KUCHING, Feb 16 — All children of mixed marriages between natives and non-natives should be recognised as native, said Baru Bian (PSB-Ba Kelalan).

Speaking in support of the Interpretation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, he said the current definition under Interpretation Ordinance 2005 had led to the contentious issue of whether the children born to parents of marriages between a non-native person and a native of Sarawak are recognised as native.

He pointed out problems have arisen in recent times with the Sarawak Land and Survey Department which has made  it difficult for children of mixed native/non-native marriages to inherit native land.

He also cited other implications when these children were denied their rightful status as natives including students who were denied entry into universities because one of their parent is a non-native and was therefore  considered a  non-bumiputera and denied the bumiputra’s status and benefits.

If the children of marriages between natives and non-natives are not recognised as native, he feared many Sarawakians would lose their native status since there are many such marriages in the state.

"Eventually, there will be no natives left in Sarawak. Not only would this have serious implications on the demographics of Sarawak, but it would have deleterious effects of  our people’s sense of identity, culture and heritage.

"We have always prided ourselves in our mixed races with their various adat and our multi-culturalism, and we must do all we can to preserve our unique characteristics. Therefore, the inclusion of ‘a person who is a citizen and a natural born child of a person of a race indigenous to Sarawak’ in the definition gives a clearer picture that only one of the parents needs to be of an indigenous race,” he said when debating the Bill at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN).

For the avoidance of all doubt and ambiguity, he suggested that it be clearly spelt out that as long as one of the child’s parents is of an indigenous race, the child is considered to be a native.

Stressing that it is a matter of paramount importance, he said he was sure many who are the children of mixed marriages would like to know how they can be declared "Native” once this amendment is passed and gazetted.

On the Bill itself, he said this amendment to update the list of races considered to be indigenous to Sarawak is timely and will be welcomed by all Sarawakians, especially those from the native communities which had been excluded from the old list.

He however noted two races not included in the proposed new schedule namely Bukitan and Remun, and he believed there may be others as well while Bukitan is in the current list under Interpretation Ordinance 2005 but not in this amendment. — Borneo Post