Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Kaum-kaum di Malaysia" in Malay language version.
A petition to change the "lain-lain" (others) category to the collective term "Momogun" for Sabah natives in official forms and letters will be sent to both the state and federal governments for consideration.
Momogun National Congress (MNC) will be organising a ‘Konvensyen Perdana Momogun 2024’ on August 1.
The Momogun National Congress (MNC) has refuted claims that it has never consulted the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA) on its proposal to replace the term “Lain Lain” (Others) with “Momogun” in official government forms.
Its president, Tan Sri Wences Angang, recalled that shortly after the congress was registered in 2015, the president at the time, Tan Sri Bernard Giluk Dompok, had paid a courtesy call to Huguan Siou Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan to pursue the use of the term Momogun as a generic term for the Dusunic, Murutic and Paitanic speaking groups.
Wences also denied that that their proposal coinciding with their upcoming ‘Konvensyen Perdana Momogun 2024’ is politically motivated, stressing that no political parties are involved.
It is imperative that the term “Natives of Sabah” or “Anak Negeri Sabah” be adopted in official government documents to represent all indigenous peoples of the state, said Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
Jeffrey, who is the president of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), said the current usage of “lain-lain” (Others) is not only insufficient but also disrespectful. It fails to capture the rich diversity and contributions of Sabah’s indigenous communities, thereby undermining their rightful place in Malaysia’s cultural and historical narrative.
Finance Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun opines that the proposed generic term “Momogun” encompasses all ethnicities and sub-ethnicities within the Kadazan, Dusun, Murut and Rungus (KDMR) community.
"If we are Dusun, we say we are Momogun (Dusun), and if we are Kadazan, we use Momogun (Kadazan). We do not lose our ethnic or sub-ethnic identity. We are simply designating a specific generic name, just as ‘Dayak’ is used in Sarawak to encompass various tribes. So, my understanding is that Momogun encompasses all ethnicities and sub-ethnicities referred to as Momogun. No one is left behind," he said.
A total of 75 associations have signed a cluster declaration for the term ‘Momogun’ to be used as the name for indigenous and native communities of Sabah from the Dusunic, Murutic, and Paitanic-speaking communities.
They were among 84 ethnic associations that attended the Premier Momogun Convention, organised by the Momogun National Congress (MNC), at the Sabah Cultural Centre here yesterday.
Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Datuk Ewon Benedick, who officiated at the event, said the convention was a highly significant policy decision following the first convention in the early 1960s, which chose the name for the Kadazan, Dusun, or Momogun people at that time.
Ewon said the convention was not to create a new ethnic name, but a group or generic term to replace the term ‘Others’ used in government forms up to now.
"Not only is the name of our group important, but also the essence, attitude, thinking, discipline, and integrity of the Momogun community, which include being progressive, innovative, diligent, hardworking, leadership-oriented, well-governed, and able to embrace differences."
According to Fredie, the history, identity, and cultural heritage of Sabah’s indigenous people are complex and diverse and as such, any changes in terminology that seek to encompass this diversity should be approached with caution and wide consensus.
PSLS, he stressed, stands firm in its belief that any such change should reflect the collective will of the people, arrived at through thorough discussion and agreement among all relevant parties.
"We note the recent decision by the federal cabinet to officially recognize the term ‘Dayak’ for indigenous groups in Sarawak. While this decision provides a reference point, it is important to recognize that the sociocultural dynamics in Sabah are distinct from those in Sarawak. The process that led to the adoption of ‘Dayak’ in Sarawak cannot simply be replicated in Sabah without careful consideration of our unique circumstances," he said.
"It is a shame that the natives of Sabah are still categorised as 'others' while the Indians, Malays, and Chinese have proper terms to identify themselves," Angang said.
