Today is 31 August, commonly referred to as Hari Merdeka or Independence Day. What is not commonly understood by most people is that 31 August is actually Malaya Independence Day when Tunku Abdul Rahman together with the rest of the founding fathers of various communities gained independence from British Rule for Malaya. This is West Malaysia today.
So, we are really commemorating the 51st year of independence for Malaya or West Malaysia. Happy Merdeka Day! So where does East Malaysia fit in? Did somebody forget that they are part of Malaysia? Why is it that Merdeka Day which is Malaya Independence Day celebrated as if it was for all Malaysia? What about Sarawak and Sabah?
Indeed, over the years, our Government had inadvertently swept Sarawak and Sabah into Malaya both in concept and in practice rather than joint partners of independence. The early Government before 1963 had correctly celebrated Merdeka Day for all because they ruled all of Malaya. There was no Malaysia until 16 September 1963. Without doing justice to the inclusion of Singapore (who was kicked out of Malaysia in 1965), Sarawak and Sabah, Malaysia continues to celebrate the Malaya independence as Malaysia independence.
We are taught in our Sejarah (history) textbooks in schools (and still teaching children today) and it echoes in the media for the past 51 years that 31 August is Merdeka Day with a silent implication this is independence day for all of Malaysia. Does it even matter if the day and year of Malaysia independence is taken as 31 August instead of 16 September? After all, we’ve been doing it for half a century. So what?
James Chin wrote an excellent article here expounding on this very issue. Are we 45 years or 51 years of independence? It does matter. Apart from his main thesis in his posting, there is another dimension to be understood.
Especially so now after Anwar won his Pematang Pauh Parliamentary seat last Tuesday. Sarawak and Sabah have both become the focus of BN and PR in their endeavor to gain the East Malaysian states’ support to either form a new Government or to maintain control of the present Government.
For the first time, the East Malaysian states are now the pivot of attention for both Pak Lah and Anwar. Why? Because they control 54 seats in Parliament. Both Anwar and Pak Lah need these seats to establish their control in Parliament.
Now, politics aside, recognizing Merdeka Day today for all Malaysians, it should now bring our attention to include our East Malaysian brothers and sisters to the Malaysia their forefathers subscribed to in 1963. Over the past 45 years, they have been sidelined and allowed to play second fiddle at most in the BN Government. Their concerns in serious issues have gone virtually unheard. The bumiputra of East Malaysia, the natives of the land of Borneo now part of Malaysia, feel left out and let down in the Malaysian development. They have continued to sit in the shadow of the Malayan peer. They continue to see their rightful resources taken for Federal management but little comes back to them. They feel used this Merdeka Day! Ask any East Malaysian and you will get the same feeling about West Malaysia, the Federal Government.
It is with disdain they view West Malaysia because for 45 years, the Malaya part of the Malaysia has somehow lorded over them. But today, they have come to the fore of attention for both Pak Lah and Anwar need them to establish the future of Malaysia. They once had autonomy but today, that too has been usurped from the constitution.
And suddenly, we recognize the importance of Sarawak and Sabah for the future of Malaysia. The 2009 Budget announced by Pak Lah dished out money for the building of infrastructure. Hopefully, this is not the last time they see this magnanimity from the Federal Government. Certainly, there are quarters who are sceptical about this focus in the Budget because of the wooing of Pak Lah to East Malaysian states.
But is it enough? The treatment of Sarawak and Sabah for the past 45 years has been listless at best. This listlessness is now seen in this year’s Merdeka celebrations by the people. Most have kept the flag in the cupboard. Patriotic songs usually blaring in shopping complexes and TVs are low keyed or not even played. There are more Olympic songs on TV than Malaysia patriotic songs by far. Looks like nobody is particularly interested to celebrate Merdeka Day as in previous years.
This is a dangerous sign. Perhaps the March General Election historic results have shaken the BN Government but seems not to have woken it up yet. The recent Pematang Pauh by-election historic result mirrored the March GE 12 results may have caused the powers to be to have forgotten about Merdeka Day with their absorbed focus on Anwar. Where is Shabbery Cheek when you need him? Someone forgot to send out a memo on the celebration of 31 August?
We are having the worst Merdeka Day for a long time most people can remember. Nobody seems interested. The celebration dressing is listless. The little flags that used to fly in motorbikes and cars all over the country long before Merdeka Day is now no longer visible. No more patriotic songs. No more Sudirman on the radio ringing out “Tanggal Tiga Puluh Satu, Bulan Lapan, Lima Puluh Tujuh, Merdeka…..” so familiar to our ears over the years.
Perhaps the sly recognition of Anwar to the significance of 16 September shows wisdom to be all inclusive of Sarawak and Sabah in his plan to Putra Jaya. This was spouted soon after the March GE12 results as a major milestone for all Malaysians to watch. Certainly, the cry of 16 September is the admission by Anwar that Sarawak and Sabah will not be forgotten in the new Malaysia if he succeeds to form the new Government with them because he has long recognized the fact he can’t do it without them. Implicit meanings of the shouts of Merdeka during his Pematang Pauh campaign rings to underscore the eventual importance of 16 September – Malaysia Day – where Sarawak and Sabah signed up with the rest to form Malaysia.
Perhaps this is the turning point for all Malaysians to think about celebrating Malaysia Day on 16 September together with ALL states as well because it was this day that Sarawak and Sabah made it possible for us to be called Malaysia. We can’t avoid looking at 16 September as Anwar’s date now. But regardless of what Anwar has said, he has successfully pointed us to this very day, 16 September, as our focus whether we like it or not. It is Malaysia Day and Anwar has successfully painted himself as a true Malaysia leader pinning himself and PR to 16 September.
Because of this, BN leaders are all wary of 16 September but have they forgotten Malaysia Day along with it? Have they forgotten that Sarawak and Sabah are truly part of Malaysia for Independence Day and not only for a day but forever? Hopefully not.
Happy Merdeka Day! And we should also look forward to Malaysia Day in a few weeks time.
Proud 2B Malaysian 