Homeland pride: Alfred, Anathasia and their son flying the Sabah flag and Jalur Gemilang during the Sabah Day celebrations in Kota Kinabalu; and (below) Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association members parading at the celebrations.
KOTA KINABALU: “Saya ini original Sabahan ... Mantad kampung nuntunan apin-apin”. It means “I am an original Sabahan from Kampung Nuntunan Apin-Apin” and is part of the many local songs belted in the Sabah Day celebrations.
Held at Padang Merdeka here on the night of Aug 31, thousands thronged to witness the state-level celebration.
Among the crowd were a family of three – Alfred Raphael, his wife Anathasia Thomas, both 33, and their 19-month-old toddler Alven Cephas Alfred.
“I want him (Alven) to slowly learn about the history of Sabah,” Alfred said, a civil servant, adding that history is what shapes the future of a state, a country, a community and a person.
Anathasia said the line-up of programmes and performances was amazing and that their trip there was worth it.
Guests were entertained with culturally infused dance from national and international award-winning school dance troops, native song-like poems called “hiis” (Kadazandusun language), and declamation of poems and songs from local artistes.
Other highlights were an appreciation award presented to the forefathers of Sabah, the late Tun Mustapha Harun, who fought against Japanese soldiers, the late Tun Fuad Stephens and the late Datuk GS Sundang.
Their sacrifices to make Sabah independent and later to form the Federation of Malaysia were remembered at the event.
Mustapha’s eldest daughter, Fuad’s nephew and Sundang’s great granddaughter – were present to receive a plaque of appreciation from Sabah’s Head of State Tun Musa Aman, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and organising chairperson Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan.
Guests were also shown a short montage of Sabah’s history from when it was still known as North Borneo under the British colonial rule from 1881-1941, and then Japanese rule, and how Sabahans strived to bring the state towards freedom and independence.
Between 1942 and 1945, Mustapha worked on a mission to get help from America to stop the war before the Japanese finally surrendered in September 1945.
That marked the start towards Sabah’s independence in 1963, where on Aug 31, Sabah was given the authority to form its own government before joining in the formation of the Federation of Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963.
Sabah Day was gazetted as an official state celebration in 2024.
