The following is the Paper on " Exploring Roles of Dialects in Ethnic Language Education" which I presented during the “KadazanDusun Language Colloqiuim” held on 21ST – 23rd July, 2009 at Le Meredien, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
" Exploring Roles of Dialects in Ethnic Language Education" by Sylvester J. Disimon, Deputy President, Kadazan Society Sabah.
1) Preamble
a) This paper is prepared by the Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS) to reflect its stance on the usage of BUNDULIWAN dialect as the standard Kadazan Language (POL) being taught in school, and to explore the roles of dialects in Ethnic Language Education.
b) To all intents and purposes, this paper is not meant to derail nor disrupt the continuity of the teaching of KadazanDusun Language in school per se, but to suggest the adoption of a standard Kadazan Language acceptable by all indigenous ethnic communities in Sabah as the Pupil’s Own Language (POL).
c) This paper will focus on the following:-
· Observations from the 2nd Declaration;
· Why ‘BUNDULIWAN’ dialect is not appropriate;
· Setbacks and Reasons for non-acceptance of BUNDULIWAN dialect as Pupil’s Own Language (POL);
· Assessments by the Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS);
· Justifications to review BUNDULIWAN as POL;
· Conclusion and Recommendations.
2) Background
I. The BUNDULIWAN dialect was adopted as the standard Kadazan language i.e. Pupil’s Own Language (POL) based on the Second Declaration, which was signed between KDCA and USDA on 11th April, 1995 when in fact the said dialect was never adopted as the standard Kadazan language during the Symposium “Towards standardization of Kadazan Language” held at Hotel Perkasa Kundasang held on 13th January, 1989.
II. Prior to 1995, an application was made to the Federal Government to include the Kadazan language to be taught in school;
III. The Federal Ministry of Education then requested the local leaders to determine as to which common native language should be adopted for inclusion in school curriculum;
IV. In order to comply with the policy of the Federal Education Department, the community leaders then decided to adopt a common native language, the BUNDULIWAN dialect, to be taught in school as per the 2nd Declaration.
V. The 1st Declaration was signed between KDCA and USDA on 24th January, 1995 (See Appendix A) which read as follows (copied in verbatim):-
a) KDCA dan USDA adalah dengan ini bersetuju bahawa:
(i) Bahasa KADAZANDUSUN adalah bahasa rasmi bagi kedua-dua pertubuhan KDCA dan USDA;
(ii) Bahasa KADAZANDUSUN adalah bahasa yang dipakai dalam penulisan dan pertuturan di dalam pengajaran dan pempelajaran bahasa ibunda (POL) tersebut, dan
(iii) Bahasa KADAZANDUSUN adalah bahasa yang dipakai oleh semua etnik Kadazan Dusun tanpa menyekat penggunaan dialek-dialek tempatan yang lain.
b) KDCA dan USDA dengan ini bersetuju
(i) Bahasa KADAZANDUSUN dipelihara dan dikembangkan bersama untuk manfaat semua kaum di Malaysia, yang berminat mempelajari Bahasa KADAZANDUSUN;
(ii) Tanggungjawab bersama untuk mengembangkan Bahasa KADAZANDUSUN di peringkat tempatan, kebangsaan dan antarabangsa, khususnya kepada mereka yang ingin mempelajari dan mengkaji Bahasa KADAZANDUSUN.
c) The 2nd Declaration was signed on 11th April, 1995 – (See Appendix B).
As a follow up to the 1st Declaration, another 2nd Declaration (copied in verbatim below) was signed between Persatuan Kebudayaan Kadazan Dusun Sabah (KOISAAN) and Persatuan Dusun Sabah (USDA) on 11th April, 1995 to affirm the following:-:
(i) Menggunakan Dialek BUNDULIWAN sebagai dialek asas pemiawaian dan pembakuan Bahasa Kadazandusun dalam penulisan dan pertuturan di dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran Bahasa Ibunda Pelajar [Pupil’s Own Language (POL)].
