Leigh delivers his presentation on ‘Sarawak in the Making of Malaysia’ at Pustaka Negeri.
KUCHING: A seasoned academician has pointed out that the date July 22, 1963 did not mark the independence of Sarawak as many would assume.
Prof Michael Leigh, who has been an active observer of the state since commencing his research here in 1962, disclosed that the date was the day when the Sarawak cabinet or the alliance cabinet was formed.
“Sarawak was given self-government on Aug 31 (1963), and had self-government until Sept 16 (1963). That was on the basis that the British Governor agreed to accept the advice of Sarawak state cabinet, which was formed in July (1963).
“However, the British Governor retained full authority up until Sept 16 (1963). From Aug 31 to Sept 16 (1963), he (British Governor) said he would abide by the decision of the Sarawak state cabinet,” he said when met by reporters here after delivering his talk on ‘Sarawak in the Making of Malaysia’ at Pustaka Negeri on Saturday.
On the note that the chief minister had openly stated that July 22, 1963 was the state’s Independence day and even mulled over declaring it as a state public holiday, Leigh jokingly remarked: “I am all in support of public holidays. Public holiday is a good idea.”
However, the professor was also quick to add that there could be other sources of documentation on the matter.
“I just have not located the document source indicating that (Sarawak’s) independence was actually granted before Sept 16 (1963).
“It (Sarawak) was self-governed, not independent. Singapore was a self-government from 1959 to 1963, and it became independent between Aug 31 and Sept 16; then (independent) again in August 1965.”
Asked whether Sarawak was ever an independent state, Leigh said: “The Brookes claimed that it was an independent state, but under the British protection.
“From 1841 to 1941, the Brookes claimed that it was an independent state,” he pointed out, before posing a question: “That is not independent for the people of Sarawak, is it?”
Leigh did not deny that Sarawak had been a colonial state up until it gained independence through Malaysia.
On the Malaysia Agreement 1963, the professor said it would remain valid indefinitely, dismissing talks that the mentioned agreement no longer had any legal force after 50 years.
On his credentials, Leigh had served as the inaugural director of the Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) from 1997 to 2003. He was also appointed Professor of Contemporary Asia and director of Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne.
His other previous appointments also included professorship at University of Sydney, and academic directorship at Kolej Antarabangsa in Penang.
Leigh has also penned several books, such as ‘Mapping the People of Sarawak’, ‘Transformations in Eastern Malaysia’, ‘Council Negeri Sarawak’, ‘Malaysia’s Oldest Legislature’, ‘The Rising Moon: Political Change in Sarawak’ and also four edited volumes of ‘Borneo 2000’.