Kadazans want to be listed as a race in govt forms

 

Members of the Kadazan Society of Sabah who attended the society’s delegates conference in Kota Kinabalu last week. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Kadazans in Sabah have called for “Kadazan” to be listed as one of the racial categories in government forms.

The Kadazan Society of Sabah said the community, one of the largest indigenous ethnic groups in Sabah, was a partner with the other major ethnic communities in the formation of Malaysia.

The society adopted a resolution on the matter at its recent delegates conference, The Borneo Post reported.

“Like the Malays with Umno, Chinese with MCA and Indians with MIC, the Kadazans with the United National Kadazan Organisation also directly participated in nation-building when signing the Malaysia Agreement in 1963,” the society said.

It also proposed that a national public holiday be declared for the harvest festivals of Kaamatan (Sabah) and Gawai (in Sarawak). At present the festival days are state holidays.

Another resolution urged the government to ensure that schools emphasised that Malaysia was formed on Sept 16, 1963. “It has to be taught in schools,” the society said. - FMT