By Remy Majangkim (Majangkim Office)
KOTA KINABALU: In the conversation about the Momogun National Congress (MNC), the focus often lands on the term itself – “Momogun” – what it means, who it includes, and whether it erases or elevates.
These are important debates. But they miss something essential.
They miss the quiet work.
I recently sat in a meeting of the MNC. More than 80 people filled the room: Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, Rungus, Tatana, Orang Sungai, and Tidong.
Farmers, teachers, small business owners, and village leaders. But also, among them, representatives of the Persatuan Penjaja dan Perniaga Pasar Besar Kota Kinabalu – a registered ROS entity.
Their story is one the media does not tell.
A Small Voice Need Not Be a Lone Voice.
The association represents petty traders of the Kota Kinabalu Market – small‑scale vendors hawking vegetables, selling rice and eggs, and offering their wares to survive.
They have a registration, a constitution, and leadership. They have followed all the rules.
And yet they have been suffering.
A bullying tactic has been quietly deployed against them. A coordinated attempt – methodical, persistent – to erode their presence.
Not through a legal process. Not through open hearings. But through the slow, grinding weight of ignorance:
Harassment by enforcement officers – not fines, not summonses, but something worse: ignorance. They are ignored. Their complaints are brushed aside.
Their existence is treated as invisible.
Harassment by fellow traders and scammers – whispers, rumours, attempts to discredit the association, sabotage of their unity from within.
Threats masked as “regulations”. Intimidation dressed in uniform – but the uniform does not speak. It simply walks past.
The goal is not to regulate. The goal is to erase them – to make them disappear not by force, but by neglect.
A small association of petty traders has no lobbyists. No high‑paid lawyers. No political patrons. Against a coordinated campaign of ignorance and internal betrayal, they are almost powerless.
Almost.
When the umbrella opens
But they are also an institutional member of the MNC. And that makes all the difference.
At the meeting, the president of the MNC, Tan Sri Wences Angang, rose to speak. He had heard their story. He had listened when no one else would. And he made two promises, firm and clear:
First, he would personally request a meeting with the Kota Kinabalu mayor to bring their grievances directly to the highest level of city governance.
Second, he would help devise a concrete plan to ensure their presence in the city is protected, not eliminated.
Not a speech. Not a press release. A plan of action.
This is the MNC’s work that never makes headlines. No cameras followed Tan Sri Wences to the mayor’s office. No press statements were issued. Just a quiet commitment: We will help. We will fight. We will not abandon you.
This is what the critics do not see.
The ROS and Trusteeship
Because the association is a properly registered ROS entity, the MNC can act without fear of political backlash. The association exists legally. It has rights. It can be defended.
Currently, the MNC itself operates as a registered society. But the President announced at the same meeting that the MNC is now in the final stage of obtaining a trusteeship – under the Trustees (Incorporation) Act 1952. An incorporated trusteeship will grant MNC the legal standing of a body corporate, giving it the ability to
Hold and manage assets and land.
Formalise economic blueprints for the Momogun community.
Receive and distribute funds transparently.
Enter into MOUs with government agencies and private entities.
This is the difference between a voice and an institution
What Momogun Is – And Is Not
Momogun is an umbrella term. It gathers:
Dusunik (Kadazan, Dusun, Rungus, Tobilung, Tambanuo, Kimaragang)
Murutik (Murut, Tatana)
Paitanik (Orang Sungai, Tidong)
Under one roof. It does not erase. It elevates.
A Kadazan becomes Momogun Kadazan.
A Dusun becomes a Momogun Dusun.
A Murut becomes Momogun Murut.
A Tidong becomes a Momogun Tidong.
The specific identity remains. This is exactly how a Dayak works in Sarawak. Sabah is not Dayak. We are Momogun. Momogun Tokou – We are Momogun.
The MNC is not a political party. It does not field candidates. It does not endorse parties. It is built for survival, not for power.
A Word to the Critics
So when you hear that the MNC is “just
another cultural group” or “a political vehicle”, remember the petty traders of the Kota Kinabalu Market.
They do not care about political positions. They do not care about party affiliations. They care about whether they can sell their vegetables tomorrow without being ignored by the very officers meant to protect them, without being undermined by their own fellow traders and scammers. They care about whether their children will eat.
The MNC is helping them.
That is the essence of Momogun – not a generic to take over a native’s identity. Momogun Tokou.
