Aspirasi chides Voon for negative comment

KUCHING: Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) has chided Parti Bumi Kenyalang president Voon Lee Shan for saying that Sarawak Independence Day on July 22 is a myth and unlawful.

Aspirasi president Lina Soo said if political parties claiming to fight for Sarawak are outraged by the term ‘Independence Day’, how could people expect such parties to defend and safeguard the state.

“The Sarawak Government Gazette declaration under the Public Holidays Ordinance on July 22, beginning 2016, has been designated as a public holiday in Sarawak every year and to be known as the Sarawak Independence Day.

“It is ridiculous that an ordinance legally constituted and legislated in accordance with the Sarawak Constitution be unlawful.

“Our former chief minister, the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem’s legacy of Sarawak Independence Day should remain gazetted and not be distorted,” she said in a statement today (July 21).

She exhorted there was no confusion about Sarawak Independence Day being a public holiday, and that no one should meddle with the Sarawak Gazette.

“The Adenan administration was correct when July 22 was designated as Sarawak Independence Day in 2016, despite the fact that Sarawak had not attained independence.”

“In one swoop, Adenan had affirmed Sarawak’s nation status as equal to the 11 states of ‘Tanah Melayu’ rather than being one of them, and for Sarawakians, he had created a window of opportunity and constitutional platform for us to pursue our aspirations and carve out our own future expeditiously.”

She wished all Sarawakians a Happy Sarawak Independence Day and encouraged the people to spend the day virtually online in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.