COMMENT | What Sarawak Independence Day means to me

COMMENT | When it comes to July 22, Sarawakians have the late chief minister, Adenan Satem, to thank for. In 2016, Adenan declared July 22 as Sarawak’s Independence Day.

I don’t think it’s fair to write about July 22 without mentioning Adenan and crediting him for giving the date its significance and due recognition. The day was also gazetted as a public holiday in Sarawak.

Sarawakians also gave credit to their much-loved chief minister for earning the reverence and respect of Malayan leaders, including then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak. This cordial relationship between Adenan and Najib had enabled both leaders to successfully focus on projects which benefitted Sarawak and its people.

The claim that Najib is possibly the prime minister who had done the most for Sarawak – visited Sarawak most often and given Sarawak the most funds – was probably correct.

Adenan had demanded greater devolution, including higher royalties for the state’s oil and gas resources. He had also consistently complained that the powers of the resource-rich Sarawak have eroded since it joined Malaysia.

Najib had been most obliging with Adenan’s requests throughout his short tenure of two years and 10 months as Sarawak’s fifth chief minister. This was the key pointer as to how Adenan was able to do so much as CM is so short a time.

Today is the sixth year Sarawak is commemorating its Independence Day. What does July 22 mean to me?

In 2019, I had written ‘Why July 22 holds little meaning for me’. Four years later, let me be brutally honest again and declare that July 22 means nothing to me. Today is just another day.

Why do I say so? Because I do not see Sarawak as...