TAMBUNAN - Apart from celebrating National Day, Sabah today celebrates Sabah Day, after it was last celebrated 60 years ago.
The celebration was graced with a parade of about 500 participants from 100 contingents including government agencies such as the Civil Defence Force and Tambunan Hospital, as well as Persatuan Kebajikan Prihatin Sabah and Sabah Customary School.
The presence of Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan 2023 Carol Abbey Gail as well as six other finalists of the competition accompanied by the competition chairman Joanna Kitingan at the celebration also attracted the attention of the people present.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the celebration of Sabah Day was to commemorate the services of previous leaders and the security forces in ensuring that Sabah and the country were safe and prosperous.
"Being aware of the importance of Sabah Day to all the people, the state government decided to hold Sabah Day celebrations in the state with Tambunan as the host this year.
"The state government's decision to hold Sabah Day again was to commemorate the end of the British colonial rule in Sabah, while Sarawak earlier declared July 22 as Sarawak Day," he said when officiating the celebration of Sabah Day here today.
Tambunan district is located in the interior of Sabah, about 75 kilometres (km) southeast of Kota Kinabalu.
Hajiji said Sabah Day was declared by British Governor Sir William Goode on August 28 1963 in Jesselton, now Kota Kinabalu, declaring that Sabah would have its own government and adopt a new State Constitution, effective August 31, 1963.
He said with the formation of its own government, it became the beginning (prelude) to Sabah's bigger step which was to form the Federation of Malaysia with Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore on Sept 16, 1963. - BERNAMA