Malaysia Day = Unity Day

Although Sept 16th was four days ago, the significant of the date is still an issue much talk about by the people. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said there will only be one Merdeka (Aug 31st), but acknowledged the significant of Sept 16th as the day the Federation of Malaysia was established as a result of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore (who later pulled out) joining together as one nation.

Gerakan, UPKO and PBS, who are members of Malaysia's ruling party, Barisan Nasional, had called for Sept 16th to be made a national public holiday. And today Umno, the backbone of the Malaysia's Government, came out in support of the call.

Datuk Masidi Manjun, Umno assemblyman for Karanaan, and a senior Sabah minister, concurred with Gerakan, UPKO and PBS, that Sept 16 deserves to be celebrated on a much bigger scales to mark the historical birth of a new nation, Malaysia, 44 years ago.

He suggested that Malaysia Day to be celebrated with a theme Unity Day, not only to celebrate the success in uniting 13 States under one nation but also to clear confusion on the Merdeka Day (Aug 31st)and Malaysia Day.

Masidi also suggested that Sept 16th celebration to be called/named Malaysia Day-Unity Day.He also support that Sept 16th be made a national Public Holiday.

My Say:

Let hope that more Sabah leaders support Sept 16 to be made a national Public Holiday. Take a lead from Masidi, a much respected Kadazandusun Muslim leader, from Ranau. As a lawyer by training, Masidi know what he is talking about.

Sept 16 PH shot down

Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Khoon's calls for more recognition to be given to Malaysia Day to celebrate the founding of the Federation of Malaysia on Sept 16th, 1963 had been shot down by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Najib said the government had decided that the celebration of nationhood is only on Aug 31 to show that the country is together as a nation. But he said this would not mean that Malaysia Day on Sept 16 was not important.

My Say:

There were several groups in Sabah who held celebrations in conjunction with Malaysia Day. In Kiulu, the Government's member of parliament for Tuaran Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau led villagers to celebrate the day. Over in Keningau, Opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat also held similar celebrations. In a small way, I also led a small group to celebrate the day at the scenic Kionsom Waterfall.

No celebration on Sept 16

There will be no investiture ceremony on Sept 16, this year to recipients of State awards in conjunction with the Yang Dipertua Negeri's official birthday as well as Malaysia Day celebrations.

The State Cabinet, in its weekly meeting today, decided to postpone the ceremony and celebration of the Head of State's birthday to Oct 27 due to the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Sept 16 will still remain a Public Holiday and as it fall on a Sunday, Monday will be a rest day as well.

My Say:

The Sept 16 investiture ceremony is always held at Istana Kota Kinabalu. Last year I received my award from Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah. The award, Ahli Setia Darjah Kinabalu (ASDK) was bestowed on me in 1997 while I was in London.

Although ASDK, the third highest State Award, it does not carry any title.

Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan again

I reproduced it here a Press Statement by Parti Keadilan Rakyat national vice president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, just in case it do not see the day in print in the local newspapers tomorrow.

28th August 2007

Keadilan Sabah to Mark Malaysia's 44th Anniversary in Tambunan

Parti Keadilan will mark Malaysia's 44th Anniversary rather than celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Malayan Independence, which is a waste of public funds.
Malaysia is only 44 years old. So why celebrate its 50th Anniversary? Why fool the public and spend public funds to celebrate Malaya's Independence in 1957 in the name of Malaysia? This is total stupidity! What happens in 2013 when the real Malaysia is 50 years old? Are we not going to celebrate Malaysia's 50th Anniversary then?

That is why we, Keadilan Sabah, will not be a part of the 50th Celebration (of Malaya's Independence) but still mark Malaysia's 44th Anniversary and Sabah's 44th Independence instead with a simple ceremony in Tambunan.

Keadilan will organise a Talk on the Formation of Malaysia and Sabah's Independence in 1963 on the evening of 30th August 2007 at TVRC. On the 31st, we will visit the `Batu Sumpah' in Keningau and hoist the Sabah Flag. The `Batu Sumpah' is a sacred symbol of the 20 Points Agreements which is highly significant as basis for the Federal-State relationship.

On 16th September, which is the official date of formation of Malaysia, Keadilan will hold a convention in Kota Kinabalu and hoist the Malaysian Flag to mark the occasion.

It is sad that the Umno controlled BN government is putting much more emphasis on Malaya's Independence rather than on the formation of Malaysia thereby ignoring the truth of history and the feelings of Sabah and Sarawak.

We invite the public to join us at our ceremony on 31st August 2007.

signed
.........................
DARUK DR JEFFREY KITINGAN


My Say:

Is this a political ploy to woo support for the coming general election. Why in Tambunan? Is Pairin vs Jeffrey expected for the Tambunan seat? Jeffrey's group will clashed with another Opposition party PASOK in their visit to Batu Sumpah in Keningau. PASOK had announce that they would organised a big day-long gathering at the Batu Sumpah on Aug 31.

It will be interesting to hear what the Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Sabah chairman Ansari Abdullah has to say about this. It seems that since taking over the chairman post from Awang Tengah last month, Ansari has been keeping a low profile.

Merdeka and Malaysia Day

On Aug 31, we will be celebrating National Day. In conjunction with the celebration I like to share with you a speech made by Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, then Chief Minister in conjunction with the National Day at Padang Merdeka, Kota Kinabalu, on Aug 31,1987.

Pairin said and I quote:

"The first time the national level celebration of National Day takes place outside Kuala Lumpur, it is held in Melaka where Father of Malaysia's independence, YTM Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj proclaimed the news of the impending independence of the then Federation of Malaya to the jubilant crowd of 100,000 in 1956.

One year after that on 31st August 1957, the Federation of Malaya became independent, a sovereign nation. Six years later on 16th September 1963, the people of Sabah (together with the people of Sarawak, Singapore and the Federation of Malaya) formed and become apart of the larger political entity that is Malaysia.

I would like to stress on historical fact which has been obscured over the years, and that is we, the people of Sabah, were instrumental in the formation of the Federation of Malaysia - we were actors in the birth of this nation and were not simply acted upon.

I stressed this because very often we hear people talk unthinkingly about our admission into Malaysia, not caring to the reason that before we formed Malaysia, there was no Malaysia for us to be admitted into."

My Say:

This was what Pairin, now a Deputy Chief Minister but remain the Huguan Siou (Paramount Leader) of the Kadazandusun, said 20 years ago. These days it seldom that Pairin spoke on these issues.

As a Malaysian in Sabah I say it is a historical fact that the people of Sabah and Sarawak celebrate 44 years of Merdeka this year as against 50 years in the Peninsular States. Sept 16th is a Publilc Holiday in Sabah annually - to celebrate Malaysia Day and the official birthday of the Yang Dipertua Negeri.