Tuesday, May 27, 2008

TUESDAY- 27TH MAY 2008- KAMPUNG TASS TO HAVE NATIVE CHIEF, SAYS SYED ABAS

Kampung Tass to have Native Chief, says Syed Abas

TAWAU:

A Native Chief will be appointed for Kampung Tass here, Balung Assemblyman Datuk Syed Abas Syed Ali said. “It is only proper that the Kadazandusun and Murut (KDM) community in Kampung Tass have a Native Chief to look after their customs, tradition and practices,” Syed Abas said during the Harvest Festival celebrations at Kampung Tass last weekend. The appointment of a Native Chief in Kampung Tass will be brought up to the Chief Minister’s attention, he added Syed Abas in his speech also spoke about the infrastructure development built by the Government for the people in Kampung Tass. “The Government has spent RM5 million to develop the village with infrastructure facilities like electricity supply,” he said, adding that a RM1.5 million community hail will be built in the village to replace the existing building. Meanwhile, Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS) President Marcel Leiking who was also present at the event, encouraged the KDMs to communicate in their mother tongue to ensure preservation of the language. Usage of their mother tongue will prevent the KDM language and culture from becoming obsolete, he said at the event which was organised by Kampung Tass’s Kadazandusun Cultural Association Sabah CKDCA) and KSS. “As a KDM, we must have the desire to learn and master our mother tongue before we learn other languages,” he said, adding that less and less KDM are communicating in their mother tongue. “We are the master of the language. We should concentrate on the development and the future direction of the Kadazan culture. It is important to love our ethnic identity and continue to aiu1tain ‘its traditional customs,” he said. KKS is a non-religious and nonpolitical body but it was formed by an ethnic group of Sabah origin who has assumed and acknowledged their identity as a member of the Kadazan community, he said at the Harvest Festival celebration in Kampung Tass Balung here last weekend. The highlight of the event was the Unduk Ngadau pageant and the crown this year was awarded to Shirley V. Pilos. The first-runner was Flora Fabian and the second- runner was Vivian Christin Martin.