ETNIK, IDENTITI &

PENGHIDUPAN
DI SABAH

Ethnicity,)Iden-ty))
&)Livelihood))
in)Sabah)

Dr#Trixie#Tangit#

1#
 ETNIK#
(ETHNICITY)#

IDENTITI# PENGHIDUPAN#
(IDENTITY)# (LIVELIHOOD)#

2#
2#
ETNIK#(ETHNICITY)#
3#3#
 DEFINITION

• ‘Race’#is#different#from#‘ethnicity’.#Race#refers#to#a#
biological#category#(physical#traits).#
ETNIK#
• ‘Ethnic’#refers#to#a#single#culture#sharing#a#single#
(ETHNICITY)#
language,#religion,#history,#territory,#ancestry#and#
kinship.#
• Ethnicity#refers#to#the#state#of#belonging#to#a#social#
group#that#has#a#common#naRonal#or#cultural#
tradiRon#(Oxford#DicRonary).#

4#4#
• ‘Race’#is#different#from#‘ethnicity’.#Race#refers#to#a#biological#category#
(physical#traits).#

5#
• Ethnic#refers#to#a#single#culture#sharing#a#single#language,#religion,#
history,#territory,#ancestry#and#kinship.#

Where)is)the)
“Malay)
Archipelago”?)

6#
• ‘Ethnic’#refers#to#a#single#culture#sharing#a#single#language,#religion,#
history,#territory,#ancestry#and#kinship.#

hVps://www.nst.com.my/news/
2016/08/167152/debate]origins]
malays#

7#
• ‘Ethnic’#refers#to#a#single#culture#sharing#a#single#language,#religion,#
history,#territory,#ancestry#and#kinship.#

Are)there)Malay)
people)or/and)
Dayak)people)in)
the)island)of)
Borneo?)

8#
• ‘Ethnic’#refers#to#a#single#culture#sharing#a#single#language,#religion,#
history,#territory,#ancestry#and#kinship.#
hVps://
www.thejakartapost.com
/life/2020/03/03/young]
dayaks]conRnue]their]
cultural]legacy.html#

9#
• Ethnicity#refers#to#the#state#of#belonging#to#a#social#group#that#has#a#
common#naRonal#or#cultural#tradiRon#(Oxford#DicRonary).#

10#
• Who#are#in#the#
ethnic#groups#in#
Sabah?#

• How#do#Sabahan#
people#view#their#
own#ethnicity?#
hVps://thesabahsociety.com/resources/photo]gallery/about]sabah]people]culture/#

11#
 ETNIK#
(ETHNICITY)#

IDENTITI# PENGHIDUPAN#
(IDENTITY)# (LIVELIHOOD)#

12#2#
 DEFINITION

IdenRty#means#the#fact#of#being#who#
or#what#a#person#or#thing#is.#
IDENTITI#
(IDENTITY)# What)is)your)iden-ty?)

13#
 DEFINITION
• Ethnic#idenRty#means#your#concept#of#
who#you#are#based#on#your#ethnic#
group.#
ETNIK## IDENTITI# • Example#(idenRty#based#on#where#
(ETHNICITY)# (IDENTITY)# you#live/#born):##
A#person#who#speaks#Mandarin#and#
whose#parents#are#Chinese#but#born#in#
Malaysia#will#idenRfy#as#a#“Malaysian#
Chinese”.#SomeRmes#in#Malaysia,#to#
disRnguish#between#Chinese#people#
from#China,#people#say#“China#
Chinese”.#

14#
 ETHNIC IDENTITY &
MARKERS/ TRAITS
•So,#if#‘ethnic’#refers#to#a#single#culture#
ETNIK## sharing#a#single#language,#religion,#history,#
IDENTITI#
territory,#ancestry#and#kinship...#
(ETHNICITY)# (IDENTITY)#
•...#any#of#these#markers/#traits#can#
represent#the#ethnic#idenRty#of#someone.#

However,#cultural#change,#wars,#people#movement#and#factors#like#
intermarriage,#religious#conversion#and#sense#of#belonging#can#affect#how#
one#chooses#to#idenRfy#with/#to#their#ethnic#groups/#grouping.#

15#
Intermarriages and ethnic identity
Example#of#Sino]Kadazan#people:#
• Mix#of#Chinese#and#Kadazan#people#
in#Penampang#district#
• 18th#century#–#through#BriRsh#North#
Borneo#government#as#labourers#in#
the#Rmber#and#rubber#industries# hVps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y18ELvSAhTo#

• Today,#the#Chinese#people#are#the#
largest#migrant#groups#in#Sabah.#
• They#are#known#as#“business#
people”.#
16#
Combinations of Sino-Kadazan identities on
paper (prescribed) and self ascription
Birth& Iden)ty&Card& Self4iden)fica)on& In&census&
cer)ficate& (AUTONYM)&
Sino] Kadazan# Kadazan/#Chinese/# Kadazandusun#
Kadazan# Sino#
Chinese# Chinese# Sino# Chinese#
Sino] Chinese# Kadazan/#Chinese/# Chinese#(becomes#
Kadazan# Sino# ‘Kadazandusun’,#if#
label#switching)#

