PANTAI Manis Assemblyman Datuk Pengiran Saifuddin Pengiran Tahir called for the systematic documentation of Sabah’s customary knowledge to prevent practices passed down orally from being lost amid rapid social change.
“Custom cannot only be preserved in historical records or practised by past generations. It must be understood by the younger generation. They need to know not just the form of a practice but also the values, purpose and principles behind it,” he said.
“If education and documentation efforts are not carried out in an organised manner, we risk losing knowledge that has been inherited over generations,” he said when debating the Majlis Hal Ehwal Anak Negeri Sabah (Amendment) 2026 Bill.
He said he supports the amendments to strengthen the Majlis Hal Ehwal Anak Negeri Sabah (Mheans), so it remains relevant and effective in matters relating to native customs and the Native Customary Law of Sabah.
He welcomed new definitions in the Bill for Native Court Chief Justice, Adat officer and native customary law, saying clarity of terms would give those implementing the law a common understanding of the position, function and power of each institution or officer.
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