CONTEMPORARY MALAYSIA

Penampang: Efforts to preserve and popularise the Kadazandusun language have paid off as evidenced by its introduction as an alternative paper in the PMR examination starting next year.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said global migration and rapid advancement of information and communication technology has been identified as among factors that eroded the language and culture of the indigenous people in Sabah.

The trend nowadays, which is to master other languages such as English and Mandarin has also contributed to the decline, he said.

"So, it is indeed a good development to see our people can go global, but what worries us is the possibility of our mother tongue being forgotten in the future.

"So, it is high time that we preserve the language for future generations," he said at the launching of 11 children storybooks in Kadazandusun produced through the "Moyog Family Literacy Project" at Monsopiad Cultural Village, Friday.

Commending the Kadazandusun Language Foundation (KLF) for its effort in the preservation of the languages and cultures of the indigenous people, he was pleased to note that United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) has taken interest in the preservation effort.

Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre (ACCU) of Unesco and Centre of Excellence Programme for United Nation's Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) was crucial in the production of the storybooks through the "Innovation Programme for ESD".

Dompok, who is also Penampang MP, said the idea to set up the KLF was mooted in 1994.

He said the aim was to preserve, develop and promote the Kadazandusun language.

He said the teaching of the language in government schools since 1998 was successful and now it is permanently entrenched in the education system.

"Next year, this subject will be introduced as an alternative paper in the PMR examination.

"I hope this success will guarantee our mother tongue continues to be spoken among our people," he said.

He said it is hard to master the Kadazandusun language these days since pupils and students learn other languages in school.

It was easier previously, he said, because most of the children spoke the language among themselves in the villages.

Hence, Dompok said the effort by the writers of the 11 storybooks from a remote village in upper Penampang at Kampung Togudon is really commendable to preserve indigenous knowledge and culture.

As MP of the constituency, he was proud that a local NGO shares the same concern in elevating the literacy capacity of rural families in Penampang.

At the launching, KLF announced local cartoonist Langkawit's latest book entitled "Langkawit Ansau-Ansau".

Also present were Director of State Museum Datuk Joseph Guntavid, KLF Chief Executive Director, Rita Lasimbang, Upko Secretary-General Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau and representative of Unesco ACCU, Masanori Kono.

Kota Kinabalu: The United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) on Friday demanded that the National Registration Department (NRD) undo its mistake of turning a Sabahan Bumiputra into a Permanent Resident.

Its Deputy President Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing said what had happened to 78-year-old Yong Lee Hua @ Piang Lin, a Sino-Kadazan, was simply outrageous and warrants Upko seriously reviewing its position in the Barisan Nasional if found to be not just an isolated case.

"How can this happen to a Malaysian citizen who was born here and holding a Native Certificate to prove her citizenship," he said.

He said that if the NRD had committed a genuine mistake, it should have reverted Yong's new status back to a Malaysian citizen right away.

"If the department had purposely committed the atrocious act, they must undo its gross mistake," he said, adding it is sending a bad signal across the nation, particularly to genuine citizens.

"Illegal immigrants can easily acquire MyKads that subsequently enable them to purchase Native Title (NT) lands.

"What is happening with the NRD? This is totally unacceptable. And if this is the tip of the iceberg, I'm afraid we cannot guarantee protection to the genuine citizens," he said.

He said if the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government is not willing to look into this matter as well as into how illegal immigrants could mysteriously acquire Malaysian Identity Cards, Upko will take up the matter and fight for the people.

"If the NRD or government has no satisfactory answer, I strongly urge Upko to seriously review its position in the BN because an identification document is a very important matter as it shows their sense of belonging."

Bumburing said if the NRD is unable to handle Yong's case, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar must intervene.

Yong's life had been turned upside down as a result of the NRD oversight and incompetence.

Her nightmare began when she lost her IC at a Supermarket at Penampang Baru on Feb. 12.

On the same day, she lodged a police report and subsequently on Feb 26, applied for a replacement IC at the NRD office in Donggongon.

