PETALING JAYA: The head of a Kadazan association fears that official use of the term
for Sabah’s indigenous communities could undermine native rights and privileges set out in the Federal Constitution.Momogun
Lawrence Sinsua, chairman of the registered trustees of the Kadazan Welfare Foundation said that although the term
is meant to be inclusive, it was not officially recognised in the constitution, the Borneo Post reported.Momogun
Indigenous communities and members of other ethnic groups are currently categorised as
(others) in official forms but activists have campaigned recently for Sabah natives to be described aslain-lain
.Momogun
Lawrence said:
Replacing the term ‘lain-lain’ with ‘Momogun’ in official records may lead to legal ambiguities and diminish the recognition and protection of the native status of the people of Sabah.
He said it is crucial that any change in terminology does not inadvertently strip away the rights and privileges enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
Lawrence said Article 153 safeguards the special position of the Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak by providing for the reservation of quotas in public service, scholarships, and business permits or licences.
He said it is critical that the terms used to identify the indigenous natives of Sabah in official documents should be
.accurate, meaningful, and reflective of their cultural and historical significance
He also said that the term
has long been recognised both locally and globally as a comprehensive identifier for the indigenous natives of Sabah.Kadazan Dusun
on the other hand is neither widely recognised nor appropriate to represent the indigenous natives of Sabah,” Lawrence said.Momogun
Using ‘Momogun’ instead of ‘Kadazan’ or ‘Dusun’ may cause confusion and undermine the established identity of our community, leading to potential misrepresentation in important government processes. - FMT
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