Let's stop arguing, says Pairin
Published on: Thursday, July 28, 2016
Penampang: Natives in the State should simply cancel the term "Lain-Lain" when filling up forms and write their respective and preferred races, instead of arguing about what they should be called collectively.Huguan Siou Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan (pic) said there should not be a quarrel among the people over what they want to be called, either Momogun or Kadazandusun, or whatever race they think they are."I feel that there is nothing to discuss. You want to put what your race is, you put down what your race is.
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No need to talk, no need to quarrel over this. Years ago, in the 1960s, some people said we are supposed to be called Kadazans."But there were people who did not accept. They wanted to continue to be called Dusuns and they want to call themselves Dusuns. "So, don't quarrel anymore. Stop the discussion about this issue," he said.Pairin was commenting on the proposal by a major ethnic organisation for a high-level meeting among relevant parties to discuss and decide on a suitable racial classification for the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) community.While asserting that everybody has the right to their own opinion, Pairin said, however, it is not good that the people are fighting over the issue.
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"It is always easy if you want to think about it. You put down whatever you think you are. That 'Lain-Lain'? It's very easy. Just cancel it. If you want to put you are Sino-Kadazan, then by all means," he said.
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Pairin, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, however, conceded that sooner or later, something will be tabled to resolve the issue once and for all but there is no need to continue fighting over it.In Sarawak, a consensus was reached by the natives of the State to classify themselves as Dayak, to replace the term "Lain-Lain" in government forms. The situation, however, is not the same in Sabah where the natives continue to be classified under "Lain-Lain".Such term is considered derogatory because non-citizens are also classified as "Lain-Lain". The Momogun National Congress (MNC) had proposed the term "Momogun" as a collective identity for the Dusunic, Murutic and Paitanic speech communities in Sabah.The proposal had received strong backing from several local native NGOs but the KDCA and KSS remain opposed to the term, preferring the people to stick to their respective ethnic names such as Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, Rungus and others."This is exactly why people say we are not united. Our ancestors can be a mix of English, Eurasian, Sino and whatever. It's very easy. Don't be angry at each other. If you want to write Sino-Kadazan, do it," said Pairin. "There is no need for this meeting. Why do we need to have all these? We are wasting our time arguing, quarrelling over what we want to call ourselves."Nobody is forcing you to write down what you think you are. It is up to you. The Chinese don't have this problem. The most important thing is whether you are a citizen or non-citizen of this country," he said.On flash flooding in Kg Nambazan here, Pairin said it is mainly due to drainage system failure where water from the road overflows into the lower ground instead of into the drains.He said the flood is made worse during high tide where the excess water could not find its way into the sea fast enough, causing massive flash floods in the district."I have instructed the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) to conduct an extensive study on the possibility of installing a gate to stem the flow of seawater into the river and a pump house to quicken the release of excess water into the sea. "The technique worked wonderfully to control floods in Likas and I hope it would produce the same result here also," he said during a visit to the affected village, Wednesday.Also present were District Officer Luvita Koisun and Public Works Department (PWD) Director Amrullah Kamal.Residents in the village said they have suffered greatly because of the flood and blamed it on the Pan Borneo Highway contractor for their failure to ensure minimal negative impact to the environment.One of the villagers, Jenny Kung, said the small road leading to her house will be submerged under water after only a 10-minute downpour.Her brother's house, which is on the lower ground, had suffered flooding three times in a week.Michael Siew, another villager, said his house was inundated by 1.5 feet of water because the drain that used to bring all the excess water from the village into the monsoon drain is now blocked by debris.Pairin, who is also Infrastructure Development Minister, said he is aware that the flash flooding is fairly new and only happened after the Pan Borneo Highway began construction in 2014."When construction began, the new drainage system lagged a bit and they forgot to ensure the drainage can accommodate a quick flow of the water during heavy rain. As a quick solution, they have broken the drain walls in two sections to allow the flow from the hill."But, more importantly, the contractor needs to make sure that there is no rubbish or blockage interrupting the flow."However, as an immediate solution to this, we will have to install the gate and build the pump house at the river mouth as soon as possible," he said.Pairin also assured nearby residents that all projects are bound to have some negative impacts before bringing in the positives with them.Even in developed countries such as Singapore, he said, the people have seen similar infrastructure breakdown despite their extensive drainage network zigzagging the city state.He further explained that despite the development plan already in place prior to construction, there is a need to modify the plan in order to solve the people's woes."After all these is done, I think the most important thing is for the Moyog River to be cleared of all debris which could slow the flow of the excess water."We have to do this as soon as possible," he said.Meanwhile, Pairin acknowledged that unauthorised hill cutting project is a major problem in the district, causing major environmental problems such as river pollution."If you want to do hill cutting, there are guidelines that need to be followed. Some of these projects are done with no regard to the environment," he said.He also assured the people in the district that although they are represented by the opposition, it does not mean the Government will not care about their welfare.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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