WHILE hundreds gathered for the Merdeka Day parade in Kota Kinabalu today, another celebration was taking shape 10 minutes away from town.

In the district of Penampang, around 500 people gathered to commemorate Sabah Day at the district sports complex.

Sabah Day marks the end of the British rule in North Borneo, as Sabah was known before Malaysia was formed in 1963.

The event organised by Borneo Heritage Foundation annually has already found success in Sarawak in view of Sarawak Day on July 22.

The celebration of Sabah and Sarawak Day are fast gathering the masses in East Malaysia, rising due to the misconception of the founding of Malaysia 55 years ago.

As history is concern, Sabah Day followers note August 31, 1963 as the day North Borneo (as Sabah was known then) attained full self-rule and marked the end of the British rule.

For some, Sabah also gained independence as a nation.

But this was short-lived to make way for the creation of Malaysia as agreed under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 by the country’s founding leaders.

Foundation leader Jeffrey Kitingan said Sabah Day aims to end misconception imposed by the federal rule and reminded Sabahans as the true history of Sabah.

He recalled how he first started the Sarawak Day several years ago and how the police chased him and two others out of the town field.

“This went on for several years, until the fifth year, the time the Sarawak government led by Adenan Satem as the chief minister recognised July 22 as Sarawak Day and gazetted it as a public holiday in 2016.

“But I ended up being an uninvited individual to Sarawak.

“The same with Sabah, we have been holding it in various districts and as the crowd grows bigger, for the first time this year the organising of Sabah Day received approval from the Penampang District Council and permit from the police, who also provided security for the event,” he said.

Also present at the Sabah Day celebration were Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Yong Teck Lee, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah leaders Elron Angian and Arthur Kurup and others.

A common understanding Sabahans observe Malaysia Day on September 16 further than National Day on August 31 as it holds no significance to the independence day of their Peninsular Malaysia brothers gained in 1957.

The truth also was that Malaysia was never colonised by any foreign powers since 1963 and therefore an independent entity for the last 55 years.

According to Jeffrey, such understanding were often bulldozed by Peninsular Malaysian leaders who thinks the independence of Malaya in 1957 is the independence of Malaysia.

“Such concepts are being imposed upon Sabahans who doesn’t share the same history and culture as them, through their government-run media, newspapers and other venues.

“This is not the 61st anniversary of Malaysia independence. Malaysia only came to being 55 years ago, how can a country attained independence six years before before its creation?” he questioned.

Like the National Day parade, the Sabah Day was kicked off with a 3km symbolic Freedom Walk attended by 200 locals who observe the significant date.

The group than gathered along with over 300 others at the Penampang Stadium for the marching parade and followed by speeches from local figures including Jeffrey to mark the celebration. – August 31, 2018.