Pairin wants Among's lawyer to be hauled up to Native Court

KOTA KINABALU: Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan wants lawyer Marcel Jude Joseph to be hauled up to the Native Court for allegedly degrading the Unduk Ngadau cultural pageant.

The Kadazandusun paramount leader, or Huguan Siou, said since Joseph had brought his statements into the public arena, he should be taken to task in the right manner and through the right channels.

Pairin claimed Joseph had ignored local customs and traditions of the Kadazan Dusun people and had "langgar adat" (gone against customs) which needed to be compensated with the proper "sogit" (native fine) by the Native Court.

He added that Joseph had not only offended the KDCA directly but everyone else, including those who felt and shared the negative impact arising from the statement or part of his plea in his submissions to the court to obtain bail for the release of his client Philip Among.

"Police reports should be lodged and actions taken against the lawyer should be taken.

"An action by KDCA is warranted as Joseph had shamed the 'innocent' association and ridiculed KDCA in no uncertain manner to the extent that it paints KDCA as a shameful association with evil intentions," he said in a statement on Monday (June 14).

Pairin's statement comes hours after Joseph apologised for degrading the pageant in his notes prepared for the court that it was a glorified "cattle show".

June allegedly made those remarks in the notes when seeking bail for Among, a Sabah STAR leader who was charged with molesting two women, including an Unduk Ngadau contestant.

The notes were shared in various social media platforms including WhatsApp.

Joseph, however, maintained in his statement that he did not utter those words in the notes while arguing for Among's bail at the Magistrate's Court on June 10.

A day earlier, Unduk Ngadau organising chairman Joanna Kitingan, demanded a public apology from Joseph amid anger rising among social media users against him.

Pairin said KDCA, together with the state government, organised the online Kaamatan celebrations including the crowing of the Unduk Ngadau, which was based on the legend of Huminodun, who saved the people from famine and starvation and became an exemplary personality and a fine model for the community to follow.

He said it was unbelievable that Joseph made those remarks when the community, especially young girls, were trying to rise up to achieve a high standard in knowledge, education, and love for their own traditions, just like other communities.