TAMBUNAN: August 6, 2026 – The Sungai Pegalan Native Customary School of Sabah (SAANS) in the Tambunan District was officially established on 11 July following a meeting of the Supreme Working Committee (AJKT) held in Tambunan.
The Principal of SAANS Sungai Pegalan, Dr. Lily James Billy, stated that this establishment marks a significant step towards strengthening the preservation of customs, culture, language, and identity of Sabah’s Natives through a more structured customary education system.
She said that two main focuses for 2026 are the development of the Bunduliwan Ethnic House at the SAANS Headquarters in Lumawang, Tuaran, as a symbol of the Dusun Bunduliwan community’s heritage, and efforts to obtain land gazettement for a permanent site for SAANS Sungai Pegalan in Tambunan.
“Both initiatives will serve as the foundation for developing a customary educational institution that functions as a centre for learning, research, documentation, and conservation of Sabah’s Native cultural heritage,” she said in a statement.
She also expressed her appreciation to all committee members for their commitment and cooperation in ensuring the official establishment of SAANS Sungai Pegalan was successfully realised.
The AJKT meeting also discussed proposed programmes to empower customary education, increase community involvement, as well as strengthen cooperation with government agencies, institutions of higher learning, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and local communities.
SAANS is an educational institution based on the customs and heritage of Sabah’s Natives, established in 2019 in Kampung Lumawang, Tuaran. The institution has now expanded to 41 ethnic schools across Sabah and collaborates with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) through the establishment of the Sabah Native Customaries School Living Lab.
SAANS is also actively working towards its nomination for the UNESCO Register of Good Safeguarding Practices to elevate Sabah’s cultural heritage on the international stage.
