Enough with the Divisive Labels: Why Sabah Deserves Better Than Race Politics

Recently, a few clips of public speeches by a prominent Sabah politician, Shafie Apdal of Warisan, have been circulating. These speeches, which seem to use ethnic groups as political footballs, have rightly stirred anger and concern, especially within the Kadazandusun Murut Rungus (KDMR) community.

I want to talk about two specific statements and why they are not just 'political comments' but are, in fact, normalised discrimination and a dangerous form of ethnic scapegoating.

1. The Myth of the "Poorest, Divided KDM"

The quote that has gone viral is something along the lines of: "KDM ialah orang majoriti Sabah dan yang paling miskin ialah KDM, sebab apa, sebab mereka berpecah." (KDM are the majority people of Sabah, and the poorest are KDM, and the reason is they are divided.)

Let's unpack this political logic, which is frankly insulting to our dignity.

The Poverty Angle: Misdiagnosis and Blame

Is it true that many indigenous communities in Sabah, including a significant number of KDMR people, face economic hardship? Yes, absolutely. Official statistics consistently show Sabah’s poverty rate is the highest in Malaysia, and poverty is disproportionately concentrated in the rural heartlands predominantly inhabited by indigenous groups. This is a complex, structural issue rooted in decades of unequal development, poor infrastructure, land rights issues, and a lack of access to quality education and opportunities.

But here is where the political spin becomes harmful: The politician does not focus on systemic failures; he blames the victims.

By saying the cause of the poverty is because "mereka berpecah" (they are divided), the blame is swiftly removed from the shoulders of policy-makers and political leaders—including those who have been in power—and placed entirely onto the community's supposed lack of unity. This is a classic example of blaming the victim to score cheap political points.

The "Division" Lie and Our Real Unity

The accusation that KDM people are "berpecah" (divided) is a clear political manoeuvre.

In reality, KDMR people are striving for unity every single day. We share the labels "KDMR" and "Momogun" as unifying roots and identity. Our efforts to preserve dignity, rights, culture, language, and heritage through countless initiatives—literacy programmes, music, dictionaries, art—are proof of our cohesion, not division.

What the politician is really talking about is political alignment. When a politician cries "division," what he is demanding is monolithic political obedience to his party.

But here's a crucial truth: No single political party can or should represent the entirety of a diverse ethnic group.

We are not political robots. KDMR people are composed of individuals with diverse beliefs: some are liberal, some are conservative; some want a better Malaysia, some hold Sabah secessionist views, and some just want better roads and schools. Having different political choices is not being "divided"—it is the definition of a healthy, functioning democracy.

To suggest that individual political choice is a betrayal that causes poverty is an attempt to enforce ethnic supremacy—the idea that you must sacrifice your individual political mind for the sake of the 'collective' leader. That is an insult to our collective intelligence.

2. The Dangerous Conflation: "Kafir is Murut"

The second statement, where Shafie Apdal allegedly linked the term "kafir" (non-believer) with the Murut ethnic group, while contrasting it with Bajau as Muslims, is deeply disturbing and crosses a line into outright racial and religious prejudice.

The Normalisation of Discrimination

This statement is not just factually wrong (many Murut people are Muslim, and many are Christian or follow traditional beliefs). It is a pure, unadulterated example of normalised discrimination. It attempts to:

1. Weaponise Religion: It uses a specific religious label (kafir) to brand an entire, diverse ethnic group, ignoring the religious diversity within.
2. Sow Discord: It pits ethnic groups against one another based on religious lines—suggesting a difference in inherent worth or political reliability.
3. Undermine Dignity: It attacks the very dignity of a people by associating their ethnicity with a religiously charged, negative label.

As a reminder from Islamic teachings, the act of declaring another person a kafir (known as Takfir) is treated with extreme seriousness and caution by scholars. It is not the job of any human, especially not a politician seeking votes, to make such sweeping and destructive declarations about an entire people.

Rejecting the Narrative

We must strongly reject divisive labels that attempt to define us by the lowest common denominator.

My refusal to vote for such a party—“saya tak nak undi parti perkauman” (I don't want to vote for a racial party)—is a stance rooted in the fundamental belief that humans are equal in dignity and rights. No politician has the right to use race or religion to justify their campaign or excuse their lack of policy.

Poverty is real. Lack of development is real. But the solution is not to blame the KDMR people for their political freedom or religious diversity. The solution is to demand good governance, equitable development, and respect for all of Sabah’s diverse communities.

The real poverty lies not in the people, but in the bankrupt political rhetoric that keeps trying to divide us. KDM are not poor. The truly poor are those who resort to insulting others and never feel remorse for it.

Let's stand firm in our unity, our culture, and our demand for politics that lift all of us up, not tear us apart.

— Kalvin, Disability and Humane-Tech Activist.