FOR nearly a decade, Sarawak social activist, lawyer and politician Dominique Ng, defied the authorities to have his little flag-raising ceremony to mark Malaysia Day at Kuching’s historical Central Padang in the city centre.

As the country marks its 60th Malaysia Day today, Ng – PKR’s first elected assemblyman in Sarawak – delves into his diary to share his thoughts and reflections with The Malaysian Insight.

“I was indeed much and deeply entwined with Malaysia Day for a long time – about a decade,” said Ng.

“From 2005 to 2013, I had raised both the Sarawak and Malaysia flags on September 16, on Malaysia Day, every year, without fail, and, except for the last time, at the Padang Merdeka, which was right smack in the middle of Kuching City, and just under the noses of the police at the central police station right beside it.

“That was also the same police station where I had been a guest, albeit for only a night, in its ancient and pungent lockup cell.

“But that is another story that I may one day be required to tell.

“I can still remember the very first time we did the flag-raising ceremony, on Friday, September 16, 2005.

“The police were present, as expected, led by a Morshidi. They came with a contingent of the Federal Reserve Unit, now an almost indispensable accompaniment to all of our functions.

“I was told that if I could show a police permit then it’s an illegal assembly and he would have to act.

“I told Morshidi that raising the Malaysian and Sarawak flags was not an illegal activity and needed no permit.

“I told him Malaysia Day was enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution.

“He told me if the crowd got any bigger, he would have to act.

“I told him that I hoped one day the crowd would grow as big as the one in 1963, which had 6,000 people.

“I told him we both had our duties to carry out and I would not be deterred from mine as much as he would not be from his, so if he wanted to stop me he would have to arrest me.

“And he quietly stepped aside to allow me to go ahead.

“The police did not interrupt from then, staying in the background with the FRU.

“The reporters had by this time arrived and taken a few pictures of us arguing. It was 10.30am by then and we started on time.

“In the blazing morning sun, we stood at attention before the flagpole which was placed right in the middle of the paved portion of the Central Padang.

“I briefly told the gathering the significance of the day and our short programme. The Malaysian Proclamation,  which was originally read out by Tunku Abdul Rahman, was recited.

“The Sarawak Proclamation followed, which was read by Stephen Kalong Ningkan, the first chief minister of Sarawak.

“As “NegaraKu” played on a portable player, both of us raised the two flags.

“We unfurled the banner which stated in three languages “Sept 16 is our true National Day” for the reporters to take pictures.

“I led the shout “Merdeka” three times, followed by “Hidup Sarawak”, which was even louder.

“We held the press conference on the spot. I told the press which was out in strength that we are marking the day that Malaysia was born.

“And since that fateful year, I have repeated the same ceremony without fail, and without a police permit, under the watchful eyes of the police.

“By the next year in 2006, I was already elected as the PKR assemblyman for Padungan, and I proudly wore the full official gear of my office to the ‘illegal’ event.

“It was only in 2013, on the 50th anniversary of Malaysia Day, that the federal government finally and formally recognised September 16 and took over from me.

“That year, the day was celebrated with great aplomb by the state with some 30,000 people in attendance.

“I held my little ceremony with only about six people, at the site of Sungai Kuching, opposite the Tua Pek Kong temple, which happens to be the birthplace of Kuching itself.

“But as far as we were concerned, ours was the original flag-raising ceremony.

“That was the last time I held a Malaysia Day celebration or attended one.

“The question has often been asked of me: Why did I raise the Sarawak and Malaysia flags on September 16?

“Why is Malaysia Day so important or significant?

“Isn’t Malaysia Day a day of infamy? A re-colonisation of Sarawak day?

“I have a very simple answer.

“Malaysia had only chosen to commemorate August 31 as Merdeka Day and as National Day when nothing could be further from the truth.

“August 31, the Independence Day of the Federation of Malaya (and now Sabah’s Independence Day) is of entirely no significance to Sarawak.  On August 31, 1957, Malaysia as an entity did not even exist.

“For Malaysia to only celebrate August 31 is to deny the existence and the contributions of Sarawak and Sabah.

“To celebrate August 31 alone and worse to substitute that as National Day is to denigrate the role and position of Sarawak and Sabah.

“Without Sarawak and Sabah there would be no Malaysia.” – September 16, 2023.