Comments on: Categorization for non-Muslim Bumiputra of Sabah and Sarawak

LINUNDUS reproduces the following comments from DL in reply to the comments made by ‘Annonymous” which was posted HERE.

“Hi Anonymous,

I am with Momogun’s comment on correcting the notion that Berjaya fell because of its proposal to change the term from ‘Natives’ to 'Peribumi' . It must have been defeated for many other reasons. I am also sure that Dtk Pairin will disagree with you especially since that would take away his so called legendary defeat of Berjaya as being one for the people of Sabah and its rights and the bru-har-har as propagated by the spindoctors of his political party much to paradox that we see him and colleagues do today. Whilst I am not sure on the authenticity of this, I am aware of the repeated nostalgic comments or questions that people have on what it could and how would it have been had Berjaya (despite its weaknesses) had to offer Sabah if it was able to continue Governing and where would we be today. That unfortunately is always said in Hindsight as hindsight is always 20/20.

I guess maybe God had his plans and rightly and probably, Berjaya had to fall not only because it had been consumed by power but to make us also now realise the type of political leaders that we have in our community till today and how they have taken so much away from us and how we should take back what is due - have u noted that the same people who were part of the 'victory for the people' in 1985 are still DCM, Minister in the Fed and Deputy Minister in the Fed? These same individuals are also still telling us that they are the hope and change that we can rely on for Sabah and her people and so and so forth.... Does it not resonate at all in your mind as to what is wrong with that picture? Does it not also make us now demand for a new type of representation ... not just rhetoric to which all of us have been a victim of.

Anyway, the actual issue at hand and my apologies for digressing earlier, is that the term 'Native' was and has never been rejected by anybody other than some misguided individuals who do not realise that the term Bumiputra is even worse than the term 'Peribumi!'.... it survived till now despite where we are today.

The term Bumiputra connotes an economic definition only as explained by Linundus in his blog and in one of his Sunday Forums published in the local paper.

To akin it to a race will be an affront to an identity of a person and it should remain as an economic definition for the purposes of the NEP only and for nothing else. Look at how far it has been abused by political parties and businessmen; some even have the audacity to categorising our natives as 'Muslim Bumiputra and Non-Muslim Bumiputra'. Why can't we the Kadazans, Dusuns, Muruts and other natives just accept our respective racial term (like you said Anonymous - that it should be in the official forms)? The Malays until today still has the word 'Malay' as one of the racial categories in the Government Forms. Until and unless and whilst this is a contradiction to what I had written earlier, the Malays would need to drop their term 'Malay' in the official forms and use the term 'Bumiputra', Chinese and Indians ....and no more Lain Lain etc. That type of racial categorisation would then be fair to all although taken with much bitter taste at least for me.

So never divide us by religion nor affiliations. We are Kadazans, Dusuns or Muruts etc no matter what creed we belong to, I agree with Linundus, in his earlier articles that the that term 'Natives of Sabah' (or even in this recent one , on 'Momogun') be the right definition to be emplaced in the Government Forms in the event that the respective races are not considered as suggested by you.

Kotohuadan Anonymous and my hats to your comments which I gracefully accept but humbly differ herein. This only proves the point that we in Sabah are now discussing on many issues and mess that our own political representatives have brought us to.

A book written by Malcolm Gladwell aptly titled as 'The Tipping Point' describes where we are today. The issue of racial definition is just one of the many tipping points that we in Sabah and even our brethen in Sarawak are now in.

If a dialogue is not possible, by putting to pen electronically our respective thoughts will probably suffice and bring many more new ideas by our fellow Sabahans who may have their thoughts to share. This should be encouraged and Linundus is now amongst the many Bloggers who may bring us the actual change that we have been waiting for or due for. Once again, my apologies for the long reply but I enjoyed writing this as it puts out a feeling that I proudly share with many of friends but never put onto pen.

Regards.

DL”