Sabah Sarawak Union - United Kingdom

Tuesday, 30 August 2016

Kota Kinabalu: “The Federal government and Malayan leaders should respect Sabah’s Independence on 31st August 1963 in the same way we, Borenons, respect Malaya’s Independence 59 years ago but not Malaysian Independence as there is no such thing as “Malaysian Independence”. They should also not force Borneons to accept Malaya’s independence as Malaysia’s independence” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, Bingkor Assembly in urging Sabahans and the Sabah government to honour and commemorate Sabah’s independence on 31st August.

History must be put factually in the correct perspective so that there is no confusion. Historical facts should be stated factually and there is no need to twist and turn the truth to suit any party.

It is a fact that the people of Sabah, through their Founding Fathers, demanded independence and be freed from colonialism as a prerequisite to accepting the Malaysia proposal.

It is also a fact that the North Borneo Legislative Council passed a unanimous resolution on 8th August 1963 to proceed to declare Sabah’s Independence on the 31st of August 1963 irrespective of Malaysia coming into being or not on that date. This imply that Sabah’s independence did not depend on Malaysia and certainly not through Malaysia which may have been the original intent of some.

It is also a fact that Sabah and the people of Sabah celebrated Sabah’s Independence called the “Sabah Day” on 31 August 1963.

Although, Sabah’s independence was for internal self-government at that point in time and without the powers of external defence and international affairs (still with the British), the meaning was the same as far as Sabahans were concerned. This was reflected in Sir William Goode, the last British Governor, statement on 31 August 1963:

..."Today is a historic day for Sabah. It marks the beginning of self-government and independence and the end of colonialism ..."

We must also not forget what Tunku Abdul Rahman said and assured Sabahans that Sabah would have “absolute independence in Malaysia” and “equal in status to Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore”.

It is high time for the Federal and Sabah governments to put things right. Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak are equal partners in the formation of the Federation of Malaysia and the Borneo States are not subservient to Malaya.

In particular, the Sabah government should honour and celebrate Sabah’s Independence every year to mark the historic day. It should also be declared a Sabah public holiday to mark its importance like what the Sarawak government has done this year to mark Sarawak Day on 22 July as its Independence Day.

Sabah and Sarawak should also consider becoming members of the British Commonwealth. In the sporting world, they should get direct affiliation to world sporting bodies like FIFA to participate in the World Cup and the IOC for the Olympics. If Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom can enjoy the same status, there is no reason why Sabah and Sarawak cannot enjoy a similar status.

Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan

KUCHING: Sarawak 4 Sarawakians (S4S) wants to know why Malaya’s Merdeka continues to be portrayed as the primary celebration even in Sarawak.

It cautioned against passing off Malaya’s Merdeka Day on Aug 31 as National Day for Malaysia.

“Only Sept 16 can qualify as National Day. Malaysia did not exist on Aug 31,” its chairman, Peter John Jaban, said.

Jaban said in a statement: “The Jalur Gemilang of Malaysia must not be used to celebrate Malaya’s Merdeka on Aug 31. The Jalur Gemilang is for Malaysia Day on Sept 16.”

Aug 31, he said, had no significance for the people of Sarawak, adding: “Our history must not be based on collective amnesia.”

S4S wants an end to the misinformation on Aug 31 and its place in history.

Jaban said: “There must be greater prominence nationwide on Sept 16 or 916.

“There must be an accurate portrayal of the history of the nation in schools. Malaysia, born on 16 September 1963, is not 59 years old as the signs at airports and everywhere else claim.”

Ever since Sept 16 was declared a public holiday after nearly five decades had passed, the centre of celebrations had always alternated between Sabah and Sarawak, noted Jaban.

“Do the authorities in Kuala Lumpur have something to hide? Why isn’t Malaysia Day hosted in Malaya?”

In fact, he added in a little digression, Aug 31 is the day Malaya joined the Commonwealth of Nations. “Malaya became independent on July 31 when the UK Parliament passed the Independence of Malaya Act 1957.”

He hastened to add, however, that the people of Sabah and Sarawak would be happy to celebrate Malaya’s Merdeka.

In return, he called for the people on the other side of the South China Sea to celebrate Sarawak’s Independence Day on July 22 and Sabah’s Independence Day on Aug 31.

“They should also agree to host Malaysia Day, 916, in rotation with the two Borneo nations,” said Jaban.

Source: Free Malaysia Today

I'm suppose to be preparing my artist talk but i got distracted by FB and saw this great summary post by Nadira Ilana of Sabah's view of the formation of Malaysia. It is so worth sharing. I have a couple of things to add which will be at the end of this post by Nadira..

