KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah minister has suggested adding the letter "S" to the abbreviation KDMR for the Kadazan, Dusun, Murut and Rungus native communities to represent the Sungai ethnic group.
This would make the full abbreviation KDMRS, said Sugut assemblyman and Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk James Ratib.
He said the Sungai community is among the major ethnic groups in the region, with a large population on the East Coast.
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The Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA) vice president proposed this during a Kaamatan programme in Paitan on Friday (May 15).
In response, Momogun National Congress (MNC) president Tan Sri Wences Angang said that while he believed the suggestion was made in sincerity and good faith, it needed further discussion.
The former deputy chief minister said if the proposal was accepted, it would not solve the long-standing confusion about a proper name for the native community but would only lead to more such proposals.
He said adding a letter to KDMR would be a fulfilment of the old prediction that the abbreviation would keep on getting extended indefinitely.
"The immediate response from people now is, why not just include even more letters to represent all the other indigenous groups such as another 'K' for the Kimaragangs, 'L' for the Lotuds, 'T' for the Tatanas and Tobilungs, 'G' for the Garos, and so on?” Wences said.
He pointed out that assigning a string of letters as a group name for a people has no precedent anywhere or historical, traditional or cultural justification, adding that it is not a name at all.
"We need to take note that since 1963, we have pushed various names – Dusun, Kadazandusun, KDM and now KDMR – and still fail to agree on one that truly unites us.
"MNC has made a declaration signed by 77 native NGOs to adopt 'Momogun' as a name to replace 'Lain-lain' (others) in government forms and as a name for our indigenous group," Wences added.
He said "Momogun" has a cultural meaning, context and history, and was in use even before the 19th century.
He said the MNC was now making courtesy calls to various assemblymen and state leaders to explain its rationale for making the resolution to adopt the name through the Momogun Declaration.
"We will also be seeking an audience with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and the Huguan Siou (paramount leader of the KDMR) Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan for the same purpose," Wences said.
This is not the first time "Momogun" has been proposed, nor is it the first time a proposal has been made to add letters to "KDMR" for "inclusivity purposes".
According to the Sabah government website, the state population is made up of 33 main indigenous groups that communicate in over 50 languages and 80 ethnic dialects.
