KUCHING: Malaysia Day on Sept 16 should be the premier non-religious celebration in the country, as the central idea was to put in a place a certain form of compliance mechanism to respect that Sabah and Sarawak have equal footing with their peninsula counterpart.
Sarawak Dayak Graduates Association (SDGA) president Dr Dusit Jaul said it must be noted that more and more Sabahans and Sarawakians are agitating for a review of the respective 20 Points and 18 Points Malaysia Agreement, the very basis to the willingness of both states to be equal partners in the Federation of Malaysia.
“SDGA believes that Sabahans and Sarawakians have a genuine concern to see that the three regions of Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya move along the path of progress in tandem.
“There is no point denying that we have a problem. The way forward is for our political leadership to strengthen the pillars of unity, and progressive Malaysia, where all citizen, none the least, Sabahans and Sarawakians feel they have a rightful place in the Malaysian sun,” said Dusit, in a statement, to The Borneo Post yesterday.
SDGA was concurring with Land Development Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing in stating that Sept 16 should be the rallying point for the nation’s unity.
Masing, on Thursday, responded to Minister of Communication and Multimedia Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek’s recent proposal that the country should continue to commemorate Aug 31 as its Independence Day, without mentioning the anniversary year.
However, Dusit pointed out the historical fact that the nation cannot simply ignore is that Malaya gained independence from the British on Aug 31, 1957. The then North Borneo, now Sabah, gained its independence from the British on Aug 31, 1963 and Sarawak on July 22, 1963.
Malaysians should need no reminder of the fact that Sept 16, 1963 marks the day a new nation – Malaysia – was born out of a willing partnership on equal footing of the four regions – Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore.
“As far as Malaysia is concerned, from historical perspective, the use of the word ‘independence’ is not appropriate. Malaysia never gained its independence, unlike Malaya.
“From the British point of view, the formation of Malaysia was also a political necessity as the British was keen to withdraw from this part of the region,” he continued.
Dusit reminded it was worthy to mention that it is was only a few years back that the government under the premiership of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak officially acknowledged this crucial date, declaring Sept 16 as a national holiday in a way to placate certain quarters in Sabah and Sarawak, who were growing voicing their frustration at being excluded from the centre.
A good point to ponder, he suggested, was that future Malaysia Day celebrations need not be centred in Sabah and Sarawak alone but be held in Putrajaya. This would befit Sept 16 as the most auspicious date in the country’s history.
He believed that this way, the government is conveying the right message that Sept 16 is not just a Sabah and Sarawak affair, but a premier date for the whole nation.