PENAMPANG: The Native Courts are unique to Sabah. Her multiracial composition and diverse ethnic rituals gave birth to the native courts, to hear and settle cases involving native traditions and customs.
Dr. Edwin Bosi, who is Parti Anak Negeri Coordinator for the West Coast, said, like many others, he would like to see the elevation of the Native Courts to be at par with the Civil and Syariah Courts systems.
The Native Court of Sabah is empowered by the Federal Constitution to hear minor offence cases and to punish by imprisonment not more than two years or a fine of not more than two hundred ringgit or both.
Dr. Bosi said the Native Court has a unique provision. She can impose customary penalties known as “sogit.”.
“This is a ceremony sacrificing animals such as buffalo, chicken, or pig, followed by a ritual to calm the spirits, he said.
Dr. Bosi, who is a former Kapayan Assemblyman, said that the aspiration to see the elevation of the Native Court is about to be realised.
According to him, a multimillion-dollar Native Court Training Institute was built at Kg Pogun Kibabaig Penampang and has commenced operation on 2nd April 2020.
He said the main activities of the Training Institute are to provide competency and skill knowledge to customary heads and clerical staff of the Native Courts, to act as a source or reference centre for customary laws, and to provide advisory service to customary heads, including village chiefs.
“Sadly, the institute, which is under the purview of the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, has failed miserably,” opined Dr. Bosi in a statement today.
Dr. Bosi said he learnt that the institute was once used to quarantine COVID-19 patients.
“Today the institute is in bad condition and severely run down.”
“I was told that some of the rooms have become stores. There were also rotting dead birds believed to be caused by them crashing on the glass windows.”
Dr. Bosi said with the condition of the building and its surroundings, he is quite sure there are probably only a token or perhaps no officers and staff working in the building. Even the guard house has no guard.
“I hate to think that the Training Institute has become a white elephant,” he added.
Dr. Bosi said his political platform in Parti Anak Negeri is the Keningau Oath Stone, or “Batu Sumpah Keningau.”.
“Malaysia might not be realised if the Federal government did not agree to the three guarantees demanded by the native leaders in the Interior.”
“The demands are the freedom of religion, land under Sabah government, and the respect and preservation of native traditional and customary laws.”
“I am pushing for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the Batu Sumpah to determine if the aspirations of the natives on the three guarantees have been fulfilled,” he added.
According to Dr. Bosi, the third guarantee in the Batu Sumpah has relevance to the Sabah Native Court.
“I hope the government will seriously look into the status of the Native Court Training Institute. After all, this institute is supposed to play an important role in shaping up the Native Court to be on par with the Civil and Syariah Courts systems,” he said.
