The official birthday celebration for the Sabah Head of State will be confined to the month of June, with only seven events scheduled, said Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam.

The Main Organising Committee chairman said the scaled-down programme follows a state Cabinet decision to hold the official celebration on June 21, instead of stretching it over three months as previously speculated.

“The number of events has been reduced from 12 last year to seven this year,” he told reporters, adding that the budget has also been slashed by 30% compared to 2024.

Joachim said the planned events are all part of the customary line-up for the Head of State’s birthday and urged the public not to be misled by earlier claims about the scale of this year’s celebration. – March 27, 2025