KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Day, which is celebrated together with National Day on Aug 31, should have a concept and identity of its own, says Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
He said other than an identity unique to Sabahans which can be related to the people of Sabah, the date to celebrate this historical event could be considered to be changed in future.
"For now, we celebrate both Sabah Day and National Day on Aug 31, and this takes away that unique touch for Sabah Day because the emphasis nationwide is on National Day," he said during a Forum Perdana here on Wednesday (Aug 27).
According to Kitingan, Aug 8, 1963 was a significant date as it was the day that the then legislative body of North Borneo, as Sabah was known then, agreed to declare the state's independence on Aug 31 of that year.
"So Aug 8 is relevant and has a historical significance that is uniquely relatable to Sabah and Sabah itself," he said.
At this point, Sabah Day is just another celebration that is not yet able to truly showcase its significance to the history of Sabah and its role in the formation of the federation of Malaysia, he said.
Kitingan shared that most Malaysians are still ignorant and confused about how Sabah was formed and its contribution to forming the federation of Malaysia, why this knowledge should be shared, and what Sabah Day means to Sabahans.
"This is a forgotten piece of history which was recently revived, and should be given focus and taught to this new generation of Malaysians," he said.
Sabah Day, he added, is akin to Sabah’s birthday, and like any other humans, they celebrate and remember birthdays of their loved ones.
"In commemoration of the birth of our state, we must also claim for independence from colonisation and freedom of thinking, from poverty, economic advancement and other developments," said Kitingan.
Earlier in the forum, speakers comprising Kitingan, Universiti Malaya Faculty of Literature and Social Science Dean Prof Datuk Dr Danny Wong, Institute for Development Studies Sabah Chief Executive Officer Datuk Dr Ramzah Dambul and Universiti Malaysia Sabah senior lecturer Prof Dr Mohd Sohaimi Esa spoke about issues relating to Sabah Day.
The forum, moderated by Sabah Action Body Advocating Rights chairman Datuk Zainie Abdul Aucasa, discussed how the history of Sabah’s formation and partnership to form the federation of Malaysia should be included in the school syllabus and suggested ways to keep Sabah Day alive and thriving.
Wong said if Sabah Day was not given much attention, the term ‘out of sight, out of mind’ would come into reality.
Dr Ramzah said Sabah being a multi-racial state, there are already many celebrations that bring people together in unity, peace and prosperity.
"However, in these celebrations, for example religious-based events, there will be communities who feel that they cannot relate or do not belong but Sabah Day is a celebration where every Sabahan can relate to," he said.
Dr Sohaimi felt that to bring youths together to appreciate Sabah Day, the state and stakeholders must move at their pace and find ways that can appeal to these younger generations so that there would be continuity in the effort to revive this forgotten history.
