Sabah Day, a Meaningful Day to Remember

KUCHING (Aug 8): The Sabah Day should go beyond being a routine celebration and instead serve as a meaningful recognition of the state’s historical and cultural contributions, a Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) academic said.

Head of the History Programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Dr Eko Prayitno Joko, said the observance of Sabah Day, which has been celebrated for two years, still lacks widespread recognition.

“Unfortunately, the meaning of independence remains literal, merely an expression of Malaysia’s freedom from colonial rule… All are done consistently, showcased with endless colours and noise. It’s not wrong, but it’s not enough,” he said in a statement.

In his perspective, giving meaning to Malaysian independence required more than symbolic celebrations and must be viewed in a broader context, relevant to the times, and aligned with the needs of all races.

“Now, Malaysian independence should symbolise unity, inclusiveness, and celebrating diversity. This effort has long been in motion and continues to be celebrated under the Unity Government’s administration,” he said.

He added that the government was open to efforts in political democratisation and historical writing, allowing for more new, local narratives to be documented as part of Malaysia’s historical development.

“Such openness is celebrated in the context of Sabah’s development. This is marked by the declaration of Sabah Day as a symbol of the state’s freedom from British rule,” he said, adding that Sabah Day does not reject the National Day but highlights the often-overlooked contributions of Sabahans in national history.

Eko further clarified that the Sabah Day celebration aimed to expose Sabah’s younger generation to the diversity of the history of independence across Malaysia and could foster a “historical awareness” of local historical richness within national historiography.

However, he stressed that the declaration of Sabah Day should have a “liberation historiography” approach, democratising “national historiography.”

“Sabah Day should serve as a medium  to address the imbalance in historical narratives within national historiography. This needs to be realised because the understanding of national historiography is often highlighted from a Peninsular perspective,” he said, highlighting its incompleteness as it marginalises Sabah’s historical perspective.

However, he said this imbalance can be corrected by reconstructing national historiography, and the opportunity lies in giving more significance to Sabah Day.

“This medium (historiography) can elevate Sabah leaders alongside  Peninsular leaders in Malaysia’s development and help them gain recognition among Malaysians,” he said, adding that national historiography should focus on “what actually happened” instead of “what is said to have happened.”

Additionally, he called for expanding the Sabah Day theme, suggesting that history should be diversified through both documents and oral sources.

“This will allow more voices from marginalised, poor, and illiterate groups to be included in Sabah’s local history,” he said.

He noted that previous efforts to diversify Sabah’s history failed due to limited resources, but this issue can now be addressed.

Eko also highlighted UMS, especially its History Programme, as crucial in giving meaning to Sabah Day.

He pointed out that nearly a thousand history theses have been produced (stored in Inon Shaharuddin Library collection), but many remain unpublished due to financial constraints, despite their potential to enhance Sabah’s historiography.

“UMS’ opportunity to lead in giving meaning to Sabah Day through local history documentation is undeniable. This idea does not need high theories but empirical, grounded data.

“Given Sabah’s role as a hub for East Asian and European communities, UMS can become a key research centre for Borneo,” he stated, referencing Prof Dr. Shamsul Amri Baharuddin’s view of UMS as a potential champion in providing Borneo-related resources.

However, Eko noted that this potential has not yet been fully realised due to challenges faced by UMS academics.

He believed that with continued effort, UMS’ research on Sabah will eventually be valued, helping to give Sabah Day its full meaning and contributing to a more inclusive national historiography.

(Content Partnership)