Daily Express | Sunday, February 28, 2010

Kota Kinabalu: The family of the late Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin Saturday expressed appreciation to efforts by individuals and politicians through various channels to call for the lifting of the ban on the book “The Golden Son of the Kadazan”.

“My family appreciates every single one of those efforts,” said his eldest son, Donald Mojuntin, who is now a State Assistant Finance Minister and Moyog Assemblyman.

“However what we, as a family, will not condone is any effort to politicise the matter. Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin has done his part in our continuing efforts in the development of the people, State and the country,” he said.

He said as a member of Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin’s family, he wanted the ban lifted.

“Our family’s view on the matter is that ‘The Golden Son of the Kadazan’ was written to honour the man. A man of the people whom we love, respect and are very proud of.

“In his relatively short life, he inspired so many and achieved so much. For recognising that and writing the book, we appreciate Bernard Santa Maria.

In my family’s opinion there is nothing controversial about the book that will affect peace and order in the country,” he said.

Mojuntin said the book was a short biography that shows a glimpse of the man that his father was. He quoted the author’s words:

“He (Peter Mojuntin) was a man of high principles, deeply seated in his religious beliefs. No position was rewarding if justice, equality and freedom, were denied to his people, his state and his country”.

In this respect, Mojuntin said it was not necessary for the matter to be politicised.

“His life was sacrificed along with Tun Fuad Stephens, Datuk Salleh Sulong, Chong Thian Voon and Darius Binion. They have been laid to rest.

“Let them rest in peace. Let his life and the lives of Tun Fuad and the other leaders who were victims of the ‘Triple 6 Tragedy’ become a source of positive inspiration.

“Fuad, Peter and the others fought for the rights of the rakyat with selfless devotion. They served the rakyat because they loved them.

Let each of their stories be told but not for political reasons but for historical and inspirational reasons,” he said.

“The family fervently hopes that one day everyone would be given the chance to share, to a certain extent, the life of Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin, the kampung boy, the man and the leader through the biography,” he added.

DAP Secretary-General, Lim Kit Siang had, on Friday, called on the people of Sabah, especially the KDM community, to voice support for lifting the ban on the book.

Lim, who was here to attend several Chinese New Year open houses, questioned whether the banning of the book had something to do with the fact that the author was a DAP leader.