I STILL remember the first time the Sarawak government decided to have a new state flag. Initially, there was opposition to the decision and grumblings were heard.
I recall one late veteran politician said that the then new Sarawak flag looked like the one of a communist country. I think he was referring to the national flag of Czechoslovakia. But not many paid much attention to such negative remarks and we all accepted the new flag like good, obedient citizens.
I think the first flag change was in the 1970s. It didn’t matter to many Sarawakians that the new flag spotted different colours to the previous one. It wasn’t that we were less patriotic. It’s just that we were somehow more timid and less confrontational at that period in our history. So we did not pose too many questions.
The Sarawak flag of the modern era was a creation of Britain, our colonial masters. The colours of yellow, red and black plus the crown were possibly the handiwork of one or two people. I think there were no graphic artists at work nor was the flag designed on a computer.
Nonetheless, we were proud of that flag although it was inherited from the British.
It was during school days in the 60s and 70s in Kuching that I remember we paid a lot of attention to flag-raising ceremonies.
This was particularly so if you were a member of uniformed groups in school such as the Boy Scouts or Police Cadet Corps. Whenever the state anthem was played, we would proudly hoist our state flag. That symbolised our loyalty and patriotism to our state and nation.
In the mid 80s, we saw another change to the present flag. It reverted to the original colours of the colonial Sarawak flag. I like the new design as it is similar to the original one. It is slick, stylish and looks modern. I believe that was possible with the aid of graphics on computers. I hope the present state flag will be around for many decades. It really does look good, in my opinion at least.
The state flag and national flag are important symbols for a nation and its citizenry. More often than not, a flag signifies the birth of a new nation or the independence of a country.
For Malaysians, we celebrated National Day on Aug 31. That was the day Malaya gained its independence from Britain and we, in Sarawak too, have commemorated that day of independence with the rest of the country for many decades.
Last year, however, the government declared Sept 16, Malaysia Day, as a public holiday. This was to accommodate the wishes of Sarawakians and Sabahans, who felt that Sept 16 should be recognised because it was the date that the new nation, Malaysia, was formed.
Malaysians in the Borneo states had long clamoured for Sept 16 to be recognised as the ‘real’ National Day for that was the date when Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore and the Federation of Malaya came together to establish Malaysia.
I will readily agree that Sept 16 is more appropriate to be commemorated as our National Day.
However, there is also another recent issue being bandied about by certain politicians in Sarawak, which I find quite inappropriate. They have declared that they would not recognise Aug 31 as National Day. They insist that Sep 16 should be the only day for East Malaysians to observe independence.
I don’t quite understand why these politicians have to make such a declaration. Oh yes, they have every right to say what they want to say but I would have chosen to look at the matter more objectively.
Firstly, we in Sarawak and Sabah have what we asked for although it was long overdue. The federal government only declared Sept 16 as a public holiday last year.
I recall I celebrated Malaysia Day with my fellow Malaysians in Penang last year and it was a happy occasion. My friends at the function, who were mainly Penangites, joined the rest of us, Sarawakians, to celebrate our nation’s birthday.
I did not hear anyone there declaring that Sept 16 meant not hing to them and that they would only recognise Aug 31 as National Day. No, to those present there at least, Sept 16 was just as meaningful to them as Aug 31. To them, they were Malaysians first, Penangites second.
If you ask me who are the ones behaving more maturely as citizens of this liberated nation of ours, I would give my vote to the Penangites rather than my fellow Sarawakians who have been behaving like whining spoilt brats, totally ignorant of what national unity and reconciliation entails.
Or are they the usual suspects among politicians in Sarawak who just want to score points because of an impending election?
If this is the way we, Sarawakians, think and act, then I would say Aug 31 or Sept 16 are both meaningless dates to me.
You can give me a full history lesson on why Sept 16 should be more meaningful to me as a Sarawakian and I wouldn’t care two hoots about it if we remain stubbornly parochial because of a certain date.
Why can’t we, Sarawakians, just celebrate National Day on Aug 31 with our fellow Malaysians in the peninsula, just as they celebrate Malaysia Day on Sept 16 with us in East Malaysia? Why must we insist that Aug 31 is not important and meaningless? So far, I have not heard any politician in Peninsular Malaysia declaring Sept 16 as unimportant and meaningless.
To me, every day is Aug 31 or Sept 16 if I do not see abject poverty around me.
If there are still fellow Malaysians who are hungry, homeless and their children deprived of an education, whatever day or date means nothing to me.
To me, every day is Aug 31 or Sept 16 if I see happy and contented citizens – farmers who still have land to till, fishermen able to afford new boats and make good catches and hawkers able to eke out an honest, decent living.
If corruption, nepotism, cronyism and the abuse of the judiciary and legislation still abound, whatever day or date means nothing to me.
If politicians continue to play the racial and religious cards for political expediency and to create tension among Malaysians in the process, then Aug 31 or Sept 16 mean nothing to me.
Had the country’s independence been given due respect, surely the rights and sentiments of its people of all races would have been equally respected.
Whatever day or date means nothing to me if draconian laws such as the Internal Security Act 1960, the Emergency Ordinance (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) 1969 and the prohibitive Official Secrets Act 1972 and Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 are still in place.
I can go on and on but suffice for me to say it is my earnest hope that all Malaysians everywhere, whether in Sarawak, Sabah or in the peninsula, seriously ponder the real meaning of merdeka —- independence. Do we really understand its significance? What do loyalty and patriotism mean to us as Malaysians?
Surely, it has to be about being able to live in peace and harmony, totally tolerant and respectful of each other’s differences in culture, race and religion.
It must not be about how a date has no meaning just because we are Sarawakians and that such a day is only significant to those in Peninsular Malaysia.
If you have a baby at home, look at him or her. Every day that the little darling feels bubbly and happy, it’s like his or her birthday. He or she does not need to know the exact birthday to be happy. Every day is his or her birthday. And don’t you share the joy and happiness of the cutie pie too when you see him or her so happy?
So what’s in a date anyway?
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