Hari Merdeka


Hari Merdeka, also known as Hari Kebangsaan, is the official independence day of Malaysia. 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.
The observation of 31 August as Malaysia's national day is the cause of some controversy, due to calls to prioritize the celebration of Hari Malaysia on 16 September instead. Hari Malaysia commemorates the formation of Malaysia in 1963, when North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore federated with Malaya to form Malaysia. Some, especially people from East Malaysia, argue that it is illogical to celebrate 31 August 1957 as Malaysia's national day when Malaysia was only created in 1963. Supporters of Hari Merdeka argue that "the Federation" as defined in Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia is the "Federation of Malaya" that was established in 1957.

Events leading up to independence

The effort for independence was spearheaded by Tunku Abdul Rahman, 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 Tun Dato Sri Tan Cheng Lock and fifth President of Malaysian Indian Congress Tun V. T. Sambanthan. Once it became clear that the Communist threat posed during the Malayan Emergency was petering out, 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, in Kuala Lumpur, which was purposely built for the celebrations of national independence day. The announcement of the day was set months earlier by the Tunku in a meeting of the Alliance in Melaka.

Independence Day (31 August 1957)

On the night of 30 August 1957, more than 20,000 people gathered at Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur to witness the handover of power from the British. Prime Minister-designate Tunku Abdul Rahman 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. Tunku Abdul Rahman later gave a speech hailing the ceremony as the "greatest moment in the life of the Malayan people". Before giving the address to the crowd, he was given a necklace by representatives of the Alliance Party youth in honour of this great occasion in history, with a map of Malaya inscribed on it. The event ended at one in the morning.
On the morning of 31 August 1957, the festivities moved to the newly completed Merdeka Stadium. More than 20,000 people witnessed the ceremony, which began at 9:30 am. Those in attendance included rulers of the Malay states, foreign dignitaries, members of the federal cabinet, and citizens. 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
;Heads of government
;Representatives from other British colonies
;Members of the former British colonial administration
;High Commissioners of other Commonwealth countries:
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 6th anniversary of Malayan independence. However, it was postponed to 16 September 1963, mainly due to Indonesian and the Philippines' opposition to the formation of Malaysia. Nevertheless, North Borneo and Singapore declared sovereignty on 31 August 1963. Indonesian opposition later escalated to a military conflict. Indonesia considered Malaysia as a new form of colonisation on the provinces of Sarawak and North Borneo in the island of Borneo. However, they did not lay claim upon the two territories, unlike the Philippines' claim on the eastern part of Sabah. To assure Indonesia that Malaysia was not a form of neocolonialism, a general survey was organised by the United Nations involving interviews of approximately 4,000 people, which received 2,200 memorandums from groups and private individuals. The Cobbold Commission, led by Lord Cobbold, was also formed to determine whether the people of North Borneo and Sarawak wished to join Malaysia. Their eventual findings, which indicated substantial support for Malaysia among the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak, cleared the way for the final proclamation of Malaysia.
The formation of the Federation of Malaysia was then announced on 16 September 1963, as Malaysia Day. The nationwide Independence Day celebration is still held on 31 August, the original independence date of Malaya, while Malaysia Day was a public holiday only in East Malaysia. However, this has caused some minor discontent among East Malaysians in particular, since it has been argued that celebrating the national day on 31 August is too Malaya-centric. In 2009, it was decided that starting 2010, Malaysia Day would be a nationwide public holiday in addition to Hari Merdeka on 31 August.

Themes

YearTheme
1970Muhibbah dan Perpaduan
1971Masyarakat Progresif
1972Masyarakat Adil
1973Masyarakat Berkebudayaan Malaysia
1974Sains dan Teknologi Alat Perpaduan
1975Masyarakat Berdikari
1976Ketahanan Rakyat
197720 Tahun Bersatu Maju
1978Kebudayaan Sendi Perpaduan
1979Bersatu Berdisplin
1980Berdisplin Berbakti
1981Berdisplin Berharmoni
1982Berdisplin Giat Maju
1983Bersama Ke Arah Kemajuan
1984Amanah Asas Kejayaan
1985Nasionalisme Teras Perpaduan
1986Bangsa Tegas Negara Teguh
1987Setia Bersatu Berusaha Maju
1988-1989Bersatu
1990Berjaya
1991Wawasan 2020
1992Wawasan Asas Kemajuan
1993Bersatu Menuju Wawasan
1994Nilai Murni Jayakan Wawasan
1995Jatidiri Pengerak Wawasan
1996Budaya Penantu Kecapaian
1997Akhlak Mulia Masyarakat Jaya
1998Negara Kita, Tanggungjawab Kita
1999Bersatu Ke Alaf Baru
2000–2005Keranamu Malaysia
2006Keranamu Malaysia: Misi Nasional, Penjaya Wawasan
2007Malaysiaku Gemilang
2008Perpaduan Teras Kejayaan
20091 Malaysia: Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan
20101 Malaysia: Menjana Transformasi
20111 Malaysia: Transformasi Berjaya, Rakyat Sejahtera
201255 Tahun Merdeka: Janji Ditepati
2013Malaysiaku Berdaulat, Tanah Tumpahnya Darahku
2014Malaysia, Di Sini Lahirnya Sebuah Cinta
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2015–2016Malaysia, Sehati Sejiwa
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2017Negaraku Sehati Sejiwa
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2018Sayangi Malaysiaku
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2019Sayangi Malaysiaku: Malaysia Bersih
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2020Malaysia Prihatin
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The 2012 theme proved to be controversial, as it was seen by many Malaysians to be a political slogan rather than a patriotic one. The official "logo" was also ridiculed for its unconventional design. A video of the theme song uploaded on YouTube 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.

Google doodle

On 31 August 2019, Google celebrated Malaysia’s Independence Day, the 'Hari Merdeka' with a Doodle depicting national flower. The accompanying write up read as, "Today’s Doodle depicts Malaysia’s national flower in honor of Malaysia’s Independence Day, known locally as Hari Merdeka. On this day in 1957, the Federation of Malaya became a sovereign state after many years of British rule. Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's first Chief Minister, read an official declaration at Kuala Lumpur’s Stadium Merdeka before a crowd of some 20,000 people."

2015 Hari Merdeka Anniversary Issues

Starting from 2015, as stated by the Minister of Communication and Multimedia Ahmad Shabery Cheek, the Independence Day celebration is likely to be held without mentioning the number of years to prevent the people in Sabah and Sarawak from being isolated if the number of independence anniversaries was stated. However, the Minister of Land Development of Sarawak Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing reminded that since 16 September had been declared as Malaysia Day, it should be the rallying point for the nation's unity. He added "Everyone now knows that 31 August is Malaya's and Sabah's Independence Day… it's not our 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". Masing was commenting on Shabery Cheek's recent proposal that Malaysia should continue to commemorate 31 August as its Independence Day, without mentioning the anniversary year.
These arguments are however, ignorant with the fact that legally, Hari Merdeka is the official independence day of 'the federation' as defined in the Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia. 'The federation' here is defined in the same article as the federation that was established under Federation of Malaya Agreement 1957, not the Malaysia Agreement 1963. In 1963, 'the Federation', then named the Federation of Malaya, was further enlarged and renamed 'Malaysia', when the existing states of Malaya were merged with North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore.