If there is one phrase to describe cohesion in Sabah, it is kita kita juga baini (we are all one).
It encapsulates what most Sabahans say when they think about unity.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah linguistics and anthropology senior lecturer Dr Trixie Tangit translates the phrase as: “We’re all in this together” or “Whatever it is, it is just us that are affected or involved.”
She said the overall focus of the phrase was on “us” and the sense of connection between one another.
Tangit says the expression is typically used to manufacture feelings of togetherness or oneness.
The expression is typically used to generate feelings of togetherness or oneness, she added.
Its opposite expression – diarang diarang juga bah tu (it is only them who are affected) – if used in a grave manner, informs us of a collective monopolising or overtaking something or someone.
“This expression can help us understand kita kita juga baini to mean the collective spirit that exists amid something negative or harsh and the resolve to endure, withstand and/or overcome it,” she said.
Tangit said the tone of these expressions is salient, as it provides more meaning, whether uttered in an uplifting, despondent or matter-of-fact way.
“Diarang diarang juga bah tu or kita kita juga baini become perfectly understood to facilitate common understanding or incite malice,” she said.
The slogan actually belongs to Kupikupifm Sabah, a radio station launched seven years ago. It also created a catchy kita kita juga baini music video.
“We wanted a slogan that resonates and is relatable to the local people,” said Kupikupifm Sabah and Sarawak general manager Lester Calvin Miol.
Miol wanted a slogan that resonated and was relatable to the local people
“The one thing Sabah folk like to showcase to the people outside the state is how united we are. We are one. That is one of our strongest traits.
“Of course, not all may feel that way, but it really does show, especially when you enter the kampung areas of Sabah,” he added.
Tangit, the linguistics and anthropology expert, demonstrates how the phrase was used in her state:
a) A dispute between siblings or friends, and one seeks to ease the tension by using the expression to remind all that they ought to remain united in their aim or friendly to each other at the very least.
b) A desire to charge/overcharge a friend on a bill or project is balanced out by the decision to give the friend in question a “friend-only price”.
c) An instability in Sabah politics that pit one party against another, but voting for either one does not appear to matter too much. Realising this, one may seek to make sense of the situation through the expression.
On how kita kita juga baini became popular in Sabah, Tangit said colloquial expressions, including phrases such as Ini kali lah (this is the time) and bossku were naturally occurring in the overall speech of a community in the territory and can be generated by any one of its speakers.
“It is important to observe the period in which such expressions became popular and to note individuals or movements that seek to embody the expression exclusively, for example the tagline of Kupikupifm Sabah,” she said.
What does the catchphrase say about Sabahans?
Miol says it shows that Sabah folk are proud to be Sabahan and are not afraid to show it.
“They wear it proudly on their sleeves. It’s cool to see people use the catchphrase on the streets,” he said.
Tangit noted that it tends to refer to the Sabahan worldview of how congenial ties among them have knitted them into a singular society.
She said Bornean societies are generally not homogenous, and intermarriage is key.
“The output is the camaraderie that is greatly cherished and protected. Uttered and frequently uttered as a reminder or warning, therefore, may help Sabahans to reframe discussions and thinking to stay on the course and in line with putting brotherly-like love above own needs,” she said.
Just like how Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim adopted Sarawak’s Segulai Sejalai catchphrase as the motto for unity for the whole nation, Malaysians should also use kita kita juga baini.
Say after me, “kita kita juga baini.”
