DAP regrets inaction on proper identification of Sino-natives

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KOTA KINABALU: DAP Sabah secretary Dr Edwin Bosi reminded the government that it had agreed during the Sabah State Assembly sitting in June 2013 to his suggestion to recognise Sino-natives according to their ethnic background.

In this sense, he said the children of a mixed marriage between a Chinese father and native mother can be registered at birth or when getting their MyKad as a Sino-Kadazan, a Sino-Dusun, a Sino-Murut, a Sino-Rungus, a Sino-Bajau and so forth.

Dr Bosi, who is the Kapayan assemblyman, had stated clearly in the assembly that the term Sino-Native is not a race.

“It would be extremely unfair to give them an option of selecting either a Chinese or Murut, for example, for the children’s identity when he or she is composed of two races. It is going to be even more weird when an individual with a Chinese name is registered as a Murut. This child should rightfully be categorised as Sino-Murut,”he said in a statement yesterday.

Dr Bosi, who is chairman of DAP Sabah Native Consultative Council, added he had spoken at length about the advantage of ethnic diversity in the country and we must take advantage of it to help propel our country to greater heights.

“Further to his response in the Aassembly, I have been assured by the Minister of Local Government and Housing, Datuk Hj Hajiji Hj Noor, that his officers will be meeting up with the director of National Registration Department to streamline this procedure.

“I am therefore surprised that after so many months, this issue has not been resolved by the government as can be seen from comments coming from the Sabah Sino-Native Association and the Kadazan Society of Sabah lately.

“I hope this matter, which is already accepted by the government through the State Legislative Assembly in June 2013, will be carried through, failing which I shall have to raise it up again in the coming assembly sitting,”he said.