Kota Kinabalu: Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri (PKAN) has called for a clearer definition of “Sabah native” similar to Sarawak so as to bring clarity and remove any doubt and ambiguity about the word “native”.
Its President, Datuk Henrynus @ Rinus Amin, also wants an added clause that no native certificates be valid without an “appropriate declaration by the Sabah Native Court.”
“We want a clause that specifically states if evidence emerges that a citizenship or a native certificate was obtained fraudulently, the issuing authority, the Native Court in Sabah, has the legal right to revoke it, and those involved in the fraud face legal repercussions.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“There’s an urgent need to resolve this issue because foreigners posing as Malaysian citizens and natives with fraudulently obtained identity cards are illegally occupying native or customary land across Sabah.
“We’re getting troubling reports about native land being occupied by newcomers with dubious identity in Ranau, Keningau, Sook, Nabawan, Tongod, Beluran, Pitas, Sipitang, Lahad Datu, and Kalabakan,” he said.
He alleged that these newcomers with questionable citizenship are purchasing or occupying these lands and creating new settlements and shifting demographics.
According to Henrynus, thousands of acres have been allegedly granted to “dubious natives” (those with questionable native status) in several districts in Sabah.
He did not say under which administration this happened but that hese individuals then register as voters, fundamentally altering the political demographics of these areas.
He said as many as 500,000 individuals in Sabah may have obtained Malaysian identity cards (MyKad) through questionable means.
Currently, the Kadazan Dusun population now stands at only 19 per cent in total. In contrast, another ethnic group has reportedly surged and this raised question of their origin.
He said if they are not from Peninsular Malaysia, the conclusion is that they must be foreigners masquerading as bumis to obtain identity cards and subsequently claim rights to Sabah native land.
“The party is also concerned about coastal squatter settlements near major towns, which are populated by individuals of questionable citizenship claiming native status and seeking state recognition for their villages.”
He said in Sabah, the primary enactment that defines “natives of Sabah” is the Interpretation (Definition of Native) Ordinance 1952 (Sabah Cap 64).
Unlike Sarawak, which lists specific indigenous races, he said the Federal Constitution for Sabah refers to “a person of a race indigenous to Sabah,” again deferring to the Interpretation (Definition of Native) Ordinance 1952.
He said the status of Kadazan Dusun, Murut and Sungai or collectively Momogun is not clearly defined in Interpretation (Definition of Native) Ordinance 1952.
“This lack of a precise list casts doubt on the validity and relevance of the existing definition,” he said.
Henrynus said amendment to the definition of “native” in Sabah has been a long-standing and complex issue which no state government was willing to take on.
He is not sure what is being done by the State Government, but questioned why Kadazan Dusun assemblymen from Star, PBS and Upko who were outspoken on the issue during election, remain muted after the election.
He said Parti Anak Negeri will push for the clause to be amended to clarify and establish the status of new migrants from Malaya, the Philippines and Indonesia as non-native.
“The vague definitions and the reliance on native court declarations have allegedly led to instances where individuals without genuine indigenous lineage have obtained native status.”