Independence Day (Malaysia)

The effort for independence was spearheaded by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, who led a delegation of ministers and political leaders of Malaya in negotiations with the British in London for Merdeka, or independence along with the first president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) Tun Dato Sri Tan Cheng Lock and fifth President of Malaysian Indian Congress Tun V. T. Sambanthan. Once unity between Malay, Indian, and Chinese peoples was achieved, an agreement was reached on 8 February 1956, for Malaya to gain independence from the British Empire. However, logistical and administrative reasons led to the official proclamation of independence in the next year, on 31 August 1957, at Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), in Kuala Lumpur, which was purposely built for the celebrations of the national independence day. The announcement of the day was set months earlier by Tunku Abdul Rahman in a meeting of the Alliance in Malacca in February 1957. ==Independence Day (31 August 1957)==

On the night of 30 August 1957, more than 20,000 people gathered at Merdeka Square (Dataran Merdeka) in Kuala Lumpur to witness the handover of power from the British. Prime Minister-designate Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj arrived at 11:58 p.m. and joined members of the Alliance Party's youth divisions in observing two minutes of darkness. On the stroke of midnight, the lights were switched back on, and the Union Flag in the square was lowered as the royal anthem God Save the Queen played. The new Flag of Malaya was raised as the national anthem Negaraku was played. This was followed by seven chants of "Merdeka" by the crowd. The Queen's representative, the Duke of Gloucester presented Tunku Abdul Rahman with the instrument of independence. Tunku then proceeded to read the Proclamation of Independence, which culminated in the chanting of "Merdeka!" seven times with the crowd joining in. The ceremony continued with the raising of the National Flag of Malaya accompanied by the national anthem being played by a military band and a 21-gun salute, followed by an azan call and a thanksgiving prayer in honour of this great occasion. The day followed with the solemn installation of the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan, at Jalan Ampang, and the first installation banquet in his honour in the evening followed by a beating retreat performance and a fireworks display. Sports events and other events marked the birth of the new nation. Attendees The foreign guests of honour included: ;Members of royal families • The King and Queen of Thailand • The Crown Prince and Princess of Japan • The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (representing The Queen) • Prince William of Gloucester ;Heads of government • The Prime Minister of South Africa, Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom • The Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru • The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy • The Prime Minister of North Vietnam, Phạm Văn Đồng • The Prime Minister of Ceylon, Solomon Bandaranaike • The Prime Minister of Burma, U Nu • The Prime Minister of Cambodia, Sim Var • The United States Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles (representing U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower) • The President of the Republic of Taiwan Provisional Government, Thomas Liao ;Representatives from other British colonies • The Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Alexander Grantham • The Chief Minister of Singapore, Lim Yew Hock ;Members of the former British colonial administration • Sir Gerald Templer (former British High Commissioner in Malaya) and Lady Templer • Lady Gurney (wife of former British High Commissioner in Malaya Sir Henry Gurney) • Lady Gent (wife of former British High Commissioner in Malaya Sir Edward Gent) ;High Commissioners of other Commonwealth countries: • High Commissioner of Canada to Malaya, Arthur Redpath Menzies • High Commissioner of Australia to Malaya, Tom Critchley • High Commissioner of New Zealand to Malaya, Foss Shanahan ==The formation of Malaysia==

The Federation of Malaysia, comprising the states of the Federation of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore, was officially declared on 31 August 1963, on the sixth anniversary of Malayan independence. However, the declaration was postponed to 16 September 1963, mainly due to opposition from Indonesia and the Philippines. Nevertheless, North Borneo and Singapore declared sovereignty on 31 August 1963. Indonesian opposition later escalated into a military conflict. Indonesia viewed Malaysia as a new form of colonisation over Sarawak and North Borneo, both of which bordered Indonesian territory on Borneo, although it did not lay claim to the territories. In contrast, the Philippines claimed the eastern part of Sabah. To assure Indonesia that Malaysia was not a form of neocolonialism, the United Nations (UN) conducted a general survey rather than a referendum, involving interviews with approximately 4,000 people and receiving 2,200 memorandums from groups and private individuals. The Cobbold Commission, led by Cameron Cobbold, 1st Baron Cobbold, was also established to determine whether the people of North Borneo and Sarawak wished to join Malaysia. The Commission's eventual findings indicated substantial support for the formation of Malaysia among the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners, paving the way for the final proclamation of Malaysia. Malaysia Day The formation of the Federation of Malaysia was announced on 16 September 1963, the anniversary of which is celebrated as Malaysia Day. Hari Merdeka continued to be celebrated on 31 August, the original independence date of Malaya, while Malaysia Day became a public holiday only in East Malaysia. This caused discontent among East Malaysians in particular, with some feeling that celebrating the national day on 31 August is Malaya–centric and overlooks East Malaysia's role in the formation of the country. In 2009, it was decided that starting in 2010, Malaysia Day would be a nationwide public holiday in addition to Hari Merdeka on 31 August. == Themes ==

Reception The 2012 theme proved to be controversial, as it was seen by many Malaysians to be a political slogan rather than a patriotic one (Janji Ditepati, which meant "Promises Fulfilled", was Najib Razak's campaign jingle in the run-up to the 2013 elections). The official "logo" was also ridiculed for its unconventional design. A video of the theme song uploaded on YouTube (with lyrics penned by Rais Yatim) garnered an overwhelming number of "dislikes" because of its overtly political content, which had nothing to do with the spirit of independence. The video has since been taken down. The 2020 Malaysia Prihatin theme had been chosen because of the COVID-19 pandemic and in recognition of the caring and concerned of all Malaysian. In 2023, the theme for Malaysia's Independence Day is 'Malaysia Madani: Determination in Unity, Fulfilling Hope'. The theme was selected to strengthen the spirit of unity and to achieve the shared aspirations for a stronger Malaysia by government of Anwar Ibrahim. ==2015 Hari Merdeka Anniversary Issues==

Legally, Hari Merdeka is the official independence day of 'the federation' as defined in the Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia, which was that established under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957. The Minister of Land Development of Sarawak, the late James Jemut Masing, responded to this announcement by stating that Malaysia Day on 16 September should be the rallying point for the nation's unity, rather than Hari Merdeka. He added "Everyone now knows that 31 August is Malaya's and Sabah's Independence Day… it's not our (Sarawak) independence day. They can celebrate it both in Malaya and in Sabah as they have the same Independence Day date, and we can join them there if they invite us. We must right the wrong". ==See also==