17#
Wong Loong (1835-1895)
Siapa (wife) Muata (wife)

Pungun (son) Umbikan (daughter)

Lothar (grandson) Luajil (grandson)

Joe (great grandson) Malakin (great grandson)

Jane (great-great Richard (great-great

grand daughter) grandson)

18#
Wong Loong (1835-1895)
Siapa (wife) Muata (wife)

Pungun (son) Umbikan (daughter)

Lothar (grandson) Luajil (grandson)

Joe (great grandson) Malakin (great grandson)

Lothar Manjaji, pioneer
Sino-Native in
Jane (great-great Richard (great-great
Penampang
grand daughter) grandson) (ref. Wong (2005)
Historical Sabah: The
Chinese.)
19#
 Wong Loong (1835-1895)
Wong
Siapa (wife) Muata (wife)
Loong’s >
Muata >
Pungun (son) Umbikan (daughter)
Umbikan >
Luajil >
Malakin>
Lothar (grandson) Luajil (grandson)
Richard
(great great-
Joe (great grandson) Malakin (great grandson)
grandson of
Wong).
Jane (great-great Richard (great-great
grand daughter) grandson)
Richard#and#Judy#Maning##
(in#Canberra,#Australia)#
20#
Sabah population (2010) by ethnic Sabah population (2019) by
group and size broad (ethnic) category and
size
Name&of&group! Number&of&
Name&of&group! Number&of&
popula)on!
popula)on!
Non4Ci)zens! 889,779!
Bumiputera! 2,329,800!
Other&Indigenous! 659,856!
Non4Ci)zens& 1,127,100#
Kadazandusun! 568,575!
Chinese! 307,200!
Bajau! 450,279!
Other! 127,200!
Chinese! 295,674!
Indian! 13,300!
Malay! 184,197!
TOTAL& 3,904,400#
Murut! 102,393!
Other! 48,527!
Indian! 7,453! Source:#Department#of#StaRsRcs#of#Malaysia#
TOTAL& 3,206,733# 21#
• It#is#important#to#
study#their#local#
frames#of#reference#
(Appell#1965):#

• How#people#prefer#
to#call#themselves#
Ethnonym#(exonym#
&#autonym)# hVps://thesabahsociety.com/resources/photo]gallery/about]sabah]people]culture/#

hVps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y18ELvSAhTo#
22#
Ethnonyms#(exonym#and#autonym)#

• Exonym#–#What#outsiders#use#to#call#a#group,#but#the#group#itself#does#
not#use#it#

• Autonym#–#What#people#of#a#group#uses,#but#outsiders#do#not#use#it#
to#call#the#group#

How#people#prefer#to#call#themselves#(may#be#different#from#what#
ethnic#group#leaders#prefer)#

23#
 • Language# • Food# • Beliefs#
Ethnic identity • Religion# • TradiRon# • Customs#(Adat)#
markers/ traits • History#
• Dress#
• Land/#Territory#
in Sabah • Ancestry#
(Intermarriage#
• Kinship# • Nature#
–#mixed#
idenRty)#
24#
Ethnic identity • Based#on#elements#such#as,#language,#religion,#
history,#kinship,#“Indigenous#People”,#etc#–#one#is#
markers/ traits usually#the#ethos#of#the#group#(ethos#means#the#
in Sabah ideal#of#the#group)#

25#
Traditional vs. Contemporary ethnic
identity
• IdenRty#of#ethnic#groups#
can#be#affected#by#cultural#
change#(change#in#values,#
beliefs,#pracRce)#

Ref. Owen Rutter, The Pagans of North

Borneo 1921 , Reprinted by Opus
Publications 2007#

Bobohizan (Kadazan ritual specialist) from Putatan

(Penampang)#

26#
27#
Culture#is#like#the#iceberg.#
We#think#we#know#what#is#
the#culture#in#a#parRcular#
society,#but#we#don’t#fully#
know…#unRl#we#find#out#
how#the#society#thinks,#
feels,#believe,#react,#adopt,#
adapt#and#change#in#its#
value#system.#

28#
29#
 Tian#Long#singing#in#
Hakka,#“I#love#Sino]
Kadazan”#>>>>>#

hVps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVO04PdGuNE#

<<<<<<<<#Sheron#Tan,##
a#Sino]Kadazan#woman,#
singing#in#the#Dusun#
language#
hVps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y18ELvSAhTo#
30#
Ranau landslip due to land clearing and building of houses, says state
minister
Monday, 09 Dec 2019, thestar.com.my

Sabah&Infrastructure&Development&Minister&
Datuk&Peter&Anthony&(leM)&being&briefed&of&the&
Ranau&landslip&at&Km98&Kota&Kinabalu4
Sandakan&road&that&cut&off&the&east&coast&and&
west&coast&of&Sabah.&

KOTA#KINABALU:#The#state#government#has#
ordered#a#halt#on#all#land#clearing#and#housing#
development#by#villagers#around#the#site#of#a#
massive#Ranau#landslide#along#the#main#road#
link#between#Kota#Kinabalu#and#Sandakan.#

31#
32#
hVps://www.borneotoday.net/only]in]sabah]you]find]
this]1malaysia]showcased]at]couples]wedding/#

33#
34#