Pundit salutes early Sarawakian leaders who laid foundation of racial harmony

Tun Openg (left) and Kalong Ningkan.

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Aug 5: A political pundit expresses gratitude to early Sarawakian leaders who set the tone for Sarawak’s racial harmony at the onset amid the great hunger for development when Sarawak decided to join Malaya and Singapore to form the Federation of Malaysia.

Dato Peter Minos said it was due to great leaders such as Tun Abang Openg Abang Sapiee, Sarawak’s first Governor and Tan Sri Stephen Kalong Ningkan, Sarawak’s first Chief Minister, who sowed seeds of inter-racial harmony and understanding and of political solidarity that Sarawakians have now a Sarawak they are truly proud of.

Minos recalled he was at Central Padang (now Padang Merdeka) on Sept 16, 1963 among the hundreds of students who witnessed the Proclamation of Malaysia.

“There were (the) late Governor Tun Openg and late Chief Minister Kalong Ningkan. We were very happy and proud, proud of having a brand new nation, proud of finally (being) independent from British colonialism and white subjugation and proud of creating Malaysia with Malaya, Sabah and Singapore (which left in 1965),” said Minos in a statement, adding it was a time of jubilation and high spirit.

He also recalled when Sarawak prevailed through the Indonesian aggression called “Konfrontasi”, which could not have happened without both Commonwealth and Malayan forces, which led to the cleansing of communist elements in 1972.

The next dark event was the May 13, 1969 racial riots in Kuala Lumpur.

“I remember that infamous date because I was at Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. It was very bad and horrible. It all ended with the New Economic Policy being created, which we all know, both the good and not so good parts of it.”

After that, it was former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s era of big dreams and vision such as Malaysia becoming an Asean Tiger, mega projects and economic ups and downs.

“Whatever you think of Tun Mahathir, he did his part by making Malaysia standing tall and known to the world.”

Minos said this era was followed by the ‘highly embarrassing’ 1MDB financial scandal, the frequent changes in federal governments and prime ministers as well as Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent struggle to rise up again, amid political and social problems.

“We are currently in that loop. But Sarawak got through it all and survived the hard difficult times. Sarawak has somehow done pretty well. Very well indeed in the last few years under a very proactive, visionary and determined Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg, who is the son of Tun Openg.

“Sarawak is now well-regarded, much-admired and respected for bringing about new ideas, new industries and many new things, apart from the big promise of greater unity among its many races, economic progress and prosperity,” said Minos. — DayakDaily