Tan Sri Datuk Herman Luping
What is important here is the Adat or Culture. A name is only a name. A Rose is a Rose by any other name. Actually, it is only a form of identity. However, the heart of the matter is the most crucial.
In this case, it is the Adat or Culture which will determine whether a race will move to higher level of achievement, educationally, commercially, industrially, agriculturally etc.. So far the Kadazan/Dusun/Murut ( KDM ) Culture has been able to cope with the progress of modernity.
I am in agreement with Tan Sri Herman Luping on the role that Culture plays in the life of an individual. It is the motivating force which makes a person achieved his dream or goal.
Values originate from Cultural practices. Similarly Values can be changed to meet the needs of the times. It follows therefore that dynamism is required to make one competitive in this era of globalisation in all aspect of human endeavours.
Just so, this same spirit of ' high self-esteem ', hardwork, pragmatism, perseverance, knowledge seeking and ' never say die ' must be complementary to the existing KDM Culture and Values. These are mechanisms or means that will propel KDM to the next level of development and achievement.
No doubt, Tun Fuad Stephens, Datuk Peter Mojuntin, Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Tan Sri Suffian Koroh, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, Datuk Monggoh Orow including Tan Sri Luping and other KDM leaders have the abovementioned prerequisites of holding firmly and practising the Culture and additional Values of hardwork, pragmatism, perseverance.................
And because of these Values, each one of them have achieved their respective dreams and goals.Therefore these supplementary Values should now be incorporated into the mainstream of KDM Culture. Thus making them part and parcel of the KDM Cultural and Value System.
It would also be a good idea to record the struggle of all KDM leaders until they attained success in their respective fields. These would then be compiled into a book and become compulsory reading for all KDM parents and children.
In order to instil them with these positive values, thus enabling them to become achievers in this competitive world.
