Peninsular folk embrace Sabah

WHEN Kelantan native Ahmad Shahirman Zuni was first sent to Sabah to work, the thought going through his mind was – “I am the only one from Peninsular Malaysia in this office”.

He never had any Sabahan friends before, and could not quite grasp the local Malay dialect.

“I had a total culture shock. I did not know if I could survive let alone make friends,” said the 32-year-old PETRONAS engineer who arrived in Kota Kinabalu in September 2017.

However, Ahmad Shahirman was warmly welcomed and accepted as “one of the boys”. Today, he is happily married to a Sabahan from Kuala Penyu district and is a father of one.

“The thing about people here in Sabah is that they are very accepting. When I first arrived, my new colleagues made me feel welcome and included me in their group,” he said.

The fact that no one really bothers about race and religion is wonderful.

He said the locals respected one another and knew their boundaries enough to be able to not just be friends but also be part of a family.

He felt less restricted as a person, free to be himself without worry of being judged.

These were some of the many wonderful things about Sabah that convinced Ahmad Shahirman to decide to remain in Kota Kinabalu, returning to Kelantan only to visit relatives and friends.

He met his wife Elma Lim, who is of mixed Chinese, Bisaya and Dusun Tatana parentage, during a working stint at the PETRONAS chemical methanol plant in Labuan in early 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.“We fell in love and got married on Nov 21, 2021,” he said, adding that her family welcomed him and were supportive of their marriage although she had to embrace Islam.

He said they celebrated each other’s festivals such as Hari Raya, Chinese New Year and Kaamatan.

His parents had also visited Kota Kinabalu a few times to celebrate the local festivities.

Ahmad Shahirman encourages those from the peninsula to visit Sabah and integrate with the locals.

“You will find that Sabahans are the friendliest people and you will fit in, in no time.

“Just respect one another and have an open mind on their culture,” he said.

Idris Sani Saberun, 48, who was born in Selangor and moved to Kota Kinabalu when he was eight, chose to stay and build a family with a woman of Kadazan and Chinese parentage.

Apart from being mesmerised by the beautiful women, one of whom he married in 2002, he is also in awe of the flora and fauna in Sabah.

“I followed my parents here due to their work commitments when I was eight and we’ve lived here ever since,” said the father of two who still travels to the peninsula to visit relatives.

“The people of Sabah are very helpful, caring and friendly.

“They don’t care where you come from, what race you are and what religion you practise, as long as there is mutual respect and trust,” said Idris.

His wife converted to Islam to marry him and they celebrate the various festivals including Chinese New Year and Kaamatan with extended family and friends.

Although Sabah is far behind in terms of social and economic development compared to his home state of Selangor, Idris said it did not bother him.

He finds the Land Below the Wind the most suitable place to grow old in.