KUCHING, Sept 19: Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing calls on Ministry of Education (MoE) to rectify the date in the history textbook to reflect Sept 16 as the true National Day.
According to Masing, as students, everyone were led to believe that Aug 31, 1957, as Hari Malaysia, based on the history book.
“It was a wrong historical fact. Let Ministry of Education (MoE) correct this in the Malaysia history book and its school syllabus.
“The sooner the better, only then we will have better understanding of each other,” he said in a statement today.
The Minister of Infrastructure and Ports Development said he also agreed with the Malaysia Dynamic Community Association chairman Paul Fong’s statement that was published in a local English daily recently, saying that Sept 16 should be declared as Malaysia or National Day instead of Aug 31.
He pointed out that it was the day then Malaysia as a nation was born, and therefore, Sept 16 is the National Day for Sarawak, Sabah and Malaya.
“It should be celebrated by the three regions in Malaysia in turn, Aug 31, 1957 has nothing to do with Sarawak and Sabah, as Malaysia didn’t even exist at that time.
“Sarawak and Sabah may celebrate Aug 31, if invited by Malaya as a friend would attend a friend’s birthday,” he added. – DayakDaily.
