Malakun signing the visitors book at Vice Chancellor’s Office @ UMS (Friday Sept 15). Witnesses by (from left) OKK Datuk Stephen Sondoh , Chairman of Council of Elders KDCA and Distict Chief Putatan , UMS Vice Chancallor Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Hj. Mohd Mansor and Alex Hugo Malakun ( Barrister at Law) of Malakun & Partners Legal Firm.
KOTA KINABALU (Friday Sept 15): Newly appointed Holder of the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Kadazan Dusun Social Science and Humanitarian Faculty Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Clarence Bongkos Malakun has begun work at the university here Friday.
He held meeting with UMS Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Kassom Haji Mohd Mansor and his senior officers.
“We discuss about plans and programmes to be done and implemented under the Kadazan Dusun Chair for the next two years,” Malakun said.
The Kadazan Dusun Culural Association (deputy president) was appointed on Sept 1 to head the UMS KDM Chair for two years. During his tenure office, will be officially be Professor Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Clarence Bongkos Malakun.
“I greatly appreciate the kind words and supports from all on my appointment to the important position in UMS. I hope I will be able to do justice to the task entrusted upon me during the next two years’ duration of the appointment,” he said.
Malakun is also the Honorary Consul of Romania in Sabah.
Meanwhile, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, the then Chief Minister of Sabah, inspired the establishment of the “Chair of Sabah Indigenous Studies” in 1999, but then changed it to a “Kadazandusun Chair” in view of the fact that the Kadazandusun are the largest ethnic group in Sabah.
The Kadazandusun Chair is an academic chair established to carry out studies and research on the Kadazandusun towards progress and unity and the close ties among the other ethnic groups in Sabah.
The establishment of the Chair was approved by the University’s Board of Directors through the provision of Clause 6(1)g of the UMS Constitution, with a contribution of RM2 million from the State Government.
The setting up of this Chair is to obtain specialised services from professors or well-known individuals in the field of ethnographic studies particularly those related to the affairs of the Kadazandusun community in Sabah.
Aside that it is a channel in conducting research that could be used by all authorities concerned to develop the socioeconomic status and establish a study relating to the Kadazandusun community.
Consequently, appointed candidates holding this Chair should meet the criteria set and recommended by the Selection Committee and approved by the University’s Board of Directors.
Past Holders of the Chair were Dr Jacqueline Pugh-Kitingan and Dr Andreas Totu.
A former Sabah Institute for Develoment Studies chairman and Sabah Forest Industry, Malakun, a distinguished and respected KDM leader is most qualified for the post.
He was a senior government officer, having served as Permanent Secretary, District Officer. He had also served as a State Assemblyman and Deputy Speaker of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly.
