Kuching - While August 31, 1957 is the date where Malaysia proclaimed independence, Sept 16, 1963 is a more significant date for Sarawak as on that day the state gained independence through Malaysia.
Sarawak was initially under the Brunei Sultanate and in 1842 it came under the ‘White Rajah‘ James Brooke and later his successors and finally it ended up as a British colony on July 1, 1946.
Sarawak‘s participation in Malaysia, along with Singapore and Sabah, was initially viewed with scepticism and confronted by Indonesia.
Yet after 43 years, all assessment point to the fact it was the right decision that benefited Sarawak in every aspect.
The former governor Tun Abdul Rahman Yaakub when met at his residence told Bernama that Sarawak decided to join Malaysia because it shared the same aspirations like Malaya then.
"It was the right decision," he said adding that the outcome was the better life and the freedom that the people in the state have been enjoying.
He noted that though Sarawak enjoys greater autonomy compared to the states in the peninsula, the state and the Federal Government have enjoyed cordial relations throughout that not only benefited Sarawakians but all in Malaysia.
SARAWAK IN BETTER FOOTING UNDER MALAYSIA
Abdul Rahman who was also the former chief minister exemplified the help extended by the Federal Government that enabled Sarawak to eliminate the communist threat in the state.
The Federal Government dispatched police and army platoons to communist hideouts in areas like Sri Aman (then known as Simanggang) and Sibu.
The communist threat that lasted for 11 years ended when the state‘s communist chief Bong Kee Chok officially agreed to lay down arms on Oct 21, 1973 in Sri Aman, 290km from here.
Other than benefiting from the security viewpoint, Abdul Rahman pointed at the economic development enjoyed by Sarawak through the assistance of the Federal Government.
Abdul Rahman refuted the notion that Sarawak could have developed on its own like Brunei without participating in Malaysia.
He explained that while both Sarawak and Brunei were endowed with oil and gas, many fail to take into consideration that Brunei is a smaller country with a smaller population that made it easier to develop unlike Sarawak which is vast and its population scattered.
Despite this, Sarawak has made great strides in the last four decades in uplifting the livelihood of its people.
SARAWAK HAS SEEN MANY DEVELOPMENT UNDER MALAYSIA
Again Abdul Rahman emphasised that the development meant here shouldn‘t be seen in the narrow context like how many roads and schools have been built. Instead it should be seen in a holistic manner like how far we have come in enhancing the competitiveness of the indigenous people, in unifying the different races and more importantly in maintaining the long-term stability.
Abdul Rahman, Sarawak‘s third chief minister, took over from Datuk Tawi Sli in 1970. Sarawak‘s first chief minister was Tan Sri Stephen Kalong Ningkan who led the state from Sept 16, 1963 to Jun 16, 1966.
Abdul Rahman was Sarawak‘s fourth governor from March 31, 1981 to April 2, 1985 and has now fully devoted himself to Islam.
SARAWAK IN MALAYSIA A SUCCESSFUL FORMULA
A Sarawak historian, Dr Chang Pat Fot pointed out that Sarawak‘s entry into Malaysia brought big success to the state especially in education and infrastructure.
Dr Chang who has vastly written on the state‘s history said the Malaysia framework provided a better financial footing and accelerated the infrastructure development in education, security, telecommunication and others.
Sarawak today is far different than what it used to be before 1963. There were no proper roads connecting the different towns then and the people lived in the interiors and led simple lives.
"All that changed when Sarawak achieved independence through Malaysia. The road connecting Kuching and Sibu was opened in 1968 greatly improving communication over land and now there is a road that connects Kuching to Lawas," he said.
More indigenous people today are literate and there are a number of intellectuals too and the once rural society today have transformed into city dwellers and are enjoying all the trappings of a modern live.
Since joining Malaysian, Dr Chang concluded that Sarawak is definitely better off.
Source: www.bernama.com (18 September 2007)
