'Farm game animals to keep hunting tradition'
Published on: Sunday, January 08, 2017
Kota Kinabalu: Kapayan Assemblyman and DAP Sabah Native Consultative Council Chairman Dr Edwin Bosi suggests efforts be made to farm game animals and release them into the wild so that the native community can continue with their hunting tradition.According to him, indigenous people particularly in the rural areas are struggling to continue with their tradition of forest gathering and hunting. "It is my belief that all forest where the indigenous people have been going in and out to gather and hunt is considered NCR land," he said. The Federal Court in a landmark ruling in Sarawak last week ruled that native rights do not extend to areas that have been gazetted as forests.
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The ruling effectively dashed the hopes of indigenous communities from clearing even forest reserves to plant commercial crops like oil palm citing native customary rights.On a related matter, Bosi urged the people of Sabah, in particular the indigenous people also termed "momogun" or "orang asal" to be aware and concerned about the historical oath stone or "Batu Sumpah" erected in Keningau in 1964. He said that the story on the formation of Malaysia is not complete without mentioning the role of the Batu Sumpah.He said during that time, the only way to get the support of the people of the Interior towards the formation of Malaysia was through an elaborate ritual of animal sacrifice and prayers over a Batu Sumpah with a plaque attached inscribing the three guarantees of the Malaysian government towards the natives of the Interior of Sabah, namely freedom of religion in Sabah, land under control of the State Government and native culture and tradition respected and preserved.
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"Sabahans should reflect on these three guarantees in the present context. Are they being upheld? Freedom of religion is being challenged by religious extremists from Malaya."
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The plaque on the stone with the words "Kerajaan Malaysia Jamin (Malaysian Government guarantees) went missing in the 1980s and a subsequent replacement did not include the key words.However, although the original plaque was later found, promises by Federal Tourism Minister Datuk Mohd Nazri and National Unity Minister Tan Sri Jospeh Kurup to restore the plaque to the original containing the guarantees have yet to materialise. He said culture and tradition are the hallmarks of a race and for this reason the native leaders in the sixties wanted to include them as a guarantee before they would support Malaysia. Bosi added that the Native Consultative Council has erected seven replicas of the batu sumpah in Kg Kionsom Inanam, Kg Mempulut, Pensiangan, Kg. Moyog Penampang, Kg Iban Merotai, Kg Gondopi Matunggung, Kg Sawang, Malalap and Kg Mansiat, Sook. The committee has decided to visit and have a small gathering to all these batu sumpah replicas before the 14th general election is called with the first visit starting Kg Moyog, Penampang which they visited on Thursday. Dr Bosi, who is also Deputy Chairman of DAP Sabah, said the loss of vast tracts of land to companies and powerful well-connected individuals is also a loss to the natives of Sabah. "I am worried about the future of the indigenous people whose NCR land are been taken away by these companies and individuals. I have already said in the State Assembly that the people must work with the village chiefs, Chairman of Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) to identify all the NCR land, apply and present it to the District Officer and Land Office for further action including surveying them as soon as possible," he said.Bosi added that the natives are looking up to the government of the day whether it is concerned about their well-being, their future and that of their children and grandchildren. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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