Worried parents changing children's race to Sino-Kadazans

By FMT Staff

KOTA KINABALU: The controversy surrounding the status of children of mixed parentage has resulted in an upsurge of parents and their offspring heading to Commissioners of Oath to attest that they are “Sino-Kadazans” and not “Sino-natives”.

Sabah DAP said that it had learnt of this following the launch of the Sabah Sino-Native Association (SSNA).

“This controversy has prompted a large number of parents and children to go to the National Registration Department (NRD) to rectify their race," said party secretary Dr Edwin Bosi.

“I learnt from some Commissioners of Oath that children whose mothers are Sino-Kadazan as stated in the birth certificates are now changing their race from Chinese to Sino-Kadazan.

“The most unfortunate thing to happen is that NRD is changing their race to Sino-native,” he said.

"DAP Sabah wants to remind the government and NRD that Sino-native is not a race. It is just a grouping. The policy must be changed to reflect the true identity of these children. Their mothers are Sino-Kadazan so they must be registered as Sino-Kadazan, too.

“Johnny (Mositun, PBS information chief) has to remember that PBS is a Barisan Nasional component party. The question is, why can’t PBS, the second most powerful BN party in Sabah, get Umno and the BN government to lift the freeze immediately?

"PBS as a BN component party must request the government to stop using Sino-native as a race in the birth certificates. SSNA should be very concerned about this development.

“This is a basic matter (lifting the freeze on the issuance of the native certificate). It does not need too much thinking or planning.

"The government can just issue a statement that the freeze is lifted and let the Native Court handle all matters pertaining to native affairs, " Bosi said.

He added that those who were unhappy with someone with a native certificate “should let the Native Court verify it”.

He said that Sabah DAP also regretted the negative statement by Mositun, who is also Deputy State Legislative Assembly Speaker, over Sabah DAP chairman Jimmy Wong’s wish to join the newly formed SSNA.

Downplaying Native Court

Bosi also said that installing PBS Inanam assemblyman Johnny Goh as SSNA president was a bid by PBS to divide and rule its own community.

He is convinced that Goh, as a PBS member, would have to bow to the wishes of his political masters in Umno rather than work for the betterment of Sino-natives.

“It may now be difficult for Wong to approach SSNA for assistance," he said of his boss who has been given notice by the state government that his status as a Sino-native would be withdrawn.

Bosi lashed out at Mositun for downplaying the role of the the Native Court which had declared Wong a “native” and issued him a native certificate.

He said the deputy speaker had the power to prevent the Umno Sekong and Sulaman representatives from asking the Native Court to revoke Wong’s native certificate.

"Mositun, being the deputy speaker, could have stopped the motion because it was not relevant as it was a budget sitting. Secondly, Mositun could have stopped it because in his own words, it was instigating inter-communal suspicion and enmity.

“I have many people calling me to continue to question the issue so that the freeze on the issuance of the native certificate is lifted immediately.”

Bosi stressed that Sabah DAP has full confidence in Native Court.

He said he had raised the matter of Sabahans not being accorded “native” status at the Pakatan Rakyat convention on Dec 19 in Penang due to the gravity of the issue.

He said that Pakatan would resolve the matter once and for all if given a chance to rule.

“Once the people have decided to change the BN government, Pakatan will no doubt resolve this problem. I can assure Mositun that Pakatan will deliver."