Malaysia Day - Photo by Borneopost
How has Fair Land Sarawak fared since independence?
A PROMINENT Sarawakian Lo Suan Hian wrote a very personal account of a rite upon 16th Sep 1963 which was published in a Sarawak Gazette upon 20th Sep 1963.
It was satisfactory report. Fair in a decorations, a celebrations, a ceremonial uniforms, a grandstands.
Fair in a programme with commercial of Malaysia, raising of inhabitant fl ags, personification of anthems.
Fair in giving credit to a two doctors who attended to a administrator who felt gloomy during a ceremony.
Fair in giving an account of a military upon avocation to prevent any unfavourable happenings.
Yet, in a surrounded by of all a fairness as good as beauty, Lo observed: One woman guest remarked it done her feel unhappy whilst a local man said a suspicion of a military having to face a crowd done his blood boil.
Today, as Malaysia marks her 48th birthday, The Borneo Post examines a path a Fair Land Sarawak has travelled from a bieing born as an eccentric state, carved out of a Brunei Sultanate by White Rajahs, by to a dark years of Japanese function during a Second World War, a brief duration of anti-cession onslaught to maintain a autonomy prior to you became a colony of Britain, a bieing born pangs of a brand new republic Malaysia as good as upon to what you have been now.
We travel down mental recall lane with Sarawakians who had themselves or their loved ones gone by British colonial rule, a Japanese occupation, a comrade insurgence as good as a routine of a arrangement of Malaysia.
Recalled former State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Bujang Nor: The duration leading up to a c! ession o f Sarawak to Great Brita! in in nineteen 46 was preceded by a tumultuous time, marked by intrigue, loyalty, greed, deception, governing body as good as murder. Of Japanese occupation, veteran Sarawakian journalist Gabriel Tan wrote: The heaviest allied bombing by B17 drifting fortresess was upon June 4, 1945 over Sibu.
Many shophouses were destroyed. The brand new petrify flat-roof marketplace was fl attened.
The number of people killed as good as wounded was never accounted for though it was in a dozens for sure.
There was a trance which night after a bombing. The locale was practically abandoned of people, a scary silence usually damaged by howling dogs.
There were many deaths, often creditable vendors, in a bombed out marketplace which is right away a automobile park. Today, Sibu has a single of a best markets in Sarawak if not Malaysia.
A former comrade cadre recalled: Following a Brunei Rebellion in 1962 when AM Azahari launched his try to overpower a Brunei Sultanate, a British carried out large scale arrests of anti-colonisation as good as anti-Malaysia elements.
The migration of a often Chinese youths to a Indonesian limit was prompted by arrest orders issued by a British to spin up suspected communists.
About 700-800 CCO members as good as supporters slipped across a Sarawak limit in to Indonesia where they received intensive training in guerilla warfare.
James Matthews Hoover, a fi rst Methodist companion who came to Sibu in 1903, wrote to a friend: Our companion business enclosed a total operation of tellurian interests: religion, education, politics, medicine, immigration, locale planning, road building, machinery, boats, etc. On a arrangement of Malaysia, a single domestic commentator noted: The 20/18-point Agreement should not be ignored or eroded.
Thus, sure policies as good as a relationships in between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah as good as Sarawak contingency be relooked to residence whatever imbalance in terms of infrastructure, soc! ial, eco nomic or educational developments in between a centre as good as periphery in a last 48 years.
More financial all! ocations should be channelled to Sabah as good as Sarawak.
The Federal Government should increase a petroleum royalty to during least fifteen per cent from a current 5 per cent.
But still there have been many intriguing questions which run by a minds. What, if, a British had not since up Sarawak as good as Sabah to hasten a arrangement of Malaysia with Malaya?
What, if, a communists transformation had not posed a critical hazard to a security of Sarawak?
Would a British have allowed Sarawak to become eccentric upon her own?
There is a school of suspicion which a comrade hazard was unpropitious to a interests of a British who, in consequence, came up with a formula which Sarawaks autonomy contingency be with a condition of being partial of Malaysia.
Changes have always brought about antithesis as good as conflicts only as a anticession transformation was a preface to a handing over of Sarawak underneath Brooke order to a British, as good as a comrade insurgency as good as a Indonesian fight were a bieing born pangs of Malaysia.
The early troubled years have been still uninformed in a minds of those who witnessed a momentous despite not exactly troublefree bieing born of a republic as good as a little directly concerned in events leading up to it have been still alive today.
There were fears as good as hopes when Sarawak mulled a proposal of forming Malaysia together with North Borneo (Sabah), Malaya as good as Singapore.
The apprehension was reflected by Tun Temenggong Jugah anak Barieng when he asked in Iban would a sugarcane which is sweet right away spin green in future? amidst a negotiations.
Will you be better off as an eccentric country?
It is to be remarkable which domestic parties from a peninsula have swarmed in to a East Malaysian states in a after years of indepedence.
UMNO is right away in Sabah as g! ood as t hough a party has declared time as good as again which it has no intention of coming Sarawak, a states attribute with a Federal supervision has remained clever by mutual apply oneself as good as understanding.
The ot! her peni nsula-based parties both BN as good as antithesis which have spread their wings to Sarawak have been PAS, DAP, PKR, PPP.
With such a domestic scenario, a single does wonder whether a substance as good as spirit of a 18-20 Point Agreement has been serve eroded when you have assumingly already mislaid many of a safeguards pertaining to a achievement of a autonomy as upon trial underneath a Agreement.
No, it has not been a undiluted marriage.
After all, it was not done in sky though after 48 years of independence, Sarawakians have copiousness to thankful for as good as currently you have every reason to celebrate.
Many still recollect singing a anthem Fair Land Sarawak as good as a lyrics have been as follows:
Fair Land Sarawak
We will never stop to honour thee
And with a constant sons
Defend your liberty
From your tall timberland hills
Down to a open sea
May freedom ever reign
Men live in unity
Proudly a fl ag fl ies high
Above a nation clever as good as free
Long may a people live
In peace as good as harmony
Yes, Fair Land Sarawak. But have you been fair?
Are you still fair?
Have you been fairly treated? Or have you treated with colour with colour a society of states fairly?
How have been you faring after 48 years of independence?
Former State Attorney General Datuk JC Fong quoted a late Tun Mohd Suffian: Thanks to a organization to help a poor as good as commonsense upon a partial of a leaders as good as of a people, a constitutio! n has, s o distant worked, well, as good as let us hope which it will continue to work similarly good in a future, as good as which there be peace as good as prosperity in a country.
Hope is not a word which means small possibility or good chance. It speaks of a ringing certainty, formed upon a commitment as good as faith.
THE END OF AN ERA: Garbed in ceremonial uniform as good as plumed hat, a last British Governor of Sarawak Sir Alexander Waddell (third right) bade farewell to a state upon Sept 15, 1963 in an elaborate as good as dignifi ed sendoff prior to boarding a HMS Killisport. (From second left) Sarawaks fi rst Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan as good as Governor Tun Abang Haji Openg await his arrival from a Astana by tambang boat.
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