KUCHING: Political observer Datuk Peter Minos has credited early leaders like Tun Abang Openg Abang Sapiee with sowing the seeds of inter-racial harmony and political solidarity in the state.
Thanks to them we now have a Sarawak we are truly proud of, he said, adding back in 1963 the first top leader was Abang Openg who became Sarawak’s first Governor.
“Following him was Kalong Ningkan, our first Chief Minister. Those were great, eventful days. On Sept 16, 1963, I was among the hundreds of students gathered at Central Padang (now Padang Merdeka) to witness the Proclamation of Malaysia.
“Governor Tun Openg and Chief Minister Kalong Ningkan were present. We were jubilant and proud.
“Proud of our new nation, of our independence from British colonialism, and of creating Malaysia with Malaya, Sabah and Singapore (which left in1965). The spirit was high and great,”he said in a statement on Monday (Aug 5).
The last 60 years have been most eventful for Malaysia, he said,
“We overcame Indonesian aggression during “Konfrontasi” with the help of Commonwealth and Malayan forces, and by 1972, we defeated the remaining communist elements.”
The subsequent years were marked by significant events, he said, pointing to the dark chapter of the May 1, 1969 racial riots in Kuala Lumpur.
“I remember that infamous date as I was at Universiti Malaya in KL. It was a very bad and horrible time, ending with the creation of the New Economic Policy, known for both its benefits and drawbacks,”he said.
Then came the Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad years, characterised by big dreams, visions, and the transformation of Malaysia into an Asean Tiger.
“Despite the economic ups and downs and huge projects, Mahathir made Malaysia stand tall and known to the world.
“Recently, we have faced the embarrassment of the 1MDB financial scandal, frequent changes in federal governments and Prime Ministers, and the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. We are currently navigating these issues,”he added.
However, Sarawak, he said, has endured and thrived through these difficult times.
“Under the leadership of our proactive, visionary and determined Premier who is Abang Openg’s son, Sarawak has achieved remarkable progress.
“The state is now well-regarded, admired and respected for its new ideas, industries and promise of greater unity among its many races, economic progress and prosperity,”he said.
