The Law Recognizes Malaysia Day, but…Politicians?

Laws are passed by Parliament after bills tabled and debated by MPs from both the ruling party and from the Opposition. Laws are to be obeyed and respected by all irrespective of their positions, colour or creed. All YBs irrespective from the ruling party or from the opposition took the same oath and when they were sworn in they all pledged to protect the law and the Constitution. However, taking oath is one thing, but, many MPs had failed to hold true to their Oath to protect the law and the Constitution that had been passed and that they helped passed in Parliament.

If all YBs hold true to their oath to protect the law and the Constitution passed by them in Parliament, the country will be very much peaceful and people will not go to the streets, the blogs and the media to voice their grievances. Those who were not happy with those who broke the law, with those who failed to keep their promises and with those who abused their power, went to all sources to communicate their grouses in the hope that there would be a change.

We all know, Malaysia was born on 16 September, 1963 and not 31 August, 1957 and not 31 August 1963 and why we picked August 31 to celebrate Independence Day for Malaysia and not September 16? To confuse further, our government termed it “Merdeka Day!”, then, was it Merdeka Day for Malaya or Merdeka Day for Malaysia? It seems that the impression as it is now is that 31 August is the Independence Day of Malaysia and we received congratulatory messages from all over the world of the Independence Day. Had we not made a fool of ourselves when we changed such a very historic event in our nation? Are we not lying to ourselves and to our future generations?

Politicians were supposed to lead the people and the nation and were supposed to be persons of very high integrity, but, in the years after independece, we could see integrity among many politicians had eroded to a level that no more befitting the true respect of the people. People may just show respect to them, but, it could be out of convenience. To the people, I wish that the people will be able to judge for themselves these politicians who were crooks and those who lacked integrity and the people must decide to kick them out during elections. This also apply to me and I want the people to constantly monitor me and if I be no more worthy of representing the people, lacked intergrity and no more worthy to continue as an elected representative, the people can always boot me out. Party is not imporant and thinking of party is not enough, if the people elected are not credible and lacked integrity to represent the party and the people. This will not only tarnish the party but the people who elected and falsely believed in them. What we want are elected representatives that not only could lead, but, are elected representatives with exceptional clean character with high integrity.

See now, people are not happy with the BN because their elected representatives kept on doing not the right thing and many lacked intergrity. Now, should the people save BN and say BN is good if most of their leaders were rotten?

Coming back to the issue of independence, I had many times encountered questions from foreigners who asked me about our Independence Day. So, I had to tell them both dates! That is 31 August and 16 September! It was very embarrassing! I had to do that way because most often the foreigners turned back and asked me, “Was it not that Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963?” Then should I say, “No!” and tell the foreigner that it was 31 August 1957 or 31 August 1963? If I gave this answer, this would make me a fool also!

So where is our integrity if we kept on doing the wrong thing and telling the wrong thing to the people and failed to respect the laws we enacted in Parliament? We passed the law, but, we failed to give recognizance to the law we passed, then, why should we become politicians?

So personalities in the BN including the Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, DPM Najib and our Chief Minister, Tan Sri Pehin Abdul Taib Mahmud must tell the people of Malaysia and Sarawak that our Sarawak Independence Day should be 16 September and not 31 August and that 31 August was celebrated as Independence Day of Malaya from the clutches of the British! The Primie Minster and his Cabinet Ministers should also tell the people of Malaysia that 16 September is independence day for Sabah and Sarawak and is also our Malaysia Day. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib being Malayans should be proud that it was Malaya who wanted Malaysia be formed with Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore and Brunei at that time, although Brunei never was part of Malaysia after in was formed on 16 September 1963.

Being law makers, the Prime Minister and those in the BN should give recognition to the laws UMNO helped passed in which it is recognized in the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 that “Malaysia Day” means the 16th September, 1963 and not 31 August, 1957 and also not 31 August 1963! We should keep our intergrity and no more fool around not to recognize the Malaysia Day as mention in law we passed.

At the same time, the Chief Minister, Tan Sri Pehin Taib Mahmud and the State Government must not change the birthday date of the Govenor (TYT) of Sarawak or agree, suggest to change or pospone the celebration of the Governor's birthday. We must hold to it that the birth date of the Governor of Sarawak was officially 16 September, 1963 as this was the day the first Sarawakian governor was sworn in after independence. That means, it was the day the governor was born to an Independent Sarawak, not 13 September ! We should not change it to September 13 or has it changed to or be celebrated on October 25 as the case will be this year as announced recently in the local press (See United Daily News dated 6 September, 2008). To do this, are we not making a fool of ourselves? People already fooled us, why should we fooled ourselves?

Any comment please?