“Where were you on the historical day of Malaysia 31st August 1963 ?”

Simanggang Theatre Inn photo taken on 1 June 2008 SUNDAY 8:27PM.  On the night of 31st August 1963 around the same time,  I was standing in front of this building. There was a procession in celebration of the independent of Malaysia from the British Colonial rule

No. 2, Bangunan Panggung Wayang,

Lrg 3 Off Jalan Club,

95000 Sri Aman,

Sarawak

“Where were you on the historical day of Malaysia 31st August 1963 ?”
I was in Simanggang schooling 10 years old.

(Or, some say, 11th September 1963 )

I did not know back then what was going on. The wooden shops in Simanggang were suddenly stuck with postal.  Small slim vertical postal in Chinese characters stuck on all main polls of the wooden shops.  At Primary 3 that time I could read 2 words “Tungu” and “Independent” but none I could fully understand.

That day every thing went on as usual except the night has a big event of procession in the town.

My whole family went to watch the procession.  We stood in front Simanggang Theater.  The not too long procession passed from the left (the shops area) and process toward the right (the hill where Simanggang Club was)

All I could remember now what I saw that night was the front leading the procession were 2 tall big human figures constructed with bamboo frame in paper covering and painted with colors.

Simanggang Theater was just 5 minutes from our house down the hill.

The concrete building of Simanggang Theater remain till today and converted to Theater Inn.


From British Colonie to Malaysia a new nation was born. And I became a Malaysian from a British citizen.

The First Chief Minister of Sarawak was Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan from 1963 - 1966

Kalong Ningkan was born in Betong which was then under Simanggang.