Boost for Kadazandusun, Semai and Iban languages
Published on: Sunday, February 04, 2024
By: Ricardo Unto and Sherell Jeffrey
Prof Dato’ Dr Md Amin Md Taff (fourth from the left) and Encik Syaiful Rizal Abdul Ghani (fourth from the right) pictured with Datuk Ewon Benedick, Datuk Philip Benedict Lasimbang and Tan Sri Bernard Giluk Dompok at the UPSI-YBR MoU signing ceremony.
TO further expand the ethnic language learning programme, Yayasan Bank Rakyat (YBR) and Sultan Idris Education University (Upsi) recently signed a momentous memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide education convertible financing (PBBU) to 30 students per year.
This five-year collaboration between YBR and Upsi will start this year with a total value of RM7.5 million.
ADVERTISEMENT
The ethnic languages to be given focus are Kadazandusun, Semai and Iban.
Sponsored students will continue their studies for a Bachelor of Education (Ethnic Language) with honours.
The maximum funding for a student is up to RM50,000, including tuition fees, subsistence, and early study assistance.
Datuk Ewon Benedick
The MoU provides an opportunity for cooperation and positive academic engagement between YBR and Upsi to achieve mutual benefit.
ADVERTISEMENT
To date, the Education Ministry (KPM) can only offer ethnic language subject up to Year 6.
The subject is planned to be offered to the SPM level, and early preparations need to be made by producing educators who can teach Form 1-5 students.
ADVERTISEMENT
Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick (YBR is an agency under his Ministry) said the initiative is a big step as it continues the efforts of past leaders.
To what extent do you see the development of ethnic languages in Malaysia?
I see that there is a need for ethnic language development, and this is important as I have promoted the mastery of at least three languages by Malaysians.
The first language is the national language, which all Malaysians must master.
Secondly, Malaysians need to master their respective mother tongues, as this shows the cultural identity of a particular race.
Malaysia is a multiracial country. As such, the cultural identity of a race through their languages needs to be protected and expanded.
The third language is an international language, such as English, which Malaysians must master.
Malaysia is a trading country with diplomatic ties with numerous countries. It also receives millions of tourists.
As such, it is appropriate and essential for Malaysians to at least master one major international language, such as English, Arabic, or Mandarin, among others.
Why do you think ethnic language needs to be taught formally in schools?
Aside from homes, schools are a good platform for children to learn languages.
With frequent interactions in schools, daily language usage would make it easy for them to master it.
In Malaysia and Sabah, inter-cultural marriages are common.
The mother may be a Kadazan, while the father is a Bajau. So, what is the language used at home? Malay is most probably the primary language.
Eventually, the children rarely communicate with their parents in their mother tongues, but since the Kadazandusun Language (BKD) is taught in schools, they can pick up the subject.
And through their interactions with other students, they can master Kadazandusun.
It can be applied to their mother tongues and the international language, English, also taught in schools.
If the student opts for a vernacular school, such as a Chinese school, they can learn Mandarin.
And, of course, they can also improve their national language mastery through daily school interactions.
How do you see ethnic languages continue to be used by the younger generation and not forgotten?
We proudly call Malaysia our country and Sabah our State – a multiracial nation.
How else can we cultivate this sense of pride unless we showcase our racial identity.
I agree with the view that language identifies a race.
When I speak Kadazandusun, I am identified as from the Kadazandusun roots.
I am identified as someone from the Hakka family when I speak Hakka.
We preserve all these as the language speakers have their cultural heritage.
That is why we must continue to uphold this so that, in the next 60 years, Malaysia will still be known as a multiracial nation that takes pride in the people’s cultural heritage, customs, languages and identities.
To whom shall we pass this down to if not our younger generation?
And it is our responsibility, as parents, to provide room for using our mother tongue and national and international languages at home.
Education institutions play a role in ensuring that the younger generation is proud of its cultural heritage and its multiracial country.
By doing so, we will acknowledge that plurality is substantial and tolerance and unity can be cultivated when we appreciate our differences.
Who should carry the responsibility of uplifting the standards of ethnic language?
As I said earlier, everyone, from parents to family members, plays a role.
Secondly, our education system – the education institution, from primary school to university.
The government should support foreigners by providing teachers, syllabuses, premises, policy guarantee guarantees, and so forth.
Of course, there are the people, in general. There are over 30 million of us in the country.
If we master three languages, we can be proud of our identities and of our ability to communicate with foreigners.
Is ethnic language suitable to be used as the third-optional language in institutes of higher learning aside from other languages?
