Happy news to everyone as the Sabah state government has officially declared August 31 as Sabah Day.
It marks the territory’s achievement of self-government in 1963 after many years as a British crown colony.
Sabah state secretary Safar Untong announced that this proclamation was gazetted on June 5 and published on June 20, following the directive of Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Juhar Mahiruddin.
Formerly known as British North Borneo, Sabah gained self-government on August 31, 1963, which is recognised by the state as its day of independence.
According to FMT, Sabah joined Malaysia, along with Malaya, Sarawak, and Singapore, on September 16 of the same year.
Initially, August 31 was intended to be the date of Malaysia’s formation, coinciding with Malaya’s independence day.
However, the date was postponed due to the necessity of a referendum conducted by the United Nations.
In a similar move, Sarawak declared July 22 as Sarawak Day and its day of independence in 2016, establishing it as a state holiday.
There have been long-standing calls for Sabah to designate August 31 as Sabah Day.
Johan Arriffin Samad, the former CEO of Sabah’s Institute for Development Studies, stated that such a designation would symbolise the state’s autonomy.
By recognising August 31 as Sabah Day, the state honours its unique history and journey towards self-governance, celebrating a significant milestone in its path to independence.
READ ALSO:
