KUCHING: Any natural born Sarawakian should be considered as a ‘native’ of Sarawak, including those of Chinese and Indian racial origins.
Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan said natives do not necessarily mean the first inhabitants or original people living in a particular place or country.
Under the system of jus soli (law of the soil), he said, citizenship of a person is determined by the place where a person was born.
Apart from that, Voon said, it was a known fact that many people born in Sarawak, including the Chinese, Indians and Eurasians, have aboriginal connections.
“Some of their ancestors were in fact original or aboriginal people of Sarawak and contributed in developing the country; hence, they should not be marginalised or discriminated,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“Besides, the land laws of 1920 defined ‘native’ as a ‘natural born subject of His Highness the Rajah’, thus, the Sarawak Government should maintain this,” he said.
Although Sarawak has recognised 12 indigenous groups as native races of Sarawak, some may have been left out as there are numerous tribes living in the state.
“Therefore, the more practical way to define who natives are in Sarawak should include all natural born people in Sarawak of all races and tribes,” he said.
Last year, Sarawak had listed Bagatan, Bakong, Bemali, Berawan, Dali, Lakiput, Jatti Miriek, Narom, Sa’ban, Tatau, Tring and Vaie as natives in Sarawak.
They had been included in the Interpretation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which was unanimously passed in the State Legislative Assembly last February.
