KOTA KINABALU — Sabah and Sarawak NGOs, led by human rights advocate
Daniel John Jambun, demand that the Malaysia Parliament emulate
Singapore’s exit from Malaysia on 9 August 1965 and grant independence
for Sabah and Sarawak.
They were commenting on the first-ever Sabah Day which will be celebrated on 31 August in Tambunan after the Merdeka Day joy in Kota Kinabalu. More on this later.
Sarawak Day has been celebrated on 22 July, every year, since it was gazetted in 2016.
“Malaysia must end the half century and more occupation of Sabah and
Sarawak,” reiterated Daniel in a statement endorsed by six NGOs in Sabah
and Sarawak viz. Gindol Initiative for Civil Society Borneo, Persatuan
Kebudayaan orang darat Sabah, Persatuan pembangunan sosial komunity
Sabah (BANGUN), Pertubuhan kebajikan Rumpun Dayak Sabah, Pertubuhan
Prihatin Mualaf Sabah and the Sarawak Association for Peoples
Aspirations (SAPA).
“The Malaysia Parliament can take leaf from Singapore on 9 Aug 1965,” he added. In international law, said Daniel, Sabah and Sarawak have the right
of self-determination. “The Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA’63) wasn’t
self-determination.”
In taking leaf from Singapore’s independence on 9 August 1965, he
continued, the Parliament of Malaysia must grant independence for Sabah
and Sarawak. “That will end Occupation 916.”
Perhaps the Commonwealth, the UN Security Council, the UN General
Assembly and the ICJ can mediate independence for Sabah and Sarawak,
said Daniel. “Self-government would be a non-starter after more than
half a century of occupation.”
He thinks that Sabah and Sarawak can still stay in the Malaysian
Common Market and Singapore and Brunei be invited as well. “Sabah and
Sarawak would be members of the Commonwealth, the UN and ASEAN,” said
Daniel.
