Call to teach four more Sabah ethnic languages in schools gains traction

The Star

16-06-2025

Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick speaks at the Odou do Kaamatan celebration in Kg Mahandoi, Penampang.
KOTA KINABALU: A proposal to expand the teaching of the Kadazandusun language in schools to include four other major ethnic languages in Sabah has been submitted to the Federal Government.
Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said the proposal came following engagements with various ethnic associations and teachers who called for broader representation of Sabah's linguistic diversity in schools.
"Currently, Kadazandusun taught in schools is based solely on the Bunduliwan dialect, as per the agreement between the Kadazandusun Cultural Association and the United Sabah Dusun Association.
"After I joined the Federal Cabinet, I received requests from ethnic associations and Kadazandusun language teachers in Penampang, Tuaran, Kuala Penyu and Tenom. I later led a Sabah delegation to meet Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek last year,' he said.
Ewon, who is also United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) president, said the delegation proposed that four additional ethnic languages — Tatana in Kuala Penyu, Kadazan Tangaa in Penampang, Murut Timugon in Tenom, and Dusun Lotud in Tuaran — be included in the school curriculum.
'YB Fadhlina agreed to the idea, and a special committee under the Education Ministry has since been formed to study the proposal. I will continue to follow through to make this a reality,' he said.
Ewon made the remarks yesterday during the Odou do Kaamatan celebration in Kg Mahandoi, hosted by Upko Beaufort and attended by the Kuala Penyu community living and working in Kota Kinabalu.
He said his ministry had channelled special allocations to four ethnic language associations — Tatana, Murut Timugon, Lotud Tuaran, and Kadazan Penampang — to support the development of curriculum modules, workbooks, and textbooks.
Ewon stressed that it was his responsibility to be part of the effort to empower ethnic languages in schools, and that was why he had ensured the necessary funding was provided last year to kickstart the development of teaching materials.
He also suggested that the teaching of these languages could begin as pilot programmes in selected schools within the relevant districts.
In the case of Kuala Penyu, he said it would be more appropriate to teach the Tatana language instead of the Bunduliwan dialect, as most parents and teachers in the district belong to the Tatana community.
Ewon said Sabah could learn from Sarawak's model, where Bahasa Iban is already taught in schools and Bidayuh was recently introduced as a pilot programme.
"A delegation from Sabah has even visited schools in Sarawak to observe how Bidayuh is being taught as an addition to Iban,' he said.
He also stressed the importance of preserving cultural celebrations like Kaamatan, which he said has become a symbol of unity not only among the Momogun community but across ethnic and religious lines, even abroad.