63 Years Of Malaysia: A Son Remembers His Father's Role

While history was being made in Kuching on Sept 16, 1963, a young Leonard Linggi Tun Jugah was several hundred kilometres away in his hometown Nanga Gaat, Kapit.

He was then on a fishing and hunting expedition in the upper reaches of the Baleh River, yet he made sure he did not miss the historic moment, following the proclamation of Malaysia through radio broadcasts and newspaper reports, and hearing the views of those around him.

“At that time, I was just finishing Form 6. I listened to the radio and read the newspapers on the historic occasion,” Tan Sri Linggi, now 86, told Bernama in an interview in conjunction with Malaysia Day, which falls on Sept 16.

His father, the late Tun Jugah Barieng, however, was in Kuching that day.

A prominent Iban leader back then, Jugah was present at the Central Padang (now known as Padang Merdeka) to witness the proclamation of Malaysia, alongside other state leaders, including Sarawak’s first Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abang Openg Abang Sapiee and first chief minister Tan Sri Stephen Kalong Ningkan.

Tun Jugah Barieng (Pix credit: Wikipedia)

JOURNEY TOWARDS MALAYSIA

Sharing his recollections of his father’s contributions to the events leading to the formation of Malaysia, Linggi – a former leader of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) and MP for Kapit between 1978 and 1986 – said that although Jugah was widely known as one of the signatories to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), his involvement in the journey had begun much earlier.

(MA63 is the founding legal document that united Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore with the existing states of the Federation of Malaya to form the new nation of Malaysia. The agreement was signed on July 9, 1963, and took effect on Sept 16 the same year. Singapore officially left Malaysia on Aug 9, 1965.)

Linggi said Jugah played a key role in building support for the formation of Malaysia, bringing together 51 Iban headmen in Kapit on Feb 15, 1962, where they reached an agreement to support the formation of Malaysia.

“My father worked very hard to make sure that Malaysia was a success,” he said.

“He assembled the Iban penghulu in Kapit and chaired that particular randau awam, or conference. During that conference, the Iban of the Rajang Valley decided to support (the formation of ) Malaysia.”

He added that his father was convinced that without the conference’s support, the Cobbold Commission Report would have been different. (The Cobbold Commission was set up to assess the views of the people in Sabah and Sarawak regarding the proposed Federation of Malaysia.)

Leonard Linggi Tun Jugah

Linggi said Jugah was briefed on the Malaysia proposal by the then British governor of Sarawak, Sir Alexander Waddell.

He said Waddell had explained that Britain could no longer continue governing Sarawak as the global landscape was changing and colonialism was increasingly being challenged.

“Waddell told my father that it would be better for his people, in terms of security and economic progress, to go together with Malaya, Sabah and the others.

“My father also knew that the communist movement was on the rise at the time. Our neighbours, Indonesia and the Philippines, were not particularly friendly towards us either. He (Jugah) felt that (the proposal to form) Malaysia was worth supporting.

“That was his rationale at the time. But first, he needed to convince the Iban, and he succeeded,” he said.

Sir Alexander Waddell (middle, second from right), the last British Governor of Sarawak (Pix credit to Facebook)

MALAYSIA 63 YEARS LATER

Reflecting on the 63 years since the formation of Malaysia, Linggi said the nation had largely realised the aspirations envisioned at its inception, particularly in terms of security, but more remained to be done to spur development in Sarawak.

“In terms of security, the communist movement is virtually non-existent now. Our neighbours, Indonesia and the Philippines, have also become part of ASEAN.

“But when it comes to development, I believe more needs to be done, particularly for Sarawak,” he said.

Commenting on MA63, Linggi said it remains relevant, describing it as the basis for the formation of Malaysia.

“I think the key thing, which is becoming an issue – some say it’s a rather hot issue now – is the implementation of MA63.

“As I said, that is because MA63 is the basis of Malaysia’s formation. And if you recall, those terms (under MA63) were already agreed through the Inter-Governmental Committee Report.

“I know nation-building is not easy. We (Malaysia) are only 63 years old, you look at America (the United States of America)… it is 250 years old and issues still exist among its people. It’s a process,” he said.

Asked what his father would say if he were still alive today, Linggi recalled Jugah’s famous ‘tebu’ principle, which used sugarcane as a metaphor for Malaysia. The analogy, Linggi explained, reflected how sugarcane is sweet at first, but its sweetness can change over time.

“If my father were to come to Sarawak today and ask me, ‘Eh anak, how is our tebu?’, I would say, ‘It is okay. The sweetness is still there, but we require a bit of fertiliser to make it better,’” he said, smiling.

Linggi said MA63 remains relevant, describing it as the basis for the formation of Malaysia.

THE ROAD AHEAD

For Linggi, Malaysia Day is not only about remembering how the federation came into being but also about where it is headed.

“Malaysia Day means a lot to me. Let’s say Malaysia is a person. She is 63 years old now. You don’t ask, ‘How were you born?’ Instead, you should ask, ‘How is your life now? How comfortable is your family? What is your plan to have a better life?’ These are the key things we should focus on,” he said.

Linggi, who is the chairman of Tun Jugah Foundation and managing trustee of the Dayak Cultural Foundation, said the fact that Malaysia has remained intact and endured for more than six decades since its formation is something to be proud of.

“Malaysia still exists 63 years later. Why? Because Malaysia, as a person, has a good family.

“We have good ‘parents’, especially in Sarawak. From our early leaders to Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg now, they have looked after us well,” he said.

He believes that Sarawak’s prosperity is closely tied to the strength of Malaysia as a whole, with a stronger Sarawak contributing to a stronger nation.

“Abang Johari’s policy is that he wants to diversify the Sarawak economy so that we can generate better revenue. And once we have better revenue, then Sarawak will be prosperous.

“And if Sarawak prospers, it will strengthen our nation as well. This is how I see it,” he said.