KUCHING, Aug 29: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan opined the Merdeka Day celebration is misleading for Sarawakians and urged the Sarawak government not to celebrate it.
According to Voon, to do or to allow this celebration is misleading Sarawakians because August 31 has no significance for Sarawak.
“It is the Independence Day for Malaya and has nothing to do with Sarawak. We should not be ignorant nor should we year in year out fool our own people about August 31.
“If Sarawak celebrates Merdeka Day then the Sarawak government under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is admitting that Sarawak indeed is a colony of Malaya.
“PBK will politicise to say the GPS government is disrespectful to the demands of the people of Sarawak to be placed on equal footing with Malaya,” said Voon in a press statement, today.
Voon noted Malaysia had never been colonised by any foreign power and questioned the rationality of an Independence Day celebration in Malaysia.
He stated that Malaya was given independence by the British government on August 31, 1957, but Sarawak was never been given independence by Great Britain until now.
“We can, at most celebrate Malaysia Day and this shall be on September 16, each year. Public has to be informed that Malaysia came into being on September 16, 1963, but it is sad, Sarawak was acquired by Malaya as a gift from Great Britain to enlarge its territories,” he said.
Voon also pointed that this was against international law, which allows Sarawak to exercise its right to self determination under United Nations Assembly Resolution 1514.
“After Sarawak was acquired by Malaya to enlarge its territories, Malaya then changed its name to Malaysia. United Nations was informed of this by Dato Ong Yoke Ling about this change of name,” he added. –DayakDaily.
