M'sia Day declared a national holiday

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has declared

that Malaysia Day which falls on Sept 16 annually will be a national public holiday from next year.

He told Dewan Rakyat Monday that the formation of Malaysia as an independent and sovereign country was an important chapter in the nation's history.

"As such, Malaysians will celebrate a twin national holiday. Merdeka Day on Aug 31 which reminds us of the fight for independence from the colonialists will be celebrated with processions and so forth.

Malaysia Day is celebrated annually on Sept 16 to remind of the formation of the federation of Malaysia following the inclusion of Sabah and Sarawak in 1963.

Najib was replying to a question by Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh (BN-Putatan) who wanted to know about the people's acceptance of 1Malaysia and programmes needed to achieve it.

"The formation of Malaysia as an independent and sovereign country was an important chapter in the nation's history. We want the joy and sorrows of Sabah and Sarawak people to be felt by those in peninsula."

UPKO hails the announcement

United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) hailed the Prime Minister's announcement of Sept 16 as a national holiday as being long overdue.

The decision by the government goes a long way to putting right what I have always called a distortion of history," said its president, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok in his blog.

It is time also to remember the founding fathers of this nation, Tun Fuad Stephens, the President of the then Upko, announced the Declaration of Malaysia on September 16, 1963 in Jesselton as Kota Kinabalu was then known.

"He had prior to this declaration, chaired the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) which had in its membership leaders from Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore. The IGC was the forum for the discussion of the terms and conditions for the formation of the new nation to be named Malaysia," he said.

In this respect, Dompok said Upko wished to restate that its guiding philosophy is the pursuit of the aspirations upon which this nation was formed.

"The Malaysia Agreement of 1963 and the consequential Federal Constitution contain the wishes of the people of Sabah expressed through various forum including the Twenty Points.

Study on TYT's b-day

A study will be conducted to see if it is necessary to shift Head of State's official birthday to another date now that September 16 has been recognised as Malaysia Day and a national holiday.

"We have expressed our appreciation to the Prime Minister's announcement. The Cabinet will have to study this matter before making any changes," said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman when asked for comment.

IDS: Shifting TYT’s Bday is a wise move

According to Institute Development Studies (IDS) Sabah Chairman, Datuk Clarence Bongkos Malakun, “shifting the present Head of State's official birthday to another date, now that September 16 has been declared as Malaysia Day, will be a wise move.”

"It (now) will not be proper to coincide the Head of State's birthday (because Sept. 16 is being celebrated as Malaysia Day)," he said.

"I support the Chief Minister saying that a study will be conducted whether to set a new date for Sabah to celebrate the Head of State's official birthday," he said Wednesday.

Malakun, who is also President of the National Council of the Justices of the Peace, Malaysia and President of the Council of Justices of the Peace, Sabah, said should the Government decide to set a new date, it should preferably not fall during the fasting month.

He added that credit should also be given to Putatan MP Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh as Najib made the announcement while replying to his question in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.

"The fact that the Prime Minister and the Federal Cabinet now recognise September 16 as Malaysia Day and a public holiday for the whole country is a recognition of the importance of both Sabah and Sarawak within the Federation of Malaysia," he said.

Malakun said that the Prime Minister was indeed living up to his slogan of 1Malaysia.

"All leaders from Sabah and Sarawak, who have voiced support for (greater recognition from the Federal Government) September 16 should be congratulated for their perseverance on the matter," he said.

PBS: Two-in-one Celebration, not necessary for another public holiday

However, shifting the date of the Head of State's official birthday from September 16 to another day is not appropriate although it has been declared as Malaysia Day by the Federal Government, said Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Chief Information Officer, Datuk Johnny Mositun.

According to Mositun, “Sept. 16 should be a two-in-one celebration - to celebrate Malaysia Day and the Head of State's official birthday.”

KDCA Rebuttal

Meanwhile, Jeoffrey Ekol, KDCA Supreme Council member questioned the rationale for having and celebrating two national public holidays on August 31 and September 16. (BP Wednesday , October 21).

However, the KDCA distanced itself from the statement made its Supreme Council member Jeoffrey Ekol as his statement expressed was totally his own, and nothing to do with the association.

“KDCA wishes to clarify that whatever was expressed pertaining to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s declaration of both August 31 (Independence Day) and September 16 (Malaysia Day) as national public holidays worthy of national celebrations was completely Jeoffrey Ekol’s personal views and does not reflect the official viewa and stand of the KDCA’s as an association,” Suman Yasambun, KDCA Secretary General said. (DE Friday, October 23.)

