NABALU NEWS WELCOMES COLLABORATION TO STRENGTHEN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES

Rowindy while delivering her speech during the event.

1 April 2021

By Wartawan Nabalu News

KOTA KINABALU: The management of Nabalu News portal welcomes ethnic and cultural associations in Sabah that wish to collaborate in programmes that further strengthen indigenous languages in Sabah.

Its General Manager Rowindy Lawrence said the portal is open to such cooperation so that all ethnics languages in the state can be preserved and passed on to the younger generation.

She said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nabalu News and the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) Language and Communication (Kadazandusun Language) Faculty was voluntarily made based on the mutual spirit of wanting to preserve the Kadanzandusun native language.

UPSI will determine and provide the content of the "Kanou Minsingilo Boros Kadazandusun" (Let's Learn Kadazandusun Language) programme, while the portal publishes the content on all of its social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Rowindy (second right) having a conversation with Tan Sri Bernard Dompok (right).

"Maybe this is not a new thing for some people, but as Sabahans that care about our native tongue, we agree to play our role by sharing simple infographics to our readers regardless of their ethnicities, whether they are from the Kadazandusun or other tribes.

"We think such efforts should be started by the Kadazandusun community themselves even though we know the language can be developed and used by anyone who is interested in learning about the native tongue," she said while delivering her speech during the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing between UPSI and Nabalu News at the Sutera Harbour Golf Club here, today.

UPSI's Faculty of Language and Communication (Kadazandusun Language) was represented by its Senior Lecturer Dr Rosliah Kiting while Editor-in-Chief Marryan Razan represented Nabalu News.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by UPKO Vice President cum Kadamaian State Assemblyman Datuk Ewon Benedick. Also present were Kadazandusun Language Foundation (KLF) Advisor Tan Sri Bernard Dompok and KLF Chairman Datuk Philip Lasimbang.

Rowindy also expressed her appreciation to the UPKO under the leadership of Tan Sri Bernard Dompok who has worked to ensure that the learning of the Kadazandusun language can be implemented in schools, then in teaching institutes and universities such as UPSI.

"In fact, we are proud that this effort continues to be strengthened by the current UPKO leaders.

"This MoU is one of the initiatives that can complement or add value to existing initiatives and being implemented by various parties including KLF, the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA), and the Kadazandusun Language Teachers Council," she said, while also thanking Ewon who fully supports the "Kanou Minsingilo Boros Kadazandusun" programme.

"He (Ewon) actually came up with the idea of ​​this collaboration. We know he also fully supports the organisation of the Kadazandusun Language Carnival which is held annually in Kota Belud all this while.

"We at Nabalu News would like to offer services as a strategic media partner if the carnival or such programmes are organised," Rowindy announced.