Independence Day (Malaysia)

Independence Day (), also known as National Day (), is the independence day of the Federation of Malaya from the United Kingdom. It commemorates the Malayan Declaration of Independence of 31 August 1957, and is defined in article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia. The day is marked by official and unofficial ceremonies and observances across the country.

The observation of 31 August as Malaysia's national day is the cause of some controversy, especially among East Malaysians, with calls to prioritise the celebration of Malaysia Day () on 16 September instead. Malaysia Day commemorates the formation of Malaysia in 1963, when the four entities of North Borneo, Sarawak, Singapore and Malaya federated to form Malaysia as part of the Malaysia Agreement.

East Malaysians argue that it is illogical to celebrate 31 August 1957 as Malaysia's national day when Malaysia was only established in 1963, and that the "Federation of Malaya" was a different entity. 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.

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

{| class="wikitable"

! Year !! Theme

| 1970

| Muhibah dan Perpaduan (Goodwill and Unity)

| 1971

| Masyarakat Progresif (Progressive Society)

| 1972

| Masyarakat Adil (Malaysia, Here Is Where Love Begins)

| 2015–2016

| Malaysia, Sehati Sejiwa (United, Unified Malaysia)

| 2017

| Negaraku Sehati Sejiwa (My Country, United and Unified)

| 2018

| Sayangi Malaysiaku (Love My Malaysia)

| 2019

| Sayangi Malaysiaku: Malaysia Bersih (Love My Malaysia: A Clean Malaysia)

| 2020–2021

|Malaysia Prihatin (Concerned Malaysia)

| 2022

|Keluarga Malaysia Teguh Bersama (Malaysian Family: Stronger Together)

| 2023

|Malaysia MADANI: Tekad Perpaduan, Penuhi Harapan (Civilised Malaysia: Determination of Unity, Fulfilling Hope)

| 2024

|Malaysia MADANI: Jiwa Merdeka (Civilised Malaysia: Independent Soul)

| 2025

|Malaysia MADANI: Rakyat Disantuni (Civilised Malaysia: The People Are Respected)

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".

References

External links

Merdeka proclamation on YouTube video
Theme and Logo for Hari Kebangsaan