SABAH Day has been officially adopted by the state government, 61 years after attaining self-governance.
The gazette, issued on June 20 this year, declares August 31 as Sabah Day. Sabah Day now coincides with National Day.
Sabah Day was last celebrated in 1963.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the state cabinet decided to commemorate Sabah Day by issuing the gazette.
“As a very historic day for Sabah, the government believes it needs to be gazetted to commemorate its significance,” he told reporters in Kota Kinabalu today.
Hajiji said there should be no more confusion between National Day and Sabah Day, adding that Sabah is already part of the independent nation of Malaysia.
Sabah Day originated from an emergency motion introduced at the North Borneo Legislative Council on August 8, 1963.
The motion, aimed at reaffirming the council’s previous decision that Sabah should attain independence by joining Malaysia on August 31, 1963, was introduced by the then-chief minister designate Donald Stephens.
Council president Governor Sir William Goode allowed the motion and it was subsequently passed.
The day was widely reported as Sabah Day, marking the day the state attained self-governance.
However, a United Nations survey, among other factors, delayed the formation of Malaysia to September 16, 1963.
The significance of Sabah Day was overshadowed by the promotion of August 31 as Malaysia's independence day, although it marks the independence of the Federation of Malaya in 1957.
Awareness of Sabah Day only came around among the general public in the state in recent years.
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan has heavily campaigned for Sabah Day to correct misconceptions over the years. – The Vibes, July 6, 2024
