The Kadazandusun and Fuad Stephens: Journalism and the creation of an Identity

ON 30 June 1960, the North Borneo News and The Sabah Times (NBNST)  published an article titled “Dusun or Kadazan”. It was penned by Donald Stephens, journalist and President of Society of Kadazan.

“Why should Dusun be called Kadazan?” Stephens have often been asked the question, and felt that he should clarify the issue, “on the day when the natives celebrate their first official holiday.”  He argued that there was no “stigma to the name Dusun,” a good name which has been used for many years to describe the Kadazan people of this country.”

He clarified that the name had been in use for so long that many Kadazan know themselves only as Dusun and when using the word Kadazan or Kadayan they take the word to mean “people” and not as the race to which they belong. But he argued that Dusun was an imported word and the “so-called Dusun” name was first used by traders along the coast and by the Brunei overlords. The name was subsequently accepted by the Chartered Company as the generic name for the Kadazan people.

The name  Dusun, however to Stephens was derogatory, referring to the “people of the country side,” in the  sense that “we refer to the country folks as yokels.” Hence he argued for the change of name,  rationalizing that  “the educated Kadazans and those who have some pride to their race feel that the name should be changed to what they believe to be their true name – KADAZAN.

Stephens was writing as editor, publisher and owner of the newspaper. He was making a claim for the name Kadazan, in responding to the “rising pride among the Kadazan people and the knowledge of their desire to be known by their own name and not by a name which they feel had been nothing but a label hanged on them, put by others without their consent.”

In his article, he told that he started a column in NBNST called ‘Kadazan Corner’ adding that Radio Sabah had a slot called the ‘Kadazan Section.’

The NBNST was the merging of two newspapers, the Sandakan-based North Borneo News (1949) and the then Jesselton-based The Sabah Times (1953). Stephens was earlier a journalist for the Sandakan-based fortnightly. He wrote much on Sabah’s indigenous communities, subsequently having his own columns under the title ‘Rambler’ and ‘Roderick.’  This was before 1940.

According to the president of the Sabah Journalist Association, Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, Stephens later started The Sabah Times in Jesselton in Januari 1953. In his portrait of Stephens in conjunction with the award as the fourth recipient of the Tokoh Wartawan Malaysia (Journalism Laureate) in 1998, titled “Tun Mohammed Fuad Stephens: Pengasas Kewartawanan Sabah,” (2017),  Bangkuai described on the man’s vision and activism, among others his expressions against colonial policies and practices of oppressing the “kaum pribumi.”

Under the new newspaper, NBNST, Stephens  created a column in Bahasa Kadazan  edited by his friend Fred Sinidol. Together with Sinidol, they advocated for Kadazan rights and culture. In the 1950’s Stephens published a series of writings highlighting the Kadazan community. He brought attention to issues on land, recognition and protection of rights. Subsequently in 1960, the Pesta Tuai (Harvest Festival), also known as the Pesta Kaamatan, was recognized as a public holiday in Sabah. That was the first Kadazan official holiday that he referred to in his NBNST article of that year.  In Mei 1961, he formed the United National Kadazan Orgnization (Unko).

His writings fostered public debates on ethnic and identity issues. Through his letters to the editor and columns, he created public opinion in his favour. He constructed the Kadazan nation in Sabah. To this day, according to Mat Zin Mat Kib (2011), a historian on Sabah, Stephen’s construction of Kadazan identity is still controversial, with many doubtful on whether they are Kadazan or Dusun.

Mat Zin noted that attempts to unite the Dusun ethnic under the category Kadazandusun was not accepted by the authorities. Attempts to further unite Sabah’s ethnography still continues under attempts at creating another label – Kadazandusunmurut, to the extent of including Kadazandusunmurutrungus.

Stephens’ journalism at constructing and popularising the Kadazan was seen at fragmentizing the Dusun as a separate group. Mat Zin saw it as a hindrance to nation building when in 196 Stephens objected to the formation of Malaysia. Instead he had promoted the Borneo Federation (Persekutuan Borneo) comprising Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei.

The 11 August 1961 NBNST portrayed the story of the Borneo Federation with the headline “Self-Government Before Malaysia, Stephens Reinstates His Stand: Merger of Borneo Territories First.”  The next day, the NBNST reinforced it with “Malaysia not Practical Now.”

Later at the persuasion of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Stephens softened his stance. His NBNST, which earlier advocated for the Kadazan nation and the Borneo Federation, was turned into a forum for voicing the concept of Malaysia as a nation state. Herman James Luping, Stephens’ friend and confidante, later wrote on “The Malaysian Plans” (NBNST, 9 March 1962). According to Mat Zin, NBNST  earlier played the narrative of divide and rule. This was denied by Stephens in his writings.

The later writings and speeches of Stephens through the newspaper NBNST seemed to have been greatly influential in the formation of Malaysia. Adopting his Muslim name as Mohammed Fuad, he served Sabah twice as chief minister. Tun Mohammed Fuad Stephens was appointed the Yang Dipertua Negeri Sabah in 1973.

In the June 1960 article, Stephens argued that many Kadazans “have in fact forgotten their original name and when asked what race they belong to will answer: Dusun.” He described the amnesia as pathetic.  Colonial administrative officers mentioned by him in the article must have encountered a number of “saya orang sudah-lupa bah” Kadazans.

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