PETALING JAYA: A move to accord native status to Sarawakian children of mixed marriages as long as one of the parents is from an indigenous community has been lauded.
Apart from the assumption that it will foster unity among the people of Sarawak, many also see it as necessary to preserve the indigenous population in the state.
The move will also give children of mixed marriages the added benefit of being also recognised as bumiputras and the privileges that come with it.
University of Tasmania political scientist James Chin pointed out that the natives in Sarawak have always recognised the children of mixed marriages as part and parcel of their own community anyway.
“This move is a major positive for inter-ethnic relations in Sarawak,” he told theSun.
The Interpretation (Amendment) Bill 2022, which will give children of mixed marriages the privileged status, received unanimous support at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly this week.
Chin said that while this may not mean a lot at the national level, it would give the children of mixed marriages in Sarawak a sense of belonging.
As it is now, a child of a mixed marriage is automatically recognised as a bumiputra across the nation as long as one of the parents is Malay.
However, Chin said that apart from the benefits it will bring, the move is also in recognition of the reality that many children in Sarawak are from mixed marriages.
“The children will now be recognised as bumiputras and are therefore entitled to the various benefits that come with it. It will definitely foster unity,” he added.
International Islamic University Malaysia assistant professor Dr Nor Hafizah Mohd Badrol Afandi said that apart from the obvious benefit of forging unity, the move will also widen the definition of the native status.
“This is crucial now given the high incidence of mixed marriages between natives and non-indigenous people. It has also taken into account the ethnic diversity in Sarawak,” she told theSun.
Previously a total of 20 different ethnic groups were listed as indigenous races under Article 161A(7) of the Interpretation Act.
Under Article 161A(6) of the same Act, a child of a mixed marriage can continue to be recognised as a native as long as both parents are from among the 20 ethnic groups.
Under the new amendment an additional 12 races previously not recognised as ethnic Sarawakians have also been included in the list of indigenous peoples. They are the Bagatan, Bakong, Bemali, Berawan, Dali, Lakiput, Jatti Miriek, Narom, Sa’ban, Tatau, Tring and Vaie.
Another significant implication is the transfer of constitutional authority to determine who is native from Parliament to the state. Nor Hafizah described this as “part of the devolution of power to state autonomy”.
She said there is little likelihood that the amendment may be abused given that any change in law or policy must be made within the framework of the Federal Constitution, state constitution and relevant legislation.
Ba’kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian, who spoke extensively on the issue at the state assembly sitting on Wednesday, agreed that if children of mixed marriages are not recognised as natives, many Sarawakians would lose their native status since there are many such marriages in the state.
“Eventually, there will be no natives left in Sarawak. Not only would this have serious implications on the demographics of Sarawak, but it would have deleterious effects on our people’s sense of identity, culture and heritage,” he said.
“We have always prided ourselves in our mixed races with their various adat (customs) and our multiculturalism, and we must do all we can to preserve our unique characteristics. Therefore, the inclusion of the phrase ‘a person who is a citizen and a natural born child of a person of a race indigenous to Sarawak’ in the definition gives a clearer picture that only one of the parents needs to be of an indigenous race,” he added.