By Aki Nabalu.
Lately we are witnessing a kind of "war of words" between YB Datuk Johnny Mositun with his partner YB Herbert Lagadan on the one part and Datuk Yong Teck Lee on the other part. Interestingly, all three of them seems to portray themselves as "champion" in their own right and in their own 'turf', it seems; however, if we read between the lines, only one guy seem to speak in professional manner is as far as the political spectrum is concerned, while the other two seem to show themselves "politically smart" but in all their splendid presentation, Johnny and Herbert have yet to to show their true colour as KDM leader, the kind of political leadership being adopted by Obama and Clinton. Truely, if Obama was Mositun and Clinton, Teck Lee (if though not of the same sex) American politics would be in shambles and Democratic principles in tatters. Can we not have a true KDM leaders who play politics by its principles and not by it individuality?
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Monday, September 7, 2009
September 16 Should Be a National Holiday
BY Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred M. Bumburing, Tuaran MP
I hereby deny receiving any official invitation to speak during a function entitled “Malaysia Countdown” to be organized in Tuaran by USDA on the 15th September 2009. I am surprised by the news reporting, even the title of the supposed talk that I would be delivering have been given and its says in the report that I am confirmed to attend. I wish to clarify that I have not received any official invitation to speak during that function. However, I would support any move by any organization, especially NGOs who organized an event of this nature as it will provide the younger generations with a platform where they would be given an opportunity to rightly and fully know that September 16 should be remembered as Malaysia Day and to be given its actual place in Malaysian history as it will give a true picture the formation of Malaysia in September 1963. But a forum such as this should be organized in a more appropriate environment to avoid any political interpretation from the people at large. When we are invited to attend a forum such as this and are invited to present a talk, we need to get clearance from our political party that we represent because what I will be saying in any such talk will be taken as being the stand of the political party that I represent. I believe that a forum such as this should have balance representation from political and non-political leaders if and when political leaders are invited. In this way, both spectrum of the society will be given ample opportunity to be heard. However I say this without denying the full right of any NGOs to organize forum according to their format.
Meanwhile, I agree with the view that September 16 should be officially declared as a National Holiday for the whole country commemorating the formation of Malaysia 46 years ago in 1963. August 31 has been celebrated by Malaya as the National Day since 1957, but we must put history in its right perspective and declare September 16 as a National Holiday.
I hereby deny receiving any official invitation to speak during a function entitled “Malaysia Countdown” to be organized in Tuaran by USDA on the 15th September 2009. I am surprised by the news reporting, even the title of the supposed talk that I would be delivering have been given and its says in the report that I am confirmed to attend. I wish to clarify that I have not received any official invitation to speak during that function. However, I would support any move by any organization, especially NGOs who organized an event of this nature as it will provide the younger generations with a platform where they would be given an opportunity to rightly and fully know that September 16 should be remembered as Malaysia Day and to be given its actual place in Malaysian history as it will give a true picture the formation of Malaysia in September 1963. But a forum such as this should be organized in a more appropriate environment to avoid any political interpretation from the people at large. When we are invited to attend a forum such as this and are invited to present a talk, we need to get clearance from our political party that we represent because what I will be saying in any such talk will be taken as being the stand of the political party that I represent. I believe that a forum such as this should have balance representation from political and non-political leaders if and when political leaders are invited. In this way, both spectrum of the society will be given ample opportunity to be heard. However I say this without denying the full right of any NGOs to organize forum according to their format.
Meanwhile, I agree with the view that September 16 should be officially declared as a National Holiday for the whole country commemorating the formation of Malaysia 46 years ago in 1963. August 31 has been celebrated by Malaya as the National Day since 1957, but we must put history in its right perspective and declare September 16 as a National Holiday.
Race and Religion should not be in MyKad.
By Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred M.Bumburing, Tuaran MP.
