Historian lodges police report against PBDSB man
He (Andrew) has questioned my abilities and my research methods, despite me being a person who has obtained PhD and other academic qualifications from Universiti Malaya, which is the oldest university in Malaysia, among the top universities in the country, and (listed) in the top 10 universities in Southeast Asia.
Datu Dr Sanib Said
KUCHING: Datu Dr Sanib Said has lodged a police report against Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) information chief Andrew Bugie Ipang, who questioned the former’s credibility as a historian and his research methods.
Sanib, who is also Sarawak Malay Cultural Foundation Charitable Trust (AKYBMS) general manager, claims that a recent statement by Andrew has tarnished his reputation as a credible historian.
“He (Andrew) has questioned my abilities and my research methods, despite me being a person who has obtained PhD and other academic qualifications from Universiti Malaya, which is the oldest university in Malaysia, among the top universities in the country, and (listed) in the top 10 universities in Southeast Asia.
“Even my first book, out in 1989, was published in English by the Oxford University Press.
“So these are my credibility, and (my works) are accepted at the international level.
“However, he has questioned my credibility and ability to conduct my research. That’s why I have lodged a police report this afternoon so that the police can take further action,” he told reporters when met at the Central police station here yesterday.
Andrew had, on July 7, said that the PBDSB questioned the research mechanism and procedures used to prove that Sarawak was the second oldest Malay state in the world after Kedah.
In that statement, Andrew said the party also questioned how Sanib could make a claim about Sarawak being formerly known as ‘Santubong’.
With respect to this, Andrew had called for archaeological digs in Santubong and its surrounding areas for human remains, which should undergo DNA and radio carbon dating tests in determining and confirming the ethnicity of the remains and their estimated date of existence.
Andrew also called upon historians to not make claims that were unsubstantiated by any scientific proof.
In response to this, Sanib stressed that his work was solely focused on the Malays, and that he had never written about other races in Sarawak.
“In my book and in my lectures, I talk about the Malays and never about other races in Sarawak because this is very sensitive. I never questioned about other races (in Sarawak).
“Let me study and do research about my own race, as this is part of the freedom of speech,” he pointed out.