Despite decades of being part of Malaysia, individuals from Sabah and Sarawak still encounter ignorance about their nationality, a reality that recently hit one Kadazan man in the most unexpected way.
Told he couldn’t rent because he wasn’t ‘Malaysian’
Kinney Junior from Penampang, Sabah, took to Threads to share his baffling experience while trying to rent a room in Bukit Puchong. After coming across an available unit, he contacted the agent and provided the requested personal details.
To his shock, the agent responded by saying the room was only available for “local Malaysians”, implying that Kinney didn’t qualify. Taken aback, Kinney replied, “Kadazan is Sabahan, sister! I’m Malaysian too.” Unfortunately, he never received a response after that.
Speaking to The Star, Kinney said that while the exchange was somewhat laughable, it was also incredibly frustrating.
“It’s such a basic fact. Kadazan isn’t even an uncommon ethnicity. Imagine if I had mentioned one of the lesser-known indigenous groups,” he said.
He also pointed out the ongoing confusion in Peninsular Malaysia, where some people mix up ethnic identities, often mistaking Iban people as being from Sabah, or Kadazans as being from Sarawak. Kinney had been searching for a place closer to his workplace in Bukit Puchong. Thankfully, he has since found what he describes as a “much better” place to stay.
Following his viral post, many Sabahans and Sarawakians chimed in with their own stories of being mistaken for foreigners, not just when house-hunting, but also during job interviews and even at banks.
One Sarawakian user wrote, “Faced the same thing during interviews. I was told, ‘Sorry, we’re only hiring Malaysians right now.’”
Another shared their disbelief when a bank staff member in Selangor asked for a passport and consulted a manager to confirm whether a “non-Malaysian” could open an account, even though the customer was from Sarawak.
These stories, while at times absurd, highlight a concerning lack of awareness that still exists among some Malaysians when it comes to recognising fellow citizens from East Malaysia.
