MALAYSIA may have been formed in 1963, but believe it or not, it wasn’t until 2010 that Malaysia Day was celebrated as a national public holiday. Prior to that, it was a state holiday only in Sabah and Sarawak.
The declaration of a national holiday may have had a political tinge to it, since the previous opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat had made election promises around it before a holiday was finally declared by Barisan Nasional.
But it makes sense, given that we are one country. The idea was to also bring both east and west Malaysians together, to help us understand and appreciate one another more.
Peninsular Malaysians can learn a lot from our brethren across the South China Sea. Sabah and Sarawak are home to dozens of different ethnic groups, hundreds if you count sub-ethnic groups, all with their own languages and cultures – and all living in relative harmony.
In many ways, east Malaysia is a microcosm of what greater Malaysia is aspiring to, where diversity is our strength, and where appreciation – not mere acceptance or tolerance – of other cultures is a way of life.
With that in mind, let’s shine a light on the two east Malaysian states:
The Malaysia Agreement disagreement
Key points from the Malaysia Agreement 1963
#AnakAnakMalaysia: Better together
Needed: A better ecosystem for the arts
Champs with new hopes, new goals
Building communities for good living
Art, as a pillar of the nation
Giving inclusive a whole new meaning
When curiousity and ignorance meet
We, the rakyat, have this to say
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