By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 20: The year 1963 is a year that will always be etched in the minds of Sarawakians—for both good and bad reasons.
In a statement, political pundit Dato Peter Minos recalled his days as a youth and how he felt when Sarawak gained independence from the British on July 22, 1963.
“We must always remember this date because it was the day we attained self-rule from colonial Britain. It was our ‘freedom day’—one of the greatest days in our history. Later, on September 16 in that same year was when Malaya, Singapore, Sabah, and Sarawak formed the federation of Malaysia.
“In 1963, I was a Form 3 student and that year was a momentous one for me. We were excited to become an independent nation, free from colonialism, and no one running our lives—suppressing and looking down on us,” he said.
However, he also said that 1963 was when Konfrontasi happened, which stemmed from Indonesia’s opposition to the formation of Malaysia.
“In 1964 and 1965, there was fear and tension in Sarawak, but peace came by 1966—what a great relief it was. Nevertheless, 1963 is stuck in our minds. It was really a defining year which I will never forget.
“I used to tell my children of the importance of the year. You cannot forget the year of your liberation and the deliverance of your freedom.” — DayakDaily
