A Sabahan man recently told a property agent to brush up on her history lessons after an alleged misunderstanding about his nationality.
In a post on Threads, he shared that he was in the middle of a conversation with a property owner while looking for a place to rent.
During the conversation, as shown in a screenshot, he listed his race as Kadazan.
However, the property owner told the Sabahan man that the units were allegedly reserved for “local Malaysians” only.
The response left the man shocked, prompting him to exclaim: “Kadazan is Sabahan, sister!”
He further emphasised his point, adding that he is indeed Malaysian.
The man later clarified in the comments section that the property owner did not respond after that.
The exchange has ignited a broader conversation about the lack of awareness regarding the ethnic diversity within Malaysia, particularly with regard to Sabah and Sarawak.
“Sarawakian here, and yes, I have faced the same issue before – not only while house hunting but even during job interviews where I was told.
“We only hire Malaysians at the moment,’” one user said.
“Did she not go to school?” asked another.
“Kadazan isn’t even a rare ethnicity to begin with – it’s a different story if you mention a race that’s not widely known, because Sabah and Sarawak have so many ethnic groups,” another user pointed out.
