KOTA KINABALU: Sabah DAP has lashed out at PBS’ “sudden” realisation that the freeze on native certificates issued to children of mixed parentage is unjustified.
According to its secretary Dr Edwin Bosi, the PBS’ concern for the plight of natives was questionable.
“They (PBS leaders) should have lifted the freeze on the issuance of native certificates when they were in power. For nine years of PBS rule, they did not even bother to do so.
“Now suddenly they are very concerned about the plight of these people to the extent of saying that they recognise the huge contributions made by early Sino-native political leaders,” he said.
Bosi was commenting on a call by PBS secretary-general Henrynus Amin for the lifting of the freeze on native certificates.
Henrynus had said that those born of mixed parentage should not be penalised for the crimes committed by impostors who obtained native certificates through fraudulent means.
The issue of native certificates has taken on a life of its own with political leaders wary about offending the thousands of natives born from mixed marraiges.
Leaders of the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) and the Kadazan Society of Sabah (KSS) appear to be wringing their hands over the matter and a newly-formed Sabah Sino-Native Association (SSNA) has moved in to fill the breach.
Of major embarrassment to PBS leaders is the fact that their leader, Joseph Pairin Kitingan, is the KDCA president and also the “huguon siou” or paramount chief who is supposed to look after the wellbeing of every native in Sabah.
