The Bidayuh Language Yesterday, Today and ... - SIL International

they were then and formerly sago eaters. The present-day languages of “Klemantan stock” do give
indication of a common origin. The ceremonies of healing the sick using the swing was also common
especially among the Melanau and the Bidayuh.
In 1945, R. Kennedy classified the Land Dayak together with Ayon, Desa, Lundu, Manyukei and
Mualong Sidin (Leach 1950:49).
Finally, in 1950, Leach himself defined the Land Dayak as “those communities of the First Division of
Sarawak, whatever their dialect, which possess, or recently possessed a ‘head-house’ (Baloi, Panggah) as a
feature of their village organisation” (Leach 1950:54). Leach’s definition—which explicitly ignores language
as a criterion—became the basis for the identification of the present-day Bidayuh people.
1.1.3 The process of Bidayuh self-identification
The people considered by Leach to be Land Dayak have indeed felt a cultural commonality, despite their
various tongues. Also, they were already used to being grouped together by the Brooke and colonial
regimes. As the prospect of independence from the British drew nearer in the 1950s, community leaders
saw an advantage in working together to present a common face at the state and national level. However,
there was initially some difficulty in deciding how to refer to themselves.
The Land Dayaks wished to be known by a self-chosen name, rather than one devised by the Brooke
regime. Since 1955, the majority of the Land Dayak leaders have preferred the term ‘Bidayuh’ for
themselves, rather than ‘Land Dayak’. Bidayŭh means “the people of the hinterland”, which at that time
was “strictly applicable only to the people of the Sadong amongst whom it had currency” (Geddes
1954:6). At first the label ‘Bidayuh’ was unacceptable to some Land Dayak people, including some of the
Bisingai who were aggrieved to be called Bidayuh. But since ‘Bidayuh’ was the only alternative to ‘Land
Dayak’ that was ever proposed, and meanwhile an association bearing the name was formed, eventually
everyone came to accept it.
The purpose of the formation of the Bidayuh National Association in 1955 was to assert the Bidayuh
identity and to reaffirm its ethnicity. Later, in 1971, the Bidayuh National Association was renamed the
Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA), in order to associate itself with other Dayak associations in
Sarawak. The formation of Dayak associations is very much linked to the nature of economic
development and nation-building (Tan Chee-Beng 1994:227); many of them were contending for similar
interests on behalf of their ethnic groups.
The change of the name for the Bidayuh people became law when the Interpretation (Amendment)
Bill 2002 was passed at the sitting of the State Legislative Assembly on May 6, 2002. This amendment
stated that the Iban, Bidayuh and Lun Bawang communities would no longer be referred to as ‘Sea
Dayak’, ‘Land Dayak’ and ‘Murut’ respectively.
YB. Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu ak Numpang, Deputy Chief Minister of Sarawak, when
tabling the Bill, said that sometimes it was necessary to amend the Interpretation Ordinance to discard
some old terminologies or names which were given by the Brooke and colonial administrators, especially
to the ethnic or native communities in the State (Sarawak Tribune, 7 May 2002).
5