Does Malaysia Exist Legally?

As Malaysia celebrates its 46th anniversary on September 16th 2009, one wonders whether there is any true meaning in the formation of Malaysia. According to the Malaysia Agreement of 1963 in Part II Section 4 (1) "The Federation shall be known, in Malay and English, by the name Malaysia".

In Section 2 of the same part in the agreement, Malaysia is defined as below: The States of the Federation shall be- a) the States of Malaya, namely, Johore, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor and Trengganu; and b) the Borneo States, namely, Sabah and Sarawak; and c) the State of Singapore. From the above it can be concluded that Malaya is only a component within the Federation of Malaysia. Why then is Malaya's independence celebrated as the National Day for Malaysia? And secondly, why does the Federal Constitution not define Malaysia Day? This is despite it being mentioned several times in the constitution, for example in Article 19 (4). If we look at Article 160, the Federation is defined as the one established under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957! Does this mean, the legality of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia can be questioned?

Continue to read here.

Linundus says ...

The Malaysia Agreement in 1963 should have been reviewed when Singapore was 'sacked' from the Federation of Malaysia.

Why was the Malaysia Agreement 1963 not reviewed since Singapore was no longer in the Malaysia Federation?

This question was thrown to Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr. Shad Saleem Faruqi, Emeritus Professor of Law, Universiti Teknologi MARA at the Seminar organized by MAJAPS and SLA on 18th July 2009 in Kota Kinabalu.

According to the Emeritus Professor, there was a 'review' on the change of the Malaysia Constitution 1963 when Singapore was no longer a component within the Federation of Malaysia to the effect that "all relevant items and clauses affecting Singapore do not apply".

Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr. Shad Saleem Fauqi can be reached at shadsaleem@yahoo.co.uk

Cultural Village for Sabah

The Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has mooted the idea of creating a Cultural Village that will showcase the diverse cultures of Sabah due to its multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society.

The Deputy Prime Minister made the announcement when officiating at the Tadau Kaamatan Open house 2009 at Padang Merdeka here yesterday.

In fact the Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS) has already made a similar proposal to the State Government last year when its President, Datuk Marcel Leiking and his Supreme Council members paid a courtesy call to the Chief Minister on 19^th February 2008. One of the proposals submitted to the Chief Minister by KSS was to create a Cultural Village which is similar in concept to that of Santubong Cultural Village in Sarawak, save that in Sabah, all the indigenous ethnic groups will be accommodated to preserve their own social and cultural heritage.

A site for this purpose has already been identified by KSS and for which a formal land application, together with the project brief, was submitted to the State Government for consideration.

As the Deputy Prime Minister himself has mooted the idea of creating a Cultural Village for Sabah, KSS hopes that the State Government would give due consideration to its land application. The availability of the land would make it much easier for the Federal Government to discuss this project and in ensuring its implementation.

It is even suggested that the Federal Government should declare ‘Tadau Kaamatan’ and ‘Gawai’ Festivals as a 2-day National Public Holiday. This suggestion is in line with the proposal by the Information, Communication and Culture Minister, Datuk Seri Utama Dr. Rais Yatim who said that his Ministry may host next year’s National Tadau Kaamatan and Gawai Open house in Kuala Lumpur.

The proposal to declare a 2-day National Holiday is also in line with the 1Malaysia Concept propagated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to enhance the national integration process.

Declare Harvest and Gawai Festivals as National Holidays.

I found the following article regarding National Public Holidays in Warkah, which prompted me to write something for the Federal Government to consider.

“There is a total of 13 days of national public holidays. The Malaysian school holidays for 2009 are 77 days i.e 9 days for first and second mid term break, 16 days for mid year break and 43 days for year end break. Malaysia Calendar 2009, Public And School Holidays | Warkah, Sep 2008

There is a total of 13 days of national public holidays. The Malaysian school holidays for 2009 are 77 days i.e 9 days for first and second mid term break, 16 days for mid year break and 43 days for year end break.

On top of this national level holidays, there are also a few days of state holidays that are declared by the various states and federal territories.

