Hari Merdeka (Independence Day) is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule on 31 August 1957. In a wider context, it is to celebrate the formation of Malaysia.
Malaysia Independence Day 2011
Year 2011, Malaysia will celebrate it’s 54th Independence Day ( Hari Kemerdekaan Malaysia 2011 ) on celebrated on Wednesday, 31 August 2011. The Malaysia national independence will be celebrated throughout August 2011 and possibly extended to mid-September 2011. Malaysia Independence Day 2011 is a Malaysia public holiday. After last year’s theme of “1 Malaysia Transforming the Nation”, this year Malaysia Independence Day 2011 theme is “1 Malaysia, Transformasi Berjaya, Rakyat Sejahtera” (1 Malaysia, Transformation Success, People Peace).
Malaysia Independence Day 2010
This year 2010, Malaysia will celebrate it’s 53rd Independence Day ( Hari Kemerdekaan Malaysia 2010 ) on celebrated on Tuesday, 31 August 2010 with the theme 1 Malaysia Menjana Transformasi (1Malaysia Transforming the Nation) . The national independence celebration this year will begin from August 1 to September 16.
Merdeka Month celebrations would begin with the launch at the Stadium Utama Kangar, Perlis on 1 August 2010 and ending with the Malaysia Day celebration at Padang Merdeka in Kota Kinabalu on 16 September 2010.
Historical Background of Malaysia Independence Day Celebrations
On February 8, 1956, agreement was reached for Malaya to gain independence from the British Empire. However, for a number of logistical and administrative reasons, it was decided that the official proclamation of independence would only be made the next year, on August 31, 1957, at Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), in Kuala Lumpur.
The Federation of Malaysia, comprising the States of Malaya, North Borneo (later renamed Sabah), Sarawak and Singapore was to be officially declared on the date August 31, 1963, on the 6th anniversary of Malayan independence. However, it was postponed to September 16, 1963, mainly due to Indonesian and the Philippines’ opposition to the formation of Malaysia. Nevertheless, North Borneo and Singapore declared sovereignty on August 31, 1963.
The formation of the Federation of Malaysia was then announced on September 16, 1963 as Malaysia Day. The nationwide Independence Day celebration is still held on August 31, the original independence date of Malaya, while Malaysia Day is 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 August 31 is too Malaya-centric. It is decided that starting 2010, Malaysia Day on September 16 will be a nationwide public holiday in addition to Hari Merdeka on August 31.
Happy Malaysia Independence Day 2011 ! Selamat Menyambut Hari Kemerdekaan ke-54 ! Merdeka !
0 comments:
Post a Comment