KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Temenggong Jugah Barieng, who was one of the prime movers of the formation of Malaysia, once said that "the differences among the society should become our strength".

His legacy lives on in his grandson, Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, who has been appointed as Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister in the federal Cabinet.

Tun Jugah was an important figure in the establishment of Malaysia in 1963 and the first Sarawak leader to be appointed as a minister in the federal government in charge of Sarawak affairs.

Nanta said his grandfather was an ordinary man who did not have the opportunity to obtain a formal education but his passion and love towards the Sarawak community, especially the Dayaks, during the British era fuelled his dreams and propelled him to fight for what was best for the people.

He said those dreams had eventually led Tun Jugah to represent the Dayaks (at the time) to convince the British government to form Malaysia, despite facing an enormous challenge in getting the Dayak people to support the formation.

"He did it because he wanted Sarawakians, especially the Dayaks, to progress in terms of their education and development. So, he fought with all his heart to ensure that the formation was well-supported and accepted by all Sarawakians.

"...of course, along the way too, he had always said that he wanted a united Malaysia, a country that we can be proud of although we have differences in many areas, as a result of the formation,” he said when appearing as a special guest to share stories about the country’s founding fathers in conjunction with the Merdeka Special programme at Tugu Negara here Sunday (Sept 4).

Nanta said among all of Tun Jugah’s grandchildren, he was the only one involved in politics, adding that he will try his best to continue his grandfather’s legacy as he believes there is always room for improvement in building a better Malaysia.

"From the beginning of the formation of Malaysia, my grandfather's famous quote was ‘Anang Sarawak tok baka tebu, manis di pun tang tabar ba ujung’ which means do not simply let Sarawak or Malaysia become like sugarcane, sweet in the beginning but less tasty as it grows.

"I do not want Malaysia to become like that. To prevent this from happening, all quarters, especially the younger generation, should be taught about the foundation and spirit of the formation of Malaysia because we are a multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-religious country.

"These attributes should not be the cause of dreadful things happening to the country," he added. - Bernama