(ii) Dialek BUNDULIWAN akan terus diperkayakan oleh dialek-dialek lain yang terdapat di dalam rumpun Bahasa KADAZANDUSUNIK dan PAITANIK;
(iii) Untuk mengemaskinikan perkembangan Bahasa KADAZANDUSUN satu badan perunding yang dipanggil MAJLIS PERUNNDING BAHASA KADAZANDUSUN SABAH (MPBK) dibentuk, berfungsi sebagai sebuah Badan Rujukan di dalam aspek-aspek ejaan, penggunaan perkataan yang piawai, penerapan perkataan-perktaan dari dialek-dialek lain di dalam rumpun Bahasa KADAZANDUSUNIK, PAITANIK dan bahasa-bahasa asing ke dalam Bahasa KADAZANDUSUN.
d) PERISYTIHARAN PERSETUJUAN ini dibuat berasaskan faktor-faktor berikut:-
(i) Pada umumnya, dialek BUNDULIWAN sebagai dialek asas dalam pembentukan Bahasa KADAZANDUSUN, menerima kurang bantahan, jika dibandingkan dengan dialek-dialek yang lain, dari wakil-wakil kumpulan utama etnik berdialek KADAZANDUSUNIK dan PAITANIK, yang hadir di dalam symposium “Towards standardization of Kadazan Language” yang telah diadakan di Hotel Perkasa Kundasang pada 13hb. Januari, 1989.
(ii) Dialek Bunduliwan telah dikenalpasti oleh pakar-pakar penyelidik Bahasa, khususnya Summer Institute of Linguistic (SIL) sebagai dialek yang mempunyai “intelligibility” yang tertinggi di antara dialek-dialek yang terdapat di dalam rumpun Bahasa Kadazandusunik dan Paitanik.
(iii) Dari segi geographical, dialek BUNDULIWAN diguna dan ditutur dengan lebih meluas oleh kalangan Multi-Etnik Kadazandusunik dan Paitanik, jika dibandingkan dengan dialek-dialek yang lain, khususnya di daerah Apin-Apin, Bundu Tuhan, Inanam, Kota Belud, Kota Marudu, Keningau, Kinarut, Kiulu, Kundasang, Lingkabau, Menggatal, Paitan Ranau, Sook, Tambunan, Tamparuli, Telipok, Telupid, Tongod, Tuaran, Ulu Kinabatangan, Ulu Penampang dan Ulu Papar.
Kejayaan pengajaran dan pembelajaran Bahasa Kadazandusun di sekolah-sekolah sebagai Bahasa Ibunda Pelajar, adalah bergantung kepada banyaknya permohonan (tidak kurang lima belas ibubapa pelajar) supaya bahasa itu diajar di sesebuah sekolah. Oleh yang demikian, penggunaan dan pertuturan dialek BUNDULIWAN yang lebih menyeluruh jika dibandingkan dengan dialek-dialek lain dalam rumpun bahasa Kadazandusunik dan Paitanik sekurang-kurangya akan dapat membantu menjamin kejayaan pengajaran Bahasa Kadazandusun.”
VI. The above Declarations, particularly the 2nd Declaration, paved the way for the Federal Ministry of Education to approve and provide the necessary funds/ annual Budgets to implement the teaching of KadazanDusun language in schools.
VII. The trials and implementation for the teaching of KadazanDusun language started in 1997 in various stages in the Primary school from Year 4 (Trial) in 1997 and implemented in the subsequent years from 1988 – 2009 up to Primary 6; whilst for Secondary School it was carried out from 2007 (Trial for Form 1) to 2009 up to PMR standard.
VIII. The following statistics show the number of schools, teachers and students respectively of the KadazanDusun language as of year 2007. (Source: Sabah State Education Department (JPNS), 2007):-
Levels No. of Schools No. of Teachers No of Students
Primary (Yr. 4, 5 & 6) 276 775 20,451
Secondary (Form 1 & Trial Form 2) 31 61 1,429
Total 307 836 21,880
3) Observations from the 2nd Declaration
(i) The Second Declaration, which was signed between KDCA and USDA on 11th April, 1995 to adopt the usage of BUNDULIWAN as the standard KadazanDusun dialect (POL), should not have been executed at the outset since there was no consensus reached nor resolutions adopted during the “Symposium Towards standardization of Kadazan Language” which was held on 13th January, 1989 at Hotel Perkasa Kundasang.
(ii) It would appear that, in the Second Declaration, the BUNDULIWAN dialect was adopted in haste as the basic KADAZANDUSUNIK and PAITANIK language. This dialect might have been the best option then in 1989, albeit no resolution was passed to suggest its adoption during the said Symposium.
