Independence Day (Malaysia)

Independence Day
Children waving the Malaysian flag on Independence Day in 2012
Official name	Hari Merdeka
Also called	National Day (Hari Kebangsaan)
Observed by	Malaysians
Type	National
Significance	Marks the independence of the Federation of Malaya
Celebrations	Malaysian Independence Day parade
Date	31 August
Next time	31 August 2025 (2025-08)
Frequency	Annual

Part of a series on the
History of Malaysia
Prehistoric period Paleolithic  Lenggong Valley c. 2,000,0000 BCE  Mansuli Valley 235,000 BCE Mesolithic  Niah cultures 65,000–40,000 BCE Neolithic  Bewah man/woman 16,000 BCE  Perak man/woman 11,000–200 BCE  Neolithic Klang 500 – 200 BCE
Early kingdoms Ancient Kedah <100 BCE Chi Tu 100 BCE–642 CE Langkasuka 100 BCE–1474 CE Gangga Negara c. 100 CE–1025 Pan Pan 424–775 Old Kedah 170–1135 Old Pahang 449–1454 Srivijaya 700s–1025 Majapahit 1300s
Rise of Muslim states Kedah Sultanate 1136–present Samudera Pasai Sultanate 1267–1521 Brunei Sultanate 1368–present Malacca Sultanate 1402–1511 Sulu Sultanate 1450–1899 Pahang Sultanate 1470–1623 Aceh Sultanate 1496–1903 Pattani Sultanate 1516– 1902 Johor Sultanate 1528–present Sarawak Sultanate 1599–1641 Selangor Sultanate 1766–present Besut Kingdom 1780–1899 Setul Kingdom 1808–1916 Reman Kingdom 1810–1902 Kubang Pasu Kingdom 1839–1864
Colonial period Portuguese Malacca 1511–1641 Dutch–Portuguese War 1601–1661 Dutch Malacca 1641–1824 Pahang Kingdom 1770–1881 Straits Settlements 1786–1946 Siamese invasion of Kedah 1821–1826 Anglo-Dutch Treaty 1824 Burney Treaty 1826 Naning War 1831–1832 Kingdom of Sarawak 1841–1946 Separation of Perlis from Kedah 1843 Crown Colony of Labuan 1848–1946 Pahang Civil War 1857–1863 Larut Wars 1861–1874 Klang War 1867–1874 Pangkor Treaty 1874 Perak War 1875–1876 British Malaya / Borneo 1874–1946 Jementah Civil War 1879 North Borneo 1882–1946 Pahang Uprising 1891–1895 Mat Salleh Rebellion 1894–1905 Federated Malay States 1895–1946 Anglo-Siamese Treaty 1909 Unfederated Malay States 1909–1946 Battle of Penang 1914 Kelantan rebellion 1915
World War II Japanese occupation of Malaya / Borneo 1941–1945 Malayan campaign 1941–1942 Bornean Campaign 1941–1942 Battle of Muar 1942 Parit Sulong Massacre 1942 Battle of Singapore 1942 Sook Ching 1942 Syburi 1942 Sandakan Death Marches 1942–1945 Si Rat Malai 1943–1945 Jesselton revolt 1943–1944
Formative period BMA of Malaya/Borneo 1945–1946 Crown Colony of N. Borneo/Sarawak 1946–1963 Anti-cession movement 1946–1963 Malayan Union 1946–1948 Federation of Malaya 1948–1963 Malayan Emergency 1948–1960 Baling Talks 1955
Independence period Malayan Independence 1957 Singapore self-governance 1959 ISA 1960 1960–2012 Sarawak Insurgency 1962–1990 North Borneo self-governance 1963 Konfrontasi 1963–1966 Sarawak self-governance 1963 Formation of Malaysia 1963 Singapore in Malaysia 1963–1965 ASEAN Declaration 1967 Second communist insurgency 1968–1989
Modern period 13 May incident 1969 National Operations Council 1969–1971 Declaration of Rukun Negara 1970 New Economic Policy 1971–1990 Federal Territory of KL 1974 1977 Kelantan Emergency 1977 Pedra Branca dispute 1979–2008 South China Sea dispute (Spratly) 1980–present Federal Territory of Labuan 1984 Memali incident 1985 Operation Lalang 1987 Constitutional crisis 1987–1988 Peace Agreement of Hat Yai 1989 Royal Immunity Amendments 1993 Asian financial crisis 1997–1998 Reformasi Movement 1998–2022 H1N1 flu pandemic 2009–2010 Sedition Dragnet 2014 1MDB scandal 2015–present Pakatan Harapan takeover 2018 COVID-19 pandemic 2020–2022 Political crisis 2020–2022 Bornean Amendment 2021–2023 Green Wave 2022–present
Incidents Brunei revolt 1962–1966 North Borneo dispute (Philippine militant attacks) 1962–present Singapore race riots 1964 Brunei's Limbang claim 1967–2009 Penang Hartal riot 1967 13 May Incident 1969 Ligitan and Sipadan dispute 1969–2002 Kuala Lumpur flash floods 1971 Malaysian haze crisis 1972–present AIA building hostage crisis 1975 National Monument bombing 1975 Campbell Shopping Complex fire 1976 Sabah Air GAF Nomad crash 1976 Japan Airlines Flight 715 incident 1977 MH653 incident 1977 Dawn Raid 1981 1985 Lahad Datu ambush 1985 Memali Incident 1985 Sabah Emergency 1986 Ming Court Affair 1987 Penang terminal bridge collapse 1988 Taufiqiah Al-Khairiah madrasa fire 1989 Bright Sparklers disaster 1991 Highland Towers collapse 1993 Genting landslide 1995 MH2133 incident 1995 Pos Dipang mudflow 1996 Tropical Storm Greg 1996 1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak 1998–1999 Al-Ma'unah incident 2000 Sauk Siege 2000 2001 Kampung Medan riots 2001 2002 Taman Hillview landslide 2002 Indian Ocean tsunami 2004 2006–2007 Southeast Asian floods 2006–2007 Bukit Gantang bus crash 2007 Bukit Antarabangsa landslide 2008 2009 swine flu pandemic in Malaysia 2009 Attacks against places of worship 2010 Cameron Highlands bus crash 2010 Hulu Langat landslide 2011 Genting Highlands bus crash 2013 MH370 incident 2014 MH17 incident 2014 2014–15 Malaysia floods 2014–2015 Sabah earthquake 2015 2015 Plaza Low Yat riot 2015 Movida Bar grenade attack 2016 Kim Jong-nam's Assassination 2017 Darul Quran madrasa fire 2017 2018 Subang Temple riot 2018 2020-21 Malaysia floods 2021 LRT train collision 2021 2021-22 Malaysia floods 2021–2022 2022 Batang Kali landslide 2022 2023 Elmina plane crash 2023 2024 Lumut helicopters crash 2024 2024 Ulu Tiram police station attack 2024
By topic Communications Constitutional Economic Immigration Legal Military
By region Kedah Kuala Lumpur Penang George Town Sabah Sarawak
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Part of the Independence of Malaya
Events
Early Malay nationalism Kesatuan Melayu Muda  • Defenders of the Homeland Japanese occupation of Malaya British Military Administration Malayan Union All-Malaya Council of Joint Action Federation of Malaya Sungai Siput incident Malayan Emergency Federal Legislative Council Malayan Forum Communities Liaison Committee Briggs Plan Member System 1952 local elections 1955 General election Baling Talks Barnes Report Razak Report Treaty of London Reid Commission F. of Malaya Independence Act Parti Perikatan Merdeka Day Anglo-Malayan Defence Agreement Article 160 UN Security Council Resolution 125 Peace Agreement of Hat Yai
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Independence Day (Malay: Hari Merdeka), also known as National Day (Hari Kebangsaan), is the independence day of the Federation of Malaya from the British Empire.^[1][2] It commemorates the Malayan Declaration of Independence of 31 August 1957, and is defined in article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia.^[3] 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, with calls to prioritize the celebration of Malaysia Day (Hari Malaysia) on 16 September instead. Malaysia Day commemorates the formation of Malaysia in 1963,^[4] when the four entities of North Borneo, Sarawak, Singapore and Malaya federated to form Malaysia.^[5] 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 established in 1963.^[6][7] Supporters of Hari Merdeka argue that "the Federation" as defined in article 160 of the Malaysian constitution is the "Federation of Malaya" that was established in 1957.^[3]

