AboutSabah.com

Natives Of Sabah

According to the Sabah Native Affairs Council (MHEANS), less than 50% of Sabah’s population is comprised of natives. Sabah’s population stands at 3.1316 million, including the Malays (and their sub-ethic groups), Chinese, Indians, Natives (most widely-known, the kadazandusuns) and others. The Natives number 1.4858 million throughout the state of Sabah.

The Kadazandusuns account for 551,300, Bajaus 423,100, Murut 104,300 and other natives 407,100 of the population.

Sabah natives are called Bumiputeras (malay term), meaning people of the land. Based on the definition provided in the Interpretation Ordinance (Native Interpretation) Cap 64, natives are defined as those whose parents are Sabah Orang Asli (Sabah Origin or natives), anyone living as a member of native community where one of his parents or ancestors are natives.

In Sabah, a native is a person who is a citizen, is the child or grandchild of a person of a race indigenous to Sabah and was born in Sabah, or to a father living in Sabah at the time of the birth. Because Malaysia is a relatively young country and is made up of 13 states, each with their own sultanates or traditional laws, you will often find that some laws differ depending on the state you are in. In the case of Sabah and Sarawak, formerly known as North Borneo before the formation of Malaysia, natives rights are part of the constitution.

The Ethnic groups of Sabah
Kadazandusuns are made up of 92 sub-ethnic groups. Some of these are based on geographic location, and language. This group used to be divided into Kadazan and Dusun, although their language is very similar, there are variations in it. The customs and culture of the Kadazan and Dusun are so similar that it was argued that they are one and the same.

Bajau, also known as Sama comprises of 10 sub-ethnic groups. The Bajau people are the seafarers of Borneo. Although in the interior of Sabah, they are well-known horsemen. Bajau are often mistaken referred to as Malays or an ethnic group of the Malay people by locals.

The Murut people comprises of 29 sub-ethnic groups.
The Rungus people comprises of 4 sub-ethnic groups.
The Idahan or Ida’an comprises of 7 sub-ethnic groups.
The Orang Sungai or Sungoi comprises of 28 sub-ethnic groups.
The Brunei or Malay Brunei people.
The Bisaya or Bisayah people.
The Iranun or Illanun people.
The Kedayan or Kadayan.
The Lundayeh or Lundayah people.
The Suluk people who I think origins from what is now the Philippines.
The Tidong people.
The Bulongan People.
The Balabak or Molbog people.

You can see the amazing diverse cultures that make up the Sabah Natives or Bumiputeras. The average Sabahan would probably not be able to differentiate the races of Sabah. To the outsider, many of the customs they practice seems the same. One way to tell the difference is by the different traditional custumes they wear. I am told that sometimes, you can tell the difference by their slang or type of words they use when conversing in Malay. Although in today’s modern Sabah, the difference is less pronouced.

The Natives are original classified as Pagans. Some time later, they became Christians and Muslims, through Missionary schools or marriages. Although, many still feel deep ties to their roots and respect their traditions.

The Native Court
In Colonial times between 1881 and 1962, prior to Sabah gaining its independence, administration was based on the Native Court presided by native chiefs, elders and the village headmen. Even today, people in these positions still play a role in their community. You will find almost every village or kampung has it’s village chief or headman.

After Independence, the period after 1963, the Sabah Bumiputera Affairs Unit (UHEB) was formed. This unit oversees the customs, disputes and administration run by the Native Courts. From 1999 onwards, native affairs come under the jurisdiction of Sabah Native Affairs Council (MHEANS). While Native Courts are vested with the authority to settle disputes and compensations in cases involving natives, the Law of Malaysia still apply.

The source of this post was from an article published in Daily Express newspaper in December 2008, written by Barnard Yaang.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 at 6:13 am and is filed under Sabah News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.