According to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar yesterday, the police had received information that some parties were planning to use the event to incite Sarawakians into calling for the state’s secession from Malaysia.
But despite the warning, organisers decided to proceed with the gathering today as many of its participants from outside Sarawak were already in town for the event.
The gathering went on peacefully with no reports of any untoward incidents.
Chief organiser Peter John Jaban said an estimated 10,000 people turned up for the event meant to mark Sarawak’s independence from the British.
The walk by the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA) and the S4S movement was organised to demand, among others, that July 22 to be made a public holiday to mark Sarawak’s independence.
“On this day in 1963, Sarawak gained its independence from the British and for 55 days, we were a sovereign nation before we formed the Federation of Malaysia with Malaya, Sabah (then known as North Borneo) and Singapore on Sept 16, 1963,” Jaban said.
He said the organisers will hold an even bigger gathering next year if July 22 is not made a public holiday.
He said those that formed the federation of Malaysia were meant to be equal partners, but over the years, Sarawak and Sabah were downgraded to state status.
Singapore was expelled from the federation in 1965.
He said history textbooks should be rewritten, pointing out that the fact that Sarawak had gained its independence on July 22 is not mentioned.
Jaban then called for a review of the Malaysian Agreement 1963 and the National Petroleum Development Act 1994, and urged for autonomy for the state on matters like education.
He also urged for tighter immigration control.
During the gathering, an old Sarawak flag was hoisted by four cyclists as the state anthem “Ibu Pertiwiku” was played.
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Sarawak gov’t does not back secession but wants full autonomy, says Adenan
KUCHING - Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem said today the state government agreed with the sentiment expressed by the ‘Sarawak for Sarawakians’ movement but does not agree to the state’s secession from Malaysia.He said it could not be denied that Malaysia had brought Sarawak and its people all the benefits over the years, although it might not be enough as expected today.
“We are still one country trying to improve everybody and let me say here that the state government agrees with the sentiment expressed by the ‘Sarawak for Sarawakians’ movement but we do not agree to secession from the federation,” he said at a ceremony commemorating the history of Sarawak’s independence held at the compound of the Sarawak state legislative assembly building in Kuching.
Adenan said the state government would not entertain and approve that course of action, including a referendum, as a way of getting there.
“We, however, believe in full autonomy for Sarawak under the constitution, we believe in devolution of more federal power to the state which we are now negotiating with the federal government,” he said, adding that a committee had been set up to look into the matter.
He said Sarawak was not just a state within the federation but a founding state of the Federation of Malaysia, a party to the formation and had every say in the Cobbold Commission report.
'A federation of equality'
“Malaysia is a federation of equality and not domination by Kuala Lumpur or some other party.
“We have not ceased to be a British colony controlled by London just simply to be controlled by another power, and we must therefore insist on our autonomy,” he stressed.
He said Kuala Lumpur could take care of the national defence, foreign affairs and security but leave the local and localised matters, especially financial matters, to the state.
Adenan said the state government was also over and above insisting on its autonomy with regard to the 18 points and was in the midst of negotiating with the federal government on the allocation of more power back to Sarawak in terms of land transport, land transfer and other matters.
“We have set up a committee to (look into the) details of where we can devolve certain power back to the state,” he added.
He said Sarawak was also the executive authority to implement these policies in Sarawak.
“We are no longer ignorant people, we are responsible people and we have shown that we can do things on our own without other people's assistance and we can achieve things,” he said.
With regard to the request for a public holiday on July 22, Adenan said he would consider the request preferably and would announce the decision before the end of the year.
Also present at the ceremony were Sarawak Yang Dipertua Negeri Abdul Taib Mahmud and his wife Ragad Taib as well as federal and state cabinet ministers.
- Reuters
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Masing joins call for July 22 to be recognised
Minister of Land Development Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing said it is high time the state officially recognises its own independence day as opposed to Aug 31, which marks the Federation of Malaya’s independence from the British government.
Masing said every Sarawakians must know the significance of July 22 and be proud that the state achieved freedom two months before the formation of Malaysia on Sept 16. He reminded the people to always appreciate July 22 and ensure the date’s significance would not be erased from history.
“July 22 should have been honoured long ago but somehow the date was overshadowed by Aug 31, which has nothing to do with us.
“The date of Sarawak’s independence must be put in the correct perspective for the younger generations to understand. For historical purposes, let the young people know. We have to get the facts right,” Masing told reporters after a press conference on the eighth Sarawak Amateur Masters Open Golf Championship 2015 yesterday.
He was commenting on the Sarawak United People’s Party’s (SUPP) call on Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem to declare July 22 as Hari Sarawak, during the launching of the party’s ‘I am Sarawakian’ campaign in Sibu.
