Harness Sarawak Day positives but be wary of the negatives

New Straits Times

2 days ago

SARAWAK Day on July 22 was gazetted as a state public holiday in 2016. It is often erroneously hyped up as Sarawak's Independence Day but, of course, it is no such thing.
It only marked the attainment of Sarawak's self-government on that day in 1963, but the last colonial governor did not leave the Astana in Kuching till the eve of Malaysia Day on Sept 16, 1963.
At best, the day marks the setting up of Sarawak's home-grown government as the prelude to Merdeka, when the first Sarawak-born governor was sworn in, also on Sept 16, 1963.
Regrettably, Malaysia Day was not accorded official significance until recent years.
Still, Sarawak Day should never take precedence over the day the state attained real independence. But many, not least the Sarawak government of 2016 under then-chief minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem and now under Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, have their own reasons for asserting the significance of Sarawak Day.
It coincided with the state's push for greater autonomy in the federation.
There is, however, always some latent risk that, once mounted, the greater-autonomy tiger may yet prove tricky for state authorities to control.
In the near-decade since Sarawak Day began to be officially commemorated, there has been the usual parade attended by state officials and its people to mark the day.
For some years, a small group of politically conscious locals led by former state assemblyman Dominique Ng would also gather at Padang Merdeka in Kuching on this day to raise the Sarawak flag.
This year promised to be different.
A group led by prominent activist Peter John Jaban had planned a rather elaborate celebration that would combine civic and state pride in Kuching on July 22.
The plan was abruptly stopped, with Jaban blaming it on onerous conditions imposed by city authorities little more than a week before the event itself.
Abang Johari and Adenan have always dismissed the idea that Sarawak Day marks an assertion of state rights with real independence the ultimate goal.
There is no basis to doubt their stance.
What is less clear is whether forces have been inadvertently unleashed that will make it more difficult for the state government to contain public expectations of the autonomy agenda and what this may lead to.
Unless adroitly and sensitively handled, the public fervour that Sarawak Day engenders may take on a life of its own.
In the last state election, there was a political party that stood on the platform of Sarawak independence.
Thankfully, it has not gained much traction thus far.
Voon Lee Shang and other politicians leading the independence-leaning Parti Bumi Kenyalang were recently admonished by some Dayak politicians and told to stop leveraging the Dayak "struggle" for political gain.
These are all political noises at the periphery. How state leaders handle these matters can either reinforce or blunt whatever political grievances — real or perceived — from being exploited.
Sarawak Day is one prime example of how things political may be properly harnessed or irresponsibly exploited by various state political actors.