SIBU: Waving colonial flags tarnishes the spirit of Sarawak’s independence, says Syed Hamzah Wan Hamid Edruce.
The Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Bumiputera wing supreme council member said that the clonial flag was lowered during Sarawak Independence Day on July 22, 1963 and the Rajah era flag was hoisted.
“Yes, history also records that the flag was flown until it was changed to the Trisakti flag in August 1971, the Sarawak flag that we use now began to be used in 1988. That is a historical fact that we do not deny, and will not erase,” he said in a press statement yesterday (July 16).
However, Syed Hamzah also pointed out that history also records that the Kingdom of Sarawak flag was designed during Brooke’s reign.
“We must not forget that the crown emblem in the middle of the Kingdom of Sarawak flag was added to the flag after Sarawak was handed over to the British as a colony by Charles Vyner Brooke on July 1, 1946,” he said.
He reminded everyone that the surrender of Sarawak to the British was the cause of the rise of the Anti-cession Movement of Sarawak which eventually led to the assassination of Sir Duncan Steward by the late Rosli Dhoby on Dec 4, 1949, in Sibu.
“Now, having known the meaning of the crown on the flag. Do we still want to proudly fly the flag on July 22 based on ‘history that has shaped our future’? Ask yourself.
“Rosli Dhobi died hanging, not to see the generation after him proudly waving the flag which is the symbol of colonised Sarawak!” he said.
Thus, Syed Hamzah added that all should invite the people to fly the existing Sarawak flag rather than supporting the flying of the old flag.
