Kadazan women labelled as illegal immigrant

PENAMPANG, March 20, 2013: A complainant from Taman Public near Kota Kinabalu is unhappy that her mother and sister were labelled as illegal immigrants by an article that appeared in a political news media recently.

Rosaria Michael, 42, said they are Kadazans from Penampang, and approached Likas assemblyman and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) deputy president Datuk Liew Teck Chan for help to clear the names of her mother, Bernadette Poya Sobinting, sister Margaret Michael, 49, and cousin Rosina Mudin, 51, who are tobacco vendors in Donggongon township.

Since the vendors are from Donggongon, Penampang, Liew brought them to SAPP Moyog office where SAPP Moyog CLC chairman Aloysius D Siap organized a meeting with them.

During the meeting on March 18, the spokesperson for the group, Margaret, said after reading the news from Ubah Sabah last month entitled "Cahaya Baru Untuk Siapa?" that appeared in DAP's January 2013 issue, she said she could not sleep as she, her mother and cousin had been labelled as illegal immigrants.

Their photos, taken in Donggongon and captioned as PATI, appeared in the publication.

"We came to complain as we are strongly against being labelled as illegal immigrants and we chose SAPP to clear our names.

"Why are we being labelled as illegal immigrants when we are Kadazans, born and bred in Kampung Tulung Inobong and Kampung Tanaki, Penampang?

"We are very disappointed with DAP state secretary and Moyog divisional head Dr Edwin Bosi for not refuting the statement from their publication. He, being a Kadazan, should have put things right and defended us but he did not. My friends are making fun of us, which is embarrassing.

"This is the problem with peninsula-based parties like DAP which does not know the difference between the locals and the illegal immigrants. They are labelling us KDMs as illegal immigrants and to us this is against our culture and tantamount to harassing us," she said.

According to Margaret, her mother has been operating her tobacco business in Donggongon for the past 20 years.

"I myself have been selling tobacco in Donggongon for the past six years," she said, adding that a police report would be made on the matter.

Present at the meeting were Liew, Aloysius, SAPP information chief Chong Pit Fah, SAPP Moyog Women chief Martina Libasa, SAPP Moyog secretary Francis Mojikon, Wilfred Gaban, Danny Tan and David KS Ng.

Margaret and Rosina then proceeded to the Penampang police station to make a police report.