Educate children on the history of Sabah, Malaysia: Liew
Published on: Thursday, August 31, 2023
Liew, who is also Api Api Assemblywoman, said fundamentally, Sabah achieved Independence on August 31, 1963, and was granted self-government by the British for two weeks.
Kota Kinabalu: Educating Malaysian children on the actual dates of National Day (Aug 31), Sabah Day (Aug 31) and Malaysia Day (Sept 16), and how these significant historical events come about, should begin in school to avoid confusion later on, suggests State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew.
She stressed that studies on the history of Sabah and Malaysia should be duly incorporated into the school curriculum.
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In this regard, she said history books and textbooks, journals and other related publications should straighten the record by providing accurate information so that future generations are knowledgeable about the history of their nation and her struggle for independence.
In her Sabah’s Independence Day message, Liew said :
“Today (Aug 31), we celebrate our inaugural ‘Sabah Day’ to commemorate the day we became independent six decades ago, and rightly so (as announced by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, earlier).
“We want our children and subsequent generations to grow up with a clear understanding of historical milestones about Sabah and Malaysia. We don’t want them to learn the wrong stuff by being exposed to distortion of historical facts.
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“It is imperative that all Malaysians, young and old alike, appreciate nationhood and the value of Malaysian nationalism. We are proud to be Malaysians with a sense of patriotism in a multiracial, multi-religious and multicultural Malaysia.”
Liew, who is also Api Api Assemblywoman, said fundamentally, Sabah achieved Independence on August 31, 1963, and was granted self-government by the British for two weeks.
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“It was only on Sept 16, 1963 that Sabah joined Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore to form the Federation of Malaysia. There was no Malaysia on August 31, 1963, so, it is incorrect for anyone to state that Sabah joined Malaysia on that day,” she contended.
The Minister also noted that certain parties were, until recently, still disputing the actual date of the formation of Malaysia.
“Clearly, Malaysia is 60 years old, and not 66 (as claimed by some) as Malaysia did not exist when Malaya gained independence on August 31, 1957.
So, how can Malaysia be 66 years old? We cannot erase history,” she asserted.
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