Native NGO slams PBRS over assault
Published on: Wednesday, December 24, 2014
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) President Tan Sri Joseph Kurup shot himself in the foot by defending party members who assaulted a landowner who hosted a "tugu peringatan Batu sumpah" (oath stone) replica in Kg Mampulut, Sook.Orang Asal activist Adrian Lasimbang, in stating this, said Kurup should be ashamed of undermining the constitutional right of a sovereign land owner who is also privileged to native law."This act (assault) confirms PBRS is becoming the Perkasa (a Malay extremist group) in the interior. It should be a lesson for all 1.7 million Orang Asal Sabah, that even the native customary system can be hijacked by ruling politicians to be used as they like without knowing the background of rituals conducted by the Orang Asal.
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"How will any native trust the native justice system if it is abused by PBRS? "Why do PBRS want to import right-wing extremism and use it against natives?" he said in a statement, Tuesday."According to Adat (custom), sogit (fine) should be paid to the family that was assaulted or bad omen will fall on the intruders," he said.Adrian said the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) enforces the right of Orang Asal to practice their rituals and right to expression through the Batu Sumpah ritual without discrimination.
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"No one can dictate what we can and cannot do. Most of all we don't need consent from the ruling government how we do our rituals as this is our inherent right as Orang Asal of Sabah," he said."The reason we are having the Batu Sumpah ritual is to empower the Orang Asal of Sabah and promote Orang Asal rights.
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"The Batu Sumpah is a guarantee of our rights by the Malaysian Government and all Orang Asal should know this. That's why we will continue to do this ritual in all districts in Sabah," he said. The three guarantees were freedom of religion in Sabah, land under the control of the Sabah Government and to respect and preserve the native customs and traditions by the government.The series of Batu Sumpah rituals conducted by orang asal communities was to remind the communities about the existence of the Keningau Batu Sumpah, the historical facts and the contents.'We welcome any individual who wants a Batu Sumpah erected on their land as a form of support towards the safeguards that was carved in the original Batu Sumpah in Keningau," he said.Meanwhile, DAP Sabah Secretary Dr Edwin Bosi said Kurup must respect the wishes of the people in Pensiangan to erect a replica of the Batu Sumpah. "The stone does not hurt anyone but reminds the native community of the three guarantees of the Malaysian government. I am sure if Kurup's supporters were to erect a big 1Malaysia signboard no one will be offended. "I urge Kurup to restrain his supporters from bullying those who erected the replicas. If they are truly indigenous they are not respecting the spirit of the batu sumpah. He said DAP Sabah would continue to erect the Batu Sumpah in every village if the indigenous people request."Unfortunately, the oath stone at the compound of the Keningau district office would soon be forgotten. One of the terms of the batu sumpah is to have an annual ritual to enliven the spirit of the stone but sadly this has not been fulfilled," he said.On Aug 31, 2014 a group of indigenous people from Pensiangan and Keningau led by Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS) were not allowed to enter the Keningau district office by the District Officer to perform the ritual for the batu sumpah. In response the native people decided to bring a replica stone from Sook and erected it along a stream about 100 meters from the District Office.DAP Sabah also lodged a report after finding three important words "Kerajaan Malaysia Jamin" (The Government of Malaysia guarantees) on the plaque of the original batu sumpah missing. "We are waiting for the police to tell us who is (are) responsible for tampering the plague. Without the missing three words, the whole meaning of the agreement becomes useless," he said. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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