i
Datuk Ibrahim: "How many Malays are Christian? Why do you have to have bibles in Bahasa? Why not use bahasa Iban, or Kadazan?"
I seriously find this very, very insulting.
ii
I'm a Kadazandusun muslim, and have a very strong faith in my religion. But speaking on behalf of my Christian cousins i.e whom I grew up with (some of them) in the very same household: let me tell you Datuk Ibrahim WHY.
iii
When Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya formed Malaysia in 1963, the process of 'Malaysianisation' has agressively taken its course. What the ultimate aim is? Untuk membentuk satu identiti sepunya, sesuai dengan status sebuah negara bersatu.
Maka terbentuklah dasar pendidikan dan kebudayaan kebangsaan untuk ditaati seluruh penduduk Malaysia. Most of these policies are heavily Malay-centric; but we the indigenous people of Borneo never complained. Kerana kami setia kepada semangat konsensus Malaysia.
Life is about give and take. Terutama dalam konteks membentuk satu negara daripada pelbagai entiti asal. We, the Sabahans, always know when to take and when we should give.
iv
When I came for my first-degree graduation at University Malaya in August 1994, I was only allowed to dress either in lounge suit or baju kebangsaan. I can’t wear my traditional Kadazandusun costume because apparently it does not fit the definition of baju kebangsaan.
Did I complain? NO.
When I started my primary school at SK Kundasang in 1977, I was made to learn everything in Bahasa. Kenapa Bahasa? Sebab itulah medium pengantar pendidikan yang diiktiraf sebagai Bahasa Kebangsaan di Malaysia. Saya lahir dan membesar dalam keluarga yang hanya bercakap Dusun di rumah. My command of Bahasa was extremely limited. So imagine how difficult my life was at school, then.
Did I complain? NO.
v
Now, let's get into the real deal.
The system has changed me forever. Dusun used to be the language I had the highest proficiency. Now, my Bahasa is much better than my Dusun.
Proses pendidikan yang dilalui (natijah pembentukan Dasar Kebangsaan), telah memberi satu orientasi baru kepada naluri linguistik saya. Kini saya, secara natural, lebih efektif berfikir dan berkomunikasi dalam Bahasa.
Fenomena ini bukan unik untuk saya sahaja. Tetapi situasi yang sama turut dialami oleh majoriti masyarakat pribumi Sabah/Sarawak. We still use our own native languages. Tetapi lebih menjurus kepada konteks informal: misalnya dalam perbualan kasual. Untuk konteks persuratan, Bahasa Melayu lebih lazim digunakan.
Why? Because that is the formal process we all have been put into, and get used to it. Pada setiap peringkat pendidikan: primari, sekunderi dan tertiari. So, why should we get punished for using Bahasa?
vi
We, the Sabahan/Sarawakian indigenous should be applauded for accepting Bahasa Melayu as the national language. Kami terima dengan penuh rela bila ia diangkat sebagai bahasa pengantar untuk semua tingkat pendidikan di Malaysia.
The Sabahan and Sarawakian natives have lived here (the land we call Malaysia in this modern time) probably much longer than the existence of the Malay ancient kingdoms (Malacca, Langkasuka, etc). So by right, we could have demanded our Kadazandusun/Iban/Bajau/
But we didn’t. We chose not to.
vii
Why? Because we are naturally nice, reasonable and tolerant people. We know how to compromise.
Negara bangsa yang kuat tidak boleh dibina kalau semua orang mahu menang dalam hal mempertuankan kebudayaan masing-masing. Mesti ada pihak yang mengalah. Jika semua etnik mau bahasa sukunya diadun ke dalam dasar kebangsaan, sampai bila-bila pun kita tidak boleh membentuk satu identiti sepunya yang dapat mengikat seluruh warga Malaysia.
Sabahans/Sarawakians have compromised so much. Tidak kan soal agama dan kepercayaan pun, mereka harus juga mengalah? Apa guna gagasan Malaysia sebagai milik sepunya Sabah/Sarawak/Tanah Melayu, jika tiada give and take?