"When Tunku Abdul Rahman came to North Borneo in 1961, he was surprised to find that there were no Malays and didn't know how to talk to the natives. At first the Malaysia proposal was rejected but the urban Dusuns later supported it, causing a split that formed the splinter between Kadazans and Dusuns.

Lee Kuan Yew was critical in convincing the natives to join Malaysia. The 20 Point Agreement was formed following the Cobbold Commission because the North Borneans were worried that the Malayans who were better educated, racially segregated and pro-Melayu would convert us into Islam, take our government jobs and replace the British as our colonisers.

Malaysia was formed under the pretence of an equal partnership between Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore. Today, Sabah Sarawak are considered 'states' and many peninsular Malaysians still can't tell the two apart though if not for Sabah Sarawak, there would be no Malaysia.

Coming from a pagan culture that believed in oath stones, the 20 Point Agreement in the modern world, proved to be ineffective as it was merely a gentleman's agreement with no locus standi. A majority of the promises for goodwill between Malaya and North Borneo would soon be broken.

16 September 1963, Donald Stephens chanted Merdeka at Padang Merdeka four times. Three times less than Tunku Abdul Rahman. Malaysia Day would have fallen on 31 August if not for protest from Indonesia and the Philippines.

In December 1964, barely two years after his appointment, Donald Stephens was removed as Chief Minister of Sabah for wanting to review the Malaysian Agreement because Singapore was being asked to leave. Sabah's founding father and first Huguan Siou was unceremoniously replaced with Datuk Peter Lo and he was later appointed as the Federal Minister of Sabah Affairs.

1967 saw the reign of USNO and the introduction of the most controversial figure in Sabah history yet. Tun Mustapha bin Harun was a Bajau-Suluk politician who had risen with Donald Stephens during the Merdeka talks. Transitioning from British colonisation into modern politics, he had initially accepted the TYT Governor role instead of Chief Minister because he thought that it would be more powerful.

Tun Mustapha was well liked by the federal government because he was a Muslim and they saw him as their brethren who could represent Sabah despite Muslims being a minority of 38% at the time. The Dusuns then, who were mostly Christian spoke a different language and were seen as too difficult to manipulate by the Malays.

The USNO era was harrowing for the indigenous majority of Sabah. Kadazan vernacular schools were denied. Bahasa Melayu was taught in schools instead and for a time, indigenous languages were banned from the radio. Mass Islamisation took place among the illiterate natives and some 75,000 were converted. Priests were extradited and in Tambunan, some were hidden in the jungles by villagers. Non-Muslims were being discriminated against.

In 1976, despite point 1 of the 20 Point Agreement, Sabah's official religion became Islam. We were meant to be a secular state.

The federal government went on to use Tun Mustapha's Bajau-Suluk connections to foster relations with the Moros and when the civil dispute between Mindanao and the Philippines erupted over the Moros' refusal to attack and conquer Sabah, Tunku Abdul Rahman had plans to take Mindanao as a Malaysian territory as they were Muslim as well. From the support from the Malaysian government came the birth of the Moro National Liberation Front and Sabah opened its doors for the first time to tens and thousands of Sulu refugees in the 70s.

Lavish spending and a playboy lifestyle nearly led to the bankruptcy of Sabah. The federal government was becoming increasingly impatient with Tun Mustapha and engineered his removal through Harris Salleh with the first Barisan Nasional government in Sabah, Berjaya.

Harris approached Donald Stephens who had converted and was now TYT Governor Tun Fuad Stephens, to step down and run as Chief Minister. The federal government was pushing for the Petroleum Agreement, which Tun Mustapha had refused and Tun Fuad was not about to budge either.

Berjaya succeeded and Tun Fuad Stephens was reinstated as Chief Minister in April 1976. 53 days later, 6 June 1976, he died in an incident that Sabahans remember as the Double Six Tragedy, killing 11 of Sabah's illustrious leaders. 14 June, the Petroleum Development Act 1976 was signed by his successor, Harris Salleh, surrendering 95% of Sabah's oil royalties. Labuan, Harris' birthplace was given away as a federal territory for free.

That's the story of Sabah's Bapa Merdeka and Malaya's Bapa Merdeka's contributions to Sabah and we all lived happily ever after. Amin."

My comments:

For Peninsula Malaysians who are sincere in understanding the formation of Malaysia and the troubled relationship East Malaysia has with the West, see James Ongkili's book "The Borneo Response to Malaysia:1961-1963" published in 1967. James Ongkili is Maximus Ongkili's big brother. Max Ongkili is currently the Federal Minister for Energy, Green Tech and Water.

This book helps explain much of the thinking of the times in Borneo. It also illuminates why Brunei decided to pull out of Malaysia. Essentially they found Tunku Abdul Rahman and his staff incredibly rude and condescending and immediately saw the problems related to Malay superioity complex and projected that they would be marginalized in a partnership with Malaya. Tunku Abdul Rahman, the great hero of Malaya was not at all popular in Borneo and was considered very arrogant. It was Lee Kuan Yew who won over the Borneans.

