Press Statement by Dominique Ng on 23/7/23

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Press Statement by Dominique Ng President of SAPA dd 23 July 23 

Yesterday the *original 722 series* team of SAPA, and fellow like-minded nationalist NGOs, proudly organized our annual 722 Sarawak Independence Day, at Kpg Simpok, Padawan. 

Present to grace this special edition of the 60th anniversary of 722 of SAPA was none other than YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, the Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah! 

YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan's presence at this edition of our 722 is of special significance for it was exactly 10 years ago at our very first 722 in 2013, that he had brought along 5 panglimas from Sabah to Sarawak and together with our fellow Sarawak Nationalists initiated the first commemoration of our Sarawak Independence Day!

At that time the historic date of 722 was not yet recognized by the Sarawak Govt, and we can therefore proudly claim that we together with Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, were the pioneers in celebrating, recognising and promoting this most important day of Sarawak! 

And in persuading the Sarawak govt to finally give due recognition to 722, which it finally did so in 2016, when our then CM, the late Tok Nan gazetted 722 as our own Sarawak Independence Day!

The 722 celebrations at Kpg Simpok this year was attended by thousands of proudly and traditionally attired Sarawakians. 

At my keynote speech to mark 722, I made the call to the Govts of Malaysia and Sarawak to resolutely move forward onto the next phase in the implementation of the spirit of MA63, by *elevating all of Sarawak's divisions as states within the Nation of Sarawak!*

This would finally give the fullest of meaning to MA63, which was signed in July 1963 and which had resulted in the Federation of Malaya together with Sarawak and Sabah coming together to form the new entity now known as Malaysia. 

Many in Sarawak (and Sabah) still feel strongly that ever since the formation of Malaysia, we have not be given what was promised in MA63 and that we have actually lagged far behind in our development, when compared to that in Malaya.

Such a recognition and elevation of all divisions as states in Sarawak would enable the allocation of the requisite funds to expedite the process of development in all regions of Sarawak. 

Dominique Ng

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