KDMR Leaders Pursuing Court Action On Lawyer Marcel Jude For Insulting Community

KDMR Leaders Pursuing Court Action On Lawyer Marcel Jude For Insulting Community

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Jeffrey (third right) with Jelani on his left and the other KDCA deputy presidents and KDCA Women's Council chairperson Joanna Kitingan (right)...

KOTA KINABALU, SABAH – Kadazan Dusun Murut Rungus (KDMR) community leaders are ready to take on a civil suit action against a lawyer here, Marcel Jude, who has stirred anger amongst the KDMR for insulting the cultural Unduk Ngadau pageantry.

One of five current Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA) deputy presidents, Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said Marcel’s formal apology on Monday was “half-hearted” and “not completely sincere”.

“It is because he refuses to amend or withdraw his court submission on the pretext that it cannot be ammended,” Jeffrey who is also Sabah Deputy Chief Minsiter said.

According to him the said submission can in fact still be amended and corroborated by their representative lawyer, Datuk Jelani Hamdan, also among the board of KDCA deputy presidents.

“This is a solidarity of action to show that this mattter should not have happened. In order to prevent such things from happening in the future we must make sure this case is settled…

“No one should insult the culture of another community. Therefore let this be a lesson to anybody so it shall not repeat,” said Jeffrey in a Zoom meeting with reporters today.

Datuk Seri Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan…

Marcel represented the now suspended Sabah STAR’s Philip Among who claimed trial against five counts of outraging the modesty of one Unduk Ngadau contestant late last week.

Meanwhile, the law suit Jeffrey detailed could either be taken up to Native Court and if push comes to shove, invoke the Sedition Act for hurting and rousing the anger of the KDMR community.

“It is now time (Marcel) to act after admitting his guilt and this therefore has become a basis for Native Court ruling…

“Unduk Ngadau district committees are to lodge police reports so that this issue might be brought up in their respective areas.

“Action will start immediately from today,” he said.

As far as ‘sogit’ (customary fines) are concerned, Jeffrey said to let the imposition be decided upon by the Native Court.

The union against Marcel consists of the KDCA, Sabah Murut Association, Rungus Association (SAMORA), Sabah Cultural Board, Sabah Native Affairs Council and four others.

In July 2020, a Pakistani man in the Kota Marudu district was senteced a sogit of eight buffaloes by the local native court after uploading a five-minute video insulting the KDMR community.