COMMENT | I didn’t want to time this article for July 22, so as not to dampen the joyous mood of my fellow Sarawakians happily celebrating Sarawak Independence Day.

Writing this a day later wouldn’t make me feel so bad. At least, the celebration is over and people have returned to their normal routine.

Yesterday, a large crowd gathered in Padang Merdeka in Kuching to commemorate the occasion while the official government celebration was held in Bintulu, graced by Sarawak Governor Abdul Taib Mahmud.

The mood at the Kuching event, organised by several NGOs, was upbeat with boisterous calls for Sarawak to exit Malaysia as the main theme. The Bintulu do, as expected, was more subdued with other programmes, including an official dinner and sports, added in to celebrate the auspicious day.

Whatever the mood might be at these two events, I was in no mood for any celebration. July 22 holds little meaning for me. It is just another ordinary day...