KUCHING — Dato Ir. Lo Khere Chiang, elected representative for Batu Kitang, has publicly challenged the characterization of Malaysia’s founding, asserting that the nation’s true inception occurred in 1963 not 1957.
His remarks come in response to recent statements by the Director of the National Archives, who labelled the 1957 Proclamation of Independence as Malaysia’s “birth certificate.”
Lo firmly contends that the 1957 document solely marks the independence of Malaya. He underscored that Sarawak and North Borneo (now Sabah) attained self-rule in July and August 1963 respectively, before formally uniting with Malaya and Singapore to establish the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963.
“To claim otherwise,” Lo stated, “is to ignore historical fact. No amount of gold leaf, carvings, or poetic words can change the truth: the Proclamation of Independence 1957 is not Malaysia’s birth certificate. It is Malaya’s.”
He warned that blurring these milestones diminishes the constitutional and cultural identities of East Malaysian states.
The assemblyman praised Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi, Sarawak’s Head of State, for publicly distinguishing between Malaya’s Independence Day and Malaysia’s formation date.
Lo connected this historical clarification to broader issues of equity, noting that while natural resources were rapidly extracted from Sarawak, the restoration of state rights has faced persistent delays.
He concluded with a definitive declaration: “Malaysia’s true birth certificate is the Malaysia Agreement 1963. Malaysia’s birthday is 16 September 1963. And Malaysia’s real National Day should rightly be 16 September, not 31 August.”