The Prime Minister said that barriers separating Malaysian by race should be taken down and I couldn’t agree more him. The biggest barrier in achieving real unity is when you categorically identify yourself with the racial composition that you belongs to instead of being called Bangsa Malaysia. I have already brought up in parliament the issue of official forms having the three main racial category namely Malay, Chinese and Indians while the rest including Kadazandusun are categorized as ‘dan lain-lain.’ Recently the government mulled the idea of getting rid of this part in official forms and they should be implementing this immediately. This will enhance the objective of achieving the concept of 1Malaysia. I am moving further ahead on this issue by proposing that the government do away or erase the individual’s racial dan religious personal information on their respective National Identification Card, or MyKad since we are all comes under Bangsa Malaysia. By looking at the name of the person, we can tell that Samy Vellu is an Indian, Chong is a Chinese, Mohamad is a Malay and Bumburing is a Kadazandusun while Anak Jugah came from Sarawak. And there are other details in a person’s names that tells a lot about the individual. Although political leaders does not or may not condone discrimination against any individual, however, we can’t deny that by having this details information in an idividual’s identification card, it will give opportunity to some form of discriminatory actions by certain people. We all should just be called one Bangsa Malaysia and by this, we can erase any hints of any discriminatory actions by any officials especially when dealing with jobs application and any other form of assistance and/or application that requires the filling up of forms by an applicant. So if the government wants to promote the 1Malaysia concept then this should be the ultimate decision and action by the government, and that is to wipe out the racial and religious identification in MyKad.
The Prime Minister said that barriers separating Malaysian by race should be taken down and I couldn’t agree more him. The biggest barrier in achieving real unity is when you categorically identify yourself with the racial composition that you belongs to instead of being called Bangsa Malaysia. I have already brought up in parliament the issue of official forms having the three main racial category namely Malay, Chinese and Indians while the rest including Kadazandusun are categorized as ‘dan lain-lain.’ Recently the government mulled the idea of getting rid of this part in official forms and they should be implementing this immediately. This will enhance the objective of achieving the concept of 1Malaysia. I am moving further ahead on this issue by proposing that the government do away or erase the individual’s racial dan religious personal information on their respective National Identification Card, or MyKad since we are all comes under Bangsa Malaysia. By looking at the name of the person, we can tell that Samy Vellu is an Indian, Chong is a Chinese, Mohamad is a Malay and Bumburing is a Kadazandusun while Anak Jugah came from Sarawak. And there are other details in a person’s names that tells a lot about the individual. Although political leaders does not or may not condone discrimination against any individual, however, we can’t deny that by having this details information in an idividual’s identification card, it will give opportunity to some form of discriminatory actions by certain people. We all should just be called one Bangsa Malaysia and by this, we can erase any hints of any discriminatory actions by any officials especially when dealing with jobs application and any other form of assistance and/or application that requires the filling up of forms by an applicant. So if the government wants to promote the 1Malaysia concept then this should be the ultimate decision and action by the government, and that is to wipe out the racial and religious identification in MyKad.
Where Goes....Kadazandusun?
By Aki Gintolu
I recently attended Kadazandusun Colloquium organized by the Ministry of Education and Sabah Education Department in collaboration with some Kadazandusun Language body in Sabah. I was thrilled, at first, to discover that the Kadazandusun language is being taken into a new height, a new development which I think would somehow lead this language into the threshold of a developed language that can be used, both written and oral, in a modern world.
When the last presenter stood up and started to present his views about the Kadazandusun language which was being taught in school as being the language that is least used by the Kadazandusun community at large, I was dumbstruck.
He alleged that the BUNDULIWAN dialect which become the basis of the Kadazandusun language is non-existence, I was even more appalled. He claimed that the only language that is acceptable to the majority of the Kadazandusun people is the dialect that his association is championing. He interspersed his presentation by distinctly outlining the differences in the KADAZAN and DUSUN and that he claimed these two cannot be formed together to form one word Kadazandusun.
He also alleged that the word Kadazandusun were coined by just two person, (and in this I assumed he refers to Joseph Pairin Kitingan, KDCA President and the late Mark Koding who was then the USDA President in 1994) when Kadazandusun was officially accepted as the term used to refer to the Kadazandusun language which will be taught in school in stages beginning that year. He said it was done in haste without any consultation with the various Kadazandusun leaders.
