History of Malaysia Independence Day
August 31, 1957 was a very historic day for Malaysia. On that day, Malaysia finally got its independence after being colonized by the British for a long time. Independence Day also known as “Hari Kebangsaan” or National Day.
Geographically, the territory is divided into two parts, namely Peninsular Malaysia or West Malaysia and East Malaysia which is located on the island of Borneo. Because of its strategic location, the Malay Peninsula , the name of the region before independence, developed as a major trading center in Southeast Asia.
The development of trade between China, India and other countries has made the Malacca Strait busier. The Malay kingdom with a Hindu-Buddhist pattern then began to grow in the Malaysian seaside port city.
Britain first established its colony on the Malay Peninsula in 1786. In 1824, the Treaty of London officially divided the holdings of Malaya for England and Indonesia for the Netherlands.During the 19th century, Malay countries continued to seek British assistance in resolving their internal conflicts. British influence was even stronger after the signing of the Pangkor Agreement on February 20, 1874. This treaty empowered Britain to interfere in the affairs of Perak.
When Japan invaded Malaya, the people's enthusiasm to fight for independence grew. After the defeat of Japan, the British returned to power and formed the Union of Malaya in 1946.
This caused displeasure and resistance from the Malay nationalists. Therefore, in the same year, the Chief Minister of Johor, Dato Onn bin Jaafar formed the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) so that the struggle to liberate Malaya was more organized.
UMNO's actions is worked and in 1948 the Malayan Union was dissolved to be replaced by the Federation of Malaya. The federal government is headed by the Prime Minister, and the capital is set at Kuala Lumpur. At that time, the Malayan Communist Party was aggressively carrying out a guerrilla campaign to expel the British. Although the British government managed to overcome it, this resistance lasted from 1948 to 1960 and became known as the Malayan Emergency.
After going through a long struggle from very persistent freedom fighters, finally British was weakened and start negotiations with the leaders of the Federation of Malaya
An agreement was then reached on 8 February 1956 for the Federation of Malaya to become independent from Britain.
Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! That’s was enchoed by the Father of Malaysian Independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman, who was appointed Prime Minister at that time. However, the proclamation of independence was only implemented on August 31, 1957 at the Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur. The formation of Malaysia consisting of the Federation of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore was then proclaimed on September 16, 1963 and celebrated as "Malaysia Day".
Celebration of Malaysia Independence/National Day 2022
The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (K-KOMM) of Malaysia in a statement informed that three main activities will be held to further enliven the celebration of this year’s National Month. It includes the launch of National Month celebrations on a large scale in Putrajaya. Business buildings, residential houses and cars will put up and fly the Malaysian flag, the Jalur Gemilang have been started on July 30, and this add to the festive atmosphere. The National Day will be celebrated most festively in Kuala Lumpur, especially at Dataran Merdeka on August 31. The excitement of National Day can be felt starting at 12.00 am where colorful fireworks sparkle in the air. Similarly, a parade event represented by various agencies was also held to enliven the atmosphere of the day. And the last part is the Malaysia Day Celebration on September 16 in Malacca
In addition, various national programs and competitions have been arranged to foster and instill the spirit of patriotism and love for the country among Malaysian Families. These include the ILHAM Merdeka Tik Tok Challenge Competition, the KLIK@Merdeka Competition, the Smule Star Competition, the Patriotic Star Competition, the MYDOODLE@Merdeka Coloring and Drawing Competition, the National Storytelling Program, the Merdeka Poetry Competition which all have been started from 30 July to 16 September.
In order to invigorate the spirit of patriotism, the “Kembara Keluarga Malaysia 2022” (KKM2022) program with the concept of handing over the baton have been held started on July 30 in Putrajaya, with the release event to be conducted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
The Theme of Malaysia Independence/National Day 2022
The theme of National Day dan Malaysia 2022 is “Keluarga Malaysia Teguh Bersama”. This theme was chosen in line with the concept of Malaysian Family Harmony which was introduced by the Minister of Communications and Multimedia and Chairman of the National Day and Malaysia Day 2022 Main Committee, Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima TPr Annuar Haji Musa.
- Keluarga Malaysia : refers to a community living in peace and unity in inclusiveness, togetherness and gratitude.
- Teguh : means strong and tight.
- Bersama : means together with or together.
The Logo of Malaysia Independence/National Day 2022
- The concept of Internet Coverage Band: symbolizing the development of infrastructure, communication systems and digitization that is progressing and growing for the convenience of the people. It also symbolizes togetherness, commitment to moving forward as well as the existence of the latest technology that connects the economic life of the people.
- Three Lines Blue, Red and Yellow: It is a reflection of the Malaysian Family which consist of various races and cultural backgrounds and lives harmoniously.
- Red Point: It symbolizes the identity and patriotic spirit which is the core of the formation of a sovereign and insightful state.
- Advertising Positions: It symbolizes openness in celebrating differences and diversity for common progress.
Source:
- https://www.azhafizah.com/2022/07/hari-kemerdekaankebangsaan-malaysia.html
- https://merdeka360.com
- https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hari_Kebangsaan_Malaysia
- https://www.kompas.com/global/read/2021/08/31/133105570/31-agustus-dalam-sejarah-malaysia-merdeka-pada-1957?page=all
