KUCHING, March 30 — There is no need to unnecessarily prolong the debate on Bumiputera status, as the matter cannot be determined through public pressure or casual suggestions, said Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

Abdul Karim, who is also Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, said any move to alter the definition of Bumiputera or native status in Sarawak must follow proper legal and constitutional process, noting that clear provisions are already in place.

“If you want to change these things, there are procedures. I know some people are saying third generation and all that, but we need to see what defines Bumiputera under the Federal Constitution,” he said.

“Sometimes I feel these kinds of proposals are just rhetoric. Maybe elections are coming, so perhaps representatives want to make such suggestions because their constituencies have more Bumiputera voters,” he said.

He stressed that while suggestions can be made, the current framework already provides broad recognition of native status, particularly in cases of mixed marriages.

“The Sarawak Constitution also outlines who qualifies as natives of Sabah and Sarawak,” he said when met at his ministries’ Ramah Tamah Aidilfitri gathering at a hotel here yesterday.

“Where one spouse is a native of Sabah or Sarawak, their child is eligible to acquire native status and related rights, including land ownership. Many may not realise and that already is very good enough,” he said.

His remarks were in response to Julau MP Datuk Larry Sng’s suggestion that the Sarawak government consider granting Bumiputera status to third-generation Sarawakians of Chinese descent.

The proposal recently sparked debate after Sng argued that families who have lived in Sarawak for generations be recognised for their long-standing contributions to the state.

He also cited the Interpretation (Amendment) Ordinance 2022, which allows children of mixed marriages to claim native status if one parent is native. — The Borneo Post