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Yes, Happy Birthday to my blog, Sikmading's Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, which was born on 15th July 2007 and Sabah's former ruling party Berjaya which was launched on 15th July 1975. (Click on press clipping above for a larger view.)
Then, you might say, why did I submit this post today and not yesterday? Well, I normally write my new posts in the evening after dinner; sitting in my lazy chair under the comfort of the fan (or air-con, depending on the weather) with a cup of coffee or tea beside me and pay-TV in front of me to keep myself updated and refreshed (Local News, CNN, BBC, CNBC etc, you know).
But last night, I told myself "no hurry" as I would only do it after watching the live debate on TV between de facto Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Chik. The debate was about the unpopular recent fuel price increase by the government and I believe the whole nation (except those without Astro, Malaysia' pay-TV) were watching it.
The debate was over shortly after 10pm and I immediately got cracking on my new post, which is what actually I am writing right now. I couldn't access my Internet through Streamyx. So as usual I called up TMNet. As usual too, they said "session hang" and asked me to switch off my modem for a short while and then switch it on again. I have to do this almost every nite and so far no problem. Any solution?
But last night, believe it or not, even after contacting TMNet and doing what they asked me to do, it still says 'Server Not Found'. I contacted TMNet again and tried again and again to connect. To cut the long story short, by 11pm I still couldn't get online. By then, I was tired and sleepy. So I told myself "There's always a tomorrow."
To console myself, I said never mind, after all events that happen today only get into the newspapers the following day. For example, the story of Berjaya's launch only got into the Malaysian papers on 16th July 1975. Besides, in certain parts of the world especially USA, it's still 15th July today so I am not totally behind time. (What an excuse! he he...)
For the information of the younger Sabahans as well as visitors interested in Sabah politics, Berjaya went on to form the State Government just 9 months later in April 1976, defeating the Usno-led Alliance party which had won Sabah's first direct general election in 1967. For the record, Berjaya won 28 of the 48 seats with Usno obtaining the remaining 20. Usno's partner in the Sabah Alliance, the Sabah Chinese Association (SCA), was wiped out in that election. SCA left the Sabah Alliance soon after and was later dissolved.
Berjaya was initially led by former Usno strongman and State Cabinet Minister Datuk Harris Salleh. Within days he stepped aside in favour of Sabah's first Chief Minister Tun Mohd. Fuad Stephens (then Dato' Donald Stephens). At the time of Berjaya's formation, Stephens who was half-white was the Sabah Yang Di-Pertua Negara (Governor). When Stephens stepped down from the 'palace', Harris became his No. 2 in Berjaya.
But alas, as fate would have it, Stephens and 3 of his Ministers were killed in an air crash barely weeks after winning the election in what is now known as the Double Six (June 6, 1976) tragedy. Harris took over as Chief Minister the same evening to ensure continuity. Harris led Berjaya to a landslide win in the 1981 state general election, winning 44 of the 48 state legislative assembly seats at stake.
But Harris was not as lucky in the 1985 state general election. By then, the people of Sabah were fed-up with Berjaya over several issues and voted in a one-and-a-half-month old Parti Bersatu Sabah (Sabah United Party). By then too, Berjaya had ruled Sabah for 9 years, the same number of years that Alliance had administered the State; thus giving birth to the phrase "The 9-Year Jinx". (PBS also ruled for 9 years until 1985. Jinx or no Jinx?)
After Berjaya's defeat, Harris 'handed over' the party leadership to former secretary-general Mohd. Noor Mansoor who led Berjaya to an even more disastrous outing in the 1986 snap election called by the new Chief Minister and PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan. To cut the long story short, both Usno and Berjaya were eventually dissolved.
For more on Berjaya's formation and the Double Six tragedy, please visit my older posts by clicking July 2007 and June 2008 in my Blog Archive. Thank you for visiting and with your support I will now look forward to my blog's 2nd birthday next year.
