'Irrational fear' behind Home Ministry decision?
Joe FernandezPublished: Dec 7, 2009 8:53 AM | Updated: Dec 7, 2009 9:02 AM
Many Catholics in Sabah are convinced that the Home Ministry acted out of ‘irrational fear’ when it recently rejected an application for 'The Herald' to be published in an additional language - Kadazandusun.
Many Catholics in Sabah are convinced that the Home Ministry acted out of ‘irrational fear’ when it recently rejected an application for The Herald to be published in an additional language - Kadazandusun.
They perceive that the ministry has qualms about the Catholic weekly’s increasingly good sales nationally and is afraid that the Muslim faith could be eroded, should the Kadazandusun version become available.
Former Sabah attorney-general Herman Luping said, however, that he can see no “hidden agenda” in the application that could merit its rejection.
“An insignificant number (if any) of Malays know how to speak and read Kadazandusun in Malaysia,” he said.
Standard Kadazandusun is based on the Bundu-Liwan dialects that are widely understood among all Dusun groups that include Muslims like the Orang Sungai, Bisaya and Ranau Dusuns. The majority or 70 percent of the Ranau Dusuns are either Christian or animists.
Luping said he wants “common sense” to prevail in the language issue and that “a proper investigation should be carried out (by the ministry)”.
The dismissal of the application, he said, is a contradiction in terms, given that Kadazandusun has won official recognition from the federal government.
“The language is taught in schools up to the PMR level. There’s also a chair of Kadazandusun language at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah, headed by an international personality in the form of an Australian academic,” he said.
Three local dailies – New Sabah Times, Daily Express and Utusan Borneo - publish entire pages in Kadazandusun.
Despite being used in various areas, Luping noted that Kadazandusun usage has yet to take off. Many local dialects are disappearing, no longer being commonly used.
The adoption of Kadazandusun by The Herald, he believes, will help prevent the language from disappearing altogether in Sabah as other languages intrude in various ways.
Traditionally, churches have played a major role in keeping vernacular languages - and even Latin - alive in Malaysia through the Bible, prayers, hymns and services.
Several community leaders subscribe to the claim that “appalling ignorance of the situation in Malaysian Borneo” could be behind disallowing the use of Kadazandusun in The Herald.
Critics also say the ban is a reflection of the bad blood between the publisher and ministry officials in Putrajaya in view of previous clashes.
The Kuala Lumpur-based Herald at present publishes in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Tamil and Chinese and is subject to an annual licensing requirement.
Cap on circulation?
Home Ministry sources in Kota Kinabalu note that the weekly sells less than 1,000 copies at the moment in Sabah. This contrasts with its standard print run of 14,000 copies for a Roman Catholic population of about 1 million nationwide.
According to the sources, allowing The Herald to publish in Kadazandusun would let it capitalise on the estimated 650,000 strong Dusun community in Sabah.
Luping questioned this, reiterating that “Kadazandusun readership would be confined to just a small group”.
Local Catholic newsletter Catholic Sabah is allowed to publish in Kadazandusun, English, Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia.
Ministry sources said this is because it is “only a monthly” and is “confined to the diocese of Kota Kinabalu and Keningau”.
Most Christian Kadazandusun are Roman Catholic, while the rest are Protestants.
Luping also said he hopes that The Herald editor Father Lawrence Andrew has not withdrawn the application to publish in Kadazandusun.
“It would be a great pity if he did that,” added Luping, referring to media reports on the purported withdrawal.
They perceive that the ministry has qualms about the Catholic weekly’s increasingly good sales nationally and is afraid that the Muslim faith could be eroded, should the Kadazandusun version become available.
Former Sabah attorney-general Herman Luping said, however, that he can see no “hidden agenda” in the application that could merit its rejection.“An insignificant number (if any) of Malays know how to speak and read Kadazandusun in Malaysia,” he said.
Standard Kadazandusun is based on the Bundu-Liwan dialects that are widely understood among all Dusun groups that include Muslims like the Orang Sungai, Bisaya and Ranau Dusuns. The majority or 70 percent of the Ranau Dusuns are either Christian or animists.
Luping said he wants “common sense” to prevail in the language issue and that “a proper investigation should be carried out (by the ministry)”.
The dismissal of the application, he said, is a contradiction in terms, given that Kadazandusun has won official recognition from the federal government.
“The language is taught in schools up to the PMR level. There’s also a chair of Kadazandusun language at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah, headed by an international personality in the form of an Australian academic,” he said.
Three local dailies – New Sabah Times, Daily Express and Utusan Borneo - publish entire pages in Kadazandusun.
Despite being used in various areas, Luping noted that Kadazandusun usage has yet to take off. Many local dialects are disappearing, no longer being commonly used.
The adoption of Kadazandusun by The Herald, he believes, will help prevent the language from disappearing altogether in Sabah as other languages intrude in various ways. Traditionally, churches have played a major role in keeping vernacular languages - and even Latin - alive in Malaysia through the Bible, prayers, hymns and services.
Several community leaders subscribe to the claim that “appalling ignorance of the situation in Malaysian Borneo” could be behind disallowing the use of Kadazandusun in The Herald.
Critics also say the ban is a reflection of the bad blood between the publisher and ministry officials in Putrajaya in view of previous clashes.
The Kuala Lumpur-based Herald at present publishes in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Tamil and Chinese and is subject to an annual licensing requirement.
Cap on circulation?
Home Ministry sources in Kota Kinabalu note that the weekly sells less than 1,000 copies at the moment in Sabah. This contrasts with its standard print run of 14,000 copies for a Roman Catholic population of about 1 million nationwide.
According to the sources, allowing The Herald to publish in Kadazandusun would let it capitalise on the estimated 650,000 strong Dusun community in Sabah. Luping questioned this, reiterating that “Kadazandusun readership would be confined to just a small group”.
Local Catholic newsletter Catholic Sabah is allowed to publish in Kadazandusun, English, Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia.
Ministry sources said this is because it is “only a monthly” and is “confined to the diocese of Kota Kinabalu and Keningau”.
Most Christian Kadazandusun are Roman Catholic, while the rest are Protestants.
Luping also said he hopes that The Herald editor Father Lawrence Andrew has not withdrawn the application to publish in Kadazandusun.
“It would be a great pity if he did that,” added Luping, referring to media reports on the purported withdrawal.
View Comments0