Latest news with #MomogunNationalCongress
Daily Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Express
Momogun National Congress awaits State nod for ‘Momogun'
Published on: Monday, July 14, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jul 14, 2025 Text Size: Wences, a former assemblyman and Deputy Chief Minister, who is from the Tatana ethnic group, said MNC is also looking into the possibility of organizing the World Rural Development Day, beginning next year in collaboration with the Momogun signatories and other Momogun NGOs. PENAMPANG: The Momogun National Congress (MNC) has not given up seeking official recognition of the term 'Momogun' as a collective name for the indigenous peoples of President, Tan Sri Wences Angang, said despite opposition by a small number of Momogun groups, MNC stands by the support and desire of 77 Sabah indigenous NGOs for 'Momogun' as their collective name. 'We continue to wait for the State Government to pass the MNC's resolution to adopt the Momogun Declaration which requires that 'Momogun' be placed in Government forms. We have submitted the declaration to the Chief Minister as well as the previous Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Juhar,' he said. 'We also await the actual implementation of the new non-politicised format of the Native Court, manned by permanent and pensionable staffers.' 'If Kadazans, Dusuns, Muruts, Bisayas, Tidongs and Orang Sungais (Paitanics) were to be counted as separate individual groups, their respective numbers would be small and insignificant. 'But if they are counted as a group they will exceed the strong one million mark in Sabah's population of three million,' he said. 'We are now facing a serious existential threat, and for this we will continue our dialogue with the Momogun signatories and other Momogun NGOs to seek ways to counter threats from globalisation.' He said part of their approach is to seek worldwide recognition by aligning MNC with the International Indigenous Peoples' Movement. 'MNC is organizing for the third time the annual International Indigenous Peoples' Day to be held in Tenom next month.' Wences, a former assemblyman and Deputy Chief Minister, who is from the Tatana ethnic group, said MNC is also looking into the possibility of organizing the World Rural Development Day, beginning next year in collaboration with the Momogun signatories and other Momogun NGOs. He stressed that MNC must take advantage of the international day which was declared by the United Nation's General Assembly last July 6 to reaffirm the UN's unwavering commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He said MNC is also working to enhance the teaching of the English language being carried out by Institute for Indigenous Economic Progress (INDEP), under its 'Be an English Speaker Today' (BEST) program. 'English is the crucial language to enable Momoguns to gain high paying employment and to participate effectively in global affairs,' he stressed. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Borneo Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
MNC vows to press for Momogun identity and socioeconomic progress
Wences PENAMPANG (July 12): The Momogun National Congress (MNC) is relentless in pushing for the full and undisputed official recognition of the term 'Momogun' as a collective name for the indigenous peoples of Sabah. In his address at the MNC Installation Night here last night, MNC President Tan Sri Wences Angang made the assurance that despite opposition of a small number of Momogun groups, MNC stands by the support and desire of 77 Sabah indigenous NGOs from all over Sabah for Momogun as their collective name. 'We continue to wait for the State Government to pass the MNC's resolution to adopt the Momogun Declaration which requires that 'Momogun' be placed in government forms. We have since a while ago submitted the declaration to the Chief Minister as well as the previous Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Juhar,' he said. 'We also await the actual implementation of the new non-politicised format of the Native Court, manned by permanent and pensionable staff,' he said. As the president who had won uncontested in the last MNC election, Wences said that unity of the Momoguns into a group would significantly raise their status in the demographic makeup of the state. 'If the Kadazans, Dusuns, Muruts, Bisayas, Tidongs and Orang Sungais (Paitanics) were to be counted as separate individual groups, their respective numbers would be small and insignificant. But if they are counted as a group they will exceed the strong one million mark in Sabah's population of three million,' he said. 'We are now facing a serious existential threat, and for this we will continue our dialogues with the Momogun signatories and other Momogun NGOs to seek ways to counter threats from globalization. 'In part, our approach is to seek worldwide recognition by aligning MNC with the International Indigenous Peoples' Movement. And for this purpose, MNC is proud to announce that we are now busy organizing for the third time the annual International Indigenous Peoples' Day to be held in Tenom next month,' he added. Wences, a former assemblyman and Deputy Chief Minister, who himself is a Momogun from the Tatana ethnic group, also said MNC is also looking into the possibility of organizing the World Rural Development Day, beginning next year in collaboration with the Momogun signatories and other Momogun NGOs. He stressed that MNC must take advantage of the international day which was declared by the United Nation's General Assembly last July 6 to reaffirm the UN's unwavering commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Quoting Manjira Mathai, the Managing Director For Global Partnership and AFRICA, World Economic Institute, Wences said, 'Rural communities are the quiet wheels that power our world: hubs of food production, guardians of the most critical ecosystem, and anchors of cultural heritage. Yet they remain some of the most underinvested and overlooked. As the world confronts the polycrises of climate change, poverty, and food insecurity, there is growing recognition that rural transformation is not optional. It is an essential part of building lasting resilience for any nation and it must begin with meaningful investment, not just acknowledgement.' He said that to enhance the Momogun youths' international exposure and economic participation, MNC is working to enhance the teaching of the English language being carried out by Institute for Indigenous Economic Progress (INDEP), under its 'Be an English Speaker Today' (BEST) program. 'English is the crucial language to enable Momoguns to gain high paying employment and to participate effectively in global affairs,' he pointed out. At the installation ceremony, official appointment certificates were given to 29 Supreme Council members.
