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Sabahan UN rep slams CM Hajiji govt over ‘Borneo.TV' launch, calls it cultural 'betrayal'

'THE Sabah state government's hasty launch of has come under fire from local indigenous cultural leaders with a United Nations (UN) representative accusing Chief Minister (CM) Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor's administration of sidelining native voices and undermining Borneo's cultural sovereignty. Launched on July 1 at Menara Kinabalu and developed by Kuala Lumpur-based IB Media Consultant Sdn Bhd, the television channel was allegedly rolled out without any consultation with Sabah's indigenous artists and cultural stakeholders. 'For years, the state has neglected the cultural rights of indigenous artists, singers and songwriters, leaving their creative economies and heritage unsupported,' fumed UN permanent representative for the Dayak International Organisation Datuk Petinggi Andrew Ambrose Atama Katama. 'I fully endorse SAFVA's (Sabah Film and Visual Association) opposition to the lack of consultation … As cultural conscious Borneans, we must resist this erosion of our identity by ending all forms of cultural exploitation.' A pioneering KadazanDusun-English hip-hop artist, Atama Katama further claimed that the deal between the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Secretariat and IB Media violated both international norms and indigenous rights, including the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) principle under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He also expressed concern over the use of the name 'Borneo' in a platform owned by TV Al Hijrah president/CEO Datuk Izelan Basar by stating that it 'raises serious concerns about cultural appropriation'. MACC's intervention sought Prominent Sabahan artist Yee I-Lan echoed the sentiment by warning in a Facebook post that ' owned by a non-Bornean Malayan religious content figure with limited media experience, smacks of neo-colonialism'. Criticism was also extended to the annual Borneo Native Festival (BNF), held in Kuala Lumpur. Sarawakian activist Peter John Jaban claimed that the festival romanticised Bornean identity for a Peninsular audience while offering little support or recognition to local experts like his GOASS cultural group. While the SMJ Secretariat has claimed that was privately funded, this has done little to dispel concerns. Atama Katama argued that the station absolved the state of responsibility and only handed Sabah's cultural narrative to 'rent-seeking executives' while making the Sabah CM who was a former radio announcer 'utterly compromised'. On this note, Atama Katama called on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate the 'opaque' agreement behind He also insisted that the Sabah State Ministry immediately uphold the cultural rights of indigenous communities while urging full FPIC and meaningful engagement with local creative artisans. Above all else, Atama Katama further demanded that the SMJ Secretariat publish a clear policy on cultural appropriation and take steps to prevent misuse of the term 'Borneo' by private entities. 'Our cultural heritage is sacred and must not be exploited, particularly for religious purposes,' he added. – July 4, 2-2025 Main image credit: Hajiji Hajo Noor/Facebook