PENAMPANG: Aug 22, 2026 — The Dayak community in Borneo must rise to harness the island’s abundant natural resources to build a better future, a community leader urged today.
Drs. Agustinus Clarus made the call in his speech at the Indigenous Peoples Day celebration held at the Koisaan Cultural Village (KCV), KDCA Penampang, which carried the theme “Indigenous People and AI” and emphasised the importance of adapting to technological advancements and artificial intelligence.
Agustinus noted that the Dayak people form the majority in Borneo in terms of population, economy, and culture, and possess rich natural resources including forests and mining products.
However, he questioned why poverty still persists among Dayak communities in regions abundant with such wealth.
“Why do we Dayak people live on such rich land? We have air, we have timber, we have mining — gold mining, bauxite mining — yet we remain poor living in wealthy areas,” he said.
He called on Dayak leaders and communities across Borneo to deliberate on steps to change this situation.
He stressed that such efforts require solidarity and unity among the Dayak people, without allowing differences in sub-ethnicity and religion to become sources of division.
“How can we hold political power, how can we control the economy if we are not united?” he asked.
Unity is essential to ensure that Dayak identity and local wisdom are not lost to the passage of time, he added.
Agustinus also urged the Dayak community to master technology, including artificial intelligence, to shape their own future.
He said technological developments such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and AI could be leveraged to help the Dayak community progress in economic, educational, and cultural fields.
“We want to shape our own future — shaping our future,” he said.
He also called on the Dayak community to strengthen their capabilities in media and technology, and to bring Dayak identity to the global stage.
Such efforts require cooperation and solidarity so that the Dayak community can forge a shared future together, he added.
