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Assemblyman wants Remun included as native race

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Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus. Photo: Mohd Alif Noni

KUCHING: Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus has proposed for the Remun or Iban Remun race to be listed in the Schedule of the Interpretation (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

To ensure that all the races in Sarawak are not left behind, he has suggested that the Remun race is listed in the Schedule either individually or be included with the Iban or Sea Dayak race.

Speaking in support of the Bill, John said that looking at the amendments to clause 2, which is the list of tribes in Sarawak contained in the Ordinance, there are 31 races in total.

Some of them are small groups or sub-groups in one race itself, for example, for Bidayuh or Land Dayak, where the sub-groups such as Salako, Rara, Jagoi, Singai, Biatah and Bukar Sadong. The same goes for the Kajang and Kenyah race.

“In Serian, Balai Ringgin and Simunjan, there is a race called Remun or Iban Remun.

“They already have their own association called ‘SIRA’ which stands for Serian Iban Remun Association and according to sources from the association, there are 35 villages and more than 35,000 people of Remun descent.

“In Bukit Semuja constituency, for example, apart from Kampung Remun itself, there are seven more villages that are of Remun race,” he said during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Tuesday (Feb 15).

According to an online article in 2020 and an online journal in 2019, researchers found that the language used by Remun descent, is quite different from other Iban races that people are used to hearing.

In terms of culture and customs, John believed that there are some slight differences practised (by the Remun race) from other Iban races.

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