Pairin 'settles his guilt' with new Sino-native party

By Queville To

KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional component, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), is making efforts to prevent its 'native' supporters from splitting along 'blood' lines and deserting the party.

In an effort to woo Sino-natives back into their fold after PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitiingan 'snubbed' them over their right to be called natives, the party has managed to install one of its own as leader of the association dedicated to them.

The message now from Pairin, who is also the Paramount leader of the Kadazandusun community, to the Sino-natives is: 'We can't welcome you through the front door but you can come in through the back.'

PBS Inanam assemblyman, Johnny Goh, a Sino-native, has been made president of the newly-established Sabah Sino-Native Association (SSNA).

But that has not gone down well with some who have accused the party of being hypocritical and compromising the integrity of its supporters and the association.

The quandary PBS has found itself in occurred after Goh's boss, Pairin, shied away from championing the 'native' status of thousands of PBS supporters who are of mixed parentage.

He sees it as a poisoned chalice.

If he does champion their legitimacy as natives, he would have to support a political rival whose 'native' status is being revoked by the state government.

Jimmy Wong, the assemblyman for Sri Tanjung, is the Sabah DAP chief and a major irritant to the ruling coalition.

It's his native status that has been called into question. Wong is adamant that he is a Sino-native and deserves Pairin's support.

Dangerous repercussion

For political reasons, Pairin has not acknowledged Wong as a 'native' despite the latter holding a nativity certificate.

Pairin's demeanor has put him and his party on a collision course with the thousands of PBS Sino-native supporters.

By a quirk of fate, Pairin is wearing several hats, political and apolitical.

He is a deputy chief minister, the paramount leader of the Kadazandusun community and the president of Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA).

It is in his position as KDCA chief that Wong is appealing to Pairin to make a stand on the thousands of Sino-natives whose status has been put in jeopardy by a recent government ruling that the DAP man is not entitled to be considered a 'native'.

The repercussion of this decision is threatening to split the community along 'blood' lines.

Sabah DAP secretary, Dr Edwin Bosi believes the formation, registration and appointment of Goh as its president, has made the association into an branch of PBS.

“Sabah DAP has nothing against YB Jimmy Goh, but being a politician helming such an organisation he will be compromised by his political leanings and the wishes of his political masters,” contended Bosi in a statement issued here yesterday.

An awakening

He reminded Goh that Pairin had refused to stand by a Sino-native (Wong) although he is a Sino-Kadazan.

“At least we know where KDCA and Huguan Siou stands on this matter. The Kadazan Society of Sabah (KSS), has gone into silent mode since the issue came about.

"What is the Sabah Sino-Native Association stance on this matter? Sabah DAP hopes that Goh and his new association will be on YB Jimmy’s side,” he said.

He also questioned how the association is going to recruit members since the state government has frozen the issuance of the Native Certificates since 1982.

“Applicant must provide the native certificate as proof of their identity. Thus, by right, one of their main objectives should be to pressure the Umno and the BN government to immediately lift the freeze on the issuance of the native certificate.

"Secondly, the association must ensure that the government does not “control” the Native Court.

"We have seen positive comments coming even from BN-LDP president VK Liew stating that it is unconstitutional to deprive Sino-Natives of their rights to native certificates and identity,” he pointed out.

The rights of the Sino-Natives have been violated all along by the government.

He quipped that the two Sabah Umno representatives, Samsudin Yahya and Hajiji Mohd Nor should be thanked for raising the issue of Wong’s Sino-Native status as it has brought out into the open the legal status of those born of mixed parentage.

“At least we can see the “awakening and rising” of the Sino-Natives in Sabah caused by this controversy,” he said.