Wences Bumburing
KOTA KINABALU: Lawyer Marcel Jude’s open apology to the Kadazan Dusun Murut and Rungus (KDMR) community for his remarks about the Unduk Ngadau pageant and contestants is not enough.
The apology does not meet the requirements of the KDMR customary law because the insult was not against an individual or a group of people but for the whole KDMR race, said Angkatan Perpaduan Sabah (APS) president Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing.
“So the best place for justice is the Native Court and APS therefore urges the Unduk Ngadau 2021 organising committee to file a defamation suit on behalf of the KDMR race at the Native Court against Marcel so that justice can be obtained for the insult,” he said.
Bumburing added that the Native Court will determine the sentence in accordance to the customary law on insulting the KDMR institution.
He opined that Marcel’s apology will not bring about changes to the KDMR institution as its culture, tradition and customs have been tarnished.
“If no action is taken against him, then it opens the door to others to do the same in the future, where they take the opportunity to insult the KDMR institution which is rich in culture, language, tradition and customs,” he said.
This will also defend women so that they are not looked down on by men, he opined.
Bumburing was commenting on Marcel’s apology he issued on the relevant parts of his bail application submission for his client’s cases which have caused hurt and pain to the KDMR community.
In his written bail application for suspended STAR member Phillip Among, Marcel had likened the beauty pageant to an “exotic cattle show” and an “auction show”.
Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association Youth Council chairman Joanna Kitingan urged the lawyer to retract his remarks and apologise.
Marcel on Monday apologised on the relevant parts of his bail application submission for his client’s cases which have caused hurt and pain to the Kadazan Dusun Murut and Rungus community.
Phillip is charged with five counts of molesting two women and one of them an Unduk Ngadau. He has claimed trial to all the charges.
In a statement on Monday, Marcel said that he wanted to apologize to all the Unduk Ngadaus throughout Malaysia from the beginning of beauty pageant until the year of 2021.
The Momogun National Congress (MNC) has also demanded that Marcel be subjected to the full legal rigours of adat law in the State Native Court for attempting to bring the Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan (UNK) tradition into disrepute and public humiliation.
MNC is deeply saddened and disappointed by Marcel’s statement on the Unduk Ngadau Ka’amatan institution.
Its president, Tan Sri Wences Angang, said the statement is misplaced, injurious and condescending towards Unduk Ngadau, womenfolk and community.
Wences pointed out that the Momogun community have always upheld their womenfolk as equal members of our society.
“Our people do not practise any form of gender discrimination; we celebrate achievements, victories and strengths from among our men and women with equal fierce pride and candour. From this deeply entrenched supportive ecosystem, we have witnessed the emergence of women of great calibre in various fields and professions such as politics, education, sciences, medicine, law and finance, ” he said in a statement on Monday.
“In short, what our men can do, so too the women in our community.
“Therefore, to have someone in the likes of Marcel Jude to categorically equate the young Momogun women in the Unduk Ngadau Ka’amatan as nothing more than paraded cattle or showcase pets is deeply offensive and breaches the limits of societal decency.
“His statement belittles and ridicules our young women, our traditions and our beliefs. It shows his utter lack of understanding of the whole concept of Humonidun and the basis for why our community celebrates Ka’amatan every year,” said Wences.
He added the UNK has evolved over the years into a competition where beauty, intelligence and appreciation of culture and heritage have become the benchmark for aspiring Ka’amatan queens. It is certainly not a contest of bodily proportions as he has proudly proclaimed.