Kota Kinabalu: Parti Solidariti Tanahairku (Star Sabah) renewed calls for the official Sabah Independence Day or Sabah Day to be celebrated statewide on Aug. 31 this year.
Its Vice President Kenny Chua said in a statement that all Sabahans are looking forward to celebrate this important piece of Sabah’s history after it was said last year that it would happen after it is gazetted by the State Cabinet.
“Let’s hope it will happen this year.”
“While all Sabahans will definitely take pride in the recognition of our own history, it will give us a great sense of identity and direction as one people of Sabah. Look at our Borneo neighbours, Sarawak. Celebrating their independence day has in so many ways unified all Sarawakians.
“And I would also say that it has made them politically stronger and stable which is important for the development of the state,” said Chua.
The official Independence Day was gazetted by the government of Sarawak in 2016. It falls on July 22 annually and is a public holiday in the state.
The idea of a Sarawakian holiday was mooted by the Sarawak government and citizens since 2012 after public discontent about Hari Merdeka being to Malaya-centric.
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera (PBB) announced that it would hold a convention in conjunction with Sarawak’s 60th Independence Day.
“Sabah’s own political parties can organise a similar convention, too, in conjunction with our own Independence Day because we have our own political history and direction.
“Our own brand of politics meet the true aspirations of Sabahans,” Chua said.
Sabah (then North Borneo) gained independence from the British Crown colony on Aug. 31, 1963. From September 1 to 15th that year, Sabah was truly liberated and on its own.
On September 16, however, Sabah, together with Malaya, Singapore and Sarawak helped to form Malaysia.
“For two weeks, we were technically a ‘negara’. We were an independent nation. We were supposed to be determining our own future,” he reminisced.
Last year, when announcing that the Sabah Day would be celebrated statewide on Aug. 31 this year, Deputy Chief Minister cum Sabah Star President Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said it was the day Sabah became an independent nation in 1963.
He said Malaya’s National Day on August 31 which had long been commemorated by all Malaysians including Sabahans, had nothing to do with Sabah and Sarawak.
He said historical archives show that on Aug. 8, 1963, the North Borneo Legislative Assembly unanimously resolved to announce Sabah’s independence on August 31 that year, regardless of whether Malaysia became a reality on the day or not.
