Merdeka isn’t ours, say East Malaysian activists

They see depictions of Malays, Chinese and Indians living in harmony as irrelevant to them.

Zainal is irked that some politicians and the KL-centric entertainment industry do not seem to see Sabah and Sarawak as equal to Peninsular Malaysia.

PETALING JAYA: In case you haven’t noticed, there’s yet another music video about harmonious living in Malaysia.

The new video, produced for the 60th Merdeka celebration and featuring characters named Ali, Ah Kao and Muthu, showcases the musical talents of Namewee, Aniq and David Arumugam. Those who have watched it on YouTube and like it have praised it with such words as “heart warming”, “lovely” and “beautiful” .

This narrative of harmony among Malays, Chinese and Indians has been appearing regularly in Merdeka advertisements through the years, but it is one that a Sabah activist objects to, saying it does not give the true Malaysian story.

“It’s sickening,” said Zainal Ajamain, who campaigns for strict observance of the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.

“Every year, Sabahans and Sarawakians have the Malayan narrative of Merdeka shoved down our throats. It’s as if Malaysia consists only of Malays, Chinese and Indians.

“Worse still, people say it’s Malaysia’s 60th independence day and it is not.”

According to him, the root problem is that many political leaders and people in the entertainment industry do not know, or perhaps refuse to acknowledge, historical facts.

One of these facts is that Malaysia was formed on Sept 16, 1963, making it 54 years old and not 60.

In 2015, the Communications and Multimedia Ministry announced that the 58th Merdeka Day would be known as National Day 2015. It said this was to foster closer ties between Peninsular Malaysians and the people of Sabah and Sarawak.

Zainal is irked that some politicians and the KL-centric entertainment industry do not seem to see Sabah and Sarawak as equal to Peninsular Malaysia in the Malaysian partnership.

“I’m happy for Malayans that they achieved independence on August 31, 1957. But that’s their history. It has nothing to do with Sabah or Sarawak. So why force us to put on a show and celebrate it like it means something to us?”

He said a true national celebration would be Malaysia Day, which falls on Sept 16.

“I hope that people who like to boast about being Malaysian, especially political leaders, actually understand that Malaysia includes the history, people and narrative of Sabah and Sarawak. Malaya alone is not Malaysia.”

S4S’s Peter John Jaban says Sarawakians have been indoctrinated to believe that Aug 31 is their national day.

Sarawak for Sarawakians (S4S) spokesman Peter John Jaban said Sarawakians had been indoctrinated to believe that Aug 31 is their national day.

“This is why the date and, more importantly, the manner of the celebration of this public holiday has become a metaphor for the disregard of Sarawak and Sabah’s position in Malaysia as it references a date before the country was formed,” he told FMT.

“Perhaps August 31 can be celebrated nationwide as Constitution Day in recognition of the efforts of Tunku Abdul Rahman and his founding government on all our behalf.”

He said more Sarawakians were now objecting to the tendency to negate the existence and contribution of the Borneo states. He called this a hegemony.

“The celebration of August 31 as Malaysia’s independence day must be seen as a denial of Sarawak’s history,” he added.

He also said Sarawak Day, the day the state achieved self-governance, which is celebrated on July 22, must be given national recognition and its significance taught in schools.

“July 22 should have passed into obscurity because it represents only the transfer of self-government on the basis that the Malaysia Agreement 1963 was to be signed a few months later, but because the agreement hasn’t been honoured, that date has become more meaningful,” he said. -FMT