KUCHING: State Reform Party (STAR) is of the opinion that there is no need for Sarawak to recognise Aug 31 as a public holiday.
“We wish our West Malaysian counterparts Happy Independence Day but we cannot recognise it as Sarawak’s Independence Day because it doesn’t apply to us. “Therefore, there is no need for Sarawak to mark it as a public holiday,” said STAR president Lina Soo at a press conference here, yesterday.
She reiterated that the celebration signifies the independence of Malaya (now known as Peninsular Malaysia) from Britain on Aug 31, 1957.
“In 1963, Malaya changed its name to Malaysia along with the expansion of territories with the addition of Singapore (which exited Malaysia in 1965), Sarawak and Sabah (formerly known as North Borneo).
“This was passed through United Nation (UN)’s General Assembly but as far as UN’s record, this federation existed since Aug 31, 1957 of which Sarawak is not a part of,” she explained.
Soo added that the state has the authority to de-gazette the celebration in the state because it is not the state’s independence day. “Sarawak has the rights to choose its holidays. Federal government can gazette holidays but we can choose not to follow.”