Datuk Ibrahim: "How many Malays are Christian? Why do you have to have bibles in Bahasa? Why not use bahasa Iban, or Kadazan?"
I seriously find this very, very insulting.
ii
I'm a Kadazandusun muslim, and have a very strong faith in my religion. But speaking on behalf of my Christian cousins i.e whom I grew up with (some of them) in the very same household: let me tell you Datuk Ibrahim WHY.
iii
When Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya formed Malaysia in 1963, the process of 'Malaysianisation' has agressively taken its course. What the ultimate aim is? Untuk membentuk satu identiti sepunya, sesuai dengan status sebuah negara bersatu.
Maka terbentuklah dasar pendidikan dan kebudayaan kebangsaan untuk ditaati seluruh penduduk Malaysia. Most of these policies are heavily Malay-centric; but we the indigenous people of Borneo never complained. Kerana kami setia kepada semangat konsensus Malaysia.
Life is about give and take. Terutama dalam konteks membentuk satu negara daripada pelbagai entiti asal. We, the Sabahans, always know when to take and when we should give.
iv
When I came for my first-degree graduation at University Malaya in August 1994, I was only allowed to dress either in lounge suit or baju kebangsaan. I can’t wear my traditional Kadazandusun costume because apparently it does not fit the definition of baju kebangsaan.
Did I complain? NO.
When I started my primary school at SK Kundasang in 1977, I was made to learn everything in Bahasa. Kenapa Bahasa? Sebab itulah medium pengantar pendidikan yang diiktiraf sebagai Bahasa Kebangsaan di Malaysia. Saya lahir dan membesar dalam keluarga yang hanya bercakap Dusun di rumah. My command of Bahasa was extremely limited. So imagine how difficult my life was at school, then.
Did I complain? NO.
v
Now, let's get into the real deal.
The system has changed me forever. Dusun used to be the language I had the highest proficiency. Now, my Bahasa is much better than my Dusun.
Proses pendidikan yang dilalui (natijah pembentukan Dasar Kebangsaan), telah memberi satu orientasi baru kepada naluri linguistik saya. Kini saya, secara natural, lebih efektif berfikir dan berkomunikasi dalam Bahasa.
Fenomena ini bukan unik untuk saya sahaja. Tetapi situasi yang sama turut dialami oleh majoriti masyarakat pribumi Sabah/Sarawak. We still use our own native languages. Tetapi lebih menjurus kepada konteks informal: misalnya dalam perbualan kasual. Untuk konteks persuratan, Bahasa Melayu lebih lazim digunakan.
Why? Because that is the formal process we all have been put into, and get used to it. Pada setiap peringkat pendidikan: primari, sekunderi dan tertiari. So, why should we get punished for using Bahasa?
vi
We, the Sabahan/Sarawakian indigenous should be applauded for accepting Bahasa Melayu as the national language. Kami terima dengan penuh rela bila ia diangkat sebagai bahasa pengantar untuk semua tingkat pendidikan di Malaysia.
The Sabahan and Sarawakian natives have lived here (the land we call Malaysia in this modern time) probably much longer than the existence of the Malay ancient kingdoms (Malacca, Langkasuka, etc). So by right, we could have demanded our Kadazandusun/Iban/Bajau/
But we didn’t. We chose not to.
vii
Why? Because we are naturally nice, reasonable and tolerant people. We know how to compromise.
Negara bangsa yang kuat tidak boleh dibina kalau semua orang mahu menang dalam hal mempertuankan kebudayaan masing-masing. Mesti ada pihak yang mengalah. Jika semua etnik mau bahasa sukunya diadun ke dalam dasar kebangsaan, sampai bila-bila pun kita tidak boleh membentuk satu identiti sepunya yang dapat mengikat seluruh warga Malaysia.
Sabahans/Sarawakians have compromised so much. Tidak kan soal agama dan kepercayaan pun, mereka harus juga mengalah? Apa guna gagasan Malaysia sebagai milik sepunya Sabah/Sarawak/Tanah Melayu, jika tiada give and take?
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