Seated, Teo (centre), Yap (3rd from left), Chong (2nd from right), Kok (right) taking a group photo with the kapitans.
KOTA KINABALU: As the State Government is studying ways to strengthen the Native Courts, Minister of Special Tasks Datuk Teo Chee Kang proposed that the government should also review the organizational structure of Chinese Kapitans to enhance their effectiveness in serving the people.
Speaking during a courtesy call by Chinese Kapitans from all over the State, including Tawau, Kota Belud, Tuaran, Lahad Datu, Inanam, Tenom and Kota Kinabalu here recently, Teo said the Kapitans in Sabah had organized a working visit to study the organizational structure, operations and job scope of the Chinese community leaders in Sarawak.
He said some Chinese Kapitans reported that they had been invited to attend the Native Court proceedings when there were cases involving Chinese affairs.
However, Teo said Kapitans were actually not suitable and should not involve in native customs in the State.
Hence, Teo proposed to the government to study the organizational structure of Kapitans while the government was in the process of strengthening the Native Court institution.
On the other hand, Teo commended the Kapitans for their hard work in serving the people.
He said being a Kapitan was an important responsibility as the leaders served as a bridge between the government and the people to ensure government policies were disseminated to the people while the people’s needs were channeled to the government.
According to Kapitan Yap Kin Vun, Chinese community leaders in Sarawak are referred to as Kapitan, Malay, Melanau and Bisaya leaders as Ketua Kampung, Dayak and Bidayuh leaders as Tuai Rumah and Native leaders as Tua Uma.
Each of the four major ethnic group leaders has their own organizational structure that is independent of each other.
For instance, Chinese community leaders are headed by Temenggung, who is then assisted by Pemanca and Penghulu, all of them operating as an independent government unit.
In contrast, Yap said both Chinese Kapitans and bumiputra village chiefs in Sabah are under the purview of OKK despite the difference in race and culture, which sometimes caused disagreements, Yap said.
After comparing the different systems in Sabah and Sarawak, Yap said the Chinese Kapitans had agreed that the Sarawakian system was better as it enabled community leaders of different ethnicity to carry out their duties more effectively and professionally.
Also present at the courtesy call the minister’s political secretary Peter Chong and liaison secretary Albert Kok.