- Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) supports STAR renewed call for Sabah Government official Sabah Day to be celebrated statewide on 31 August this year.
Infact SAPP already held several meetings to organise Sabah Day 2023 in Kota Marudu. SAPP will invite other political organisations and NGOs to join hands and organising SABAH DAY,
SAPP always support the initiative and plan to gazette 31 August as “Sabah Day” to be an official Independence Day celebration for Sabah.
If the Sabah government officially celebrates Sabah Day on August 31 , then SAPP will not proceed with our Sabah Day event at Kota Marudu
- SAPP Deputy president Japiril Suhaimin, who was the organizing chairman of Sabah Day, in 2015 and 2017 at Kundasang and in year 2021 , despite having to comply with the standard operating procedures ( SOPs) the 58th Sabah Day celebrated in a hybrid manner through zooming .
- After the United Sabah Alliance (Gabungan Sabah) was established, we held Sabah Day in 2015 in Kundasang and followed by Kota Marudu a year later, and then returned to Kundasang in 2017, and every year other NGOs took turns organizing it such as BHF 2018 at Kaiduan Papar , Pipa (2019/2020) . In 2022 , Sabah Day was organised STAR Youth and NGO Gerakan Rakyat Sabah .
- “The word Sabah Day became popular again around 2012 when the Progressive Institute of Public Policy Analysis (PIPPA) held several forums to discuss the topic of Independence and the direction of Sabah based on history in Kota Kinabalu followed by other NGOs such as Borneo Heritage Foundation (BHF) with its ‘Borneo Tea Parties’.
- Later the same year SAPP held a massive celebration at Chong Thien Vun Park. Although at the time, many accused that it was politically motivated, its leaders continued to organize programs to commemorate Sabah’s Independence in collaboration with Sabah Youth Solidarity (SYS) in 2013 and 2014 at Lintasan Deasoka Kota Kinabalu.
- “Apart from that, “Sabah Day” will clarify some issues and debates related to Sabah’s Independence on 31 August 1963 from the British before forming the Federation of Malaysia on 16 Sept of the same year.
“The history of Sabah’s Independence will be the pride of the people of Sabah and its younger generation will create a spirit of patriotism among the people. It may also dismiss the notion that Sabah belongs to the Sulu sultan aka the Philippine claim which was hotly debated. This positioning and gazettement of Sabah Day will also kill off Philippines territorial claim for good. - Indeed , nowadays , many consider August 31 to be celebrated as National day , based on Malaya’s Independence on August 31 , 1957 but that has obliterated the fact that Sabah was once an independent country on August 31 , 1963. Malaya, Singapore , Sarawak and Sabah later formed the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963.
- “Gazettement of Sabah Day should be considered an important issue and should get unanimous support from 79 members of the Sabah Assembly, and a political will definitely solved this issue .
- We hope before 31 August this year Sabah Day is already gazetted .
JAPIRIL SUHAIMIN
SAPP Deputy President