For the greater good : resolving differences in opinions on the standard indigenous language in Sabah

Bahasa Kadazandusun or BKD is the sole indigenous language offered in schools in Sabah, initially under the Pupils’ Own Language (POL) program based on the Education Act 1966. Different reactions towards BKD come from various concerned stakeholders i.e., ethnic societies, cultural bodies, and political organizations within the Kadazan and Dusun Orang Asal communities that make up almost 30% of the population of Sabah. Views on BKD range from critical and hardline positions to support and tolerance. Differing opinions can be read in the media due to the press statements by organizations or individuals reported in the news. However, one group whose opinions are rarely heard within the debates is the Orang Asal parents whose children are BKD learners at schools. This paper extracts findings from a larger study conducted to investigate the views and perspectives of stakeholders on the teaching and learning of the Kadazandusun language. In particular, this paper discusses relevant extracts from focus group discussions specifically with parents (n = 294) from five districts (Tambunan, Keningau, Kudat, Kota Marudu, and Tuaran). The study found that Orang Asal parents who are non-Kadazan or non-Dusun speakers are supportive of the BKD’s position and role as the sole indigenous language option taught in the national education system while recognizing that they want their indigenous languages to be transmitted to their younger generation, the parents also strongly encourage for inclusion of other ethnic languages in the system, formally or informally. This study found that the acceptance and tolerance shown by the parents, though themselves not speakers of Kadazandusun, are consistent with the sense of community present within indigenous communities in Sabah. The support given by non-Kadazandusun speakers to the standard language points to existing social harmony in a multicultural and multilingual society in Sabah. This paper also discusses at length the history behind the establishment of BKD and language standardization ideology within indigenous communities’ context

For the greater good: Resolving differences in opinions on the standard indigenous language in Sabah

Bahasa Kadazandusun or BKD is the sole indigenous language offered in schools in Sabah, initially under the Pupils’ Own Language (POL) program based on the Education Act 1966. Different reactions to-wards BKD come from various concerned stakeholders i.e., ethnic societies, cultural bodies, and political organizations within the Kadazan and Dusun Orang Asal communities that make up almost 30% of the population of Sabah. Views on BKD range from critical and hardline positions to support and tolerance. Differing opinions can be read in the media due to the press statements by organizations or individuals reported in the news. However, one group whose opinions are rarely heard within the debates is the Orang Asal parents whose children are BKD learners at schools. This paper extracts findings from a larger study conducted to investigate the views and perspectives of stakeholders on the teaching and learning of the Kadazandusun language. In particular, this paper discusses relevant extracts from focus group discussions specifically with par-ents (n = 294) from five districts (Tambunan, Keningau, Kudat, Kota Marudu, and Tuaran). The study found that Orang Asal parents who are non-Kadazan or non-Dusun speakers are supportive of the BKD’s position and role as the sole indigenous language option taught in the national education system while recognizing that they want their indigenous languages to be transmitted to their younger generation, the parents also strongly encourage for inclusion of other ethnic languages in the system, formally or informally. This study found that the acceptance and tolerance shown by the parents, though themselves not speakers of Kadazandusun, are consistent with the sense of community present within indigenous communities in Sabah. The support given by non-Kadazandusun speakers to the standard language points to existing social harmony in a multicultural and multilingual society in Sabah. This paper also discusses at length the history behind the establishment of BKD and language standardization ideology within indigenous communities’ context

Kajian terhadap program pembasmian kemiskinan dan peningkatan pendapatan dalam kalangan peserta program pembangunan rakyat termiskin (Pprt) Di Kalabakan, Tawau Sabah

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Indigenous place names continued existence as markers of Indigenous identity in Sabah

Indigenous place names reflect not only the uniqueness of a community’s cultural heritage but also serve as a tie to the rich history of the place. By the time the United Nation’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages is officially launched in 2022, Sabah can vouch its contribution to the international initiative in Sabah’s ability to maintain the various Indigenous place names in the state and consequently preserving Sabah’s cultural heritage identity. Thus far, studies have yet to be conducted on Indigenous place names in Sabah from the toponyms or geographical names on the colonial maps of North Borneo, now known as Sabah. In this article, the authors examine the place names found on the colonial maps of North Borneo. Researching from the framework of critical place inquiry (McKenzie & Tuck, 2015) and using document content analysis as the method of study, the authors found that, to date, many place names on the colonial maps of North Borneo are either exactly the same or having only slightly different spelling. The maps of North Borneo are in themselves a repository rich with materials that provide evidence for comparison basis on the preservation of Indigenous place name. An encouraging aspect that the researchers found is, in contrast to practices that replace Indigenous place names with other names for this or that reason, that many Indigenous place names on the colonial maps of North Borneo still existing to this day in Sabah points to the positive maintenance of Indigenous identity within modern settings