For me, mother tongues are not an option but an obligation to be passed down to the next generation.
I appreciate the openness of educational institutions, like UPSI, that provide ethnic language learning, for example, BKD.
Ethnic languages may not be preserved without the support of educational institutions, especially since many native languages have yet to be included in our education system.
If this persists, it may face the risk of extinction.
For ethnic languages, like BKD, that had been included in the education system, its survivability is secured.
Kadazan Dusun students should also learn it, and we welcome students from other ethnic groups to do so.
There is nothing wrong with learning other languages, as it would further solidify inter-racial ties.
I am proud of Sabah because most of the students in Chinese vernacular schools are Bumiptera – be it Kadazan, Dusun, Bajau, and so forth.
They can communicate in Chinese, and this encourages interaction among races.
In your opinion, are ethnic languages threatened with extinction due to the widespread use of Malay and English?
This is what is happening to other ethnic languages that have not been included in the education system, I think.
However, I am aware that several ethnic associations conduct preschool classes. At least these young children have the chance to learn their mother tongues.
I also make the government aware of the efforts of these associations.
The struggle is continuous because, without inclusion in the education system, this (extinction) will happen.
While we want people to master Malay, this impacts native languages, especially for families that use Malay at home. This is not wrong, but it would recede cultural identity.
That is why the government needs to ensure that ethnic groups in the country are supported and their identities and languages are protected.
For example, the government can provide annual financial support to preschools run by ethnic associations.
According to records, four ethnic languages of Sarawak have become extinct due to their lack of use. What are your methods and plans for empowering the development of ethnic languages in Malaysia so they do not die out?
In Sabah itself, I think the use of ethnic languages is decreasing due to the widespread use of the national language and other major languages like English, Mandarin, and so forth.
But the government can also facilitate ethnic associations regarding funding, which is also part of our struggle.
At least these associations can set up preschools teaching ethnic languages.
Last year alone, I channelled some allocations to several ethnic associations for this purpose, or they can introduce a digital learning stem, including producing dictionaries.
I will continue this effort this year. As long as I am capable, I will assist ethnic associations in solidifying their initiatives.
What is your appeal to the community in defending the cultural heritage, including the Kadazandusun language, to ensure this language does not die out with time?
Firstly, as a father, I urge all parents to carry out our responsibilities to ensure ethnic languages are used in our homes.
Secondly, I call on the Education Department, especially teachers, to remain committed to teaching BKD and to prepare an exciting learning system to attract young schoolchildren so that they will use ethnic languages both in and outside of school.
Thirdly, I call on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and corporate bodies to work together to appreciate the roles of educational institutions, especially when hiring employees.
For example, they should look at those who master mother tongues as an added value to their organisations.
I also call on all leaders, especially political leaders, to appreciate and honour the existing standard BKD learning system, using Bundu Liwan, as it had gone through a long process of agreement between KDCA (Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association) and Usda (United Sabah Dusun Association).
We should preserve and expand this agreement.
Is there a concern about the mother tongue being diluted due to the widespread learning and focus on the Bundu Liwan dialect?
I acknowledge the concerns. However, if we look at Malay as the national language, it has various dialects.
However, a consensus was reached for a standard form of Malay to be used in the education system, which should not hinder dialects from being used at home or within the community.
That is why we should honour the Bundu Liwan-standard Kadazan Dusun language used in the education system.
At the same time, I support any efforts by ethnic groups that want to use their actual dialect or language in education, but this can be done through associations or communities outside school hours.
What is your view on ethnic languages, especially the Kadazandusun language in Sabah?
Aside from being taught in schools, the Kadazandusun language is still widely used as it is used in songwriting and other platforms.
Even in houses of worship and prayer ceremonies, native languages are widely used.
In villages, ethnic languages are used in markets and daily interactions because I think the people’s awareness is still high.
Even though BKD is included in the education system, we should not stop at that.
We can expand the language usage and turn it into a tourism attraction by packaging the language with other Kadazandusun cultural heritage.
New Zealand has a university that uses the Maori language, and people go there to study. Why cannot we apply the same in Sabah?
These are some of its potentials.
And every Kaamatan month in May, I can see Unduk Ngadau contestants using their mother tongues. They can be the tourism ambassador for Sabah and Malaysia via the use of ethnic languages.
Apart from the Kadazandusun language, do you also support the empowerment of other ethnic mother tongues?
