Advisor

Mr Sidi Munan, an Iban who did his tertiary education in New Zealand and later became the personal assistant to the Minister of Sarawak Affairs, Temenggong Jugah in the 1960’s. He was the founder of the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA) and became its CEO and Deputy Chairman. He was the President of the Native Customs Council and is the President of the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA). He writes frequently as a columnist to the Borneo Post newspaper.

Chairman

Datuk John Tenewi, a Bidayuh, graduated with a Bachelor of Art (Hons) in Political Science from Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. He served in the diplomatic service for 33 years. As an officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs his tasks involved mainly in helping to maintain, defend and promote Malaysia’s national interests in various capacities. He has lived in all five continents covering eight different countries including Singapore, Poland, Nigeria, United States of America (New York), Sweden, Myanmar, Mexico and Venezuela. He served as Malaysia’s Ambassador in Myanmar, Mexico and Venezuela until his retirement in 2004. Datuk John also heads the Koperatif Kemajuan Singai Bau Berhad(KoSingai) and the Dayak Bidayuh Literary Society(DBLS).

Deputy Chairman

Datu Dr. Hatta bin Solhi has a distinguished background in public service and academia, notably in Sarawak and Malaysia's development landscape. His leadership roles include serving as the Director of State Planning Unit, Sarawak and Deputy State Secretary of Sarawak from August 1997 to November 2001, in addition to other senior positions within both Sarawak State Government and Federal Services. He has held significant roles in corporate governance as a member of Board of Director of listed companies, such as Utama Banking Group Berhad, ZECON Bhd, Malaysia Airlines Bhd, Sarawak Plantation Berhad, and ABM Fujiya Bhd (until presently). He had also been involved in the field of Higher Education serving as the former Chairman of UNIMAS Board and Curtin (M) Sdn Bhd Board of Director. He is still serving as a member of Curtin U Council (Malaysia Campus). Dr. Hatta holds a Ph.D. in Political Science, specializing in Development Studies, from the University of Hawaii, USA. He also earned a Master of Arts in Rural Social Development from the University of Reading, UK, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from Carleton University, Canada.

Secretary

Ir Goh Leng Yeu, a Chinese, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. He is also a graduate with a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He is a practicing Professional Engineer.

Treasurer

Professor Dr Hamsawi Sani, a Malay, graduated with a Bachelor of Forestry from University Pertanian Malaysia (UPM) and a Master’s Degree in Plant Biology from Iowa State University, USA and a Ph.D in plantation management from University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He has served as an academician at UPM and University Malaysia Sarawak and presently acting as an advisor to the Japanese Malaysia Association (JMA) and Chairman of RESTOR involving in forest landscapes restoration.

Committee

Dr Charlie Ungang has been active in research related to Adat, Customs, Culture and Tradition of ethnic communities in Sarawak. He has lectured and presented papers in several seminars on the Bidayuh Culture and Tradition both at the national and international levels. He has written four books on Bidayuh Culture and Traditions, the latest entitled Bale Gambang-Baruk: Pusat Adat Bidayuh. He graduated with Doctorate of Philosophy (Sociology & Culture) from University of Malaya, Master of Arts from University of Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and a Bachelor of Education from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). He is the Deputy President of the Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) and Chairman of the Native Customary Rights Land (NCR) Documentation Project. He had served as Lecturer and District Education Officer. Currently he is the Head of the Bidayuh Ethnic Research Section at Council for Customs & Traditions of Sarawak, Department of the Premier of Sarawak.

Committee

Dr Ipoi Datan is a Lun Bawang from Lawas, Limbang Division, with a distinguished academic background, including a BA (Hons) in History from University of Malaya (1980), MA in Prehistory from Australian National University (1990), and a PhD in Ethno-Archaeology from University of Science Malaysia (2020). He began his career as a teacher before joining the Sarawak Museum in 1982, where he served as Deputy Director (1998-2008) and Director (2009-2018). Currently, he is a Research Officer at the Majlis Adat Istiadat Sarawak. Datan has held prominent roles, including former President of the Lun Bawang Association Sarawak and Heritage Expert for the National Heritage Department. He has contributed to various scholarly publications and presented at both local and international seminars. Datan also served as an Expert for the ICOMOS Mission related to the UNESCO World Heritage nomination for Niah National Park’s Cave Complex.

Committee

Mr Mohamad Syahrimin bin Sahadan, a Malay from Batang Saribas, graduated with bachelor’s degree in 2013. Earned a master’s degree in environmental management (Development Planning) from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), and now pursuing a Ph.D. in Development Studies at the University of Malaya. His research focuses on rural poverty in Sarawak exploring sustainable pathways to uplift and empower rural communities. Currently, he is working as a consultant specializing in stakeholder engagement within the Project Services Unit of Sarawak Energy’s Baleh Hydroelectric Project where he fosters partnerships with local communities, government agencies, and other stakeholders, ensuring that developmental initiatives are both inclusive and beneficial to those they impact.

Committee

Dr. Nur Aida binti Kipli is a senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak, specializing in Political Sciences, particularly Sarawak politics, political theories, comparative politics, and policy studies as a minor. With over two decades of experience, she teaches various subjects, including Politics, Malaysian Politics, International Relations, Development Administration, Public Relations, and more. Nur Aida holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Malaya and a Bachelor's degree from the International Islamic University Malaysia (UIAM). She was also attached as the Senior Principal Assistant Director, Education Malaysia Division, Department of Higher Education. Committed to professionalism, she actively researches and contributes to academic journals. Her expertise has made her a reference person during the General Election and Sarawak State election by the local and national TV and radio stations as an international guest speaker.

Committee

Dr. Lucy Sebli is a member of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Politics and International Relations. Her research portfolio includes Research on Facilities and Services for the Elderly in Malaysia 2030 Borders, Security, and Migration among the Ibans of Sarawak, and Social Cohesion in Sabah and Sarawak, among others. Dr. Lucy has frequently served as a panellist and a speaker at Wancana Intelektual Mengenai Sarawak 2021, the 2016 Sarawak State Elections (RTM Sarawak), and the 3rd International Conference on Election and Democracy. She has written extensively on topics ranging from Sarawak’s political landscape to gender violence and security. She is the project advisor and coordinator for rural poverty eradication programs aimed at empowering women. Recently, Dr. Lucy was appointed as the Local Researcher for Sarawak in the Albukhary International University’s research project, Malaysian Women Building Peace through Community Mediation, under the ASEAN-IPR Women in Peace Processes Programme (Malaysia Research Study). She also leads a study on Constructing Gendered Leadership Paradigms Among Iban Women Leaders at the Grassroots Level.