Look into the expulsion of Singapore. Although Sabah and Sarawak believed they were equal partners with Malaya and Singapore as a territorial signatory to the formation of Malaysia, the expulsion of Singapore was done completely in secret between Malaya and Singapore and Sabah and Sarawak were not informed of any of this. Lee Kuan Yew made a public radio address in the morning of August 9th 1965 that Singapore would be pulling out of the Malaysia Agreement. The Parliamentary sitting was later that day - AFTER this radio announcement which pre-empted the emergency parliamentary sitting - held in Kuala Lumpur. It was already a done deal. Sabah and Sarawak were not privy to any of it.

After the expulsion of Singapore. Sabah and Sarawak both wanted to pull out of Malaysia as well. Look into the history of poor ol' Stephen Kalong Ningkan the first chief minister of Sarawak. UMNO exerted its federal powers through their influence in Sarawak and Stephen Kalong Ningkan was removed from power despite being democratically elected by Sarawakian people. The expulsion of Singapore on 9th August 1965 was the beginning of the disenfranchisement of Sabah and Sarawak politics and the disregard of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

It is this 1963 Malaysia Agreement that is in contention now. Sarawakians especially want the country to be re-aligned back to the agreements made on the formation of Malaysia. They just want what was agreed to - when they gave up dreams of their independence for this new country called Malaysia. Current news regards Petronas in Sarawak is related to this and for Borneoisation which was part of the original Malaysia Agreement.

The ignorance coming from KL to this day can make me feel ill.

Dont be an ignorant arse, learn Bornean political history.

None of this will ever 'go away'. Malaysia will be an unsettled country till all this is addressed. 'Merdeka' almost seems juvenile a shout when you understands the actualities of this country.

Ok i gotta go, got work to do.

Source: Verolian Intah Saganti Sutar

In August every year, the date Malaysia became ‘Merdeka’ will become a debating point. It bothers many as well, when the term ‘Hari Kemerdekaan’ is used to signify Malaysia’s independence.

Some say Aug 31 is the Independence Day, while others argue that it should be Sept 16.

For the record, whether it is Aug 31 or Sept 16, it is factually and historically wrong to say “Malaysia gained independence”.

You cannot receive independence if you were never colonised. And since Malaysia was never colonised, it is impossible for Malaysia to “receive independence”.

Malaysia was never colonised, it was born as a new federation formed by three entities after these three entities received independence separately.

The entities that received independence were Malaya (Aug 31,1957), Sarawak (July 22, 1963) and Sabah (Aug 31, 1963).

Countries like the Philippines or Indonesia who are a single entity have their independence day because when the Spanish and Dutch arrived, they ruled the country as a single entity. When they left, the country remained as it is, until today. There were no changes or mergers with other entities. Philippines is still Philippines and Indonesia remains as Indonesia.

The British meanwhile, did not colonise Malaysia. They colonised Malaya, they colonised Sarawak and they colonised Sabah, separately. And only after these three entities received independence separately, they came together to form Malaysia.

To understand Malaysia in a different perspective, think of Malaysia as the United Kingdom (UK).

UK only happened after sovereign nations namely England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the other Islands came together. Only later on Ireland opted out, and the Northern part of Ireland preferred to stay on as part of the UK, but that is a different story.

Similarly, Malaysia came into existence only after Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah as a sovereign nation came together. Singapore then opted out, leaving Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah as part of the Federation of Malaysia.

So, we should stop using the word ‘Independence Day’ when it comes to Malaysia. The term ‘independence’ is only applicable to the respective regions - specifically Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah.

Malaysia as a whole, can only celebrate Malaysia Day on Sept 16. For the ‘independence’ part, Malaya, Sarawak and Sabah should be celebrating it individually on Aug 31, July 22 and Aug 31.

As a united nation, we should also be more focused on Malaysia Day which falls on Sept 16.

For more than 50 odd years, national scale celebrations fell on Aug 31. This means many Malaysians do not even know the history of the formation of Malaysia.

It was only as recently as 2010, that these errors were rectified. Even then, it was a hesitant and reluctant one.

In September 2009, Anwar Ibrahim proposed to the five Pakatan Rakyat parties to declare Sept 16 as a public holiday to mark Malaysia Day. It was received with a lukewarm response, and his political rivals even accused him of distorting historical facts. A year later on in 2010, the prime minister announced Sept 16 as a public holiday.

Today, both Aug 31 and Sept 16 are public holidays, but the scale of celebrations on Sept 16 is still very much lesser than celebrations on Aug 31.

