COMMENT A friend came over and asked me, "What's the big deal with July 22? What difference does it make, compared with August 31st or September 16th?"

Writing this piece in the wee hours of the night, after a coffee session with my high school seniors who have been based in Kuala Lumpur for nearly a decade, sparked a casual conversation about the future of our home state, Sarawak.

The moment of pride, whenever you meet a fellow statesmen in KL, will strike the chord by when all of you converse in the 'official' language - Bahasa Sarawak.

"Kitak orang Sarawak kah? Oh nembiak Sarawak kat Malaya juak. Dari kampung neh?" (Are you Sarawakian? Oh you're here in Malaya too. Which village are you from?)...