After several months, she went and collected her replacement IC at the NRD office and was given a red IC.

She asked the officer why it was red and the lady officer said for senior citizens who lost their IC, the department normally replaced them with red ICs.

She didn't find anything amiss with the officer's explanation until she reached home when her children said red ICs were issued to people with Permanent Resident status.

With the help of her children, they brought the matter up with the NRD together with supporting documents such as her Native Certificate that was issued by the Native Court on Sept 24, 1963, bank books and passport.

The NRD officer admitted there could have been an error but instead of rectifying it, Yong was asked to "apply for Malaysian citizenship" which she duly complied by submitting an application form to the office on July 2, last year.

Her problem did not end there because soon after, her bank accounts at Amanah Saham Nasional and Alliance Bank were frozen making her unable to withdraw money for her daily expenses.

Fluent in Kadazan and Chinese, the mother of seven sons and one daughter can no longer travel outside the country as she could not renew her expired passport.

Strangely, she was allowed to cast her vote at Peak Nam Thong Kindergarten during the recent Mar 8 general elections using her driving licence as identity document since her record in the polling list was still intact.

But her identification records at the Immigration Department, however, had completely "disappeared".

Everywhere Yong goes now, she only uses her driving licence as proof of identity because she is too embarrassed with her predicament.

She now feared that her "new status" would have serious repercussion on her sons and daughter.

Resource Development and Information Technology Assistant Minister, Donald Peter Mojuntin who helped highlight Yong's case, said if it could happen to her, the children's citizenship could also be withdrawn.

"There has never been a case like this before when genuine Malaysians had their citizenship cancelled. If this can happen to her, it can happen to anybody (Malaysians)," he said.

As Upko Bureau Chief for Citizenship and Security, the Moyog Assemblyman said he would be pursuing the matter with Sabah NRD Director and also with the Home Minister.

He said that for the NRD to admit their mistake and then asking Yong to reapply for citizenship is simply illogical.

Alphonsus Yap, 36, and Morsain Melan, 43, who received 12 and six stitches to the head after the assault, were with three other personnel when the incident occurred at about 11.30am.

Met at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where both were warded, Morsain, who has been with the City Hall enforcement unit for 26 years, said they had just detained a 21-year old woman for peddling smuggled cigarettes in the Sinsuran area and confiscated the items when a group of men suddenly appeared.

He said the men were armed with pipes, wood and rocks and one of the men shouted "Itu bukan polis, mari kita pukul!" (They are not the police, let's assault them!), adding he recognised the man as he had been compounded several times for numerous offences.

Unarmed and outnumbered, Mursain said they decided to back off and walk away but the group charged at them, forcing them to flee.

However, the group caught up with them near KK Plaza, in front of the Central Market and began assaulting them, he said, adding that his three other colleagues sustained only minor injuries.

He said the assault went on for several minutes before their assailants fled, adding that his colleagues sent Alphonsus and him to the hospital at around 12pm.

Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim who visited both men at the hospital at about 3pm the same day, said a police report has been lodged and they were leaving it to the police to investigate and catch the assailants.

He said despite what happened, City Hall would continue to discharge its duties without fear, as the country had laws to deal with such acts.

When questioned whether the incident will finally see its enforcement unit armed with weapons such as pistols, Iliyas brushed off the idea, saying that he believed it was unnecessary.

Instead, Ilyas said the enforcement personnel would be sent to be trained by the police in various aspects of enforcement, including self-defence.

"If the situation really warrants City Hall enforcement units to be armed with pistols, it will consider doing so," he said. Currently, the enforcement unit are armed with batons which were introduced during the time of first mayor Datuk Ghani Abdul Rashid due to frequent assaults in KK and Inanam, including some deaths.

The incidents mostly stemmed in retaliation for action being taken against illegal activities carried out by foreigners.

Also present to visit the men were City Hall's Director General Datuk Dr. Chua Kim Hing, Enforcement Chief Abdul Muchti Muchlis and enforcement officer Ernest Mobikon.