KOTA KINABALU: Chief Justice Tan Sri Richard Malanjum today proposed that the government conduct an audit on the rights of the indigenous people to ensure that they are in line with the United Nations declaration.

“I hope the laws in Sabah or Malaysia (as a whole) adhere to the UN declaration which states that the rights of the indigenous people should be protected.

“For that reason, we now have to conduct an audit to see whether our laws (on the rights of the indigenous people) are in line with or contrary to the declaration.

“If any law is contrary (to the declaration), then we (the government) will have to modify the law,“ he told reporters after opening the Borneo Rainforest Law Conference 2019 here.

The one-day conference, attended by 325 people from the country and abroad, was organised by the Sabah Law Society with the cooperation of the Sabah Justices of the Peace Council (MAJAPS) and Sabah Native Customs and Mediation Resource Centre (PUSAKA).

The conference served as a platform for a deeper understanding of the rights of the indigenous people and the legal developments pertaining to the community in today’s era of globalisation.

Malanjum said the government should remain committed to protecting the rights of the indigenous people in today’s increasingly challenging world to ensure a brighter future for the community.

Hence, he hoped that a proposal paper could be submitted to the government after the conference calling for a review of the true position of the indigenous community in Malaysia today.

Malanjum also suggested that the government replace the term “native” with “indigenous people” as one of the efforts to change the public perception of the community.

He said the term “native” gave a negative connotation because most people still saw the community as undeveloped and outdated.

Malanjum advised the indigenous people to opt for mediation than the courts to resolve issues that they faced, such as those pertaining to land ownership, to arrive at win-win solutions besides avoiding protracted conflicts.

Meanwhile, Sabah Assistant Minister for Law and Native Affairs Jannie Lasimbang said Sabah had begun implementing the rights of the indigenous people based on the UN declaration, such as providing training for the community leaders and village heads to enable them to understand the matter.

The state government would also continue to monitor the legal developments related to the rights of the indigenous people towards empowering the community, she said. — Bernama