Call to set record straight on country’s history
KOTA KINABALU: Our country’s historical records must be set straight to eliminate confusion surrounding Independence Day, National Day and Malaysia Day, said Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Chief Publicity Officer Albert Kok JP.
“On September 16, 1963, Sabah, Sarawak, Malaya and Singapore came together to form the Federation of Malaysia.
“Although Singapore separated from the Federation in 1965, the provisions stipulated under the Malaysian Agreement 1963 (MA63) remain unchanged for Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya,” he said.
The country’s history clearly recorded that Malaysia was formed on September 16, 1963, Kok added. Hence, he said, National Day should fall on September 16 and Malaysia’s birthday this year should be her 54th.
However, Kok noted that there have been many debates among political and community leaders on National Day and Independence Day.
“Some opine that Malaysia is 60 years old and more even believe that August 31 is our Independence Day. That cannot be further from the truth,” he stressed.
Kok pointed out that August 31, 1957 is the Independence Day for Malaya, whereas Sabah and Sarawak achieved their independence on August 31, 1963 and July 22, 1963 respectively.
“The Independence Day celebration on August 31 is insignificant to Sarawak. Therefore, our country should celebrate September 16 as National Day instead in order to respect the equal status of Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya in the Federation of Malaysia.
“The celebration of National Day should be held on September 16, not August 31,” he said.
Kok said it was important to set our country’s historical record straight to eliminate the confusion surrounding this matter.
“In this technological age, anyone can easily research and verify information from multiple sources. Hence, the history of the formation of Malaysia must not be tampered with.
“Political and community leaders also have the responsibility to speak the truth. Don’t make the same mistakes again and pass on the wrong information to the next generation,” he said, while adding that history is vital to keep track of one’s roots and evolution.
“To tamper with history is akin to turning our back on our roots. The history on the formation of Malaysia must be factual and accurate,” Kok said.