While public holidays are a norm to mark an occasion, this should not be the end goal. The significance of patriotism goes beyond a public holiday, and it should be incorporated rightly in the Sejarah textbooks. The weight of emphasis should also be proportionate.

The independence of Malaya and Sabah should be celebrated on Aug 31, the independence of Sarawak should be celebrated on July 22, and most importantly the greatest emphasis should be Malaysia Day on Sept 16.

As of now, greater significance is still given to Aug 31. There are efforts to increase the significance of Sept 16, but unfortunately these are done mostly by the private sectors, or individual groups.

Instead of celebrating independence, we as a nation should actually be celebrating the formation of Malaysia of Sept 16, and not ‘Malaysia’s independence’ on Aug 31.

Source: Malaysia Kini

Kemenangan Pasukan S4S!!~Kejadian 722 di Serian!!!

Berita terkini: Penyalahgunaan kuasa oleh Ketua Polis Daerah Serian DSP Chung (Malayan) dengan menghalang Pasukan S4S meraikan Karnival 722 di Serian, telah dipindahkan ke Ibu Pejabat Polis Kuching, pangkat jawatan beliau juga diturunkan.

Pihak berkuasa di Serian telah mengesahkan pangkat jawatan DSP Chung diturunkan, dan akan dipindahkan ke daerah Sibu ataupun balik ke Malaya.

Penduduk Serian rasa amat bersyukur dan berterima kasih kepada pasukan S4S atas pertolongan besar ini dengan membantu mangsa-mangsa membuat aduan di Ibu Pejabat Polis Kuching, menarik perhatian supaya pihak polis melanjutkan siasatan mereka.

Dengan ini, berakhirnya “Jajahan” ketua polis Malaya ini di Serian, beliau sudah cukup terkenal dengan tingkah laku yang berlagak “Bossy”, tutup tirai sajalah “Filem Aksi” beliau!

S4S sekali lagi Berjaya menamatkan misi mustahil !

Cayok! S4S!

Source: S4S

Ada sebab kenapa 31 Ogos 1957 dijadikan Tarikh Kemerdekaan Malaysia. Kerana itu adalah tarikh kemerdekaan Malaya. Kerana sudah tertulis di dalam Perlembagaan Malaysia 1976 bahawa Sabah dan Sarawak adalah sebahagian daripada negeri-negeri dalam Malaysia. Dan Malaysia adalah Malaya. Pada pendapat Malaya, mereka betul. Berdasarkan fakta sejarah Malaya, mereka betul.

Malaysia adalah Malaya.

Ada sebab kenapa rakyat Sabah dan Sarawak wajib tidak boleh mengiktirafkan 31 Ogos 1957 sebagai Tarikh Kemerdekaan Malaysia.

Kerana... apa menda kemerdekaan Malaysia bermula dari tahun 1957 kalau nama Malaysia hanya ujud pada tahun 1963? Satu sahaja caranya 31 Ogos 1957 boleh menjadi Tarikh Kemerdekaan Malaysia. Caranya ialah Sabah dan Sarawak menjadi sebahagian daripada negeri-negeri dalam Malaya untuk meraikan kemerdekaan Malaya. 

Malaysia adalah Malaya.

Cara seterusnya ialah, SabahSarawak mesti bersetuju Malaysia hanya lah nama baru bagi Malaya. Bersetuju setiap tahun. Bersetuju dengan suara lantang sambil mengibarkan Jalur Gemilang Malaya. Sambil mulut berbuih melafazkan Merdeka!

Malaysia adalah Malaya.

Kalau ada rakyat SabahSarawak meraikan 31 Ogos 1957 sebagai Hari Kemerdekaan Malaysia maka tanpa awak sedari awak sudah memberi tanda bersetuju bahwa Malaysia adalah Malaya. Tandanya awak sebagai rakyat Sabah dan Sarawak sudah buat salah. Awak benar di mata Perlembagaan Malaya tapi di mata Perlembagaan Malaysia awak salah.

Kerana sudah termaktub di dalam Perlembagaan Malaysia 1963 bahawa Sabah dan Sarawak bukan lah sebahagian daripada negeri-negeri dalam Malaya.

Perkara ini tidak boleh disangkal lagi. Pada pendapat Borneo, kita betul. Berdasarkan fakta sejarah Borneo, kita betul. Merujuk kepada Malaysia Agreement 1963, kita adalah betul, sebetul-betulnya betul tiada lagi yang lebih betul daripada itu.

Malaysia bukan Malaya.

Malaysia Agreement adalah warkah perundangan teragung dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan Malaysia dari tahun 1963 sehingga kini. Tiada Malaysia Agreement maka tiada lah Malaysia. 

Malaysia bukan Malaya.

