- Target:
- Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak, Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman & KDCA President Joseph Pairin
- Region:
- Malaysia
- Website:
- www.youtube.com
A well known indigenous Rap Artist from Sabah Malaysia who is known as the ‘Atama Katama' is still banned from performing his music works at the Harvest Festival Celebration in Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA) Building since 31st of May, 2011 afternoon at 2.45pm. Atama Katama (then aged 36) was barred from performing on stage in front a big crowd of thousands of spectators and fans.
Atama Katama was stopped by the KDCA Officers that his scheduled performance was prohibited due to the instruction from the ‘top’. He was expected to appear on stage at 2:45pm after getting introduced by the Emcee in-charge but later turned into a heated argument back-stage between his entourage and KDCA Officers. During this time the music had started playing and the audience was expecting the scheduled performance.
The microphone was refused to Atama Katama by Sabah Cultural Board Officers when he was about to enter the stage causing much anger and confusion. Atama said he felt very disappointed with the type of last minute refusal by the organizing committee to stop him from performing and deprived him the chance to stage and promote his new songs, especially while the the fans were waiting for weeks to hear the new songs since 2008. This is the first public appearance and audience of the new songs. Atama said he and his fans felt humiliated and violated by the actions of KDCA forcing him to leave the festival stage.
Atama Katama who is from Tambunan, had studied in the Sabah College and the Stamford College in Kota Kinabalu. He started in 1993 to enter into the field of singing and entertaining in Kadazan/Dusun songs. He became well known with many fans due to his ‘Kadazan/Dusun Hip Hop’ songs since the 2006.
He is the son of the famous initiator and inventor of the ‘Bamboo Orchestra’ in Sabah, Ambrose Mudi, a prominent local musician and the first Dusun singer to perform in the National RTM program.
Peter Dicky Lee and Joanna Quintin were featured collaborators in the new song single launched as ‘Mombit Kombit Kaamatan’ which is inspiring to the young people. Peter Dicky Lee is a veteran artist while Joanna Quintin is a young jazz artist. The theme of the single emphasized that the young people likes to do what they wish as usual but they must not forget to control themselves for not going off limit and over board. These beautiful songs in Kadazan/Dusun are well written and sang. The music is produced & arranged by Atama. Atama said Peter Dicky Lee and Joanna Quentin was humiliated and discriminated by the actions of KDCA.
‘Mombit Kombit Kaamatan’ could have brought greater pride to the Sabahans celebrating the annual festival and become nationally known in Malaysia, and even being translated into many languages and sang by many singers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpcaemAcOTE
The actions by KDCA on Atama Katama should not be repeated anywhere else in the world. This discrimination has resulted in the continual ban of Atama's music/artistic works on State and Non-State radio and tv broadcast, stage performances, music or cultural festivals & events in Malaysia which is continuously depriving Atama of his Human, Cultural & IP Rights until today.
1] We, the undersigned, call on the United Nations and the Government of Malaysia to eliminate all forms of discrimination against Right to Participate in Cultural Activities;
* Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights confers a general right to participate in cultural life of the community.
* Article 14 outlines the right of everyone to take part in the cultural and artistic life of the community. Article 17 (2) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights guarantees a right to every individual to take part in the cultural life of his community.
* Article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognises the right of everyone to take part in cultural life. This right is violated, for example, when access is not possible to facilities in which cultural activities take place (cinemas, theatres, libraries, sport stadiums, museums, etc), and when disabled persons are excluded on account of prejudices in respect of their ability to participate.
2] We, the undersigned, call on the KDCA - Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association, Sabah State Government and the Government of Malaysia to eliminate all forms of discrimination against Atama Katama's Right to Participate in Cultural Activities;
*Article 11 of the United Nations Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples whereby, Indigenous peoples have the right to practice and revitalize their cultural traditions and customs. This includes the right to maintain, protect and develop the past, present and future manifestations of their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artifacts, designs, ceremonies, technologies and visual and performing arts and literature.
*Article 31 of the United Nations Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples whereby, Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, as well as the manifestations of their sciences, technologies and cultures, including human and genetic resources, seeds, medicines, knowledge of the properties of fauna and flora, oral traditions, literatures, designs, sports and traditional games and visual and performing arts. They also have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their intellectual property over such cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions.
*Article 7 (1) (b) & 8 of International Convention for the Protection of Performers,
Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations, whereby the Artist has the right to Protection.
3] We, the undersigned, call on the KDCA - Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association and State Government of Sabah to eliminate all forms of discrimination against Atama Katama's Right to Contents and Freedom of Expressions;
* The Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Content Code 7.3 whereby, Content which is false, is expressly prohibited except in any of the following circumstances:
(a) Satire and parody;
(b) Where it is clear to an ordinary user that the content is fiction.
* Article 10 (a) every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression.
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The Stop the Ban on Culture! petition to Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak, Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman & KDCA President Joseph Pairin was written by Cultural Rights & Indigenous Peoples Defenders and is in the category Culture at GoPetition.