Of course I do. I have been supporting several ethnic associations, including the Orang Asli communities in the peninsula, so that they can develop the documentation, education, a dictionary, and a digital learning system for their ethnic languages.
What is your message to Malaysians regarding preserving heritage and the mother tongue?
Malaysia is a multiracial country, and each ethnic group has its roles.
Since the establishment of this nation, our founding fathers came from various racial backgrounds.
Indeed, each ethnic group wants their cultural heritage to be passed down.
Our diversity is our strength, but it can become our weakness when we do not mutually appreciate and respect our diverse identities.
As long as I am Upko President and as long as I am in leadership, either at the State or Federal level, I will fight for the equal role played by each race to ensure their cultural identities are protected legally and constitutionally.
And this inter-racial cooperation can be a source of strength to defend our nation.
I hope my fellow leaders from political parties, NGOs, or communities share the same aspiration.
Together, let us defend and build a multiracial Malaysia. There are many challenges, but we can learn from other countries.
Indeed, we do not want to fight with our neighbours due to language, religion or cultural differences.
We want to complement one another, as Malaysians of various ethnicities, religions, languages, backgrounds and customs own the nation.
YAYASAN Bank Rakyat (YBR) Chairman Datuk Philip Benedict Lasimbang is dedicated to language, especially the preservation of his native Kadazandusun language.
He traced the beginnings of his linguistic journey back to 1979 when, at the age of 18, he travelled to Brunei to showcase the traditional Sumazau dance.
This experience sparked his passion for language preservation and fuelled his lifelong dedication to the cause.
Datuk Philip Benedict Lasimbang
He has a diverse range of activities related to language preservation, such as educating students in the Kadazandusun language and playing a role in the creation of a dictionary in 1985.
With a wide range of responsibilities, he expanded his impact across various sectors including education, politics and religion, all with the aim of making a positive contribution to society.
During a recent interview, Philip discussed the various initiatives implemented by Yayasan Bank Rakyat to preserve the language.
He echoes the Malay proverb “Hilang Bahasa, Hilang Bangsa” emphasising the crucial role language plays in preserving the identity and existence of a community.
Expressing his concern, he highlights the alarming rate at which indigenous languages in Sarawak are disappearing.
With four languages already lost, he emphasises the pressing need to protect and promote linguistic diversity, as this loss continues to happen on a daily basis.
Thankful for his upbringing in a family that values indigenous traditions, Philip, along with others who share his passion, is committed to preserving the Kadazandusun language.
As someone deeply committed to promoting ethnic languages, what obstacles do you encounter in preserving and championing this important aspect of cultural heritage?
I believe Datuk Ewon has emphasised the importance of having proficiency in multiple languages, including our national language Bahasa Malaysia, our mother tongue, and a foreign language for commercial purposes.
However, due to this, many people question the practicality of using their native language.
What benefits can they expect to receive? Some may perceive it as lacking economic worth. Using it may be seen as something to be embarrassed about by some.
Some may feel apprehensive about revealing their ethnicity.
When it comes to the Kadazandusun language, there is a sense of embarrassment among some individuals. This is not uncommon.
They are embarrassed about others discovering their ethnic background. It reaches that level. That is one of the challenges.
However, I believe that the changes in people’s culture are largely influenced by economic value and the fast-paced world of globalisation.
The younger generation tends to perceive ethnic languages as lacking practical value.
They lack the necessary passion to preserve it. I believe that is the primary reason why our children no longer perceive this as significant.
Based on your extensive experience and dedication to promoting the Kadazandusun language, what is your perspective on its future development over the next five years?
I believe a longer duration would be more appropriate to observe. However, considering the MoU, there are clear benefits associated with it.
Several significant factors have contributed to our progress, including the impact of government policies on our operations.
For instance, if the government were to unexpectedly declare that all funding must cease and that the sole focus would be on the national language.
Just like in the US, speaking English is a requirement to be considered American.
Here, fluency in the Malay language is required to be considered Malaysian. These types of things are emerging.
I don’t perceive a significant change, but considering the current efforts, I believe it will contribute to enhancing our position.
There are challenges, as mentioned earlier, but I believe we can overcome some of them.
I believe that with dedicated efforts like this, we can view it in a positive light and as progress is being made.
As mentioned by Datuk Ewon, it is important to advocate for the language.
Leaders play a significant role in this matter. Government policies are formulated by leaders, highlighting their crucial role in shaping the direction of a nation.
If the leader lacks passion for the mother tongue, then that’s the end of it. If their focus is solely on politics or specific matters, then that’s it.