Perlembagaan tahun 1976 pula hanya lah PINDAAN. Pindaan berat sebelah yang dibuat oleh Malaya, dipersetujui oleh Malaya dan diluluskan oleh Malaya dengan kuasa dua pertiga Parlimen. Dan kalau diletakkan bersebelahan dengan Malaysia Agreement 1963 maka Pindaan 1976 adalah tidak sah.

Malaysia bukan Malaya.

Memang benar Perlembagaan Malaysia adalah terbentuk berpandukan Perlembagaan Malaya. Tetapi ia tidak bermakna Malaysia adalah Malaya. Kerana dalam Perlembagaan Malaysia ada Malaysia Agreement yang memberi garis panduan bahawa Sabah dan Sarawak tidak perlu patuh pada Perlembagaan Malaya. SabahSarawak patuh pada Malaysia, bukan patuh pada Malaya.

Malaysia sama sekali bukan Malaya.

Malaysia Agreement masih hidup lagi dalam Persekutuan Malaysia, masih berjuang menentang asakan bertubi-tubi Perlembagaan Malaya yang mahu menjajah. Rakyat SabahSarawak pula yang kelihatan mudah mahu mengalah.

Kalau awak masih juga mahu meraikan 31 Ogos 1957 sebagai Tarikh Kemerdekaan Malaysia maka tidak salah kalau kami katakan awak adalah rakyat Malaya bukan rakyat Persekutuan Malaysia. 

Awak rakyat Malaya Pindaan 1976. Kami rakyat Malaysia yang Ori 1963. Dan kami rakyat Malaysia Ori masih memperjuangkan Malaysia Agreement. Dulu kini dan selamanya. Kerana kami sayang pada Persekutuan Malaysia. Perjuangan kami murni. Kami mahu bebaskan Persekutuan Malaysia dari cengkaman Malaya. Selepas kami berjaya baru lah mulut kami berbuih-buih melaungkan MERDEKA!

Source: Pak Cik Julaili Suut

Tujuan pembentukan MALAYSIA ialah proses dekolonisasi untuk Sarawak dan Sabah dan seterusnya Sarawak dan Sabah akan MERDEKA.

MERDEKA di sini boleh dicapai dengan pelbagai cara. Contohnya;

1. Sarawak dan Sabah memilih (eg. Referendum, Pindaan Perlembagaan etc) untuk MERDEKA dan berdiri sendiri itu lah MERDEKA.

2. Sarawak dan Sabah memilih (eg. Referendum, Pindaan Perlembagaan etc) untuk kekal bersama Malaya di dalam Persekutuan MALAYSIA berdasarkan Perjanjian Malaysia 1963 itulah MERDEKA.

3. Sarawak dan Sabah memilih (eg. Referendum, Pindaan Perlembagaan etc) untuk kekal bersama Malaya di dalam Persekutuan MALAYSIA berdasarkan perjanjian baru itulah MERDEKA.

4. Sarawak dan Sabah memilih (eg. Referendum, Pindaan Perlembagaan etc) untuk "free association" dengan Malaya dengan pembentukan persekutuan atau unitary state etc itulah MERDEKA.

5. Sarawak dan Sabah memilih (eg. Referendum, Pindaan Perlembagaan etc) untuk membentuk Borneo Federation dan meluluskan Borneo Separation Agreement dengan Malaya, itulah MERDEKA.

6. Pelbagai cara lain etc etc

Pendek kata, MERDEKA boleh dicapai dengan pelbagai cara dan konsep atas KEHENDAK RAKYAT Sarawak dan Sabah. Sebab itu pembentukan MALAYSIA menggunakan Resolusi PBB 1541 yang FLEKSIBEL.

Faham, bisa.

Source: Zulfaqar Sa'adi

Meraikan Hari Kemerdekaan pada 31 Ogos adalah tidak betul kerana Malaysia tidak pernah dijajah atau dimerdekakan, sebaliknya Malaysia adalah Persekutuan baru yang dibentuk pada 16 September.

Oleh Dewitt Ferrer Motijun

Apabila tiba saja bulan Ogos pada setiap tahun, akan timbul persoalan tentang tarikh kemerdekaan Malaysia yang sebenar. Sesetengah pihak mendakwa Malaysia merdeka pada 31 Ogos, dan ada juga yang mempertikaikan tarikh tersebut dan mengatakan Malaysia sebenarnya hanya merdeka pada 16 September.

Harus diingat Malaya, Sabah dan Sarawak diperintah dan dikawal secara berbeza semasa zaman penjajahan British dan diberikan kemerdekaan secara berasingan. Persekutuan Malaya dimerdekakan British pada 31 Ogos 1957, manakala Sabah dimerdekakan pada 31 Ogos 1963. Sarawak pula mendapat kemerdekaan lebih awal daripada Sabah, iaitu pada 22 Julai 1963.

