For Sarawakians The Right Hornbill Matters

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In Sarawak, the hornbill isn’t just a bird - it’s an emblem of the soul.
It soars in their myths, crowns their state crest, and gives the land of the Dayaks their moniker: Bumi Kenyalang - Land of the Hornbills.
So when Affin Bank Berhad rolled out its new Kenyalang Card, claiming it was a tribute to Sarawak’s identity, one would assume they knew what bird they were featuring. They didn’t.
Instead of the Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), which is the official state bird of Sarawak, the card showcases the Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) - a non-native species.
ADSThat’s not just a design error. That’s a failure of cultural due diligence.
Textbook PR spin
When this was pointed out by Pending assemblyperson Violet Yong at a DAP fundraiser, Sarawakians listened.
She was right, and many were rightly upset. Because this isn’t about feathers or colours. It’s about respect for cultural symbols that carry deep meaning in their land.
The Rhinoceros Hornbill (left) and the Great HornbillAffin Bank’s response? A slick, evasive press statement soaked in corporate spin - classic damage control without addressing the core issue.
We were told the card’s design is a “symbolic creation” that “blends elements of the Jata Negeri” and “pays homage to Sarawak’s rich cultural legacy.”
Black, white, and gold colours were said to represent “modern elegance with traditional values.” And in a flourish of ornamental language, the gold stripes apparently mimic “the hornbill’s graceful wings.”
But not once - not once - did the bank acknowledge that the bird in question is the wrong hornbill.
They tiptoed around the core issue while drowning it in buzzwords like “creativity”, “identity”, and “contemporary design.”
Biting the bullet
Let’s be honest. This wasn’t homage. It was a branding blunder.
Any business, at some point, will face a public relations crisis. The way PR responds can either rebuild public trust or unravel it.
ADSIn today’s digital age, where backlash travels faster than press statements, how an organisation reacts in the first 24 hours can define its brand far more than any design ever will.
The response must be quick, efficient, and above all, truthful.
In public relations “damage control”, telling the truth and admitting fault are crucial.
Acknowledging the issue openly and honestly helps rebuild trust with the public, even if it means facing uncomfortable consequences.
Transparency and accountability are not just buzzwords; they’re the pillars of any credible crisis response.
Anything less risks deepening the fallout and insulting the very people you claim to honour. Affin Bank missed that mark.
In Sarawak, the Rhinoceros Hornbill is sacred. Indigenous communities revere it. It plays a central role in Dayak cosmology and in the visual language of the state.
It’s not just a nice-looking bird to slap on a debit card. To mistake it for another hornbill species is akin to printing a national flag with the wrong colours, then calling it an “artistic interpretation”.
This is what happens when corporations treat cultural identity like a design trend.
When you market a product as a tribute to Sarawak, you inherit a responsibility: to consult local knowledge, to honour sacred symbols, and to get it right.
Just admit it, don’t deflect blame
What’s more galling is that Affin Bank thanks the public for their “support and feedback”, and claims their designs “reflect what matters to the communities we serve”.
But the question must be asked: Who exactly did they consult before launching this card?
Did any Sarawakian ornithologist, cultural historian, or community elder get a say? Or was this simply another top-down decision made in a design boardroom somewhere in Kuala Lumpur?
Celebrating Sarawak without consulting Sarawak is not a celebration. It’s appropriation.
What Affin Bank should have done is simple: admit the mistake.
Acknowledge that the wrong hornbill was used. Commit to revisiting the design, and engage with Sarawakian voices in the process.
That’s what accountability looks like. That’s what respect sounds like.
Instead, what the public got was a textbook case of how not to handle cultural critique: deny, deflect, and decorate.
To the good people at Affin Bank - Sarawak doesn’t need flowery language. It doesn’t need corporate poetry. It needs your ears, not your adjectives.
This isn’t about political correctness. It’s about cultural correctness.
Sarawakians know who they are. They know their symbols. They know their hornbill.
If you want to honour them, start by recognising that. And please get the bird right! - Mkini
JOSEPH MASILAMANY is a veteran journalist. He writes on a slew of subjects, including politics, culture, nature, and sometimes on corporate faux pas.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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