(iii) A similar symposium (or referendum in this case) should have been held to determine the appropriate KadazanDusun Language or Pupil’s Own Language (POL) for adoption before the 2nd Declaration was signed.
(iv) At the time when the Second Declaration was executed, i.e., six years after the said Symposium, the leaders from the various ethnic groups in Sabah were not consulted with regard to the appropriate KadazanDusun language (POL) to be taught in school.
(v) The Second Declaration was executed without first carrying a proper study and assessment to determine whether the BUNDULIWAN dialect was the appropriate standard KadazanDusun language; and whether the said dialect was readily acceptable and/or tolerable by the majority of the Kadazan, Dusun and Murut.
(vi) The said Declaration might have been prepared and executed in haste - perhaps to meet the time frame for submission set by the Federal Ministry of Education, and perhaps to meet its condition that the Pupil’s Own Language (POL) must be stated - before the teaching of KadazanDusun language could be implemented in schools. Hence ‘BUNDULIWAN’ was adopted to beat the time frame.
4) Why ‘BUNDULIWAN’ Language is not appropriate.
(i) The ‘BUNDULIWAN’ language is a coined word by combining the dialects of two sub-ethnic groups of BUNDU and LIWAN. This is tantamount to creating a new language which thus makes it absurd and inappropriate for adoption as POL since there is no such ethnic race as ‘Bunduliwan’. Moreover BUNDU (Ranau) and LIWAN (Tambunan) are names of places or villages and, when combined, do not constitute as a race or as a language.
(ii) The inappropriate selection and adoption of BUNDULIWAN language as the standard KadazanDusun language (POL) might have contributed to non-acceptance by the other ethnic groups, in particular the Kadazans who do not understand too well with the BUNDU and LIWAN dialects, let alone merging the two dialects into a “simulated” lingua franca which makes it alien to many.
(iii) On the contrary, the other various ethnic groups can easily understand - perhaps not spoken fluently - the dialects of the Kadazans from Penampang or Papar. The reason being the standard Kadazan language has long been spoken and aired over the Radio Sabah under “Pangaan Kadazan” or Kadazan Section since its inception in 1954; whilst the Dusun and Murut sections only started on 2nd January, 1978.
(iv) “A language to be taught in school should not be atrociously difficult to understand, speak or write, but a dialect that can easily be understood, spoken or written by the majority of the Kadazan, Dusun or Murut communities – the three major communities of the indigenous groups in Sabah.” – Gun. Cyril Pinso, a participant of the said Symposium, who confirmed that there was no resolution on the use of BUNDULIWAN language.
5) Setbacks and Reasons for non-acceptance of BUNDULIWAN dialect as Pupil’s Own Language (POL).
(i) It is undeniably of paramount importance that parents should encourage their children to learn and speak the KadazanDusun language lest they (children) might lose their own identity. But the teaching of BUNDULIWAN language in school underscores the propagation of a non-ethnic race. It might even lead to creating confusion between the parents and their children in the process of learning it in school as it is a ‘created’ language.
(ii) The “simulation” or “combination” of the two ethnic dialects into a ‘BUNDULIWAN’ language has stifled the noble objective of having a standard KadazanDusun language (POL), thus defeating the purpose of teaching the language in school. This is manifested by the children’s refusal to take up the KadazanDusun language in school because they are so confused and puzzled when they come to learn BUNDULIWAN. What they learn in school is so different from what is being taught to them at home by their parents.
(iii) Ironically, the parents could not even understand their children when they converse with each other – perhaps alien to their ears as compared to the standard Kadazan language. Interestingly non-natives however, are more than willing to take up the language. It makes no difference to the non-ethnic communities to learn ‘BUNDULIWAN’ language as it is already a foreign language to them. Hence, not only they are prepared and happy to learn and acquire an additional language but it is also to their advantage.
(iv) The main reason why foreigners want to learn ‘BUNDULIWAN’ language is because they do not realize the difference between proper Kadazan language (analogous to Queen’s English or Mandarin to the Chinese) as against the “simulated” ‘BUNDULIWAN’ language. Those who take up the said Language are led to believe that it is the actual standard KadazanDusun language taught in school when in fact it is not. They take up this “new language” just to satisfy their curiosity of learning it, but little do they realize that there is a substantial difference between KADAZANDUSUNIC and PAITANIK language as opposed to the more acceptable (or easily) spoken standard Kadazan language, i.e., the “Radio Kadazan language”.
