USE OF SURNAMES

Posted by Jasmine on May 01, 2002 at 17:33:01:

I, for one, think we Bidayuhs should consider using surnames. I agree with this guy that our names are losing their identity. We Bidayuhs too, like other indigenous races of Sarawak, are ending up with names like Sandra anak Thomas, James anak Charles, Christina anak Peter. It would be best to drop the "anak" and use surnames - Kadazanduzuns in Sabah have started doing this - how about us Bidayuhs ?

This is taken by Ricardo's submission to The Star online - and I think the same issues ring true with us Bidayuhs.

Please give your comments :

What's In A Name?

Surnames will help preserve native identity

THE small Bisaya community of about 10,000 people in Limbang, Sarawak, are culturally similar to the Kadazandusuns of Sabah. RICARDO BABA, an associate professor of the Universiti Malaysia Sabah at its Labuan International Campus, is from the community and is an advocate of surnames. Following are his views on the topic.
I AM glad that the National Registration Department (NRD) finally has a far-sighted and practical person as a director-general like Datuk Azizan Ayob. I agree with the move to introduce the use of surnames for Malaysians, especially the indigenous people of Sarawak.

The current practice of using patronymic preceded by anak is outdated and should be done away with.

My full name is Ricardo Osmund Yampil anak Baba, but for practical purposes I just call myself Ricardo Baba. Baba is actually my father’s name, which I have adopted as a surname.

I find there is no significance in the connective term anak in my name, and have tried for the last 20 years to get it dropped.

I even had a deed poll in 1985 but was told by the National Registration Department (NRD) office in Kuching that non-Muslim bumiputras without anak in their names were only those who were born illegitimately.

I have never given up the idea. When my four children were born, I put “Baba” after their given names by filing in the Nama Anak (Name of Child) in the NRD’s birth registration form in full like Alfredo Johannes Baba.

When my two older children got their identity cards, their names only appear as Alfredo Johannes Baba and Sofia Allana Baba, without the unnecessary connective term anak.

The indigenous names are fast disappearing because being Christians we are obliged to name our children after saints like John, James Nicholas, Mary, Martha and Magdeline.

Besides, the patronymic method does not give the native identity as some people would like to believe, with ridiculous combinations, such as Mary anak John or Martha anak James, Magdeline anak Nicholas.

Surnames like Rentap, Balang and Kalasi would better reflect the nativeness of the indigenous people by having names like John Rentap, James Balang, Nicholas Kalasi, and their children.

Their subsequent generations could still maintain that nativeness by having the same surnames such as Mary Rentap, Martha Balang, or Magdeline Kalasi.

I, for one, would like to drop the connective term anak from my name. As for recording of surnames in identification documents, I suggest that one practical way of doing it is as follows:

Nama Keluarga (Surname): Baba

Nama Diri (Given Name): Alfredo Johannes

Of course in written and verbal communications the person will still be addressed as Alfredo Johannes Baba.

As in the West and some other countries, government departments and the private sector may want to start recording names alphabetically according to surnames instead of the current practice of recording whatever name comes first.

In this case, the surname should be separated by a comma as in the following: Baba, Alfredo Johannes to indicate the name is not pronounced at one stretched.

The Chinese were the first users of surnames. The people in China had started using surnames (Xing) and clan-names (Shi) as early as 2140 BC.

Today, most modern societies use surnames including the Arabs of the Middle East. In Malaysia there is no requirement to have surnames.

The Chinese are the only people in Malaysia who have inherited surnames. Among the other groups this practice is not widespread, though some Indians are also known to have surnames.

However, some Iban and Kadazan families in Sarawak and Sabah have recently adopted surnames. For the Malays they use the traditional Muslim naming convention that use patronymics preceded by ‘bin’ or ‘binti’ for identification, and do not use surnames.

Almost all Malays name their children in Arabic like Ahmad, Mustafa, Mutadir and Noor Aisah. The authentic Malay names such as Bujang, Hitam, Putih, Rawa or Timbang have become rarities.

Unless steps are being taken, the same fate would befall the Bisaya community where some children already carry names like John anak Richard, Charles anak Michael, Susanna anak James or Bernard anak Edward.

I would like to propose the use of surnames for the Bisaya community, as it would have these advantages:

IT promotes a standard naming convention for the Bisaya community

ENABLES the Bisaya community to meet the requirements of modern world

ENABLES future generations to trace their roots, and

DISCOURAGES marriages among close relatives.
The Sarawak Bisaya Association and community leaders (temenggong, pemanca, penghulu, and ketua kampung) who are the leadership institutions of the Bisaya community will have to play major roles in ensuring the success of this concept.

First, the association has to pass a resolution to confirm that there is a need for surnames for it members and the Bisaya community as a whole.

Secondly, once the resolution is passed, the community leaders will have to approve the new practice as a custom.

Thirdly, the custom may have to be registered with the Council for the Indigenous Peoples of Sarawak.

Upon acceptance of the new practice as a custom, the director-general of the National Registration Department should be notified to enable him to put on records the new naming convention of the Bisaya community.

With some documents or certificates as evidences, any Bisaya should be able to have his surname added into the National Identification card, or the word anak dropped from it