I'm pretty miffed! No, No, miffed would be an understatement. I'm incensed at how the KDM, the Dusuns particularly, are being trampled on and exploited in their own land. Mount Kinabalu is a sacred mountain to the Dusuns. The Dusuns used to have full access to the mountain and its jungle. They go to the jungle to hunt, collect rattans and jungle products for their livelihood. The mountain which they used to refer to as Gayo Ngaran (the big name) was also the final resting place for the souls of the departed Dusuns.
How many more of the KDM's traditional rights and inheritance are going to be stripped before they awake and reclaim what are rightfully theirs to begin with? In 1962, the Dusuns in Kiulu and Bundu Tuhan agreed to "give up" their sacred mountain to the British government so that Kinabalu Park could be gazetted. The Dusuns then probably were not sophisticated enough in their negotiation with the British officials. They thought they would still have access to their beloved mountain and continue their way of live. They must had felt like they got the shorter end of the stick when they were told that collecting rattans, hunting and gathering jungle produce were strictly prohibited from thereon.
From thereon, they have to pay to visit their own sacred ground, if they could afford the fee and most couldn't. As though this slap in the face is not enough, now it seems KDM have to pay extra to climb Mount Kinabalu!! When did this take effect? How come I haven't heard or read about this before? And why are the KDM community keeping mum over this travesty??
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| Pic is a snapshot of a website |
Look at the 3rd last paragraph in the picture above!! What the HELL???
All climbers must purchase a climbing permit from the park headquarters before they depart. This will be checked at both Laban Rata and the Sayat-Sayat hut closer to the summit, so there's no way around it! Permits cost RM100 for non-Malay adults (RM40 for children), while Malay adults pay RM30 (RM12 for their children)
Malay pay RM30 and Non-Malay pay RM100?? LOL. Ok, ok. By now you should know that I'm just joking kan?? hehehe.. Actually the website is real and I think it is just a mistake. Westerners tend to make the mistake of referring to us as the Malay. Not the first time I encounter this mistake. At first I was just plainly annoyed but now, I just find it funny. I'm going to message the website owner and point out the error to him.
If you want to see the website yourself, here it is http://www.climbmtkinabalu.com/gear.html
