HONOUR the blood and sweat of Malaysia’s founding fathers by realising what was embedded in Malaysia Agreement 1963 in their memory, said Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal.

“The formation of Malaysia is indeed crucial, but we cannot just remember the date and the year, but also ensure what was embedded in the agreement (comes to pass).

“Imagine the effort took by those who travelled to the United Kingdom and then went into the far-flung villages of Sabah to ask the people there whether they wanted to be part of Malaysia.

“We must realise what has been embedded (in MA63) because they took all the trouble, pain, and effort,” he said.

Shafie said this today after attending a memorial service for Sabah’s first Yang di-Pertua Negeri and third chief minister, Mustapha Datu Harun, at the Tun Mustapha Memorial Park near Putatan, some 15 minutes from Kota Kinabalu.

He said a similar memorial will be held for Fuad Stephens at Masjid Negeri near Sembulan.

Shafie said the time was right to pay homage to Malaysia’s founding fathers who had sacrificed much to make Malaysia a reality 55 years ago.

He said leaders like Mustapha, Fuad, and G.S Sundang, who led the voice in Sabah’s interior, made huge contributions to Malaysia and that their wishes must be honoured.

Mustapha was the state’s first Yang di-Pertua, while Fuad was chief minister when Sabah, known then as North Borneo, formed the first Sabah government to sit at the Malaysian negotiation table with the Federated Malay States and Singapore.

No memorial services were held until Shafie took over as Sabah’s chief minister and formed the Warisan-led Sabah government after the May 9 polls. – September 14, 2018.