Then, you might say, why did I submit this post today and not yesterday? Well, I normally write my new posts in the evening after dinner; sitting in my lazy chair under the comfort of the fan (or air-con, depending on the weather) with a cup of coffee or tea beside me and pay-TV in front of me to keep myself updated and refreshed (Local News, CNN, BBC, CNBC etc, you know).
But last night, I told myself "no hurry" as I would only do it after watching the live debate on TV between de facto Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Chik. The debate was about the unpopular recent fuel price increase by the government and I believe the whole nation (except those without Astro, Malaysia' pay-TV) were watching it.
The debate was over shortly after 10pm and I immediately got cracking on my new post, which is what actually I am writing right now. I couldn't access my Internet through Streamyx. So as usual I called up TMNet. As usual too, they said "session hang" and asked me to switch off my modem for a short while and then switch it on again. I have to do this almost every nite and so far no problem. Any solution?
But last night, believe it or not, even after contacting TMNet and doing what they asked me to do, it still says 'Server Not Found'. I contacted TMNet again and tried again and again to connect. To cut the long story short, by 11pm I still couldn't get online. By then, I was tired and sleepy. So I told myself "There's always a tomorrow."
To console myself, I said never mind, after all events that happen today only get into the newspapers the following day. For example, the story of Berjaya's launch only got into the Malaysian papers on 16th July 1975. Besides, in certain parts of the world especially USA, it's still 15th July today so I am not totally behind time. (What an excuse! he he...)
For the information of the younger Sabahans as well as visitors interested in Sabah politics, Berjaya went on to form the State Government just 9 months later in April 1976, defeating the Usno-led Alliance party which had won Sabah's first direct general election in 1967. For the record, Berjaya won 28 of the 48 seats with Usno obtaining the remaining 20. Usno's partner in the Sabah Alliance, the Sabah Chinese Association (SCA), was wiped out in that election. SCA left the Sabah Alliance soon after and was later dissolved.
Berjaya was initially led by former Usno strongman and State Cabinet Minister Datuk Harris Salleh. Within days he stepped aside in favour of Sabah's first Chief Minister Tun Mohd. Fuad Stephens (then Dato' Donald Stephens). At the time of Berjaya's formation, Stephens who was half-white was the Sabah Yang Di-Pertua Negara (Governor). When Stephens stepped down from the 'palace', Harris became his No. 2 in Berjaya.
But alas, as fate would have it, Stephens and 3 of his Ministers were killed in an air crash barely weeks after winning the election in what is now known as the Double Six (June 6, 1976) tragedy. Harris took over as Chief Minister the same evening to ensure continuity. Harris led Berjaya to a landslide win in the 1981 state general election, winning 44 of the 48 state legislative assembly seats at stake.
But Harris was not as lucky in the 1985 state general election. By then, the people of Sabah were fed-up with Berjaya over several issues and voted in a one-and-a-half-month old Parti Bersatu Sabah (Sabah United Party). By then too, Berjaya had ruled Sabah for 9 years, the same number of years that Alliance had administered the State; thus giving birth to the phrase "The 9-Year Jinx". (PBS also ruled for 9 years until 1985. Jinx or no Jinx?)
After Berjaya's defeat, Harris 'handed over' the party leadership to former secretary-general Mohd. Noor Mansoor who led Berjaya to an even more disastrous outing in the 1986 snap election called by the new Chief Minister and PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan. To cut the long story short, both Usno and Berjaya were eventually dissolved.
For more on Berjaya's formation and the Double Six tragedy, please visit my older posts by clicking July 2007 and June 2008 in my Blog Archive. Thank you for visiting and with your support I will now look forward to my blog's 2nd birthday next year.
4 comments:
getting more interesting....
Thanks, Flanegan. You're among those yang rajin kasih comment.
happy birthday to your blog.
Happy Birthday! I think I need to do more slowing down and more stock taking - I've been blogging since time immemorial i.e. when it was not yet even called blogging, more than 10 years ago. I should've had a big party to commemorate it. Of course it was all done out of love for writing...
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