DAP Sabah Secretary Dr Edwin Bosi is happy to note that the oath stone or “batu sumpah” has attracted a lot of interest among the native leaders of Sabah. MP for Kota Kinabalu Jimmy Wong has also raised the batu sumpah issue in Parliament and now it has become a national issue. Lawmakers are asking about it and some have gone to the extent that they want to travel to Sabah and Keningau in particular to see the batu sumpah.
Dr Bosi who is also Kapayan Assemblyman said the rise in interest in the batu sumpah must be followed with an explanation of its existence.
Tribal conflicts in the then North Borneo is common and they are usually resolved by planting or erecting an oath stone. Any party that failed to comply with the terms of the agreement or went against the agreement would expect misfortune and bad luck to fall on them. Such is the power of the batu sumpah and the native (and also non-native) have never doubted it.
To lose ones sovereignty for the purpose of forming a new nation called Malaysia is no small matter. The 20 points safeguards did not mean much to the native of the Interior. Their leaders such as the late G S Sundang wanted more than just the 20 points. He and his community wanted a guarantee from the Malaysian government before they throw their support to the Malaysian government. The three guarantees are freedom of religion in Sabah, land under the control of the Sabah government and to respect and preserve the native customs and traditions by the government.
These three requests were casted on the batu sumpah guaranteed by the Malaysian government and has become a historical and legal document. Unfortunately, the oath stone at the compound of the Keningau district office would soon be forgotten. One of the terms of the batu sumpah is to have an annual ritual to enliven the spirit of the stone but sadly this has not been fulfilled.
On 31 August 2014 a group of indigenous people from Pensiangan and Keningau led by Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS) were not allowed to enter the Keningau district office by the District Officer to perform the ritual for the batu sumpah. In response the native people decided to bring a stone from Sook and erected it along a stream about 100 meters from the District Office. For that a Police report was made against the group by a PBRS right hand man of Tan Sri Joseph Kurup who is also MP for Pensingan. The police report was not meant against DAP contrary to what was reported by Kurup.
Dr Bosi who is Chairman of the DAP Sabah Native Consultative Council said for the record DAP Sabah launched the batu sumpah declaration on 31 August 2014 to remind the natives of the three guarantees made by the Malaysian government.
DAP Sabah made a Police report after finding out that the three words “Kerajaan Malaysia Jamin” on the plague of the batu sumpah at Keningau district office went missing. We are waiting for the police to tell us who is (are) responsible for tampering the plague of the batu sumpah? Without the missing three words, the whole meaning of the “agreement” becomes useless.
Dr Bosi said the batu sumpah has become a rallying point for DAP Sabah, the indigenous people and the people of Sabah. We want to know whether the dreams and aspirations of the people have been fulfilled after 51 years of independence or that we have been betrayed all along. In fact we have requested and we hope that the government will establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the batu sumpah.
Dr Bosi would like to advise the MP for Pensiangan to respect the wishes of the people in Pensiangan to erect a replica of the batu sumpah. The stone does and will not hurt anyone but to remind the native community of the three guarantees of the Malaysian government. I am sure if Kurup’s supporters were to erect a big 1Malaysia signboard no one will be offended.
Dr Edwin Bosi would like to urge Kurup who is PBRS President to restraint his supporters from bullying those who erected the batu sumpah. If they are truly indigenous they are actually not respecting the spirit of the batu sumpah. This is without saying Tan Sri Joseph Kurup is also not respecting the spirit of the batu sumpah and is obviously belittling the great sacrifice of the great native leaders in the Interior. The 14th general election will determine if Tan Sri Joseph Kurup can retain his MP seat knowing that he is against the erection of batu sumpah in Pensiangan.
Dr Edwin Bosi sincerely hope that what happened in Kg Mempulut will not re-occur.
Dr Edwin Bosi would like to remind Kurup who is Minister in the Prime Minister department that DAP Sabah will continue to erect or plant the batu sumpah in every villages when and where the indigenous people want it to be so. At least the natives have now something to look up to. The 20 points have been eroded badly and what is left for this community is the batu sumpah. Even then “someone” is trying to change the course of history by deleting the three words “Kerajaan Malaysia Jamin” from the plague.
The three simple requests made by the native community leaders actually represent the life of a native. To them freedom of religion, the land and customs are intertwined and basically the “DNA” of the native of Sabah.
The native customs and traditions must not be made sensitive. Dr Edwin Bosi was surprise how the village chief of Kg Kionsom Inanam Sdra Hendry Yang Chi Kong together with 10 others could summon DAP Inanam Edward Liau and his supporters for a discussion only to end up issuing a “sogit” of one buffalo. Their crime is failing to inform the village chief of the function to erect a batu sumpah.
While Dr Edwin Bosi was happy that they (village chiefs) did not disagree with the erection of the batu sumpah but I would like to ask under what authority did the village chief relied on to issue the summons. The Party is still waiting for the official summons from the village chief. My understanding of the case is that the village chief should have filed a case against Sdra Edward Liau in the Native Court which has the jurisdiction to hear to pass sentences including the “sogit”.
In this respect Dr Edwin Bosi would to ask Kurup whether he will not question the native laws and traditions if they were not properly executed.
Dr Bosi said he is surprised why national leaders such as Sdra Lim Kit Siang are not allowed to come and witness the erection of the batu sumpah. Is Kurup also trying to tell us that the attendance of the late Minister of Labour V Manicavasagam representing the Prime Minister during the erection of the batu sumpah on 31st August 1964 was wrong and that they (leaders from Semananjung) should not have attended the ritual?
Dr Edwin Bosi would like to remind Kurup that even UPKO MP for Putatan Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh has requested a batu sumpah to be erected in his house. DAP Sabah shall fulfil his wish in due course.