Details of Malaysia holidays for 2009 are listed below;

National Public Holidays

26 January Chinese New Year 27 January Chinese New Year 9 March Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday

1 May Labour Day 9 May Wesak Day

6 June Birthday Celebration of Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di Pertuan Agong

31 August National Day

20 September Hari Raya Puasa* 21 September Hari Raya Puasa*

17 October Deepavali

27 November Hari Raya Haji*

18 December Maal Hijrah* 25 December Christmas

State Public Holidays

1 Jan New Year - Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, Putrajaya, Malacca, N.Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor 18 Jan Sultan of Kedah’s Birthday - Kedah

1 Feb Federal Territory Day - Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, Putrajaya 8 Feb Thaipusam - Johor, N.Sembilan, Perak, Penang, Selangor

4 Mar Anniversary of Installation of Sultan of Terengganu - Terengganu 30 Mar Sultan of Kelantan’s Birthday - Kelantan 31 Mar Sultan of Kelantan’s Birthday - Kelantan

8 Apr Sultan of Johor’s Birthday - Johor 10 Apr Good Friday - Sabah, Sarawak    ) Suggested National Holiday 15 Apr Declaration of Malacca as a Historical City - Malacca 19 Apr Sultan of Perak’s Birthday - Perak

7 May Hari Hol Pahang - Pahang 17 May Raja Perlis’ Birthday - Perlis 30 May Harvest Festival - Labuan, Sabah    ) 31 May Harvest Festival - Labuan, Sabah    ) Suggested National Holiday for

1 Jun Hari Gawai – Sarawak                          ) 2 days on 31^st May and 1^st June. 2 Jun Hari Gawai – Sarawak                          ) 29 Jun Hari Hol Johor - Johor

11 Jul Penang Governor’s Birthday - Penang 19 Jul Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan’s Birthday - N.Sembilan 20 Jul Sultan of Terengganu’s Birthday - Terengganu 20 Jul Israk and Mikraj - Kedah, N.Sembilan, Perlis

22 Aug Awal Ramadan* - Johor, Kedah, Malacca

7 Sep Nuzul Al-Quran - Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Selangor, Terengganu 12 Sep Sarawak Governor’s Birthday - Sarawak 16 Sep Sabah Governor’s Birthday - Sabah

10 Oct Malacca Governor’s Birthday - Malacca

* Subject to changes

School Holidays

14 Mar - 22 Mar First Mid Term Break 30 May - 14 Jun Mid Year Break 22 Aug - 30 Aug Second Mid Term Break 21 Nov - 01 Jan Year End Break

The above school holidays are for all states except for Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, where the holiday start a day earlier.”

YAB Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is currently on a State visit in Sabah, his maiden visit since becoming the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

The Prime Minister praised the State for displaying the best example of his “One Malaysia: People First, Performance Now” – a slogan which he has been canvassing ever since he became the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

He said that no other State in the country fully epitomised the concept (of One Malaysia) than Sabah.

“This (Sabah) is the best example of the One Malaysia concept. Not only we (here) respect one another but seamless between them,” he said, speaking Monday at a dinner hosted by the State Government at Pacific Sutera, Kota Kinabalu.

If we were to achieve the objective of “One Malaysia” concept, there should be “seamless” as well as “borderless” between the Malaysian communities as a whole.

For a start, let us have common public holidays for all Malaysians instead of the individual States celebrating their own holidays, in particular the following State Holidays:

30 May Harvest Festival - Labuan, Sabah    ) 31 May Harvest Festival - Labuan, Sabah    ) Declare National Holiday for

1 Jun Hari Gawai – Sarawak                          ) 2 days from 31^st May and 1^st June. 2 Jun Hari Gawai – Sarawak                          )

Presently, the States of Sabah and Sarawak are celebrating their own public holidays in conjunction with their own Harvest Festival and Hari Gawai respectively. But in Sabah, Labuan is included although it is under the Federal Territory.

Since there are Sabahans and Sarawakians in Semenajung Malaysia, these people should not be denied of their opportunity to enjoy the holidays observed in their own respective States.

We take cognizance of the fact Malaysia has one of the most number of State and National Holidays as compared to other countries, particularly in comparison with the Singapore national holidays.

As a first positive step towards realising the “One Malaysia” concept seamlessly and borderless, the Federal Government should consider declaring the Harvest Festival (Sabah) and Hari Gawai (Sarawak) state public holidays  as National Holidays from 31^st May – 1^st June.  Both States can still continue to celebrate their two-day Festivals celebrations in their own respective States as have been done in the past, while those Sabahans and Sarawakians residing in Semenanjung Malaysia can then enjoy the festive holidays.

On the religious front, the Federal Government should also consider declaring Good Friday as National Holiday instead of confining it only to Sabah and Sarawak. The Christians in Semenanjung Malaysia deserve to be given a holiday on this day as Good Friday is the most important day (Passion of Christ) in the Christian Calendar. This comes under “People First” concept.

Our political leaders from Sabah and Sarawak should seriously take this matter with the Federal Government in order to make the Prime Minister’s “One Malaysia” concept a reality.