By Abdul Hakim Bujang

I was having breakfast on Tuesday with my former classmate. He is of my age and was once working as a teacher. He quit for reason best known to himself.

Three years ago, he started becoming land broker on part time basis and selling everything under the sun to stay alive. It was not smooth sailing. He was frustrated and almost giving up.

“Its better for me to reapply working as teacher, furthermore the pay is good now, damn good, after all I do not have any disciplinary case,” he told me over Laksa. At that time he was driving Malaysia smallest car, Perodua Kancil.

Things slowly turned better and he managed to learn the trade very fast. After all, just like majority of my Dayak friends, he is quite brainy. He always finish second or third in class, of course to the big boss. Mind you, the class is quite big and blessed with many talented boys and girls from all over the State.

Big truck and Texas boot

I was stunned when a brand new city Truck honking in front of my house. I peek outside and saw him. He smiled from ear to ear. I invite him to come in and saw his shining cowboy boots. Such a boot reflect one status. If you do not have money stay away. People like me and another like minded usually goes around in our 23-year-old Japanese slipper.

Since it was a Tuesday, I told him to join me for breakfast right under my office. He invite me to join him in his truck but I told him frankly that I may appear very relax but things may arise and I would be receiving call and start running left and right. So, we move in our respective vehicle.

He told me how he was cheated by his former employer that did not pay him commission in full.

“Out of RM22,000 he only gave me RM6,000,” he complaint.

He smiled when I reminded him that it was him who talk highly of that son of the gun when warned that many people have been cheated.

Breakfast with fellow Dayaks businessmen

As we enjoyed our respective noodle, mine a Laksa and him a Kolo Mee, we chatted. He is doing relatively well and was getting due to support from government offices. He was inspired by a retired Navy officer who is currently making nett RM18,000 per month, and having million of Ringgit cash in the bank account.

“He invited me to work for him but I have too many commitment already,” he said, adding that he got assistance from both Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera friends.

Suddenly a much younger guy showed up, he is from Serian and a true blue Bidayuh kampung boy. My friend is from Asajaya and is an Iban. There you are a Melanau, Iban and Bidayuh sharing jokes and secret while having breakfast.

From our conversation, the volume of business handled by the two are quite good. What impress me is their ability to think outside the box.

The Bidayuh guy told me that he was once warned by a government department Headquarters in Putrajaya not to make unrequested proposal or in simple Malay – memandai-mandai – showing his level of perseverance and aggressiveness in promoting his business.

He laughed when one of his customer name was mentioned and quickly admit that he was the contractor for that lucrative deal.

They got the job because they approach the client and was the first to propose the idea.

Many people who eyed the job was fuming and making hell of complain. It make me proud that the successful bidder is a very young and enterprising Dayak.

As we were about to finish our meal, another Iban guy came. According to my friend, he is doing very well. He, too, was relatively very young.

I was very impressed when the first question he asked after introducing himself was in the affirmative.

“Banyak projek?” he asked, with a big smile.

I told him that I am not into business and is basically writing. He nodded and start eating.

All three of them taking non Halal meal, and its okay on my part.

That is part and parcel of being Sarawakian. Our level of toleration may not be understood by some our Malaya friends.

We parted ways after that because they will have to submit tender by noon. My friend have to rush back to his office to do final check, and so were his friends.

They reminded me of another blogger friend in Miri who is doing very well in his logistic business now.

Who says Dayak are being marginalised?

“In this line, you have to work very hard. There is simply too many work for me now. Business got up and down. Three years ago there were literally no job, now they came in bulk that I could not handle all of them,” my ex classmate confided. That include offer to transport live cattle from Australia to Indonesia, which he was unable to do.

What make feel more proud was that his mentors are Chinese.

“Wong says that he must not come into picture and I must do all this personally. He only help me on the finance part and profit we share 70-30,” he said.

I have met his mentor before and the young Chinese man did offer me to work with him. He is a very visionary guy with a Master degree and experience working abroad. He told me frankly that he was training my friend to learn business trade from small before going big time.

“You will never get rich doing class F project,” he told me pointblank, but the problem with us the Bumiputera was that we feel very rich after implementing one or two such a small project, get carried away before blaming others over our own failure….