Darell Leiking, the outspoken Sabah MP who is also PKR vice-president, told FMT that a nation could not be built on distorted history as this would only serve to breed ignorance.
He was commenting on PBS Acting President Maximus Ongkili’s statement that the party would set up a working committee to study “skipped facts” on Malaysia’s formation and seek a revision of the current syllabus.
Darell said that Maximus should take his suggestion to Prime Minister Najib Razak and Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid.
“Mahdzir had served as a headmaster in Sabah before and is married to a Sabahan. He will know very well what Maximus is talking about.”
The Penampang MP said there was still so much ignorance on the history of the East Malaysian territories, their role in the formation of Malaysia and their unique status within the federation.
He voiced hope that the history books would be corrected but stressed it should not be done out of political concerns.
“Don’t change the textbooks just because PBS is asking for it. Do it because it is the right thing to do.”
Meanwhile, SAPP Deputy President Melanie Chia also weighed in on the alleged misinformation in school books.
“Federal leaders should not just hope to drown us in their history,” she told FMT.
Chia also dismissed PBS’ committee on the “skipped facts” as a mere political gimmick and that it would be more meaningful for Maximus, as a Cabinet member, to demand for an immediate correction of the history books.
“There is no need for any more wayang kulit when he is in a position to act,” she said, adding with so many Sabahans and Sarawakians sitting in the Cabinet, more could surely be done to correct the history books.
Yesterday, Maximus, in announcing the setting up of the committee, said the important facts on Malaysia’s formation had been compressed into one chapter.
This resulted in students and even civil servants being unaware of the sacrifices of Sabahans and Sarawakians in Malaysia’s formation.