SABAH Law and Native Affairs Minister Aidi Moktar denied calling for Javanese and Bugis to be recognised as the state’s natives.

Aidi, who has come under fire for the alleged proposal, said it was ultimately up to the state government to recognise these ethnicities as natives.

“I never said that the government will recognise the two ethnic groups; that will be left to the state government to discuss,” he said, following negative reactions to his statement.

Aidi said he was speaking at a ceremony to present appointment letters to the district native chiefs, on Friday in Tawau.

He said he had told reporters after the event that he had merely been explaining the current status of Bugis and Javanese, who could not be native chiefs as they were not recognised as natives.

“It is a legal issue that is being addressed by the ministry so as not to alienate the non-natives,” he said. 

There had been proposals for some Javanese and Bugis community leaders to be appointed as district native chiefs, he said.

“I told the people to wait until all the issues are resolved by the native court before the issue of appointing district native chiefs from the Bugis and Javanese community can be resolved.”  – February 2, 2019.