(v) The standard “Kadazan Language” or “Radio Kadazan Language” as it is being acknowledged, was first broadcasted by the Kadazan Section over the Radio Sabah since 1954, and is still well received and understood by most, if not all, by the multi-ethnic and multi-lingual natives of Sabah.
(6) Assessments by the Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS).
The Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS) has taken note and made assessments regarding the shortcomings and difficulties faced by many Kadazans or Dusuns people on the smooth implementation of the KadazanDusun language (BUNDULIWAN) that has been going on for the last 10 years. The observations are as follows:-
(i) That the standard Kadazan language (BUNDULIWAN) being implemented and taught in school has not been well received by the Kadazans or Dusuns because some of the words or phrases are alien to or not easily understood by them;
(ii) That the said Language is being conducted outside school hours;
(iii) That the said Language has not been listed as a subject in UPSR by the Education Ministry, and as such the parents/students consider it as not important – a negative perception from the public;
(iv) That trained language school teachers are not enough;
(v) That reference materials are not sufficiently made available.
(7) Justifications to review BUNDULIWAN Language as Pupil’s Own Language (POL).
(a) In view of those assessments and observations listed in the foregoing paragraphs, the review of the present usage of BUNDULIWAN as POL is justifiable. It is now high and appropriate time to review this language as to its suitability and appropriateness to be taught in school.
(b) Moreover, the language has already been taught in school for more than 10 years since 1997 (see Appendix ‘C’ attached) but without much headway due to various reasons curtailing its success. Hence, the justifications for review are as follows:-
(i) That the continuation of implementing the usage of “BUNDULIWAN” language is no longer realistic since the desired results thus far have not been satisfactorily achieved albeit the intention of teaching in school a “standard” or a “common language” for all the ethnic groups is noble;
(ii) That the present ‘BUNDULIWAN’ language should be replaced with the standard Kadazan language which is undeniably understood by most of the various ethnic groups of Sabah.
(iii) That the reading materials that have already been published and approved by the Federal Education Department as teaching materials thus far can be translated into standard Kadazan language, whilst those books in their present format are maintained in their own respective lingua franca for teaching references;
(iv) That the standard Kadazan Language was the dialect used to translate the Cobbold Commission Enquiry for North Borneo in 1962 prior to the formation of Malaysia in 1963. The standard Kadazan dialect was also used at the time by Radio Sabah, Kadazan Section as the standard and or proper language aired over the Radio when disseminating that information to the various indigenous ethnic communities.
(v) That the old Malay adage of “HILANG BAHASA, HILANG BANGSA” which has been promulgated by the local leaders in uniting the ethnic groups of Sabah, does not hold water anymore as ‘BUNDULIWAN’ is neither an ethnic race nor a language.
(8) Conclusion and Recommendations.
“We ought not to look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors.” – George Washington.
(a) Inspired by this wisdom, the Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS) holds fast to this phrase … “We ought not to let mistake to perpetuate lest it becomes the truth.” - KSS. Truth must be revealed so that historical facts are not distorted.
(b) Since the facts have been distorted when recommending to the Ministry of Education with regard to the adoption of BUNDULIWAN as the standard Kadazan language (POL), the Kadazan Society Sabah therefore makes the following recommendations to the Ministry of Education as well as to the indigenous ethnic communities for consideration and consensus:-
(i) That the usage of the BUNDULIWAN dialect in the teaching of the Kadazan language in schools has not been successful and thus not practical since it contradicts with the everyday usage of the spoken Kadazan language that is being used and broadcasted over the RTM (Radio Sabah-Kadazan Section);
(ii) That the standard KADAZAN Language (or the ‘Radio Kadazan Language’) has already been generally recognized and accepted by the Government in view of the fact that this language has been aired/broadcasted over the radio by Radio Sabah/RTM since 1954 by the Kadazan Section;
(iii) That a “Thesaurus” Dictionary be compiled to include the other ethnic dialects in order to accurately express the meaning of words or phrases which may not exist in the adopted standard Kadazan Language.
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Appendix ‘C’
The Kadazan Language – its beginnings and acceptance.
(The following information are abridged from the article written by Rita Lasimbang and Trixie Kinajil entitled “Changing the Language Ecology of Kadazandusun: The Role of the Kadazandusun Language Foundation”, unless the sources are stated otherwise).
