Sabah's 'long march' for native rights to proceed

The 60km march to demand for the welfare and rights to native land of the indigenous communities of Sabah will go on as planned tomorrow as the police have been given the proper notification.

"There has been no response from the police yet. We believe there is no problem," march organiser Anne Lasimbang.

Lasimbang had earlier told the media that the proper forms for the march, dubbed ‘Idle No More', were filled in and faxed to the police two days ago.

So far, she said, 20 people have confirmed that they would form the nucleus of the march that will cross Sabah's Crocker Range. Most of them are young adults.

"But once we start, we expect more people to join us, especially from the villages," Lasimbang said.

The march, beginning in Tambunan town at 9am tomorrow and ending at the Pagansakan Hall in Inobong, Penampang, at 2pm on Sunday, will also push for clean and fair elections.

Asked if they expected any trouble, since this was common with other groups expressing anti-government sentiments that faced violence at the hands of thugs, she said this was a worry.

"However, we have so far seen nothing worrisome yet. But we will be updating details of our march as we go along, if anything were to happen."

Lasimbang, who is executive director of the NGO Partners in Community Organisations (Pacos), said that police from Keningau and Penampang had asked the group to formally notify them of the march and request for a permit.