Ceremony for all to mark 'opening' of Oath Stone
Published on: Sunday, September 16, 2018
Keningau: A ceremony to mark the official "opening" of the Batu Sumpah (Oath Stone) following its relocation to a new spot 500 metres away will be held this month where all leaders, including from the opposition, will be invited. District Officer Haji Yusop Haji Osman said the relocation ceremony where opposition leaders were not invited was merely to shift it to the new site."We were planning for a long time to hold a big ceremony for the launching of Batu Sumpah which involves all the leaders of this district, interior, Sabah and also at the Federal level," Yusop said, after launching the Karnival Gegar Keningau Programme at the town padang, Friday night.
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Yusop said the committee would get the blessings of the top leadership, especially the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, to be together for the inauguration of the Batu Sumpah.He said this also would make the people in this area and the interior feel that the Batu Sumpah is a National Heritage. The Oath Stone is the only such known object where the consent of the people (interior natives) towards the formation of Malayasia was agreed upon, provided they were cast in stone, especially the three crucial Points in the 20 Points safeguards relating to freedom of worship, State jurisdiction over lands and observing the native customs and Adat. "We will discuss with the Department of Museums and other departments that this application be approved by the Prime Minister and Deputy," he said.He said there was no political motive in relation to the Batu Sumpah. During the relocation, the "adat istiadat" or customs of the people in the interior were observed.
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The Karnival Gegar Keningau Program, which was held for three days in conjunction with Malaysia Day and Visit Keningau Year was officiated by Assistant Minister of Rural Development, Rasinin Koutis. Rasinin also said it was desirable that all Malaysians should celebrate Malaysia Day on Sept 16 every year as it provided for the formation of Malaysia together with Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.
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