Borneo Post
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Native Court reform long overdue, says Momogun National Congress
Wences KOTA KINABALU (May 5): The Momogun National Congress (MNC) has expressed strong support for the Sabah government's plan to implement the Native Court reform, replacing the current outdated Native Court Enactment. Its president, Tan Sri Wences Angang, sees the development as a momentous and historic development for the strengthening of the native administration in the state which should be heartily supported by all native or Momogun institutions. 'It's a historic change that is long overdue,' he said in a statement. 'It's high time the Native Court is reformed to function as a proper government body and should no longer remain as an avenue for political appointments. Its administration has long been in disarray due to the frequent replacement of its personnel after every state general election. 'By upgrading the Native Court to the same status as the Syariah Court, establishing its staffing with permanent and pensionable personnel, we will see a new era of a more efficient and stronger jurisdiction over customary affairs, most crucially in matters of inheritance, marriage, and native land in the respective districts.' Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor recently announced that the Sabah Native Court Enactment 1992 will be replaced with a new version to streamline the court's structure and strengthen its role. The draft of the 2025 enactment is under review by relevant state departments before being presented to the State Cabinet and Legislative Assembly. Wences, who is also a former Deputy Chief Minister, also fully supported the statement by Libaran member of parliament Datuk Suhaimi Nasir who said the Native Courts must be equipped with qualified personnel, proper facilities, and ongoing training to function effectively, and should cease being used for political purposes. Wences proposes that each district's Native Court should include a research and development section to continuously monitor social changes affecting customs and tradition in order to remain relevant. He said this in line with Suhaimi's reminder about the need to constantly include open consultations with indigenous community representatives, village chiefs, and grassroots leaders who truly understand the social realities on the ground. Wences also said that while appointments of Native Court chiefs and judges should be carried out transparently and free from political interference, the enactment should also provide that all Native Court personnel must be appointed from among natives who practice the customary laws they will be administering.
The Star
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Sabah native court reforms long overdue, says Momogun group
KOTA KINABALU: The proposed native court reform to replace the outdated Native Court Enactment for Sabah is long overdue, says the Momogun National Congress (MNC). In expressing support for the state government's move, MNC president Tan Sri Wences Angang said it was a momentous development in strengthening native administration in the state, and should be supported by all native or Momogun institutions. 'It's a historic change that is long overdue. It's high time the Native Court is reformed to function as a proper government body and should no longer remain as an avenue for political appointments,' he said in a statement on Monday (May 5). ALSO READ: New version of Sabah Native Court Enactment in the works, says CM Hajiji He said its administration has long been in disarray owing to the frequent replacement of personnel after every state election. 'By upgrading the Native Court to the same status as the Syariah Court, establishing its staffing with permanent and pensionable personnel, we will see a new era of a more efficient and stronger jurisdiction over customary affairs,' said Angang, a former Sabah deputy chief minister. This matters most significantly in matters of inheritance, marriage, and native land in the respective districts, he explained. He proposed that each district's Native Court include a research and development section to monitor social changes affecting customs and tradition in order to remain relevant. Angang said this was in line with Libaran MP Datuk Suhaimi Nasir's reminder of the need to constantly have open consultations with indigenous community representatives, village chiefs and grassroots leaders who understand the realities on the ground. ALSO READ: Native court reforms in Sabah must uphold indigenous rights, says MP Suhaimi had also said that Native Courts must be equipped with qualified personnel, proper facilities, and ongoing training to function effectively, and should cease being used for political purposes. On this, Angang said that while appointments of Native Court chiefs and judges should be carried out transparently and free from political interference, the enactment should also provide that all Native Court personnel must be natives who practice the customary laws they would be administering. In February, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam said that Sabah's native court system, which predates formal governance and has long served both Muslim and non- Muslim communities, requires reforms to ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness. He highlighted the crucial role that such courts play in administering customary laws among indigenous communities, operating alongside other legal frameworks.
