By Karen Bong
KUCHING, March 4: Efforts to return Sarawak’s rights as enshrined in the Constitution and Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) will continue until “we succeed”, assures Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Sarawak will be unimpeded, Abang Johari emphasised, just like the words of the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem: “Nyiur gading puncak mahligai, sayang ketupat berisi inti, hancur daging tulang berkecai, belum dapat belumku berhenti”.
He thus called on the people of Sarawak to continue to be united in spirit and voice to enable Sarawak to achieve this goal.
“Although we are diverse in race, ethnicity and religious backgrounds, with differing opinions, but the point is we are all children of Sarawak and Sarawak is our Motherland,” he reminded when addressing the official opening of the Borneo Cultures Museum (BCM) tonight.
Abang Johari pointed out that the museum seeks to bring together the many cultural elements of the multifarious races and ethnicities that inhabit this Land of the Hornbills in the hopes that it will unite us, despite our differences.
“Without a centre of unification between us, no one will protect our rights and restore the rights of Sarawak that have been eroded over the years,” he added.
The new RM323 million Borneo Cultures Museum, which is the biggest museum in Malaysia and the second largest in Southeast Asia, was opened by Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
“The presence of Tun accompanied by Toh Puan (Raghad Kurdi Taib) to officiate the Borneo Cultural Museum is very much in line with Tun’s efforts to elevate the cultural dignity of the multiracial, multiethnic, multireligious and multicultural community in Sarawak, to foster racial unity and promote Sarawak to the outside world as an attraction to tourists,” he said.
Abang Johari also thanked and congratulated the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts under the leadership of Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah for their dedication and commitment in ensuring the completion of the museum amidst the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Federal Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato Sri Nancy Shukri, State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion were among the guests present at the event. — DayakDaily
