Datuk Larry Sng
KUCHING (June 10): Julau MP Datuk Larry Sng has called for greater recognition of Sarawak’s earliest chief ministers, the late Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan and late Dato Sri Penghulu Tawi Sli, saying their contributions to the state’s formative years deserve wider acknowledgment.
In a Facebook post, Sng said that as Sarawak continues to develop as a confident and self-governing region, it is important to reflect on how the state honours leaders who laid its foundations.
He noted that while later chief ministers have rightly received recognition for their contributions, questions remain as to whether sufficient recognition has been accorded to Sarawak’s earliest leaders, who guided the state through some of its most significant historical milestones.
Sng added that while later chief ministers had been conferred the state’s highest honour, the Satria Bintang Sarawak which carries the title Pehin Sri, Sarawak’s earliest chief ministers did not receive equivalent recognition.
He stressed that the observation was not intended to diminish the achievements of subsequent leaders, but rather to raise a broader issue concerning historical balance and fairness in recognising those who had served the state.
“The Dayaks remain the largest ethnic community in Sarawak and have contributed immensely to the state’s development. Recognising the sacrifices and achievements of the early Dayak chief ministers is therefore not merely a matter of ethnic representation.
“It is about ensuring that the story of Sarawak is told in full, and that all those who helped shape our state are accorded the respect and recognition they deserve,” he wrote.
He added that history should not be viewed based on who served later or held office longer, but rather on the significance of each leader’s contribution.
By honouring every generation of leaders fairly, he said, Sarawakians could strengthen their shared identity and ensure that no chapter of the state’s history is forgotten.
Ningkan was the appointed as Sarawak’s first chief minister on July 22, 1963.
He was succeeded by Tawi in 1966.
