TAWAU: The Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (KPSTI) will propose that the narrative “Sabah and Sarawak joined Malaysia” in school history books be changed to Sabah and Sarawak “formed Malaysia” together with the Federation of Malaya and Singapore.
Its Minister Datuk James Ratib said the proposal has been discussed with the top management of the Sabah State Education Department and would be tabled at the State Education Exco Committee Meeting (MEJPN) in Putrajaya this April.
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For decades, the explanation was that Sabah and Sarawak “joined” Malaysia when there was no Malaysia to join, and only Malaya existed before 1963, when the merger happened involving Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and North Borneo (Sabah).
Also both states were granted self-government status by the departing colonial administrations when the formation was delayed.
“I will raise this matter with the Minister of Education, who is also the chairperson of MEJPN, for improvements to the History syllabus,” he said when met at the Sains Xplore Tawau premises, Thursday.
James said the change in narrative is important to ensure that Malaysians remember the historical facts surrounding the formation of the country.
He said alignment of syllabus content between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah should be done through joint discussions involving the Ministry, KPSTI and the Education Department.
“All relevant parties must collaborate, including in identifying gaps or overlooked aspects, so that improvements can be made properly,” he said.
He also said correcting the “joined” narrative, which could lead to misunderstanding, would help ensure that important aspects of the actual historical events are arranged according to verified historical records.
The move is seen as consistent with the amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution approved in December 2021, which recognises Sabah and Sarawak as partners in the formation of Malaysia, rather than as the 12th and 13th states that joined an existing federation.
Following the amendment, states in Peninsular Malaysia are listed under Group A, while the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak fall under Group B.
This grouping is symbolically viewed as restoring the status of Sabah and Sarawak as entities that formed Malaysia, not merely states that joined an already established federation.
At the same time, History has drawn attention as one of two compulsory subjects, alongside Bahasa Melayu, emphasised during the recent launch of the Malaysia Education Plan 2026–2035 by the Prime Minister, in line with national curriculum standards to strengthen students’ identity.
