By Datuk Frankie Poon Ming Fung
SANDAKAN: I strongly welcome the statement by YB Datuk James Ratib, Sabah Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, as reported in the press, on the need to correct the long-standing inaccuracies in Malaysian school history textbooks concerning the formation of Malaysia.
For decades, students have been taught that Sabah and Sarawak “joined” Malaysia. This narrative is not only misleading but constitutionally flawed.
Malaysia did not exist before 16 September 1963. Sabah, Sarawak, Malaya and Singapore came together as equal parties to form a new federation. Sabah’s consent was secured through negotiations, safeguards and assurances reflected in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
This historical fact must be stated clearly and unambiguously in our education system.
Correcting this narrative is not about regional sentiment or political posturing. It is about historical truth, constitutional integrity and respect for the founding partners of the Federation.
When history is inaccurately taught, misunderstanding becomes institutionalised, and legitimate concerns over rights and autonomy are easily dismissed as political noise rather than grounded in fact.
Beyond the formation narrative, it is equally unacceptable that major events central to Sabah’s political history remain absent or marginalised in national history textbooks.
One such event is the 6 June 1976 plane crash that claimed the lives of Sabah’s Chief Minister and several State Cabinet Ministers while returning from Labuan.
This tragedy abruptly removed the State’s top leadership and had far-reaching consequences for Sabah’s political direction and governance. Its omission from mainstream textbooks reflects a deeper structural bias in how national history has been curated.
A national history that overlooks the sacrifices and disruptions experienced by Sabah is incomplete.
It weakens national cohesion rather than strengthening it. Unity cannot be built on selective memory.
I therefore support YB Datuk James Ratib’s call for a comprehensive review of the history syllabus through coordinated engagement between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Sabah, and the Sabah State Education Department.
This review must go beyond cosmetic language changes and ensure that Sabah’s role, experiences and sacrifices are properly and proportionately reflected in the curriculum.
This is not a request for special treatment. It is a demand for accuracy, fairness and constitutional consistency. Malaysia’s history must be told as it truly happened — not as a simplified version that is convenient for some but alienating for others.
Only by teaching our children the full and honest story can we foster genuine national understanding and respect among Malaysians.