Masing hoped every Sarawakian would honour July 22 and be proud of the fact that Sarawak was already an independent nation prior to the formation of Malaysia as an equal partner with Singapore, North Borneo (Sabah) and the Federation of Malaya.
On public calls to declare July 22 a public holiday, he appealed to the public to let the government look into the matter.
He pointed out that declaring July 22 a public holiday is not as important as the whole state recognising the date as Sarawak’s day of independence.
“Let us settle this at another time. Maybe later on, as this is not an urgent matter at the moment. After all, when the state officially recognised Malaysia Day on Sept 16, there had never been a public holiday. More importantly, I am very pleased that the state government has been honouring (observing Sarawak Independence Day) July 22 for the last two years,” he said.
The state government will hold a special ceremony today to commemorate July 22 at the State Legislative Assembly building.
Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and Adenan are scheduled to attend.
On July 22, 1963, the last governor of the British Government, Sir Alexander Waddell, left the Astana and boarded a white sampan to cross the Sarawak River to hand over the government of Sarawak to its own people.
The day that the Union Jack was lowered for the last time was also the day the first cabinet meeting, presided over by Sarawak’s first chief minister, the late Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan, was held.
Sarawak later formed Malaysia together with Sabah, Malaya and Singapore on Sept 16, 1963.
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Wong: Our right to have greater autonomy
This is the view of UPP president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, who issued a statement pointing out that the so-called Malaysian National Day, which is usually referred to as Merdeka Day on Aug 31, is only a day to commemorate the formation of the Federation of Malaya; one of the three components of Malaysia.
“Malaysia was 50 years old in 2013 and not 57 years old as claimed by the people of Peninsular Malaysia and Putrajaya,” said Wong.
He said the status of Sarawak must be reconsidered in the original context of the Constitution when the Federation of Malaysia was established in 1963.
According to Article 2, the states of the Federation shall be the states of Malaysia namely Johore, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor and Terengganu; the Borneo States namely Sarawak and Sabah; and the State of Singapore
“In the amendment of the Constitution in the 1970’s, Sarawak was downgraded into one of the ordinary 13 states in the Federation and we lost our special positions, special and autonomous rights and the acknowledgement of our pivotal role in the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.
“It is time, after some 40 years since the amendment of the Constitution in 1970’s, we must seek to have our special status re-instated as one the three partners and not one of the 13 states in the Federation as Sarawak was an independent state prior to the formation of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963,” Wong stated.
“Our independent Day of July 22 should be an occasion for assessing what has gone wrong for the past 52 years with the Federation of Malaysia and how the Malaysian Federation can be improved.
“It is our inherent right that we want greater autonomy and decentralization of powers to the state level of Sarawak.
“We want greater autonomy, more autonomous administrative rights in all spheres of administration and greater decentralization of powers.
“Since Sarawak is a partner to the formation of Malaysia, we will not accept the fact we are relegated to merely one of the 13 states. We want to be treated as partners,” said the Local Government and Community Development Minister.
Citing the great disparity in terms of development between the peninsula and East Malaysia, Wong also requested for more development expenditures.
“We need greater development expenditures and greater infrastructure development. Almost 100 per cent of the rural population of Peninsular Malaysia has access to fundamental amenities such as water, electricity and road access while we in Sarawak have only about 80 per cent or less of such facilities.”
He pointed out that given the relatively underdeveloped state of Sarawak and the vast extent of territory of about 125,000 square kilometres, Sarawak should deserve a larger share of royalty.
“We therefore feel strongly that federalism as implemented for the past 52 years is not justified as far as Sarawak is concerned. We feel that the allocation of development expenditure in the state is inequitable because we are rich in oil and gas: under the Petroleum Development Act which was passed in October 1974, we can only get a five per cent royalty from oil and gas production.
“We strongly support the state government in asking the federal government to increase the oil and gas royalty to 20 per cent.”
He also reminded all Sarawakians that Sarawak became independent on July 22, 1963 before Malaysia came into being on Sept 16, 1963.
“We organised a special event to commemorate Sarawak’s 50th Anniversary Independence day on 22 July in Pangkalan Batu at the Kuching Waterfront in 2013 replete with heavy symbolism and colonial-era pageantry.
“The actual ceremony where Governor Sir Alexander Waddell sailed from the Astana directly across the Sarawak River from Pangkalan Batu to officially hand over his duties was faithfully re-enacted, signalling the end of colonial rule.
“The swearing-in ceremony of the pioneer batch of State Cabinet Minister was also re-enacted. The formation of a State Cabinet on July 22, 1963 enabled Sarawak to form a self-ruled independent government, paving the way to the formation of Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963 with Sarawak being one of the four independent partners in the Federation of Malaysia,” he explained.
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