Anwar’s ‘Huguan Siou’ debacle draws flak
A PKR branch’s decision to name the opposition leader as the paramount chief of the Kadazandusun people has backfired.
Luke Rintod, FMT
KOTA KINABALU: Three days ago, PKR’s Ranau branch conferred upon its supremo Anwar Ibrahim the “Huguan Siou” or paramount chief title. Anwar accepted it but soon the matter became the talk of town.
The event was held while Anwar was on a whirlwind visit to Ranau and Keningau during Chinese New Year and so it was not reported in the newspapers as the media were on on a break.
It surfaced online, complete with a photograph of the opposition leader wearing a sash with the words Huguan Siou, a title normally reserved by the Kadazandusun for their paramount chief who is currently Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
Proclaiming Anwar as the Huguan Siou was Ranau PKR head Jonathan Yasin, a Kadazandusun lawyer who is also the brother-in law of Sabah PKR senior leader Ansari Abdullah.
Today, the State Reform Party (STAR) took Ranau PKR to task for “selling” Sabahans’ pride by playing with the honorific title normally bestowed on a fellow Kadazandusun.
STAR state deputy chairman Daniel John Jambun said PKR was in a mode of “surrendering” and “submission” and that explained why Jonathan chose to give Anwar the title.
“While it is within Ranau PKR’s right to honour whoever it wanted, it is insanity to play with a title that is already established for some purpose.
“Can you imagine someone conferring on a leader the title ‘Yang Dipertuan Agong’ or even just ‘Agong?’” Jambun opined.
An activist from Kota Marudu, Felix Kain, who is a campaign director of NGO, Gindol Initiative for Civil Society Borneo, said while it was an internal affair of PKR, the act was tantamount to an insult to the Dusun community who must only have a fellow Dusun as Huguan Siou.
“This event brings memories of 1981 when Dr James Ongkili refused the conferment of Huguan Siou but instead counter-proposed that the title be given instead to then chief minister Harris Salleh, who is not a Dusun.
“The Dusun abhorred such a gesture by Ongkili, later causing him to lose in Tamparuli, followed by a complete depletion of any respect for his leadership. But that was for the real Huguan Siou title, perhaps Jonathan meant well but it was still out of place,” he said.
