Dusun Society Sabah

The Kadazan and Dusun communities ,who are already politically divided, are again heading for split and this time around due to the emergence of a new body called Dusun Society Sabah (DSS). Its formation is being finalised and will be submitting its application to the Registrar of Society for registration.

DSS will be in the company of the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA), United Dusun Sabah Association (USDA) and Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS).

KDCA headed by Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan is the oldest, second come USDA led by Datuk Kalakau Untol and two years ago Datuk Marcel Leking formed KSS. The DSS will be headed by Datu Sebastian Datu Penglima Banting.

DSS objectives, among others, are to strive to nurture the Dusun culture, dialect and organise programmes that could bring about progress to the community.

Membership is open to natives of Sabah whose race are defined as Dusun in their Birth Certificates.

The formation of DSS might had been prompted to what Leiking told KSS members during its annual dinner last month. He said it was timely that the community identified themselves as either Dusun or Kadazan.

"There is no such race called Kadazandusun," he said.

The term Kadazandusun-murut gained acceptance during the Pairin-led Parti Bersadu Sabah State Government (1985-1994) when an attempt was made to reconcile the Kadazans and Dusuns for political strength.

The term Kadazan was introduced by Tun Mohd Fuad Stephens (Datuk Donald Stephens) in 1961. He declared that the Dusuns would be called Kadazans.

Now that DSS is open for those whose race are registered as Dusun in the Birth Certificate, this new body could housed majority of the people as even Pairin's race is Dusun in his certificate.