Fakta sejarah jelas menunjukkan Malaysia tidak pernah dijajah atau dimerdekakan kerana Malaysia adalah satu Persekutuan baru yang dibentuk bersama oleh Sabah, Sarawak, Singapura dan Malaya secara rasmi pada 16 September 1963 (Singapura meninggalkan Persekutuan Malaysia pada 1965). Persekutuan Malaysia dibentuk melalui Perjanjian Malaysia yang ditandatangani di London pada 9 Julai 1963.

Adalah jelas Malaysia sebagai satu Persekutuan baru hanya terbentuk pada 16 September 1963 dan bukannya 31 Ogos. Tidak ada “kemerdekaan” Malaysia yang harus diraikan pada setiap tahun kerana Malaysia dibentuk dan bukan dimerdekakan. Apa yang harus diraikan ialah Hari Malaysia pada 16 September.

Sekiranya kerajaan serius menyatukan rakyat dan membina satu Persekutuan bersatu dan stabil, kerajaan seharusnya memberi pengiktirafan yang lebih kepada tarikh 16 September dan berhenti meraikan “kemerdekaan” Malaysia pada 31 Ogos, sebaliknya hanya meraikan Hari Malaysia pada 16 September.

Penggunaan nama ‘Hari Kebangsaan’ sebagai panggilan rasmi perayaan dengan tidak menyebut bilangan ulang tahun sambutan tidak menyelesaikan isu ini, kerana yang menjadi persoalannya adalah tarikh 31 Ogos.

Meraikan Hari Kemerdekaan Malaysia pada 31 Ogos adalah tidak betul kerana Malaysia tidak pernah dijajah atau dimerdekakan, sebaliknya Malaysia adalah Persekutuan baru yang dibentuk pada 16 September.

Sabah dan Sarawak tidak menyertai Persekutuan Malaya, sebaliknya bersama Malaya dalam membentuk Persekutuan Malaysia. Kerajaan perlu membuat keputusan menyambut hari kemerdekaan di dalam konteks Pembentukan Malaysia pada 1963.

Rakyat Malaysia harus rajin membaca untuk mengetahui kebenaran fakta sejarah, terutamanya Perjanjian Malaysia yang membawa kepada penubuhan Persekutuan Malaysia. Sejarah sudah tertulis dan kita tidak boleh mengubahnya.

Dewitt Ferrer Motijun ialah pelajar kajian politik dan pemerintahan di Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

Source: Free Malaysia Today

SIBU: Displays and advertisements declaring that Malaysia will celebrate its 59th ‘ birthday’ have gotten lawyer Priscilla Lau perplexed.

She pointed out that Malaysia was only formed on Sept 16, 1963, making it 53 years old next month.

“Only Malaya is celebrating its 59 years of independence from Aug 31, 1957,” she stressed.

Lau said Sarawak just celebrated 53 years of independence on July 22, while Sabah, which gained independence on Aug 31, 1963, will celebrate its 53 years of independence on Wednesday.

“Aug 31, therefore, has no significance for us Sarawakians,” she said.

She reiterated that referring to Aug 31 as Malaysia’s Independence Day is inappropriate as there was no such thing as Malaysia’s independence.

Lau said her intention of bringing up the matter is to educate rather than criticise.

“An attitude of acceptance of a wrong will never right a matter. We must seek to right a wrong matter in every possible way so that our generations will not be ignorant of our history,” she said.

“History has already been written. We cannot seek to rewrite history through our ignorance of the truth.”

Source: Borneo Post

“The biggest idol of my life – besides my father – is Fidel Castro. He may be a communist, but I respect the fact that he stood for the principles he believed in” – TMJ

Tunku Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim has a certain cut of confidence in him. Some say it stems from his royal stature. Some others suggest that he’s naturally arrogant. But isn’t that what they always say about anyone with untempered and radical ideas? Most Malaysians grow up in an environment where there was a generational hatred towards local football – and they all stemmed from our consistent failures on the biggest stage. And yes, match-fixing (No, I didn’t forget that). If not hatred, it’s skepticism. It’s part of our identity to continuously shed skeptic comments or thoughts on our own products.

And you can’t blame the fans either. For a country that only got its’ independence in 1957, we’re still trying to define an identity for ourselves. The lack of identity always meant that while great emphasis would be placed on the pursuit of success, mediocrity would latch onto it and become normalized as well, be it in studies, sports or even politics for that matter.

But then came Tunku, who literally grabbed Johor FA by its throat, and shoved significant reforms down. Three years later, a team that once had less than 100 people attend its’ home games, is now the reigning Malaysia Super League champion for two consecutive years. And they recently made history by being the first Malaysian team to ever progress into the semis of the AFC Cup.