To make things look more uglier, he began by insulting the wisdom of choosing the BUNDULIWAN dialect as the basis to develop the Kadazandusun language; he went on to insult those who made the decision to teach Kadazandusun language in school. He went on and on and on, speaking a lot of whatnots…. Wilfred Tangau who was one of the participant, and the following day, chaired the forum couldn’t take it anymore and stood up and asked the facilitator to stop the presenter from speaking further.
The whole issue was, he wanted the Education department to review the use of BUNDULIWAN as the basis to develop a Kadazandusun language that will be taught in school; and he wanted the KADAZAN language, which is infact the TANGAA (or TANGARA) dialect to replace the BUNDULIWAN.
He based this on his assumption that the Kadazan language or Tangaa for that matter, has been on Radio Sabah since 1954; and that every Kadazan and Dusun in Sabah understand and speak the dialect whether you are in Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran, Kota Belud, Ranau, Keningau, Kota Marudu, Kudat, Sandakan or wherever you are in Sabah; and that TANGAA is the only dialect that is more acceptable, and a sort of lingua franca of the Kadazandusun community.
In the next posting, I would be discussing the issue of how BUNDULIWAN came to be accepted, who were involved and how was the signature of Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Mark Koding ended up on the Memorundum Of Declaration to adopt BUNDULIWAN as the base language and KADAZANDUSUN as the collective term to refer to the language. But for now, let us hear your views on the topics I mentioned above.
I recently attended Kadazandusun Colloquium organized by the Ministry of Education and Sabah Education Department in collaboration with some Kadazandusun Language body in Sabah. I was thrilled, at first, to discover that the Kadazandusun language is being taken into a new height, a new development which I think would somehow lead this language into the threshold of a developed language that can be used, both written and oral, in a modern world.
When the last presenter stood up and started to present his views about the Kadazandusun language which was being taught in school as being the language that is least used by the Kadazandusun community at large, I was dumbstruck.
He alleged that the BUNDULIWAN dialect which become the basis of the Kadazandusun language is non-existence, I was even more appalled. He claimed that the only language that is acceptable to the majority of the Kadazandusun people is the dialect that his association is championing. He interspersed his presentation by distinctly outlining the differences in the KADAZAN and DUSUN and that he claimed these two cannot be formed together to form one word Kadazandusun.
He also alleged that the word Kadazandusun were coined by just two person, (and in this I assumed he refers to Joseph Pairin Kitingan, KDCA President and the late Mark Koding who was then the USDA President in 1994) when Kadazandusun was officially accepted as the term used to refer to the Kadazandusun language which will be taught in school in stages beginning that year. He said it was done in haste without any consultation with the various Kadazandusun leaders.
To make things look more uglier, he began by insulting the wisdom of choosing the BUNDULIWAN dialect as the basis to develop the Kadazandusun language; he went on to insult those who made the decision to teach Kadazandusun language in school. He went on and on and on, speaking a lot of whatnots…. Wilfred Tangau who was one of the participant, and the following day, chaired the forum couldn’t take it anymore and stood up and asked the facilitator to stop the presenter from speaking further.
The whole issue was, he wanted the Education department to review the use of BUNDULIWAN as the basis to develop a Kadazandusun language that will be taught in school; and he wanted the KADAZAN language, which is infact the TANGAA (or TANGARA) dialect to replace the BUNDULIWAN.
He based this on his assumption that the Kadazan language or Tangaa for that matter, has been on Radio Sabah since 1954; and that every Kadazan and Dusun in Sabah understand and speak the dialect whether you are in Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran, Kota Belud, Ranau, Keningau, Kota Marudu, Kudat, Sandakan or wherever you are in Sabah; and that TANGAA is the only dialect that is more acceptable, and a sort of lingua franca of the Kadazandusun community.
In the next posting, I would be discussing the issue of how BUNDULIWAN came to be accepted, who were involved and how was the signature of Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Mark Koding ended up on the Memorundum Of Declaration to adopt BUNDULIWAN as the base language and KADAZANDUSUN as the collective term to refer to the language. But for now, let us hear your views on the topics I mentioned above.
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