ESTABLISH DATABASE FOR NATIVE COURT

SANDAKAN: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman urged the Sabah Natives Affairs Council (MHEAINS) to take more proactive steps to establish a database on native’s laws and customs in the state in order to further strengthen the Native Court institution.

He said MHEAINS should consider cooperating with higher learning institutions as well as related bodies to set up the database, which could also include native court cases and judgements.

At the opening of the biennial Conference for Sabah Customary Chiefs at Four Points Hotel here Monday, he said the information was crucial reference materials for other Native Courts when handling similar cases in the future.

“I also request cases to be decided efficiently and swiftly so that the people will be satisfied with their service,” he said.

Musa said that the state government considered that the Native Court institution in Sabah was still relevant, hence its decision to improve the system and its administrative machinery.

He said this was reflected by the ground-breaking ceremony of the Native Court Training Institute (ILMAN) in Penampang by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last year as well as the plan to build six more Native Courts throughout the state.

Besides that, the Chief Minister also called on the Customary Chiefs, including district chiefs and native chiefs to continue to perform their traditional roles in assisting the government to carry out rural administration in the state. "The Customary chiefs are the implementers of the government policies and they have an important role to assist the government in preserving unity and the identity of the people,” he said.

He said it was also the community leaders’ duty to make sure all the development programmes reached the target group.

In this respect, he was puzzled by claims of the opposition leaders that there was no development in Sabah. This is actually an insult to the Customary Chiefs who have been working hard with their respective elected representatives to bring development to their constituencies,” he said.

The Chief Minister also touched on the state's timber policy. He said the State Government had stopped logging activities in many areas of Sabah and instead has carried out a reforestation programme to replant high-value trees, all for the benefit of the future generations.

He said investors, especially giant multi-national companies have been willing to come to Sabah with millions of ringgit because they were confident with the state’s political stability.

On the forthcoming general election, Musa, who is also state BN chief, said: “What is important is that we must explain to the grassroots that they must make the right choice in order for development to continue as provided by the BN government,” he said.

In his speech the Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor said the biennial conference was held outside of the state capital this time to provide an opportunity for the customary leaders to see for themselves what the BN government has done to bring change to Sabah.

About 400 customary leaders from all over the state took part in the conference at which nine working papers were tabled. (Insight Sabah)