They’ve got the best pitch in Southeast Asia. The players have rave reviews about the sort of training facilities that are made available for them, including the anti-gravity treadmill! Everyone within the club’s structure, is treated well and their salaries are paid on time. And they’ve been able to sign some of the biggest names in world football (Dani Guiza and Pablo Aimar), notwithstanding the fact that they’ve got most of Malaysia’s best players in their squad.

They recently kickstarted a comprehensive youth development program, which is being tailored by individuals that have been brought in from Borussia Dortmund. Best part? Tunku is set to meet leaders to Barcelona and Paris St. Germain later this year, to initiate similar collaborations.

Who on earth is this guy, and how is he even doing this? Absolutely stupendous.

So when I was informed that my proposal for an interview with Tunku was approved, I was naturally elated. The general populace’s interpretation of him has generally been muddled, all this while. To some, particularly Johoreans, Tunku is a revolutionary saviour who is now the indubitable voice of the people. But to others, he’s just an attention-seeking member of the royal family, who is using sports as a direct mean to amass significant political capital and mobility. But Tunku’s brutal honesty was inadvertently refreshing.

“Johor isn’t just about football. It’s beyond that. It’s a tool for uniting people and bridging the gap of racism and segregation within society. So, I’m perfectly fine if people think I’m using JDT as a political tool, as that’s precisely what I’m doing. I’ve got nothing to hide,” he said, with a casual smirk on his face.

His radical statements and gung-ho approach didn’t go too well with senior politicians within the country, particularly those sitting in executive seats within Football Association of Malaysia. He’s too young, some would say, to blatantly shift the focus away from their own misgivings. It’s not surprising really, judging by our inability to muster respect for individuals, without taking their age into consideration. “Don’t judge me by my age, judge me for my qualification and the actual merit of my statements.”

Truth be told though, credibility shouldn’t even be at the forefront of this discussion. Tunku received his secondary education at the Australian International School in Singapore, before moving on to complete his tertiary education at the Hale School in Perth. But it didn’t just stop there. It was customary for the eldest son of the Johor royal family to receive military training, and Tunku was enlisted into the Indian Military Academy as a cadet officer. Just like every other regular newbie, Tunku has big reservations about his new life at that point.

“I was scared, definitely!,” he chuckled. “It was a family tradition, and I had to be a part of it, so eventually I came to terms with it. Because at some point, I will need to be in charge of the Johor Military Force (JMF) so I figured this training would prepare me adequately for that responsibility.”

He became a captain in 2007 and eventually emerged as the first foreigner to spearhead a unit of the Indian Army during India’s Republic Day Parade, in front of President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam as well as Russia’s Vladimir Putin – a history moment that was also witnessed by his proud father, Sultan Ibrahim, who flew in to India specifically for this event. The entire experience of military life in India, turned him into the revisionist individual he is today.

In fact, he brought that exact revisionist attitude alongside him, as he embarked on a journey to revitalize Johor football. At the end of 2012, Tunku took over Johor FA and went on a cleansing spree, completely changing the staff and personnel that existed within the organization. No holds were barred, it was ruthless change from the get go. There was however, a unique bit of novelty, behind his uncompromising approach.

“I used to know someone in the Johor FA, who would frequently drop by to watch my Polo sessions, and he’d always ask me to step in and takeover the organization. He used to do it so often, claiming that corruption is ruining football in the state. At that point in my life, I was looking to step up and bring tangible changes for the people of my land, so I went to watch one of the MSL games involving Johor FA at the Pasir Gudang Stadium. There was barely anyone there, and I thought to myself, what’s going on? Because the Johor I remember watching with my family in the 90s, had a lot more support.

“That night, I told myself that I was going to change the face of Johor football. The next day, I had a meeting with the Johor FA people and I told every single one of them to clear the office and leave. It needed a fresh start and I wasn’t going to let corrupted individuals halt it.”

First thing he did upon taking charge was unifying the various clubs under JFA (Johor FA, Johor FC, MP Muar) and producing a singular identity for the state – Johor Darul Ta’azim, also known as JDT. A marketing division was established, and focus was shifted on revamping the squad. His involvement attracted a myriad of sponsors and investors, which then allowed JDT to compete for the best players within the country. The term ‘Malaysian money bags’ was coined for JDT as they rampaged through nationwide hunt, signing the likes of Safiq Rahim, Safee Sali and even Dani Guiza – which effectively sent shockwaves around the country as JDT flexed its’ financial muscle for the inaugural time.