This year, the State-level Kadazandusun Language Carnival will take place.
What measures are being taken to ensure that the carnival has a significant impact on ethnic languages, particularly in Sabah?
Last year in November, we organised a highly successful Kadazandusun Language Carnival.
We will be organising another event this year. The event might take place during the school holidays in August.
We will be hosting cultural performances and extending invitations to local communities to showcase their products.
We will also invite teacher trainees from the Teacher’s Training College (IPG) and some from the university to participate.
I strongly encourage more involvement from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) as they play a crucial role in supporting this effort.
I understand that universities have their way of doing things, but the quality of the carnival is not as high when it is organised by people who are not part of our own community. We are optimistic about this
I tried the Solidarity Run, but unfortunately, we fell short of achieving the desired level of community participation.
Currently, we are fortunate to have leaders who provide strong support in terms of funding and policy implementation.
However, ultimately it will be the community that plays a crucial role. To make the carnival a success, it is crucial to encourage maximum participation from the community.
Is this considered a challenge in your opinion?
It presents a significant challenge. The engagement of the community. There are numerous NGOs, each with their own distinct objectives.
However, it is worth noting that certain NGOs have limited memberships. That is one of the difficulties. I believe it is important for NGOs to collaborate and support one another.
What are your thoughts on utilising social media to promote ethnic dialects?
In my opinion, this will be a significant milestone in the development of this.
Social media will be incredibly beneficial. Because you know why?
This is not just about our manner of communication but a complex ecosystem.
For example, it begins with teaching children the art of eating traditional dishes like Hinava, along with educating them about food, songs, and other related aspects.
Additionally, we should delve into tourism and use the language to keep it active.
Are there any plans to expand into interactive online applications?
This is the Kadazandusun flashcard. We have already completed flashcard Volume 1 and 2.
We have another instalment, Volume 3, which is nearing its final stages of completion.
We have scheduled the launch for February 21, which coincides with the International Mother Language Day.
Social media is widely used by the younger generation. We are confident that in the digital realm, we can connect with a wide audience.
I believe people outside of Malaysia, such as those who enjoy sending greetings from Australia, find great joy in doing so.
People have TikTok, so I believe this (social media) is a significant development for us.
Are there any plans to expand into developing language teaching applications?
I believe you are aware of the current situation. Currently, we have so many online translator applications out there.
These are a few aspects we are currently considering. As an example, when we created the Murut dictionary 13 years ago, it was quite substantial in size.
Undoubtedly, we must still make our way there, but rest assured, the fundamental dictionary and template are readily available.
All that remains is for us to diligently refine and enhance them.
It requires continuous dedication, it is constantly evolving and I believe that social media plays a crucial role.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (Upsi) is viewed as a significant and crucial milestone in elevating the status of ethnic languages. What steps are you considering to promote the growth of this ethnic language in other institutions of higher education?
This suggestion comes from Datuk Ewon, who believes that establishing an MoU with UPSI would be beneficial.
We require university graduates to teach in secondary schools.
However, in UPSI, the Kadazandusun language started as a minor course.
The Kadazandusun language minor course was launched at Upsi by Tan Sri Bernard G Dompok, the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, on September 30, 2010.
It was offered as a minor course in the Faculty of Languages and Communication’s Department of Malay Language and Malay Literature at UPSI.
The programme started in December 2010 and focuses on providing teacher trainees with training in the teaching of the Kadazandusun language.
Now, with the recent partnership between Yayasan Bank Rakyat and UPSI, it will have a significant impact.
We offer Convertible Education Funding (PPBU) to support 30 students annually through our sponsorship programme.
When a student achieves a CGPA of 3.5 and above, they are eligible for a scholarship.
This partnership will commence in 2024 and continue for a duration of five years, concluding in 2028.
The MoU has a total value of RM7,500,000 and is specifically aimed at supporting the Kadazandusun, Semai, and Iban ethnic languages.
Students who have been sponsored will have the opportunity to pursue a Bachelor of Education (Ethnic Language) with honours.
The maximum funding available for a student is RM 50,000, covering tuition fees, self-sufficiency, and early studies assistance.
This MoU is viewed to foster collaboration and constructive academic involvement between Yayasan Bank Rakyat and UPSI, with the aim of achieving mutual benefits.
Three lecturers from Sabah have been assigned to teach the Kadazandusun language at UPSI.
What are your aspirations for the graduates?
It is evident that a growing number of graduates are not teaching the Kadazandusun language.
Instead, they are focusing on other languages due to the lack of emphasis on the Kadazandusun language in certain schools.
