Putrajaya should start counting the Federation with Sabah and Sarawak from 1963 and not from 1957 or from 1948.
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp) wants to educate the Gen-Y in particular that Sabah was once a country on its own before 16 Sept 1963 when it came together in a Federation with Sarawak, Singapore and the peninsula. “Brunei stayed out at the 11th hour,” noted Sapp Vice- Youth Chief Yong Yit Yoong.
“Now, Sabah like Sarawak is a nation within the Federation. Full Autonomy is our Constitutional right. The Federal Government has also reneged on the Borneonisation of the civil service.”
He was explaining the purpose of the Black Sunday 2.0 Gathering on Sunday along Gaya Street, the venue of the packed weekly Sunday Market, in Kota Kinabalu, during which the participants held blank papers. “Friends in the police warned us that we can’t speak up on certain things. So, that’s why we held black papers in protest against such restrictions.”
“We have the right to speak up on Sabah rights. If we don’t have the right to speak up, even in the social media, the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Commission should close down.”
The Sabah Independence Day celebrations on August 31 to be held in Kundasang this year by the party, added Yong, would stress that independence began in 1963 and not 1957. “In the case of Sarawak, independence came on 22 July 1963 and they observed the anniversary last month for the second time since 1963.”
“The Federal Government should start counting the Federation with Sabah and Sarawak as beginning from 1963 and not from 1957, the Independence Day for the peninsula, or even from 1948 when the Federation of Malaya Agreement was signed in London.”
The history of the Federation in 1963, charged Yong, was being ignored or down-played by the Federal Government as evident in school text books. “We cannot forget out history. We need to educate the Gen-Y so that they will know their true history, not the one put out by Putrajaya.”
Yong, delving into the history since 1963, lamented that the status of Sabah and Sarawak had diminished since Singapore’s departure in 1965 from being equal partners of Malaya incorporating Singapore, to the 12th and 13th states in the Federation. “There has been very little public education on Sabah and Sarawak’s real status in the Federation.”
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