PENAMPANG: Momogun National Congress (MNC) President Tan Sri Wences Angang said the proposed use of the term “Momogun” in official forms for indigenous people in Sabah is to unify and elevate their status without erasing their ethnic identities.
“It is not to replace the names of ethnic groups,” he said in his keynote address at the Momogun Premier Convention at the Penampang Cultural Centre, here, Thursday.
“Momogun is a proposed classification to refer to the Dusunic, Murutic and Paitanic communities instead of being classified as “Others” in official statistics.
SPONSORED CONTENT 800 expected at Sabah CEO Master Class 2024 on August 8 Kota Kinabalu: Wish to know and learn meaningful lessons and entrepreneurial journeys from giant business owners who also faced various hard challenges and succeeded in overcoming them? . Read more “The use of this term does not mean we are discarding or denying our ethnicities such as Kadazan, Murut, Sungai, Rungus, Bisaya, Tidong and so on,” he said.
“I will always consider myself Tatana, but in government statistics, I would rather be known as ‘Momogun’ than ‘Others’. There is no problem for me to refer to myself as Momogun Tatana,” he said.
Addressing the question of why the MNC is spearheading this initiative, Wences said since MNC’s establishment in 2015, it has functioned as an organisation to support and promote the use of “Momogun” as an umbrella term for the Dusunik, Murutik and Paitanik ethnic groups in Sabah.
“This is not a new concept but one we have been carefully developing and promoting for years.
“If we continue to stand separately, no matter how loud we shout, our voices will always be drowned out and will not reach the target.
“But I believe when we unite and move as one identity, our voice will resonate strongly.
“This unity does not come at the cost of individual ethnic pride or identity but rather enhances our collective strength,” he said.
He also acknowledged that there are some objections to the initiative.
“There are those who object to this. But those who are not very happy with this organisation are not that many, only a handful. It is normal, whatever we do in this world, there would surely be objections...challenges. No challenge... no excitement,” he said.
He also touched on recent actions by other organisations, saying “as I said earlier, there was an association who wrote a letter to the Prime Minister while claiming to represent 32 associations.
“When we look at the list of association names in the letter, there was none. The letter was only signed by four people. They only sent one letter last year,” he said, contrasting it with the broad-based support for MNC’s inclusive approach.
Additionally, he noted the long-standing nature of the issue, questioning why some larger bodies had only recently begun to voice their concerns.
“The question is, it’s been 60 years, and why act only now. What have they been doing all these decades? Maybe they feel challenged when the MNC acts as we are doing today,” he said, while pointing out MNC’s proactive stance in addressing a decades-old issue of identity and recognition.
“I hope after our convention today, we will reach a good agreement for our people. Whatever our decision today, of course, we will submit it to the Federal Government and the State Government.
“By proposing the use of ‘Momogun’ as an umbrella term, we aim to address the longstanding issue of Sabah indigenous communities being classified as “Others” in official statistics, while still preserving and celebrating individual ethnic identities.
“I am confident that the presence of delegates today is driven by a vision and desire to see something positive and constructive for all our people.
“Together, as Momogun, we can create a future where our voices are heard, our identities are respected, and our communities thrive,” he said.
Meanwhile, the convention saw an unprecedented turnout with 84 indigenous associations across Sabah participating, representing over 500 delegates.
Wences said the encouraging response reflects growing interest and support for the MNC’s initiatives.
“In 2016, we held a convention, but at that time only 25 associations attended. Today, 84 associations and organisations are present,” he said.
The convention featured presentations from three prominent figures, Datuk Henrynus Amin, Dr Paul Porodong and Robert Munang.
These speakers shared evidence-based perspectives on issues and trends affecting the Momogun community, providing delegates with insights into their current situation and potential future directions.
Their talks covered a range of topics, from historical context to contemporary challenges faced by indigenous communities in Sabah.
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