So instead, they are fully engaged in carrying out other tasks. This is one of the difficulties.
Many who are expected to teach the Kadazandusun language end up being assigned to teach other subjects instead.
It is important for them to not only prioritise academics but also to fully embrace and engage in the culture as they graduate.
Gain practical experience in addition to theoretical knowledge.
Teach them in the theory of creating Hinava, for example, while also providing hands-on experience in the process.
Currently, our teachers fulfil their roles as educators, but we aspire for them to make meaningful contributions to the community.
If their goal is solely focused on academics and earning a salary, then their efforts may not fully contribute to the preservation of the language.
It is important for them to consistently engage in practice.
On the importance of language preservation. How can the upcoming generation ensure the preservation and conservation of their native language?
That is quite expansive. Often, only the first generation retains fluency in the language, but subsequent generations may not possess the same level of proficiency.
It would be too late to teach the language. We are facing a challenge with the lack of adequate learning space for our children.
At school, the primary languages spoken are Malay and English. When it comes to learning a language, it’s important to go beyond just speaking it.
It encompasses a wide range of activities, such as mastering the Sumazau dance and singing in the language.
There are also many other cultural elements to explore.
We also need to consider other factors such as business and tourism. Make use of the language in all of this.
As previously mentioned, social media holds significant importance as it has the ability to reach a wide audience.
There are now those who speak our language fluently, including Germans, Pakistanis, and Timorese.
It ultimately comes down to the leaders and the community. If the leader lacks proficiency in the language, their followers will naturally imitate them.
We are fortunate to have leaders such as Datuk Ewon and Tan Sri Bernard who are committed to supporting this cause and are eager to lend their assistance.
Then there are organisations, including religious bodies, that use the Kadazan language.
However, there has been a recent shift in perspective as religious leaders emphasise the importance of using the Malay language because many young people are not familiar with their mother tongue.
Implicitly, they (religious leaders) are indicating that the mother tongue holds little significance.
Therefore, religious bodies hold significant influence and authority, as people tend to follow their actions.
Preserving our mother tongue requires a collaborative endeavour, and it is commendable that the government offers financial support for this cause, with the backing of our esteemed leaders and community.
PENAMPANG-BORN Tan Sri Bernard Dompok (pic) started his career as a valuer in 1978 before he joined politics in 1986.
He founded the Sabah Democratic Party before it was rebranded to Upko. He helmed Upko from 1994 until 2014.
He held various ministerial portfolios, including Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and Sabah Chief Minister.
He served as the Ambassador of Malaysia to the Holy See from March 2016 to June 2018.
He now chairs SME Corp under the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry. He is also the chairman of the Indep Education Foundation.
On Sept 30, 2010, he launched the Kadazandusun language minor course at UPSI.
Family institutions are seen to play an essential role in uplifting ethnic languages. What is your advice to parents in Sabah and Sarawak?
An ethnic language is also known as a mother tongue language.
Indeed, before Malaysia Day 1963, the mother tongue was the dominant language in the homes of the indigenous communities of Sabah and Sarawak.
In many indigenous homes today, the usage of Bahasa Malaysia has surpassed the preeminence of the mother tongue languages.
In the more urbanised areas, there are also families speaking more English among themselves.
So, the challenge is on for the parents. I am a proponent of a trilingual Malaysian family, where Bahasa Malaysia is spoken alongside a mother tongue and one international language.
So, the mother can speak to her children in her mother tongue, and the children may reply in Bahasa Malaysia.
In this scenario, the children get to know the mother tongue. A language cannot be forced on a person.
Perhaps I should relate a personal experience. I was once asked whether I consider myself a Kadazan or a Dusun.
The easy answer is that I can call myself a Kadazandusun.
I am asked this because in the Penampang district where I live, a sizeable portion of the population speaks a ‘Penampang version’ of the Bundu Liwan dialect. The predominant dialect in Penampang is Tangaa.
My answer was that people in my village call themselves ‘Kadayan’. In Tangaa, the letter ’Y’ becomes ‘Z’. I think I am introducing you to the peculiarities of BKD.
So, back to the family. My late mother spoke to me only in Tangaa, and I answered her in that ‘Penampang Bundu Liwan’. So, I grew up knowing both dialects.
Circumstances differ between families. But what I am trying to stress here is that realities are realities. In some families, BKD is no longer the dominant language.
BM (albeit the Sabah version) has taken centre stage. Multilingualism is a reality.
