Our History
Sarakup Indu Dayak Sarawak (SIDS) was formed in May 1957, a year after SDNU was established. Madam Barbara Mendu Bay was the first elected President of the association. The association provided a forum for the women to discuss development strategies and identity courses of actions. Among one of the earliest activities being organised by Sarakup was the adult education class. This provided the members to learn the basic knowledge of reading and writing like signing their names and reading numbers specially to assist them to identify bus numbers. Other activities that were being carried out were
community services live visiting the sick, giving monetary aid at funerals and
giving assistance to school children, all of which are still carried out to this day.
Cultural activities like providing training for “Ngajat” and Iban weaving were also
carried out. At the same time Sarakup worked hard to bring Iban women to become
members of the new association. The activities of Sarakup spread to other areas
outside Kuching and educational topics widened to include hygiene, childcare
and family planning.
Barbara Mendu Bay
First President of SIDS (1957-1959)
SIDS Exco with founding member Barbara Mendu Bay (seated 5th left)
Sarakup second president, Madam Julia Linang carried out the good work between 1960 to 1961. At about this time, through these activities carried out in the rural areas, Sarakup branches bgean to develop in out station areas. The "baju modern" was also introduced around this time because the traditional costume was too elaborate and not practical for formal functions especially for Iban women. The "baju modern" is a practical and authentic "half-dress" version of the traditional costume. It consists of a sash (selampai panjai) wrapped crosswide fashion over the chest and tucked in at the back and a long-woven skirt (kain panjai) and with some silver accessories to wear with the costume.
One of the first projects in 1962 was fund raising for the victims of a flood in Limbang. Madam Gladys Janting (1962- 1963) was the President at that time. They managed to collected than a thousand dollars and the amount collected was handed over to the Flood Relief Committee.
The idea of a Gawai Dayak was first initiated by several Dayak representatives in 1957, but efforts to persuade the then Colonial Government to make official Gawai Dayak were not entertained. However, Mrs Tra Zehnder (Dato Sri) who was by then the President was determined and fought hard for a Gawai Dayak. Finally, Hari Gawai Dayak was gazette on 25th September 1964. In 1961, Mrs Tra Zehnder (Dato Sri) also represented Sarakup at the Simanggang Adat Law Conference. Its proceedings were eventually published in 1963 as "Sarawak Dayak Adat Law" which became the basis for the present Native Customary Law.
In the year 1964, the year of the Confrontation, Mrs Vida Bayang, one of Sarakup founding members, and other Sarakup members travelled to some of the threatened areas. They provided much encouragement to the womenfolks and urged them to be brave and resilient in facing all the uncertainties and dangers at that time.
In 1967, Datin Vera Nichol was SIDS President and much of Sarakup energy went towards the fund raising for Rumah Dayak. All kinds of fund-raising activities were carried out such as fun fairs, sales of work and dinners. Sarakup managed to. raise about RM 12,000 towards the building fund and it as with some justified pride that new Rumah Dayak, was completed in 1969. Sarakup also helped to raise funds by taking part in charity sales for teh Cheshire Home, the Centre for the Blind and the Salvation Army Home. Sarakup was allocated a big room on the ground floor (on the right wing) of the new Rumah Dayak for them to hold meetings and conduct cooking and sewing classes. In 1975, during Sarakup's Annual General meeting two very crucial proposals were made, one was to codify the Tusun Tunggu and second was to ban the sale of old photos (on postcards) of topless Dayak women.
In 1976, Madam Annie Jemat became the next Sarakup President. She joined Sarakup at a very young age and has served Sarakup in various positions. In that year too, Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) organised a very grand Gawai Dayak celebration. As the women's wing of SDNU, Sarakup assisted in being involved in many sub-committees during that celebration.
Madam Serika Ferguson took over as Sarakup President from Madam Annie Jemat in 1980 and a year later followed by Madam Susana Kitto in 1981. Sarakup continued to be actively involved in numerous charitable sales, cultural shows and craft exhibitions. Their involvement in these programmes provided excellent training grounds for the members to acquire new skills and leadership training especially for younger members.
YBhg Tan Sri Dato Sri Empiang Jabu took. over from Madam Susana Kitto as the next Sarakup Chairman in 1985. Over a span of 34 years, she spearheads Sarakup to a whole new level. During her term she focused on expanding Sarakup membership by encouraging women from all the divisions to form Sarakup branches. By the time she relinquished her post as the Sarakup Chairman (President) to YBhg. Dato Ir Alice Jawan Empaling in 2018 there were 28 Sarakup branches in the state from Lundu to Limbang, with a resounding tital membership of about 14,000. During her tenure, Tan Sri Dato Sri Empiang Jabu also helped to promote Iban culture even further, including the revival of the art of weaving. Sarakup is responsible among other things for the inroduction of Iban design in textile printing and to include the introduction of Iban fabric into international arena through fashion shows. One of the most successful initiatives was the "Ethnic Inspiration" fashion show in 1987. At this show, international models and Sarakup models presented a spectacular fashion extravaganza. Another programme being initiated during her time was the education incentives award. The incentive award was given to children and grandchildren of Sarakup’s members who obtained results during their public examinations. The presentation of this monetary incentives soon became a yearly affair in Sarakup's calnder if events. Many public awareness programmes were also organised for members to empower them with current knowledge especially with the latest technology. Collaborative engagements were with the current institutions of higher learning such as University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus to upgrade members' knowledge and skills in information technology. Due to the demolition of the Rumah Dayak at Jalan Satok in 1997 to make way for a new building, Sarakup needed to acquire a more permanent base for it to conduct meetings and organise programmes. In 1999, Sarakup moved to its new office buidling at Lot 7887, 3rd Floor Section 64, Queen's Court, Jalan Wan Alwi in Kuching.
YBhg. Dato Ir Alice Jawan Empaling, was elected as the 10th Sarakup president at the 1st TGM in 2018. Prior to this Dato Alice was the Chairman of SIDS Sibu branch from 2000 until 2017. Upon taking the post of SIDS State ChaIrman HQ, Dato Alice secured Sarawak state government which enables SIDS to purchase a new premise at Lot 3520 & 3521, Jalan Canna, Tabuan Tranquility and the place is aptly named Rumah SIDS. With the support of the State government, Dato Alice and her EXCO members began to plan more programmes and activities at the headquarters as well as branch levels. A series of programmes were carried out including the Strategic Planning Workshop in February 2019, where branch Chairmen and key committee members were invited to attend, with the aim of mapping SIDS plans and line with the vision. Another transformational initiative by SIDS is the setting up of the Tan Sri Empiang Jabu Research Chair in collaboration with Universiti Putra Malaysia (IUPM) on 1st August 2019. The main objectives of setting the TSEJRC are firstly to honor the longest serving leader YBhg. Tan Sri Dato Sri Empiang Jabu and secondly to promote research in an effort to better understand issues and challenges facing Dayak women and, in the process, empower them in moving forward. In March 2022, another transformational intiative was the establishment of the Barbara Mendu Bay Education Fund. The education fund is an enhancement of the student incentive with the goal of further assisting Dayak students in the state who are in dire need of financial support during their studies at their secondary school, matriculation and university levels; as well as provisions to work with tural schools to enhance their facilities.
SIDS under Dato Alice will strive to be the voice of Dayak women of the future.
