KENINGAU: A group of villagers from Kg Kipaliu Baru Sook wants a forensic test performed in their ancestors’ graves to confirm the validity of the Minokok Dusun ethnic group’s existence in Kg Kipaliu Sungai Tongod.
This was expressed in their police report alleging that their customary land rights had been violated. Keningau police confirmed that a report was lodged on Aug 14.
“A holistic forensic study that includes digging up the graves and conducting an archaeological survey related to the Minokok Dusun ethnicity is required,” said Lusly Amiran, the group’s spokesperson.
Lusly claimed that three government agencies - the Forestry Department, the Sabah Museum Department, and the area’s forestry licence holders - were not transparent in writing the memorandum report on the findings of field work on the existence of the ethnic group in Kg. Kipaliu Sungai Tongod, which was completed on April 9, 2019.
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This included identifying and recording evidence of the ethnic groups’ existence in the area.
“They found the location of our ancestors’ graves, the peace oath stone between the Minokok and Segilitan ethnic group, house pillars, rubber and fruit trees.
“On the field, the representatives from the agencies acknowledged the existence of the Dusun Minokok ethnic group in the customary land. They even said that there is a lot of evidence pointing to the presence of the ethnic group in Kg Kipaliu Tongod,” he said.
“Strangely, the Sabah Forestry Department’s report dated May 22, 2019, which cites and refers to the Sabah Museum Department’s memorandum report, states in item 4 of the report that the results of external work and inspections in the site did not find evidence of the existence of an old cemetery in the site area,” he added.
Lusly also disputed the conclusion made by the Sabah Museum Department who quoted P.A Burrough’s article titled Murut and Dusun Graves in Keningau published in the Sabah Society Journal Vol. V December 1971 as a reference regarding the existence of the Minokok Tongod ethnic group.
He said, P.A Burrough conducted a study on the Murut and Dusun ethnic groups in Keningau, while the Minokok ethnic group exists in Kg. Kipaliu Sungai Tongod which is so far away, besides the cultures and practices of the ethnic groups are very different.
Lusly also disputed the department’s inspection results, which he described as opaque when they stated that they found no evidence of the existence of an old grave at the site, stating that the archaeological surveyor did not find artefacts (materials used by humans), as well as materials used such as food-bones, shells, fauna, botanical evidence, botanical evidence-leaf/seed fossils), and features (any man-made evidence that cannot be changed/moved).
“But they (Sabah Museum Department and other agencies) were at the grave site which dates back to 1962 ... they even took pictures of a grave belonging to one Yambet Binti Ambilan who died in 1963.
“They also found a peace oath stone between the Minokok and Segilitan ethnic groups”, he said, adding that he and the natives of the village doubted the report carried out by the department.
He also disagreed with the pictures of Murut ethnic graves in Kg. Sook, Tulid, Delayan and Tiulon which was attached to the work report.
He said the report was more focused on creating confusion in completing the holistic report on the customary land claims of the Minokok ethnic in Kg Kipaliu.
“We therefore want a forensic test on the graves of our ancestors for the purpose of finding evidence for a solution,” he said.
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