Don’t waste energy talking about categorising KDM as Momogun or Dayak — Warisan
PENSIANGAN: A Parti Warisan leader has called on the Kadazan, Dusun and Murut (KDM) leaders in the Unity Government to focus their energy to solve more pressing issues affecting the communities instead of continously talking about categorising themselves generically either as Momogun or Dayak.
The party’s Supreme Council member, Mudi Dubing said affirmative actions are desperately needed to uplift the living standards of the KDM communities, especially in the Interior, who are lagging far behind in terms of education, economy and infrastructure development.
“All the major KDM-based political parties in the likes of PBS, Star, Upko and PBRS are now in the Unity Government so there should be no more of those ‘conditions’ such as the Federal Government require the KDM communities’ political support to realize the changes they longed for.
“Hence, it is the right time for the KDM leaders from these parties to demand affirmative action on issues affecting the
KDM communities such as land grabbing, poverty, deplorable roads, dilapidated schools, unsafe bridges, mismatched employment, internet connectivity and so on,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
Mudim also finds it very untimely to debate the categorization now in view that the Sabah Law Society’s (SLS) hearing on the 40% entitlement is scheduled on May 16 and this matter (and MA63) is very close to the heart of the KDM communities, especially in the Interior, due to its manifestation in Batu Sumpah (Oath Stone).
He said the debate is distracting at a time when the KDM communities should be coming out to support SLS because for the first time ever, a reputable and authoritative organisation is demanding the government to honor what our founding forefathers wanted for us to have in return for them agreeing to form the Federation of Malaysia.
Mudi who is also the Warisan Pensiangan Division chief, added that despite financial constraint, the division will be sending its delegation to the hearing to support SLS.
“Pensiangan maybe the farthest and one of the poorest districts in Sabah and one can imagine how tough it will be for our delegation to go through hills or rivers and travel all the way to Kota Kinabalu to attend the hearing using our own expenses.
“But we don’t want to miss this defining moment for Sabah and being made up mostly of farmers, our delegation have nothing to give to SLS except by showing our support to them by being there.
“Even if nobody will be supporting SLS in this hearing, Warisan Pensiangan is proud to say that we are solidly behind them because they are doing the right thing for Sabah,” he concluded.