Suman (middle) and Steve (far left) at the KDCA before leaving for the police station on Monday.
KOTA KINABALU: Another police report has been lodged against Marcel Jude, the counsel of a politician charged with molesting an Unduk Ngadau.
The latest police report against Marcel Jude was lodged on Monday by the secretary general of the KadazanDusun Cultural Association (KDCA), Suman Yasambun, KDCA Women Council chairperson Joanna Datuk Kitingan and Steve Johnny Mositun who is KDCA Youth chairman.
In his press statement, Suman said that the police report was lodged following Marcel Jude’s submission statement to the court to acquire bail for his client whereby he compared the Unduk Ngadau contest, which is celebrated by the Kadazandusun (KDMR) communities, to an exotic cattle show.
“Since the statement came about, what is apparent is that the statement is a provocation against the KDMR community and is deemed to have insulted the KDMR community. KDCA has lodged a report which is the objections of all KDMR communities against the lawyer’s statement and have urged KDCA to take action against the lawyer.”
He added that the KDMR community under the auspices of KDCA, has 40 sub-ethnicities and is a community with customs that are polite and love peace, living harmoniously with other races in Sabah.
“The tolerance level of the KDMR community is very high to mirror that we do not get involved in the cultural matters of other races. Likewise, the KDMR community does not want any party to interfere, and what more, to belittle matters that are related to our cultural rights,” he said.
Suman added that the recent organizing of the Unduk Ngadau had become a black mark to the KDMR community whereby a personality named Philip Among was charged with molesting one of the Unduk Ngadau contestants and is now a court case.
“The incident has raised the anger of the KDMR people,” said Suman.
He also said that the court has not even decided on the case when Philip Among’s counsel issued a statement that read: “The UNK contest is not about women, it is just a contest, it doesn’t incorporate all women, whatever their talents and skills and education and abilities but it is nothing more than an exotic cattle show and almost feel like an auction show. There is nothing outstanding about these women and there [are]more women outstanding outside but they don’t get to be the contestants. The UNK is a throwback to a former period where women are only objects of desire to be paraded around in an extravagant pet show”.
Suman said that the insult is akin to “rubbing salt to the injury” to the KDMR people.
“Hence, although the KDMR community has high tolerance, but we also have our limits that must be respected by other races. Marcel Jude as a lawyer has overstepped the boundary of his profession as a lawyer by attacking the KDMR people through his argument which is deplorable and insulted the Unduk Ngadau cultural contest.
“The police report today is a reminder that the KDCA will not be silent to use all channels allowed by the law and claim justice as a solution. We also asked the police to investigate and act accordingly against the named which is considered by the KDMR community as an attempt to raise anger which, if not contained, may cause havoc to the public peace. At the same time, KDCA will study appropriate actions, after getting the advice of lawyers from the KDMR community,” he said.