Kitingan wants people from all walks of life to join in the first ever Sabah Day celebration in Tambunan on Aug 31
KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan has called on people in Sabah to head into the interior Tambunan district, about 100km from here, in droves to mark the first ever Sabah Day celebrations this Aug 31.
The Deputy Chief Minister I said it would be a grand inaugural official celebration of the state’s independence from British rule.
"Sabah Day will be held for the first time ever in Tambunan after 60 years of our independence," said the Tambunan assemblyman, after an event here on Wednesday (Aug 23).
"Thanks to the state government. The state Cabinet had finally agreed to support the official holding of this occasion on Aug 31 every year, provided it did not clash with other programmes at the national level.
"I would like to invite everybody in Sabah to celebrate this inaugural occasion. Come in your traditional costumes and join in the celebration at the Pisompuruan Square," Kitingan added.
On Monday (Aug 21), Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the state Cabinet made the decision during its meeting last week and chose Tambunan as the venue for the inaugural celebration, with the programme to start at 3pm.
"It was also decided that the celebration to mark Sabah's important historical milestone will be held annually, with the venue to be rotated among the districts.
"Let us honour and commemorate the day which marked the end of British colonial rule in Sabah (on Aug 31, 1963) and signifies our journey of coming together as a people to establish self rule," he added.
On gazetting Sabah Day, Kitingan said the state would ensure this would be done.
"It is just a formality. But I checked the records, Sabah Day has already been declared a holiday since the beginning 60 years ago.
"But if it’s not already gazetted, we will make sure to do it," he said.
Sabah subsequently formed the Federation of Malaysia with Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore on Sept 16, 1963.
Local parties like Sabah STAR led by Kitingan and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) led by Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee have been campaigning to mark Sabah Day over the years.
Both parties, now members of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government, had called for Aug 31 to be gazetted as Sabah Day, similar to the move by Sarawak to mark July 22 as its independence day.
Sabah STAR and SAPP said this would accord Sabah’s recognition as a region in line with restoring its rights in keeping with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
