Kota Kinabalu: The Local Government and Housing Ministry has been urged to restudy several matters regarding the transfer of Native Title (NT) land ownership involving the SinoKadazan, Dusun and Murut.

Making the call, President of Sabah Sino KDM Association, Datuk Johnny Goh, said the ministry should apply a method to ensure easier transfer of land ownership for the Sino KDM.

He said many Sino KDMs face difficulties when applying for certification or transfer of NT titled land.

"This is because the Sabah Native Affairs Council (Mheans) only gives approval for each certificationÉwhich is one (land) grant, one certification for each land title," he said at the Sabah Sino Kadazandusun Murut Beauty Queen 2012 competition, Sunday night at Putera Theatre Ballroom.

Such method, he said, is not only impractical but also causes difficulty to the applicants who have to make frequent trips to the relevant department especially those who live outside Kota Kinabalu.

According to Goh, he has previously proposed this but that until now there has been no response forthcoming from the department concerned.

He said the association has also proposed to the Housing and Local Government Ministry through Mheans, to issue a circular letter to the various Federal and State Governments ministries to validate Sino KDM as part of the Kadazandusun and Murut ethnic groups.

Thus, he said, Sino KDM should be considered Sabah native bumiputeras and not labelled as Sino Native.

He proposed that the circular be sent to government departments and agencies such as National Registration Department (NRD), Chief Minister Department (scholarship section), Finance Ministry (Pukonsa), Land and Survey Department, public institutes of higher learning, teachers training colleges, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Universiti Malaya (UM), among others.

On other developments, Goh said the association has unanimously decided to gazette Nov 11 as "Sino KDM Day".

"It is hoped that the Sino KDM Day would become a core and platform for the Sino KDM community to unite and bring us to a more proactive dimension to ensure the efforts of the association are attained," he said.

To this, he urged the Kadazandusun Murut Cultural Association (KDCA) to allow the Sino KDM association to build a traditional house that portrays the cultural identity of the Sino KDMs.

He said that this would not only showcase the existence of Sino KDM community but also a pride to the community.

Meanwhile, Natalie Christine Chong of Papar won the Sino KDM Beauty Queen 2012 while Christini Loo Ai Ling of Penampang, emerged second place and Jeaneve Kuay of Beaufort, third.