I will not be celebrating Malaysia Day [the 51st] this year! I have of course several reasons. First is that I have already announced that I will stop my Annual Flag Raising Ceremony as my self appointed Task has already been timely and duly completed and accomplished with the Malaysian government, and therefore the whole of Malaysia, now giving due recognition to this Day!
And that the 50th Anniversary was the last time I raised the Malaysian Flag, which was also the Golden Jubilee year. And which was celebrated on a grand scale in Kuching at the Central Padang where a reputed 20,000 people witnessed the solemn ceremony!
I had fulfilled my pledge made at the very first Flag Raising Ceremony in 2005, the year before I became a YB; that I would continue to raise the Malaysia Flag on the same Malaysia Day there till the government took over and there are at least 6000 people who would witness the same at the same venue, the Central Padang at Kuching, since then renamed the Padang Merdeka, the same number of people who first witnessed the First Malaysia Day in Kuching, Sarawak!
And for those who would be interested in some bits of small history, or trivia, the police did come and harassed me and my small group [just a dozen] of diehards, on that very first day of the flag raising itself, on 16 September 2005.
It was not difficult for
them to know or see my action for the Central Police Station is perched
right at the top right hand corner of the Central Padang itself, and
the SB would have alerted them earlier.
The contingent of police, actually the FRU, led an ASP Morshidi, came to confront me at the Flag Raising ceremony, and asked me if I have any police permit, ie police permission to raise the Flag! Or else its an illegal assembly!
The contingent of police, actually the FRU, led an ASP Morshidi, came to confront me at the Flag Raising ceremony, and asked me if I have any police permit, ie police permission to raise the Flag! Or else its an illegal assembly!
I
said No, and that I don’t think that there was any such permission
granted or needed when the 6000 Sarawakians who were about to become
Malaysians held the same Flag Raising Ceremony there and then on 16
September 1963!
I continued, that if not for this occasion, which is Malaysia Day, the day Malaysia came into being, from where would come the Malaysian law that they purported to uphold?
I continued, that if not for this occasion, which is Malaysia Day, the day Malaysia came into being, from where would come the Malaysian law that they purported to uphold?
It’s a
chicken and egg situation! And the police would have to arrest me if
they wanted to stop my Flag Raising Ceremony!
The policeman who led the contingent then hesitated, and later said to me. ‘There is only a few of you here, so I would not arrest you, but if there are more, I would have to act.’
The policeman who led the contingent then hesitated, and later said to me. ‘There is only a few of you here, so I would not arrest you, but if there are more, I would have to act.’
To which I immediately rebutted, ‘I hope one
day that there will be 6000 people raising the Malaysian Flag with me
on 16 September!, the same number that had witnessed this event here at
this very place on 16 Sept 1963’ The police then without another word
withdrew to the corner, and from then onwards, watched us in silence!
After that confrontation, those assembled, while few, felt reprieved and reenergised. We proceeded with the ceremony, which was the reading of the Malaysia and Sarawak Proclamations.
After that confrontation, those assembled, while few, felt reprieved and reenergised. We proceeded with the ceremony, which was the reading of the Malaysia and Sarawak Proclamations.
Tuan Haji Wan Zainal, the
then chairman? of PKR Sarawak, had the honours to become the PM for a
day and as Tunku Abdul Rahman, now Bapa Malaysia, he read out the
Malaysia Proclamation.
I assumed the role of the CM of Sarawak, and as
Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan, read out the Sarawak Proclamation.
And we all sang the Negaraku with much gusto while the Malaysian and
Sarawakian Flags were raised. And it was done! Against all odds we felt,
and certainly despite definitive police harassment.
And the very first banner that we unfurled on that day read, in 3 languages: “16 Sept is our True National Day”!
And the very first banner that we unfurled on that day read, in 3 languages: “16 Sept is our True National Day”!
As a postscript, the police did not stop there. They lodged a Police Report against me! And from the info from the police officer who later took my statement for all PRs lodged, the police lodged a Police Report against me every year that I raised the Malaysian Flag on 16th September!!! Fancy that!
And I continued to raise the Malaysia Flag, conduct the same ceremony, on 16 September every year without fail, till 2013, when the Government officially took over the celebrations.
But there is a more important reason why I am not commemorating Malaysia Day this year …
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