By Datuk Seri Ang Lai Soon

Prior to June 1, the largest ethnic group in Sarawak, the Dayaks, celebrated their Gawai on different days in their different traditional longhouses in Sarawak.

The Dayak people, like other major ethnic groups, have made substantial contributions to the country.

They are known for their great bravery in war, and their loyalty in peace time.

The legendary Sarawak Rangers, the Border Scouts and the Iban Trackers had a special place in the history of this country for the outstanding role they played in maintaining law and order during the Brooke period, the British colonial administration, the Malayan Emergency, the Confrontation, and the unrest in the late sixties. making the country safe for all of us.

We should always remember with gratitude the part they played with the police and the armed forces in making the country safe for all of us, and their significant contribution to our national economy.

To me Gawai Dayak is very special, as it embodies what I think of as the core of Sarawak's essence, that is a multiethic, multireligious, multilingual and multicultural community living in harmony, with everyone having a dedicated day in the year on which their particular customs, heritage, belief system and ethnicity are celebrated and honored.

Officially gazetted in 1964, Gawai Dayak is highly significant and special not only as a day of celebration for over 40 percent of our population, but also in setting an example to the world at large of unity and harmony in a country with a multiplicity of customs, religions, ethnicities and heritage.

It symbolizes a policy of inclusion by celebrating differences, in sharp contrast to what is happening in so many parts of the world today, selective exclusion that leads to mayhem and destruction in struggles for hegemony.

In some parts of the world, where you pray, where you come from, where you live, and what you believe in have become issues which divide peoples, resulting in conflicts and unrest in this turbulent and uncertain world.

This day is a reminder that we must always be on our guard against divisive influences.

For two years we are celebrating all national. religious and cultural events in the so-called "new normal", social distancing, wearing masks and washing hands. Physical contact is totally discouraged.

All citizens are asked to make short-term sacrifices for long-term benefits.

It would be senseless to live in a world where the wearing of mask is mandatory every day and staying at home, living a life in isolation is considered ideal.

Every moment is controlled and monitored!

With the present coronavirus pandemic, the climate change and the almost paralyzed global economy, the situation is getting quite untenable.

Life is temporary, and with the pandemic it is even more so.

An unlucky COVID-19 patient can die in a matter of days! His wealth, money and position cannot buy back his life!

We will bear this in mind in celebrating the Gawai, but let's do our patriotic duty by doing it privately among immediate family members only, or virtually celebrate it with friends and relatives via Zoom, Face Time or a mere phone call. It is the thought that counts at this challenging time.

To the legendary brave and loyal Dayaks and families, I wish you all a blessed, safe and happy Gawai Dayak.

(Datuk Seri Ang Lai Soon is Sarawak social activist, philanthropist, founder of St John's Ambulance Sarawak.)