They were also smart enough to know that success was never going to be short-term, and they barely had any tangible target for 2013, though JDT did eventually reach the FA Cup final, before narrowly losing to Kelantan 0-1. The Southern Tigers also finished third on the league table, with their causeway rival LionsXII sealing the title. That very year, the JOHOR Southern Tigers page on Facebook, uploaded a graphic featuring a quote from Tunku himself: “2013 was practice, 2014 will be warm-up and 2015 will be game time.” It was designed to send shivers down ever JDT fans’ spine. So what came in the aftermath of 2013, almost looked scripted. They went on to clinch the 2014 Malaysia Super League title, became Malaysia Cup finalists and marched into the semis of the FA Cup. Qualification into the AFC Cup was also secured – and to date, that was the sweetest success for the man himself.

“We’re into the semis of the AFC Cup this year and that’s incredible. But I won’t forget the moment we qualified for the AFC Cup last year. That was an important milestone in our long-term mission.

“When I first took over JDT, my goal was to create history. And history isn’t only created by winning trophies, it’s also by letting the world know of your existence, it’s also about having world-class facilities and being a world-class organization. As much as we wanted to do well in Malaysia, AFC Cup was always the priority, because it’s continental and it’s the best way to measure yourself against better teams and better players.

But in the midst of all the groundbreaking transformation that JDT has gone through since 2012, the biggest change would be Tunku’s initiative of getting fans more involved with the club. He’s had regular dialogue sessions with various JDT fan clubs. And that’s something he’s not limiting to Johor DT alone. Prior to my appointment with him, Tunku held an open dialogue session at the Larkin Stadium with fans from across Malaysia dropping by to openly discuss ways in which the Football Association of Malaysia needs to buck up.

There was one notable moment which left a lasting impression on everyone. An hour or so into the dialogue, a representative of Ultras Malaya stood up asking for suggestions on alternative ways in which they can voice out their frustrations, after they were made to look like scapegoats in the aftermath of their ‘flare-throwing’ incident during Malaysia’s World Cup qualifying tie against Saudi Arabia last month. Tunku’s response was succinct but powerful: “Let me represent you. Let me represent every single one of you, and I’ll mediate and express all your concerns to them.” A mighty roar of applause drowned the media room, almost immediately.”

Did he genuinely mean what he uttered? Or was it merely a calculated statement with underlying political intentions? It didn’t matter really, because his barrage of factual and intellectual attacks towards FAM validated people’s trust in him. There’s a difference between rage and dissent – TMJ’s statements (in recent times, at least), personified the latter. But despite all of these, I still posed the controversial question to him. “Are you using FAM’s failures to get the people on your side?” Yet again, his brutal honesty prevailed.

“Some may say I’m doing it for the people. Yes, that’s partially true. But I’m also voicing out my opinion, because FAM have been making wrong decisions. Why would you appoint a national team coach that has a history of match-fixing? Why does FAM need up to 40% of the money that will be injected by MP & Silva next year? How can the FAM President suggest that he was not part of the decision-making process, with regards to Dollah’s appointment last year?

“My decision to speak out, doesn’t need to be premised upon anyone, even if it is. I’m doing it because I feel it’s the right thing to do. Football doesn’t belong to FAM, it belongs to the affiliates and it belongs to the people. FAM is merely the governing body, nothing more, nothing less. So there needs to be a shift in their leadership.

“Who is going to take charge? I don’t know. People like Tan Sri Annuar Musa and I will always be biased to Kelantan and Johor respectively. Being FAM President would require one to be completely fair in their decision-making process, but I won’t be able to do that. Johor comes first for me, before Malaysia. Khairy Jamaluddin is probably the most suitable candidate, but I don’t think he’ll be keen on going back to FAM either.”

His biasness reflects in the progress that JDT have made over the last three years. They’ve never rested on their laurels – it’s been a relentless pursuit of success from Day One, as they left the rest of Malaysia behind. Today, few clubs in Malaysia can match the financial might of JDT, but barely any of them are as professionally run as JDT are. They have plans in place to send young talents over for training stints with some of Europe’s biggest teams. Construction of a new stadium and a new youth development academy is already in the pipelines. Every single milestone has been converted into a raging desire to continuously grow as a team. All the motivational lines and quotes, pasted across various walls at the Larkin Stadium, remains an impeccable testament to that. This is a man, who doesn’t have the intention of stopping anytime soon.

“In five to ten years from home, hopefully we can compete with Asia’s best. But there’s never a ceiling to this, is there? You can never really stop and say, we are now successful enough. The philosophy is always an ongoing chase, we must never get too comfortable. I’m always telling everyone around the club, the number one hindrance to growth, is laziness and comfort. The day JDT players and staff get comfortable with what they’ve achieved, that’s the day, the club dies.

“But I will not let that happen, and judging by how things are going I don’t think the fans would let that happen as well. In Johor, over the decades and centuries, we’ve always encouraged people to be united and committed to a cause. So politicians may instigate racist sentiments, but the people of Johor will always be racially united and that very unity will go on to become the backbone of this football club.”

Source: Malaysia Chronicle