(Petaling Jaya, Wednesday): Malaysia lost one of her founding fathers with the passing of Tan Sri Stephen Kalong Ningkan, Sarawak’s first Chief Minister at the age of 76 on Sunday.
Ningkan is not only a great Sarawakian, but also a great Malaysian - who stood up for his principles and the rights of Sarawakians, not because of any narrow sectional concepts but because Sarawakians are entitled to the full citizenship rights and to be in the mainstream of national development.
The memory of Stephen Kalong Ningkan as a Malaysian leader should be perpetuated with national memorial projects and I call on the Cabinet to set up a special task force to make recommendations as to how his memory could be honoured and perpetuated. Every State Government should also honour the memory of Stephen and every capital should have a major road named after him.
The Sarawak State Government should have given Stephen a state funeral for his contributions to the state and people of Sarawak.
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