Abdul Kassim Razali (second from left), GRS candidate for Karambunai Arshad Idris (centre), and PRBSS vice-president Jumat Idris (second from right) officiating the launch of a community hall for the Bajau Sama community.
KOTA KINABALU: A Bajau Sama community leader has cautioned against being swayed by political narratives from outside Sabah ahead of the state polls, warning that such rhetoric threatens the state’s longstanding tradition of unity.
Persatuan Rumpun Bajau Sama Sabah (PRBSS) vice-president Jumat Idris said the community must remain centred on Sabah’s unique social fabric.
“All Bajau Sama communities must stay united and not listen to the propaganda and slander brought in from Peninsular Malaysia, because that is not Sabah’s culture.
“Sabah’s way is unity. We do not discriminate by ethnicity or religion,” he said at the officiation of the Dewan Serbaguna Komuniti Bestari PRBSS Cawangan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu.
The event was also attended by Abdul Kassim Razali, political secretary to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah chairman Hajiji Noor, who represented the caretaker chief minister.
Kassim reiterated the emphasis on unity and diversity, describing Sabah’s multicultural identity as a strength.
He said the new hall should serve as a shared space not only for Bajau Sama community but for other ethnic groups as well.
“In Sabah, we live among many different ethnic groups and communities, and this cultural diversity must be celebrated. The cultures of all Sabah communities are a major attraction for tourists,” he said.
Both Jumat and Kassim also lamented the challenges faced by the Bajau Sama community, particularly the decline of the language and traditional practices.
“We want to develop places where the Bajau Sama community can gather, especially the younger generation, so they can learn their culture and language and prevent it from being lost with time.
“We see Bajau Sama children, even though their parents are Bajau, using only the national language at home, and we worry that the language will disappear,” Jumat said.
Kassim, who is also PRBSS secretary-general, said one of the association’s main concerns was the risk that the Bajau Sama language would disappear altogether if it was not actively preserved.
“We are concerned that some aspects of Bajau Sama culture are being sidelined, possibly because of influences from other cultures.
“This is why (PRBSS president) Hajiji envisioned an association that can protect and champion Bajau Sama culture, especially its longstanding traditions and language,” he said.
He urged community leaders to step up cultural programmes, particularly in urban-fringe areas where he said assimilation pressures are strongest.
He said the launch of the hall was part of a broader effort to give the community a base for cultural, educational and unifying activities.
