There are Kadazan and Dusun races but not Kadazandusun
I refer to Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Clarence Bongkos Malakun’s statement published by a local newspaper on November 8, 2018 in his capacity as Deputy President of KDCA to justify the acceptance of Kadazandusun as the sacred identity of all the Kadazan, Dusun, Murut and other ethnic groups in Sabah supposedly made at a seminar on November 3, 2018 in conjunction with the KDCA Triennial Delegates Conference.
However, I was present throughout the seminar and no such paper on the subject was presented.
This is misleading the public especially the communities concerned.
As a Delegate of KDCA Tanjung Aru Branch I had voiced my branch disapproval of the coining of the Kadazan and Dusun as “Kadazandusun” race as sacred identity.
By coining the Kadazan and Dusun races as Kadazandusun we are creating a new race and the Kadazan and Dusun races will disappear. This I totally disagreed. However, when I voiced my disagreement, the President of KDCA Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan told me that this terminology was decided by the previous KDCA Triennial Delegates Conference and he said that he had written to the previous State Government of Sabah to endorse the Kadazandusun as the generic name for the Kadazan, Dusun and other ethnic groups of the community.
KDCA has no locus standi or right under its Constitution to meddle with our race “bangsa Kadazan”.
As Chairman of KDCA Tanjung Aru Branch and Life Member I strongly object to the proposed coining of the term Kadazandusun as the sacred identity as there is no Kadazandusun race but there are Kadazan and Dusun races.
We should be respected as Kadazan while the Dusun and other races should be given equal respect as per the 1961 Resolution when United National Kadazan Organization (UNKO) was launched and “Kadazans Willing To Cooperate With Others”.
I can assure that there is no quarrel between the Kadazans and Dusuns because we respect the decision of the Founding Fathers in 1961.
Accordingly, I urge that this petty issue be done away with and let’s move forward as Kadazans being one of the founding community partners in the formation of Malaysia more so in this New Government, Malaysia in general and Sabah in particular.