interacted in mission elementary schools situated in
the major towns in Sarawak. Nevertheless, the ethnic groups still
remained separated due to the programs of territorial segregation and
church affiliation imposed by the Brooke government on the local
people. However, the Iban group benefited from the territorial
segregation program, as they were all grouped together in order to
control their migration to other settlements that belong to other ethnic
groups.
The ethnic separateness in Sarawak during the Brooke rule as a result
of the Brooke government programs was challenged in 1928 by the
BEM (Borneo Evangelical Mission) which attempted to improve the
interaction among the people by forming a community of Christian
believers that shared common values and rituals. SIB (Sidang Injil
Borneo), an indigenous church that BEM set up based on a Western
pattern of organisation, took the responsibility to gather individuals
from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds in its institution. SIB
has cut across the ethnic barriers and boundaries to bring the people
together in this community.
Ethnic relations improved especially with the spiritual revival at Bario
in 1973. This affected the pattern of worship, evangelistic work and
the perception of the believers towards the Christian teachings in SIB
churches. The strength of the experience of the spiritual revival was
that it redirected SIB members' attention to the spiritual nature of
Christianity that had drawn people together despite the differences in ethnic and cultural background. SIB has established itself as a
denomination and the SIB identity as a social identity for its
members, but it has yet to fully integrate ethnic diversities within its
contemporary identity. The sense of status difference based on
subjective measurements has become the new barrier to interaction
and continues to be perpetuated through conscious social action by
many individuals in the church. The social differentiation is also
strongly connected to the ethnic group identity. Religious activities
are capable of integrating people at the spiritual level but not at the
non-spiritual level.
The study concludes that ethnic groups are non-integrated in Sarawak
due to the strong ethnic identification and awareness among its
people.