Hubungan Undang-Undang Adat dan Keharmonian Antara etnik di Sabah: Analisis K.A.P (The Relationship Between Customary Law and Interethnic Harmony in Sabah: A K.A.P (Knowledge, Attitude, Practice) Analysis)

Abstract

Kajian ini meneliti hubungan antara undang-undang adat dan persepsi keharmonian antara etnik di Sabah menggunakan kerangka Pengetahuan-Afektif-Amalan (K.A.P). Kajian ini menggunakan reka bentuk tinjauan rentas-seksyen yang melibatkan responden daripada beberapa daerah terpilih di Sabah bagi menilai tahap kefahaman, sikap dan amalan masyarakat terhadap undang-undang adat serta hubungannya dengan keharmonian sosial antara etnik. Data dikumpulkan melalui soal selidik berstruktur dan dianalisis menggunakan pendekatan statistik inferensi bagi mengenal pasti pola hubungan dan sumbangan relatif setiap dimensi K.A.P terhadap keharmonian etnik. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa undang-undang adat mempunyai hubungan yang signifikan dengan persepsi keharmonian antara etnik. Ketiga-tiga dimensi K.A.P didapati menyumbang secara bermakna terhadap pembentukan hubungan harmoni, dengan dimensi afektif muncul sebagai faktor yang paling dominan berbanding dimensi pengetahuan dan amalan. Hal ini menunjukkan bahawa sikap, penerimaan dan keprihatinan sosial terhadap undang-undang adat memainkan peranan yang lebih besar dalam mengukuhkan keharmonian antara etnik berbanding kefahaman formal semata-mata. Secara keseluruhannya, kajian ini menegaskan bahawa undang-undang adat bukan sekadar sistem peraturan tradisi, tetapi berfungsi sebagai mekanisme sosial yang penting dalam memperkukuh toleransi, kepercayaan dan kohesi sosial dalam masyarakat majmuk Sabah. Implikasi kajian mencadangkan keperluan untuk memperkukuh pendidikan komuniti, penghayatan nilai adat serta peranan Mahkamah Anak Negeri sebagai institusi utama dalam menyokong keharmonian antara etnik secara berterusan.

Abstract: This study examines the relationship between customary law and perceptions of interethnic harmony in Sabah using the Knowledge-Affective-Practice (K.A.P) framework. A cross-sectional survey design was employed involving respondents from selected districts in Sabah to assess community knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards customary law and their association with interethnic harmony. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed through inferential statistical approaches to identify relational patterns and the relative contribution of each K.A.P dimension to social harmony. The findings indicate that customary law is significantly associated with perceptions of interethnic harmony. All three K.A.P dimensions contribute meaningfully to the formation of harmonious interethnic relations, with the affective dimension emerging as the most dominant factor compared to knowledge and practice. This suggests that social acceptance, emotional orientation, and community support for customary law play a more influential role in strengthening interethnic harmony than formal knowledge alone. Overall, this study affirms that customary law functions not merely as a traditional regulatory system but as a vital social mechanism that strengthens tolerance, trust, and social cohesion within Sabah’s plural society. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening community-based education, reinforcing customary values, and enhancing the role of the Native Court as a key institution in sustaining long-term interethnic harmony.