The Spirit Of Independence 47 Years Too Late

Declaration of independence 16th Sept 1963

by Donald Stephens (Tun Fuad Stephens)

witnessed by Tun Mustapha Harun and Tun Abdul Razak

Hantu Laut

I was only 14 years old when I had to go to the town padang to witness what I was told the making of a new nation which I haven't got a clue about. Why would we need a new nation?

As student I am still blur about the going ons, the celebration and the festive mood everybody seemed to be in.

That unforgettable day was 16th Sept 1963.

Why in the first place we have to count Malaysia come to being a nation from 31st August 1957 instead of from 16th Sept 1963? There was no Malaysia prior to 1963 so how could we have existed for 53 years?

Remember George Santayana's "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" and I say those who twiddle history should be condemned and ridiculed.

We can learn from our mistake but it seems we had no wish to.We still celebrate 31st August as independence day when we should have completely scrapped that for 16th Sept which is the true day in history Malaysia was formed.

Would the people or the nation lose anything by rectifying mistake made by over-zealous leaders of the past who manufactured history to satisfy their whims and fancies.

I hope Prime Minister Najib would be taking the first step before the giant leap to correct the history book and not fool our younger and future generations that Malaysia is 6 years older than it actually is.

Today, for the first time in 47 years the people of Sabah and Sarawak can relate to a true independence day. The day the Union Jack came down to mark the end of colonialism and the hoisting of a new flag and the dawn of a new nation...Malaysia.

The last governor Sir William Goode bidding farewell to Harris Salleh

Lest, those federationists forget, we are a state in a federation, not a colony nor a province.Lest, they do not know the meaning of the word "federation" read the definition below:

A federation (Latin: foedus, foederis, 'covenant'), also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central (federal) government. In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision of the central government.Read more.

Today, for the first time, is a national holiday, and a big celebration to be held at Kota Kinabalu.