And I suggest using it to promote interest in the ethnic language.
And please register your children for the BKD class.
As one of the figures who has held high positions in the Federal and State governments, how do you see the government’s role in empowering ethnic language?
My humble view is that the government can start by embracing and celebrating multiculturalism.
This will provide the environment for the usage of ethnic languages. Malaysians have to be nurtured to love Bahasa Malaysia and their ethnic languages.
Language is best learned when students are taught in an environment that encourages them to like and love it.
The government can provide all the facilities required in the schools to teach the language.
These would include training teachers, securing reading materials/literature, etc. and conferring upon the subject an importance accorded to the traditional subjects in the educational system.
I must record here my appreciation for the initiatives Upsi and the staff took to provide the BKD a home.
What the then Minister of Education Tan Sri Sulaiman Daud, said is still fresh in my mind.
He told me that he was approving my request that the language be accepted as a subject in the schools, mainly to preserve a Sabah native language and recognise a Bornean culture.
To answer the question, the expectation is, therefore, a government effort to ensure the preservation of the language, thereby recognising a Malaysian (Bornean) culture.
UPSI has started well, and long may it continue.
The country has a wealth of experience teaching and promoting languages, especially the national language.
Of course, it is understood that for ethnic languages, the operation is on a much smaller scale.
Looking at the current trend, most of the young generation in Sabah and Sarawak are more prone to use Malay and English in their speech and writing on social media.
What exactly makes them more comfortable choosing other languages other than ethnic languages?
I think it has been accepted that the Malay language has been the de facto common language in both Sabah and Sarawak. However, the Iban language had a broader reach in the local community than BKD in Sabah.
There are also many dialects and sub-dialects within the numerous native languages in the two regions.
When Bahasa Malaysia was vigorously promoted as the national language, not only was it the medium of instruction in schools, but its presence in the media, radio and television accelerated the usage of the language as the lingua franca of the Borneo region.
In the case of Sabah, migrant communities from neighbouring countries also brought their languages or dialects.
Communication within the Kadazandusun community was even easier in Malay, the common language. So today, there is a lot more communication in BM.
The language of government and commerce is mainly in BM and BI. English is popular amongst those who have learned it.
It is an international language, giving users access to the broader international community. Access to the internet is made easy with an international language.
It is, therefore, understandable that those who know English will use it alongside BM and ethnic language.
That is why trilingualism is an attractive option.
You are the one who has made the Kadazandusun language an optional subject in schools in Sabah. How do you see the impact on students?
The pioneering students have graduated. Some of them have gone through teacher training courses in the language. I have spoken to some of them.
They have expressed happiness and gratitude that a teaching career with BKD as a major has been made possible.
But I consider it’s still too early to make a full assessment.
In school, BKD is a ‘work in progress’.
The dialectical differences between Bundu Liwan and the others pose a challenge in approach.
I am tempted to go along with the idea of allowing the teaching of BKD in the dialect of certain districts where the parents request.
This has been a popular view according to research carried out by UMS.
The education fraternity should come up with a proposal to address this.
Some students find it challenging to learn BKD when their parents and extended family members come from a dialect other than Bundu Liwan.
What are your plans to further empower ethnic languages in the future?
I am working closely with KLF. This is a foundation which I have initiated with an active group of lovers of ethnic languages. They are also concerned with the possibility of the demise of these languages.
BKD is now in school, but not all children of Kadazandusun families are studying the language. So an effort has to be made to make enrolment an attractive option.
So, perhaps KLF and other concerned organisations can assist the education authorities in this area.
Students need literature to learn the language further. I have assisted in getting writers to go into novels with the hope that books can be produced.
A few novels resulted from the novel writing competitions that Indep and KLF organised.
They are ready to be funded for publication. Perhaps more effort should now be spent to look into the funding requirement.
I have mentioned earlier that trilingualism offers the possibility of getting people interested in learning an ethnic language.
In your observation, who are your protégés seen as participating in the struggle to dignify ethnic language?
YB Datuk Ewon Benedick has seen what we have been doing over the years on BKD, and he is a native speaker of the language.
He has continued to show interest in helping further the cause of the language.
I am confident that he will do the best he can to assist in getting BKD embraced as a living Bornean language.
The KLF is a foundation dedicated to preserving and promoting the language.
Ms Rita Lasimbang has helmed it as CEO since its inception and has contributed immensely.
But above all, the cause of the language can best be approached in the old-fashioned way of the Kadazandusun - “mogitaatabang”
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
.jpg)
.jpg)
