KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Day will be celebrated on Aug 31 this year, although it has yet to be gazetted.
Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said the event will be co-organised by STAR Youth and the non-governmental organisation Gerakan Rakyat Sabah.
"We were unable to complete the gazetting of Sabah Day in time for it to be commemorated this year," he said in a statement Sunday (Aug 7).
ALSO READ: Plan in the works to gazette Aug 31 as Sabah Day
"However, we are working hard to ensure that the move to gazette this day as Sabah Day is completed in time for next year’s celebration," he added.
"If Sarawak can accomplish it, why can’t Sabah? We should also have our own Sabah Day, just like Sarawak has their own Sarawak Day," he added.
The Deputy Chief Minister said this year’s Sabah Day would include a two-week long independence walk throughout Sabah, a video competition, a best slogan competition and even a concert.
ALSO READ: What Aug 31 means to Sabah
Kitingan said as in previous years, the most important event will be the raising of the Sabah flag to kick off the event.
There will also be public exhibitions aimed at raising historical awareness and understanding about Sabah’s history among locals and Malaysians, he said.
"I am looking forward to the merriest Sabah Day yet this year. I hope that many Sabahans will join us as we celebrate 59 years since Sabah gained self-government from the British empire and honour our forefathers who fought for our independence.
"I would also like to invite other political organisations and NGOs to join hands and celebrate this moment in history that marked the end of colonialism in Sabah," Kitingan said.
He also congratulated Peninsular Malaysia on its 65th independence day celebration which also falls on Aug 31.
