Lets make the 50th Malaysia Day next year really meaningful and historic not only to Sabahans and Sarawakians but to all Malaysians

At a Sabah DAP forum in Kota Kinabalu on the 45th Malaysia Day on 16th September 2008, I pledged that a Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya would do what the Barisan Nasional had failed to do – declare September 16 as a national public holiday.

This forced the hand of the sixth Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak who announced six months after assuming the premier’s office in October 2009 that Malaysia Day on September 16 would be a national holiday from 2010.

It took the Barisan Nasional 47 years to accord proper recognition to Malaysia Day on September 16, but the Barisan Nasional government has yet to seriously and fully address the frustrations, grievances and alienations suffered by Sabahans and Sarawakians for three generations at not being given full and fair treatment as Malaysian citizens.

Furthermore, Malaysia Day on September 16 cannot really be meaningful when it is regarded as in the past three years as a mere Sabah and Sarawak event rather than as a national celebration – making a mockery of the Prime Minister’s 1Malaysia slogan and policy.

My 49th Malaysia Day message is to issue a call to the people of Sabah, Sarawak and Malaysia to make the 50th Malaysia Day next year really meaningful and historic not only to the people of Sabah, Sarawak but also to all Malaysians with the 50th Malaysia Day next year marking a historic national celebration by all Malaysians!