Kota Kinabalu: Reducing Sabah’s rich ethnic heritage into acronyms is flawed and unsustainable, says former Momogun National Congress (MNC) President Datuk Henrynus Amin.
Commenting on the proposal to expand “KDMR” into “KDMRS” to include the Sungai community, Henrynus said while the move aims for inclusivity, it risks turning identity into mere “alphabet soup.”
He noted that following this logic would eventually require adding more letters for every other ethnic group, stripping communities of their dignity and creating a messy bureaucratic system.
Henrynus pointed out that globally, diverse indigenous groups are recognised under inclusive umbrella terms — such as Maori in New Zealand, First Nations in North America and Dayak in Sarawak — not abbreviations.
He stressed that “Momogun” is the better alternative: a historically authentic term that unites related communities while allowing each group to keep its unique identity.
“Our heritage deserves a proper, dignified name — not just letters on an official form,” he said.