It was only after independence that we became proper Malaysian citizens, "says former UCSTAM chairman Sim Mow-yu. Independence came through the combined struggle of Chinese, Malay and Indian comrades; its fruits should be equally shared, to allow each group to maintain its own cultural heritage and values.
華教界大老、前教總主席沈慕羽就表示，馬來西亞的獨立是華族和馬來、印度朋友合力爭取來的，因此大家應該有福同享，平等互惠，讓每一族的文化各自傳承，發揮其特有價值。