Kayan and Kenyah want separate ‘adet’ code

COMMUNITY leaders from the Kayan and Kenyah ethnic groups have requested the codified ‘Adet Kayan-Kenyah 1994’ to become two distinct and different ‘Adet’.

Minister in the Premier’s Department Datuk Seri John Sikie Tayai said the reason they requested this be separated is that there are obvious differences or variations in their languages.

“In addition, there are dissimilarities between the Kayan and Kenyah in the Miri Division and the Kayan and Kenyah in Kapit and Bintulu Divisions.

“Majlis Adat Istiadat Sarawak (MAIS) will carry out the study next year,” he said during his ministerial winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today (Nov 27).

Later, in a press conference he said the other ethnic groups besides the Kayan and Kenyah who have separated their ‘Adet’ were the Kelabit and Lun Bawang ethnic groups.

“In the Orang Ilu community, there are four main groups namely Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit and Lun Bawang.

“They are not the same, for example Kayan and Kenyah, the adat is not the same, even the languages being used are not the same, and definitely the adat is not the same,” he said.

Previously, according to Sikie, the Kayan and Kenyah ethnic groups had their adat compiled under the codified ‘Adet Kayan-Kenyah 1994’.