Hidup Ketuanan Rakyat Sarawak !
Oct. 19th 2009
YB Dominique Ng, the ADUN for Padungan, has welcomed the belated declaration by the Federal Government of September 16th,, being Malaysia Day, as national public holiday. He was commenting on the move by the Prime Minister to finally declare Sept 16 a holiday.
It has always been a sore point with Sabah and Sarawak that the day of federation was not recognised officially as a national holiday prior to this announcement. Successive BN governments have ignored calls to make Malaysia Day a holiday. The move would appear to give Sabah and Sarawak limited initial recognition as partners of the Malaysian Federation. The Sabah and Sarawak votes are clearly important to the political equation.
To shed the floodlights on a previous Blind Spot of official Malaysian history promoted by UMNO and Barisan National, YB Ng with his small band of party faithful have for five successive years on September 16th, hoisted National and State flags at the Central Padang in Kuching. “The Barisan National side poured scorn on us in and out of Dewan Undangan Negeri. Today our party effort is vindicated. Sarawak people are the winners and they rejoice in a fine moment of Peoples’ Victory, and a rare sense of Merdeka!”
YB Ng described the announcement as a signal victory of the Rakyat, and he feels honoured to have stood with the people of Sarawak to stake claim on an essential fact of nationhood. “Today we have claimed back our Malaysia Day finally, and with it a small part of the honour of Sarawak people, but there is much more honour to be restored. Parti KeAdilan Rakyat is now even more determined to support the people of Sarawak to make a total claim on all aspects of our rightful position and honour lost in 47 years of Federation.”
Even on the eve of the Prime Minister’s announcement, YB Ng was championing the 916 date, and reminding the BN Government on 916 as holiday, at a public forum organized by the party’s Batu Kawa ranting (branch). His own legal practice has for years observed 916 as holiday to set the pace. “History and all of it, may neither be distorted nor hidden from public view. The Barisan National Government must be aroused from its deliberate somnolence: woe betide a nation that betrays the facts of history !”
“I stated before that the restoration of true history is in recognition of the role of Sarawak in the formation of Malaysia and is essential to upholding the fundamental rights of Sarawak in the Federation. I would like to reiterate the following points which I call on the BN government to acknowledge without ambivalence:
1. That Malaysia was formed on September 16th 1963 and not August 31st. 1957. There is but one Merdeka Day for 1Malaysia, not two.
2. September 16th should rightly be the National Day of Malaysia. There was no Malaysia before September 16th 1963.
3. Sarawak did not join Malaysia, but formed Malaysia together with Sabah, Singapore and the Federation of Malaya.
4. 2009 marks the 46th anniversary of Malaysian independence, and not 52nd anniversary.
One Nation, One National Day for all, and on 916 it has to be. “
“Proceeding from the restoration of a fundamental truth of Malaysian history, the task of the people of Sarawak,” he exhorts, “is the struggle for justice for the States of Sabah and Sarawak as partners of the Federation. The claiming of Ground September 16th, is but a prelude to the claiming by the people of Sabah and Sarawak for State rights due and for striking out with a new deal of a better Federation of to-morrow.”
“Sarawak people should bemoan their plight in Malaysia no more, but rise in one voice of righteous demand for justice for all. “
“ We should review all the constitutional promises and other safeguards of the 1963 Federation, restore its spirit, and rectify the multitude of errors and failures of continuous rule by Federal and State Barisan National Government.”
“The backward position of Sarawak as a partner of the Federation, in all fields including political, economic, educational, cultural, environmental, health and social welfare, public transport and other infrastructural aspects, must be addressed and rectified by any responsible government in Petra Jaya (Kuching) and Putra Jaya (KL). Justice, equality and equitable sharing is the effective way forward in nation building. ”
He pledges that Parti Keadilan Rakyat will stand by the people of Sarawak to claim the lost ground, and justice for Sabah and Sarawak has all this while been part of the national reform agenda of the party led by Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim. “The people of all strata of society too have to stand steadfast in staking their rightful stake in the Federation. It is the Rakyat, and only the Rakyat, who will be able to charge our party effort for a just and enlightened nation-building process.”
Hidup KETUANAN RAKYAT SARAWAK !
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