The newly elected committee of the Kadazan Society Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah indigenous group wants the harvest festivals of Sabah and Sarawak to be made national public holidays.
This was among the significant issues endorsed during the Kadazan Society Sabah’s (KSS) triennial delegates conference here recently.
KSS said it would pursue with the Federal Government that the state’s Tadau Tagazo Kaamatan, approved by the British colonial government in 1960 as a public holiday in then North Borneo, be made a national holiday together with Sarawak’s Hari Gawai.
“To achieve its aims and objectives, KSS will fully cooperate and work with any government of the day,” it said in a statement yesterday.
Kaamatan is Sabah’s month-long harvest celebration that kicks off on May 1 every year, with the culmination on May 30 and 31 celebrated as a state holiday.
Hari Gawai is Sarawak’s equivalent and falls on June 1 annually.
KSS also said it would pursue with Putrajaya that Kadazan be categorised as “Bangsa Kadazan” in all government forms instead of “dan lain-lain” (others).
“This is because like the Malays with Umno, Chinese with MCA and Indians with MIC, the Kadazans with United National Kadazan Organisation (Unko) with Huguan Siou and Unko president Tun Fuad Stephens directly participated in nation-building when signing the Malaysia Agreement 1963 on July 9, 1963.
“So, like the Malays, Chinese and Indians, the Kadazans are also the founding community partner in the formation of Malaysia,” it said.
Another matter highlighted during the conference was that the Education Ministry should have a properly written history on the formation of Malaysia and taught in schools.
This would involve emphasising that Malaysia was formed on Sept 16, 1963, it said.
“One more important issue discussed was that in the teaching of languages, especially native indigenous languages, it must strictly and completely comply with the Education Act in relation to the teaching of mother tongues,” it said.
Meanwhile, Datuk Seri Marcel Leiking was returned unopposed as KSS president at the conference.
Besides that, Datuk Albert F Tokuzip was elected deputy president, while the seven vice-presidents elected were Hector Jintoni, Benedict Malanjum, Athanasius John Staun @ Ahmad Staun, Hamdan Suarah, Anastasia Modili, Dr Jiloris F Dony and Philip Mosinoh.
Batholomew Jingulam was appointed KSS secretary-general and Humfrey J Suimin the treasurer-general.
