A SABAH minister’s proposal to include “Jawa” and “Bugis” as natives has drawn the ire of social media users and political leaders in the state, today. 

State Law and Native Affairs Minister Aidi Mokhtar of Parti Warisan Sabah made the proposal in Tawau on Friday, forcing his party to immediately clarify that his view is not the party line.

The rights of the Sabah indigenous or native people are safeguarded in the constitution, where they are classified under the Interpretation (Definition of Native) Ordinance. 

There are five major ethnic groups listed under the state law are the KadazanDusun Murut and Paitanic, Sungai, Kedayan, and Bajau and Suluk ethnic groups. 

None of them are of Indonesian ancestry. 

Former Sabah Umno liaison chief Hajiji Mohd Noor in voicing opposition said the rights of the real natives will eroded if the proposal was accepted by the state government. 

Aidi had argued that it was unfair to the Bugis and the Jawa that they were not classified as natives for they had been in the state before Independence.

He made this point following the government’s inability to appoint those of Indonesian parentage to be native chiefs.

Hajiji said the minister was probably confused between the terms “Bumiputera” and “anak negeri”, or native. 

“Anak negeri or natives are those who are indigenous to North Borneo. In the national context they are also Bumiputera under the constitution. 

“But a Malaysian Bumiputera does not necessarily qualify as a native of Sabah. Malays from Semenanjung and Sarawak are not recognised as natives of Sabah unless one of their parents is a native of Sabah. 

A previous attempt to include those of Indonesian parentage as natives of Sabah was rejected outright by the then chief minister Musa Aman. 

The issue of natives’ rights is a controversial one among Sabahans. 

Parti Bersatu Sabah president Maximus Ongkili, meanwhile, slammed the state government for trying to tamper with the state ordinance for political expediency. 

“You cannot simply amend the ordinance at one’s whim and fancy to include other unqualified races to be categorised as natives,” he said.

“An extensive consultation at the grassroots level should be carried out. We demand that the Warisan runs a referendum to obtain the views of the Sabahans. 

He said the Warisan state government must not distort or bulldoze the rights and protective laws of  Sabah natives and the Sabah people.

Ongkili said just because a particular community had been in Sabah before the formation of Malaysia, did not mean they were natives of Sabah.

“There are many British, Indians and Chinese who had settled in Sabah before Malaysia was formed and eventually became citizens, but they do not qualify them as natives. 

“History also dictates that the Jawa and Bugis were migrants from other parts of Borneo and Nusantara or Indonesian Archipelago and therefore they cannot be included as natives, but perhaps Bumiputera,” he said. – February 2, 2019.