Kota Kinabalu: More books and written works in Kadazandusun should be published to ensure the language remains alive and is passed on to future generations, said Huguan Siou Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
The Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) president said similar efforts should also be extended to other ethnic languages in Sabah by encouraging young writers and documenting more folk stories and traditional knowledge.
“We want to see more works published in Kadazandusun. We also hope similar efforts can be extended to other ethnic languages in Sabah.
“More young writers should be encouraged. More folk stories need to be documented. More traditional knowledge needs to be recorded.
“And more quality reading materials need to be made available for future generations,” he said when officiating the Borneo Cultural & Heritage Corner (BCHC) in conjunction with the Kota Kinabalu International Book Fair 2026 at SICC here.
At the event, Pairin launched 25 children’s books in Kadazandusun, produced through a collaboration between the Kadazandusun Language Department of Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG) Kampus Kent, Tuaran, and the Kadazandusun Language Foundation (KLF), involving students from the Bachelor of Teaching Degree Programme (PISMP) in Kadazandusun Language under the guidance of their lecturers.
Pairin hoped the 25 books would mark the beginning of a wider movement to strengthen the use and preservation of the language.
He said while the initiative might appear modest, it carried significant meaning for the future of Kadazandusun.
“If we want a language to stay alive, it must not only be taught, it must be used.
“It must be used at home, at school, in writing, in reading, in communication and in everyday life.
“And this must begin from a young age,” he said.
Pairin said children needed reading materials in their own language that they could understand, enjoy and take pride in.
“When a child reads a story in their mother tongue, they are not merely learning words.
“They are discovering the world through a language and culture that form part of their identity,” he said.
He said children’s books could also serve as a bridge connecting language, culture, education and identity among the younger generation.
Pairin said books played a wider role in preserving the knowledge, experiences and history of a community and passing them on to future generations.
“A book is more than just a collection of words on sheets of paper.
“Within a book are the knowledge, thoughts, experiences and history of a society. Through books, we learn about our origins, understand our language, appreciate our culture and pass knowledge on to future generations,” he said.
He said Sabah and Borneo were blessed with rich diversity in ethnic groups, languages, customs, arts, beliefs, folk stories and traditions, each with its own value and uniqueness. However, he cautioned that heritage would not remain alive simply because it had existed in the past.
“Heritage will continue to live when it is documented, learnt, used, appreciated and passed on,” he said.
Pairin said the younger generation was often regarded as the heir to language and culture, but there first had to be something for them to inherit.
“We need to leave them not only buildings or material possessions, but also language, history, stories, values, knowledge and identity,” he said.
He said preserving heritage was a shared responsibility involving the Government, educational institutions, cultural organisations, publishers, writers, parents, community leaders and young people.
“Books must be read. Languages must be spoken. Culture must be practised. History must be documented. And heritage must continue to be kept alive.
“What we preserve today will become the heritage inherited by our children and grandchildren in the future,” he said.
On the BCHC, Pairin said it was more than a book exhibition space as it brought together knowledge, language, education, history, culture and Borneo heritage under one platform.
He hoped it would develop into a platform connecting writers, publishers, educators, researchers, institutions, cultural practitioners and the public to strengthen the documentation and dissemination of knowledge about Borneo.
Also present were UMS Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) Professor Datuk Dr Rossita Shapawi; KLF Board of Trustees chairman Datuk Philip Lasimbang; and IPG Kampus Kent, Tuaran director Dr Norafidah Noralidin.
