KadazanDusuns are indeed Native of Sabah

Kadazan Sabah Society Sabah (KSS) Deputy President Gundohing Sylvester J. Disimon (Pic) e-mail to me the following in response to an article posted by Joe Fernandez in Malaysiakini.

The article posted by Joe Fernandez on Dec. 27 2008 in Malaysiakininews column titled "KadazanDusuns not 'natives' of Sabah" is construed as misleading and is confusing to the readers.

The term "Kadazandusuns" and "KadazanDusuns" are two different terms as differentiated by the usage of the small vowel 'd' and capital 'D',the latter being two indigenous tribes of Kadazan" and "Dusun" merged together, while the former is a coined word - a term expediently assigned to unify the two indigenous tribes for whatever reasons –that does not denote a race.

Datuk Clarence Bongkos Malakun (KSS Trustee Chairman) has correctly pointed out when he said: "The term 'Kadazandusun' is not an indigenous ethnic race per se in Sabah."

"We should either be Kadazan or Dusun depending on one's own preference. We should respect those who wish to be known as Dusun just as we expect others to respect our preference to be known as Kadazan".

KSS President Datuk Marcel Leiking also rightly said at the KSS Christmas and New Year Dinner function in Kota Kinabalu on 23rd December 2008 that:

"There are Kadazans in Sabah and there are Dusuns.If you are comfortable with Kadazan or Dusun, so be it. But not Kadazandusun which is not an ethnic indigenous term (recognised) insane."

According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, "the term 'Kadazan-Dusun' (also written as Kadazandusun) is the term assigned to the unification of the classification of two indigenous tribes in Sabah, Malaysia—the ethnic groups of Kadazan and Dusun." The KSS, however, maintains its stance that the term"Kadazandusun" is NOT an ethnic indigenous tribe to describe a race nor it is a native found in Sabah.

It is therefore mischievous and naughty of Joe Fernandez to caption his article: "KadazanDusuns not 'natives' of Sabah" as this phrase is misleading and confusing your readers as well as insulting the intelligence of the indigenous tribes of Sabah! The Kadazans and Dusuns or "KadazanDusuns" in short are undeniably the indigenous tribes or natives of Sabah

!

Sylvester J. Disimon

Deputy President

Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS)

13th February 2009