KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Day is a part of history that all Malaysians, especially Sabahans, need to understand, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan today (Aug 26).
"Sabah was once independent, and we must respect that history."
He said this during a press conference held in conjunction with the Sabah Day celebration here.
Jeffrey said there were still some who did not know about Sabah Day or hesitant to acknowledge Sabah's independence, despite the lyrics of state anthem "Sabah Tanah Airku": "Merdeka sepanjang masa" and "Sabah Negeri Merdeka".
"I hope that starting from this year's Sabah Day celebration, we will become more passionate about our national anthem.
"The state has conducted many activities since Aug 24 to create awareness about Sabah Day.
"I hope this will have a positive impact. We have many weaknesses but let these weaknesses be a lesson for us to grow."
He said the venue for the annual Sabah Day celebration would be rotated among the districts.
Sabah Day was first celebrated last year to mark the state's 60th independence anniversary.
This year, it will be celebrated at Padang Merdeka Kota Kinabalu on Aug 31.
Sabah became a nation on Aug 31, 1963, when it gained independence from British colonial rule.
On that day, Sabah was granted self-government before forming the Federation of Malaysia together with Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore the following month on Sept 16.