Ethnicity and ethnic relations in Sarawak
Creators: name: Jehom, Welyne Jeffrey
Publisher: name: The Australian National University
Year: 1999

description: 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.