KENINGAU – Sabah Day will be celebrated statewide starting next year once it is formally gazetted by the Sabah cabinet.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan said the occasion, which falls on August 31, is an important date for Sabah as it is the day Sabah became an independent nation in 1963.
“We should be proud because we have our own identity, our own birth date. It is crucial for us.
“Because of this, we were able to move forward and work together to make Malaysia the federation we had hoped it to be,” he said in his speech at the Sabah Day celebration here today.
In a pre-recorded video, Kitingan reiterated that Malaysia Day, which falls on September 16, is the most appropriate day for a nationwide celebration because it commemorates the formation of Malaysia.
“Fifty-nine years ago today, three regions – Sabah, Sarawak, and Malaya – founded the federation. That is the most important date for the federation.
“National Day is defined by the federal constitution as the commemoration of Malaya’s Independence Day (in 1957).
“It has nothing to do with Sabah and Sarawak, and so should only be celebrated in Malaya as their Independence Day,” he insisted.
Singapore was also part of the federation that came into being on September 16, 1963 but it was forced to separate two years later.
Instead of commemorating Malaya’s National Day on August 31, the Sabah Star president suggested, Sabahans should mark the day as Sabah’s Independence Day.
He said historical archives show that on August 8, 1963, the North Borneo Legislative Assembly unanimously resolved to announce Sabah’s independence on August 31 that year, regardless of whether Malaysia became a reality on the day or not.
“The independence of Sabah was the main prerequisite for the formation of Malaysia. This is a well-established truth.
“Sabah was a British Crown colony until September 16, 1963 when it became a sovereign state under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
“On that day, when both flags were flown together for the first time, the national anthem and the Sabah anthem were played. There is a line in our anthem that says we are an independent state,” he said.
Kitingan said the yearning for independence was the primary motivator for Sabahans to support the formation of Malaysia.
As such, he said, Malaysia Day on September 16 should be Malaysia’s National Day, rather than August 31, which is Malaya’s and Sabah’s independence day.
“On August 31, we commemorate Sabah Day. It has nothing to do with Malaya’s celebration. It is not Malaysian Independence Day. Our people have been brainwashed to believe it is, through education, songs like Saya Anak Malaysia, and other means.
“Yes, August 31 is sacred to both Malaya and Sabah. However, it is not sacrosanct to the entire federation. The most sacred day for all Malaysians is September 16. And it is now time to declare September 16 as Malaysia National Day.
“To all Sabahans, Happy Sabah Day,” he said.
Earlier today, over 7,000 people turned up for the state-level National Day celebrations held at the Padang Merdeka in Kota Kinabalu, some 130km from here.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor and Sabah Governor Tun Juhar Mahiruddin were among those who attended. – The Vibes, August 31, 2022
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