Borneo.TV faces more backlash from Sabah artists

Borneo Post

04-07-2025

Atama
KOTA KINABALU (July 4): The launch of Borneo.TV on July 1 by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor at Menara Kinabalu, has deeply disappointed Borneo's indigenous communities and cultural workers, including the Sabah Film and Visual Association (SAFVA).
'For years, the state has neglected the cultural rights of indigenous artists, singers, and songwriters, leaving their creative economies and heritage unsupported. This secretive agreement between the SMJ Secretariat and Kuala Lumpur-based IB Media Consultant Sdn Bhd is seen as another betrayal of Sabah and Borneo's cultural intellectual property and creative integrity. They didn't care then, and they don't care now,' said Atama Katama, Sabah's renowned Sumazau Hip-Hop artist and the world's first KadazanDusun-English rapper.
The issue surfaced when the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Secretariat and IB Media Consultant Sdn Bhd signed a deal and hurriedly launched Sabah's television channel, Borneo.TV. This move violates UNESCO's 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which mandates safeguarding cultural diversity, and it disregards the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) under Article 32 of the UNDRIP (2007).
'I fully endorse Sabah Film and Visual Association's (SAFVA) opposition to the lack of consultation, and we, as Borneans, especially cultural workers, must resist this erosion of our identity to end all forms of cultural exploitation.
'I know SAFVA is correct to oppose this,' said Atama, the 2011 Choons Malaysia Best MC.
Atama, now a senior Indigenous Peoples Rights Representative at the United Nations, claims that the use of 'Borneo' in a platform owned by Dato' Hajji Izlan Basar, CEO of Al Hijrah, raises serious concerns about cultural appropriation.
Another Sabah-born national artist, Yee I-Lan, warned on her Facebook on Thursday: 'Borneo.TV, owned by a non-Bornean Malayan religious content figure with limited media experience, smacks of neo-colonialism. Adat and budaya under MA63 are state matters.'
The absence of indigenous consultation further breaches UNESCO's inclusive representation principles. Similarly, the Borneo Native Festival (BNF), held annually 2,000 miles from Borneo, misrepresents the island's culture.
Sarawak's Peter John Jaban, founder of GOASS cultural creative, said, 'Millions of ringgit in MOTAC (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture) funds support the Borneo Native Festival in Kuala Lumpur, implying East Malaysians lack the capacity to organize it locally.'
He cited SUKASENI, a KL-based organizer that gained 'popularity' after showcasing Borneo's authentic traditional garments.
The Edge of the World actor continued, 'We came to boost BNF with our Borneo spirit, with GOASS boarding AirAsia flights in our 'sirat' traditional garments. These self-funded travels to Kuala Lumpur received minimal support, just a bus ride from airport to hotel. This reflects tokenism that undermines local expertise and romanticizes Borneo's nativity in KL.'
In subsequent years, BNF held a pop-up event in Sabah but failed to acknowledge GOASS, Jaban noted. 'They didn't even contact us when they came to our own land. Instead, they had foreigners dressed as us to represent us. With experiences like this, how can we trust those who fail to appreciate us?'
The CEO's dual role as owner of Borneo.TV and Al Hijrah raises concerns about the marginalization of non-Muslim narratives across Borneo.
The SMJ Secretariat's public claim that Borneo.TV operates without state funding heightens suspicions of double standards and lack of oversight, as it pre-relinquishes responsibility for protecting Sabah's cultural assets and forms, which will be controlled and peddled by Borneo.TV and its clientele. 'This thoughtlessness reflects incompetent state advisors and rent-seeking executives, making the Sabah Chief Minister, a former radio announcer, look utterly compromised.
'Our cultural heritage, arts, traditions and indigenous identities is sacred and must not be exploited, particularly for religious purposes. This breach of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), which ensures cultural autonomy, demands urgent action,' Atama stated.
Atama calls for: 1. Immediate intervention by the Sabah State Ministry to uphold cultural rights; 2. Full FPIC and consultation with indigenous creative artisans, alongside meaningful dialogue with local creatives;
3. The SMJ Secretariat to publish its policy on cultural appropriation and restrict the company from misusing the term 'Borneo.'