UPP Pujut chief says okay for Sarawakians to celebrate Merdeka Day
MIRI: UPP Pujut chairman Bruce Chai disagrees with calls not to celebrate Merdeka Day in Sarawak, saying such polemic every year should be put to rest in order for the country to move forward by recognising and celebrating the historical milestone.
He said Sarawakians should stop the politicking and arguments over celebrating the Merdeka Day ( Independence Day)) on August 31 as the issue had been played over and over again.
“We as a nation should really think about how to move on with building a great Sarawak and a great Malaysia again like what we were once revered for as a multi- cultural, racial and religious country, living and prospering in harmony,” he said.
Chai said it is pointless to keep talking and living in the past as politicking on such issue only creates more disharmony rather than bringing in any good.
“The past is the past, we remember it and we learn from it so we can improve on it without making the same mistakes,” he said.
Chai said this when asked on the statement by Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing in a news portal that Sarawakians should not be celebrating on Aug 31 as it is Independence Day for Malaya and Malaysia was not formed in 1957.
Masing said it was wrong in mindset and mathematics for Sarawakians to trumpet 61 years of Malaysia, pointing out that Malaysia only came into being in 1963 and Sarawakians should celebrate July 22 as it was the day that Sarawak gained selfgovernance.
Chai said the Sarawak government had already recognised July 22 as Sarawak’s Independence Day and Sept 16 as the date of formation of the Federation of Malaysia. Sarawak’s fifth chief minister, the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, underscored the importance of Sarawak attaining selfgovernance on July 22 in 1963 by declaring it as a public holiday in Sarawak in April 2016.
Sarawak together with Sabah and Singapore formed Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963 with the Federation of Malaya.
“Sarawak can join Malaya in their celebrations of Merdeka because that Merdeka had led to the eventual formation of Our Malaysia as we know it today. So Happy Merdeka Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah,” he said.
Merdeka celebration this year is the first for the new Pakatan Harapan government in Putrajaya after defeating the then ruling Barisan Nasional in the 14th general election on May 9 this year.