Oath stone words reappear

The mysterious disappearance of three key words in the original text of Sabah’s sacred oath stone commemorating the 1963 formation of Malaysia has somehow reappeared on the plaque.

(The Star) – The words “Kerajaan Malaysia Jamin” (Malaysian Government Guarantees) were left out in the wording on a plaque which was a replacement for the original plaque which mysteriously disappeared sometime in the 1980s. The missing words then reappeared late last year without any fanfare.

The oath stone, put up in 1964, was to guarantee Sabahans, particularly to the interior people, that their freedom to religious beliefs and their right to cultural practices and land was a commitment by the federal government that it upholds their promises made under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

State officials, including the Keningau district office, have not made public the restoration of the original words on the plaque.

However, the words were still missing on the plaque, triggering more questions on why it was so difficult to put back the original words of the plaque.

“I believe the original words were put in sometime in November, after Malaysia Day,” said Keningau MP and Tambunan assemblyman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

Dr Jeffrey, who is state opposition leader and a strong proponent for the missing words to be replaced, praised the Parti Warisan Sabah state government for re-instating the missing words of the sacred oath stone.

“I am really grateful that the state government has allowed the original words back on the oath stone,” he added.

For the past three years, Dr Jefffrey urged the previous Barisan Nasional state government to put back the original words.

The return of the missing words puts an end to the political controversy that has dogged Sabah, amid questions about where and when the original plaque disappeared, and how the replaced plaque missing the three key words came about.

The original plaque re-surfaced about two years ago and is now with the state museum.