Dari tiada MyKad hingga diiktiraf Bumiputera, perjuangan panjang anak Sa’ban

Paulus Balan, an Anak Sa’ban, spent nearly six years battling to obtain his MyKad and later fought to have his Sa’ban community recognized as Bumiputera. Born into a Sa’ban community living deep in Sarawak's interior, Paulus grew up facing difficulties accessing identification documents, which were essential for advancing his education.

The journey from his village of Long Banga to the nearest town would take him two days of walking through the jungle, followed by a three-day boat ride, a costly ordeal for his farming family. Paulus, now 60, expressed his determination to become a teacher despite these hardships and his aspiration to become a teacher while attending school.

His perseverance paid off when he received his MyKad at the age of 24. However, a new challenge emerged when he discovered that his Sa’ban community was not recognized as Bumiputera by the National Registration Department (JPN). Paulus, now joined by other community members, launched a campaign to bring attention to their identity, history, and background around 2017.

Their efforts bore fruit when, in February 2022, the Sa’ban community was included in the list of Sarawak's indigenous groups under the Interpretation (Amendment) Bill 2022, which came into force on November 1, 2023. With his community finally recognized, Paulus continues to advocate for improved documentation processes to ensure that future generations do not face the same struggles, particularly the young children born in their remote community.

Paulus, who spent 30 years as a teacher and has now retired, hopes to focus on helping the Sa’ban community, including addressing documentation issues and preserving their culture and history. There are approximately 2,000 Sa’ban people in his community, but only around 500 have official documentation.