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.^[8] Once unity between Malay, Indian, and Chinese peoples was achieved, an agreement was reached on 8 February 1956,^[9] 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.^[10]

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.^[11] 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.^[12] 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.^[11][12] Tunku Abdul Rahman later gave a speech hailing the ceremony as the "greatest moment in the life of the Malayan people".^[11] 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.^[13] The Queen's representative, the Duke of Gloucester presented Tunku Abdul Rahman with the instrument of independence.^[13] 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.^[13]

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.

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 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 US President Dwight D. Eisenhower)

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 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 Sarawak and North Borneo, which bordered Indonesian territory on Borneo. However, they did not lay claim upon the two territories, unlike the Philippines which claimed the eastern part of Sabah. To assure Indonesia that Malaysia was not a form of neocolonialism, a general survey (instead of a referendum) 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 for the formation of Malaysia. Their eventual findings, which indicated substantial support for the formation of Malaysia among the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak, cleared the way for the final proclamation of Malaysia.^{[citation needed]}

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, it being sometimes felt that celebrating the national day on 31 August is Malaya-centric.^[14][15][16] In 2009, it was decided that starting 2010, Malaysia Day would be a nationwide public holiday in addition to Hari Merdeka on 31 August.^[17]

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 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.^[28]

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.^[24] In 2021, despite the theme and logo remained the same, but the theme song changed from Malaysia Prihatin (sung by Aliff Satar, Syamel, Siti Sarah, and Aina Abdul for original version, and Ernie Zakri for symphony version) to Menang Bersama (sung by Faizal Tahir), symbolizing the National Recovery Plan (Pelan Pemulihan Negara) theme, Malaysia Menang Bersama (English: Malaysia Winning Together).

2022 marks the first parade to be held after 2 years of hiatus caused by the pandemic, which was themed Keluarga Malaysia Teguh Bersama. A number of nearly 20,000 participants of various contingents involved in the parade.^[29]

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.

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.^[3] However, beginning in 2015, in a policy announced by the then Minister of Communication and Multimedia Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Hari Merdeka celebrations are to be held without mentioning the number of years since independence. This is to be more inclusive of Sabah and Sarawak, who left British rule in a different year.^[30]

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".^[7]

Before 16 September, there was no Malaysia. Let everyone remember that. It's on 16 September that the four independent countries namely Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and North Borneo agreed to form Malaysia. And as everyone also knows, Singapore expelled by Malaysia in 1965.

— James Masing

• Hari Merdeka Parade
• North Borneo Self-government Day
• Sarawak Self-government Day
• Malaysia Day
• Merdeka 118

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Merdeka Day.

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Malayan Proclamation of Independence

• Merdeka proclamation on YouTube video
• Theme and Logo for Hari Kebangsaan