(1) Terminology - The term “Kadazandusun” is a conjoined term from the two indigenous ethnical groups of ‘Kadazan’ and ‘Dusun’ and from which the term was decided as the official name of the shared language – the standard language - that has been introduced in Sabah Schools. More recently, the word has been used as a general umbrella term for both Kadazan and Dusun people (only), and as a loose term for all languages in the Dusunic language family.
(2) Chronology on the usage of Kadazan language:-
(i) 1953 - The Kadazan Language was introduced in the all-English Newspaper Sabah Times;
(ii) 1954 - Radio Sabah started a Kadazan Programme that ran for 15 minutes daily, increasing to 14 hours per week in 1960. (Reid, 1997);
(iii) 1958 - The first Kadazan-English-Kadazan Dictionary compiled and authored by Rev. Fr. Antonissen was published;
(iv) 1962 - The first Kadazan publication of Samuel Majalang’s “Tanong do Kadazan” (Kadazan Stories) which was published by the Borneo Literature Bureau;
(v) 1985 - Kadazan Cultural Association (KCA) began the first introduction of the standardized Kadazan orthography with the production of books from a Kadazan Children’s Literature Production workshops;
(vi) 1987 - The biggest application of the standardized orthography was made in the update of (Rev. Fr.) Antonissen’s 1958 Kadazan Dictionary and Grammar. This update paved the way for the publication of the first ever linguistic and trilingual Kadazan Dusun-Malay-English Dictionary;
(vii) 1988 - KCA began to make efforts to request that Kadazan language be taught in schools. The Minister of Education made a statement that the study of languages such as Kadazan might be incorporated into the school syllabus;
(viii) 13th January, 1989 - A symposium, “Towards the Standardization of the Kadazan Dialects”, organized by KCA, was held to examine the matter. During this symposium, old differences quickly cropped up on which label to use for the standard language – whether “Kadazan” or “Dusun”. “This conflicting view of identity had shelved the issue of standardization and with it, the hope of teaching the Kadazan language in schools”. – Rita Lasimbang;
(ix) 1994 - Member of Parliament and a KadazanDusun himself, YB [Honourable] Tan Sri Bernard G. Dompok, began seriously pursuing the matter and he succeeded in the re-introduction of the Kadazan/Dusun language in schools in April 1995.
(x) 24th January, 1995 - KDCA and USDA signed a Joint Declaration that KADAZANDUSUN language was the official language of KDCA and USDA. (Source: KDCA/USDA Joint Declaration dated 24.01.1995);
(xi) 11th April, 1995 - KDCA and USDA signed another Joint Declaration that the BUNDULIWAN dialect was adopted as the standard KadazanDusun language quoting the Symposium “Towards standardization of Kadazan Language” held at Hotel Perkasa Kundasang on 13th January, 1989 as the basis of adopting the dialect. (Source: KDCA/USDA Joint Declaration dated 11.04.1995).
Note: The issue of standardizing the Kadazan language by adopting BUNDULIWAN dialect as the “Kadazan/Dusun language” at the Symposium (11th April, 1995) was shelved! Refer to comments in (viii) above by Rita Lasimbang.
Meanwhile, Gundohing Cyril Pinso who was a participant at the Symposium has informed me that there was, in fact, no decision during the Symposium to adopt the BUNDULIWAN dialect as the standard Kadazan language to be taught in school (POL). He has therefore kindly consented to be quoted to vouch this statement when I interviewed him on 16th January, 2009 in Kota Kinabalu, and to convey his views as follows:-
“A language to be taught in school should not be atrociously difficult to understand, speak or write, but a dialect that can easily be understood, spoken or written by the majority of the Kadazan, Dusun or Murut communities – the three major communities of the indigenous groups in Sabah.” – Cyril Pinso.
(xii) 1997 - Trial implementation of BUNDULIWAN language in year 4. (Source: KLF Golf 2008);
(xiii) 1988-2009 - Implementation years up to Primary 6. (Source: KLF Golf 2008 Booklet);
(xiv) 2007-2009 - Trial implementation period of the BUNDULIWAN language in Secondary School in Form 1(2007) up to PMR standard in subsequent years until 2009. (Source: KLF Golf 2008 Booklet).
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