The truth shall set you free
SEPTEMBER 16 is a historic day for Malaysia. It marks the 53rd Anniversary of the Federation of Malaysia.
The Malaysia Agreement 1963 was signed in London on 9th July 1963 between five nations – the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Federation of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore (9th July 1963 Agreement).
The five nations agreed that Malaysia Day should fall on 31st August 1963. However, due to the inability of the United Nations Malaysia Mission to complete their Report, Malaysia Day was postponed to 16th September 1963 by way of the Agreement to Amend the 9th July 1963 Agreement (Agreement to Amend).
This Agreement to Amend was signed in Singapore on 28th August 1963 i.e. three days before the original date for Malaysia Day.
September 16, 1963 was also the date that Sabah’s first Cabinet was formed with the late Tun Fuad Stephens taking office as Sabah’s first Chief Minister and the late Tun Datu Haji Mustapha bin Datu Harun as Sabah’s first Yang diPertua Negara Sabah (TYT). The formation of Sabah’s first Cabinet should therefore mark the day of Sabah’s Self-Government.
Thus, for Sabahans, 16th September should be an annual double celebration! Fifty-three years ago, the declaration of the formation of the Federation of Malaysia was made on our soil at ‘Padang Merdeka’ at 8am by our own forefather the late Tun Fuad Stephens.
It is timely that we acknowledge and pay due respect to this date for its significance to both Malaysia and Sabah. Precise history should be made available to all our people and a fit commemoration for a highly significant historical date should be considered by our State Government.
For many years, we celebrated 16th September as only TYT’s Birthday. Is it not significant that it was the date our first Cabinet was formed and we tasted selfgovernment? Has this date been given due recognition in our Sabah State Constitution?
How should 31st August 1957 resonate in the hearts of Sabahans more than 16th September 1963? The shouts of ‘Merdeka’ for 31 August 1957 is justified for Malaya as they did indeed gained independence. However, for Sabahans, we have only obtained self-government but not independence.
A grant of independence to a territory under British sovereignty requires an act of Parliament at Westminster. While the British Malaysia Act (which came into force on 16th September) provides for the transfer of British sovereignty over Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak to the Federation of Malaysia, it does not provide for the separate independence of the three territories.
Has the significance of these dates (31 August 1957 and 16 September 1963) been precisely elaborated and given the correct emphasis in our children’s history books?
In August 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia after deliberate secret negotiations between Malaya, Singapore and the British Government. The separation of Singapore came as a shock to both North Borneo and Sarawak. This is clearly recorded in the Hansard of 9th August 1965. It is a fact that the idea of the inclusion of North Borneo and Sarawak into the ‘Grand Design of Malaysia’ was promoted by both Malaya and Singapore. It therefore remains a scar in the hearts of Sabahans (and perhaps Sarawakians) that we were not consulted on such an important constitutional change to our nation.
Sabah is a co-signatory to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 which is a living document and an international treaty. We are a partner to the formation of Malaysia. We are not one of the states in the Federation of Malaya. Any matters affecting the Malaysia Agreement should be done with the consultation of the parties to the Agreement and it is the Sabah State Assembly that has the powers to decide for the rights of Sabahans.
We urge our State Assemblymen and Government to rise up and step into their authority and uphold the rights of Sabah under the Malaysia Agreement.
We must not be sidelined in any decision making relating to the Malaysia Agreement any longer. It is the desire of all Sabahans to see the restoration of our identity and authority as per the Malaysia Agreement.
First and foremost, we desire to see Article 1 of the Federal Constitution be amended to restore Sabah’s status as per Section 4(2) of the Malaysia Agreement - Sabah’s status as one of the nations that formed Malaysia and not merely one of the states as that of the states in Malaya. We wait to see a united political will amongst our leaders in the State Assembly to act on this matter.
On behalf of the Christian community of Sabah, I call for the return of our total freedom of religion pre-Malaysia.
We do not want to be viewed with suspicion in the practice of our faith. We do not want our holy books and other imported materials confiscated at the gates of entry into our country. We do not want to be dictated on how and in what manner we should refer to our God.
Have we forgotten the covenant made between our forefathers? The guarantee of religious freedom is one of the pillars of foundation of this nation. Malaysia was a unity of diverse and secular nations. It was negotiated upon just principles of fairness and equity. It was the aspiration of our forefathers that we would come together to manifest the real possibility of a successful rainbow nation. This is the destiny of Malaysia!
This is the truth of the history of our nation. For the love of Sabah and of Malaysia, I urge all our people to research and dig deep into our history back to 16th September 1963 and reflect on the state of our nation today. Let us free ourselves from emotional pride and prejudices and seek the truth for the sake of our children and the next generation to come.
What has been lost shall be restored! The truth shall set us free!
God Bless Sabah and Malaysia!
Rev. Datuk Jerry WA Dusing, President, Sabah Council of Churches