サバ調査ノート(<特集>東南アジア海域世界の森と海 II )

Abstract

Introduction : The society of Sabah, Malaysia holds particular interest for a Japanese observer. Because of a growing concern in Japan for health and conservation of the natural environment, consumption there of the products of cocopalms and oilpalms is increasing. Malaysia is the largest producer of oilpalms in the world, and Sabah, the third largest producer state of oilpalms in Malaysia, is still expanding its plantations. The oilpalm plantations concentrated in the Tawau area were first opened in the 1910s by Japanese croppers of abaca. Thus, the developmental history of the plantation economy in eastern Sabah is of special concern for Japanese. In the countryside of Sabah, in the coastal areas in particular, there are a number of small kampungs of fisherman, most of whom migrated from the Philippines. In the oilpalm plantations, on the other hand, the majority of the labourers are Bugis farmers from Sulawesi. Sabah is a state of immigrants. This is quite impressive for these Japanese who believe, erroneously, that their country is ethnically homogeneous. Thus, observation of Sabah society would have an educational effect for ordinary Japanese. I. This chapter tries to explain the efforts made by Sabah leaders since independence to create a new, single Sabahan national identity. II. The reality, however, is a multi-ethnic society, and some state documents recognize this crucial fact. The Department of Statistics, Malaysia, Sabah Branch, Annual Bulletin of Statistics, 1989 defines Pribumis of Sabah as follows : Kadazan, Kwijau, Murut, Bajau, Illanum, Lotud, Rungus, Tambanuo, Dumpas, Maragang, Paitan, Idahan, Minokok, Rumanau, Mangka'ak, Sulu, Orang Sungei, Brunei, Kadayan, Bisaya, Tidong, other Indigenous Malay, Indonesian Sino-native, Native of Sarawak, Native of Philippines and Cocos Islanders. This list of ethnic groups includes almost all the inhabitants of insular Southeast Asia. The Sabah government on one hand tries to create a unified Sabahan national identity, but on the other includes all the ethnic groups as their own "Pribumis." This is the situation in which the State of Sabah now stands. III. In the coastal areas, which consist overwhelmingly of mangrove swamps and attols, there are small fishing villages. Some of the inhabitants still live in house-boats (lepa-lepa) and move between the Sulu Islands and the east coast of Sabah. A distinction is also drawn between Bajau Darat and Bajau Laut. The majority of inhabitants of the squatter area in Sandakan are from Mindanao and Sulu. There are also a number of Filipino immigrants working in pasar-ikan in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau. IV. Cocos Islanders : Cocos Island is an isolated attol off west Java in the Indian Ocean under Australian government. Three Kampung Cocos were noted in east Sabah. The villagers are Malay muslims who migrated in the postwar period.