Malaysia Day

Last updated

Malaysia Day
Hari Malaysia celebration in 2011.jpg
A picture of the 2011 simultaneous Malaysia Day and Hari Merdeka celebrations that was held at the Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur.
Official nameHari Malaysia
Observed byMalaysians
TypeNational
SignificanceMarks the establishment of the Malaysian federation.
Date 16 September
Next time16 September 2024 (2024-09-16)
FrequencyAnnual

Malaysia Day (Malay : Hari Malaysia) is a public holiday held on 16 September every year to commemorate the establishment of the Malaysian federation on that date in 1963. This event saw Malaya, North Borneo (which was renamed Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore unite into a single state. Singapore, however, was expelled from the federation less than two years later, on 9 August 1965.

Contents

History

The planned date for the formation of the new federation was 1 June 1963, but the event was postponed to 31 August 1963, to coincide with the sixth anniversary of Hari Merdeka. Several issues relating to the objections of neighbouring Indonesia and the Philippines to the formation of Malaysia delayed the declaration to 16 September of the same year. The postponement also allowed the United Nations team time to conduct a fact-finding mission in North Borneo and Sarawak regarding the two states participation in a new federation. [1] [2]

No referendum regarding federation was ever conducted in North Borneo or Sarawak. Singapore held a referendum on 1 September 1962, with all three options endorsing integration into Malaysia.[ citation needed ]

The formation of Malaysia was done under the basis of the Malaysia Agreement, signed in 1963 by the United Kingdom, the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak, North Borneo, and Singapore. This Agreement set out the terms and conditions for the component States to be federated under a new constitution. This Agreement included in its annexes the "Malaysia Bill" (Annex A), and the constitutions of Sabah (Annex B), Sarawak (Annex C), and Singapore (Annex D).[ citation needed ]

Prior to the formation of Malaysia, Sarawak gained self-governance on 22 July 1963. [3]

The "Malaysia Bill" was introduced in the Malayan Parliament on 9 July 1963, and received consent from Tuanku Syed Putra, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 29 August 1963. [1]

North Borneo (now Sabah) only became self-governing from 31 August 1963, [4] which coincided with the sixth anniversary of Malayan independence from the British Empire and was also the original intended date of the Malaysia Agreement.[ citation needed ]

The first two commemoration anniversaries were celebrated unofficially both respectively in 1973, which marks a decade (10th anniversary) of the federation's existence and also 15 years later in 1988, which marks the silver jubilee (25th anniversary) of independence for Sabah and Sarawak states through their accession into the federation as member states.[ citation needed ]

Prior to 2010, Malaysia Day was observed as a state public holiday only in Sabah and Sarawak (with subsequent unofficial commemoration anniversaries in 1993 – pearl jubilee or 30th anniversary, 1998 – coral jubilee or 35th anniversary, 2003 – ruby jubilee or 40th anniversary and the last being in 2008 – sapphire jubilee or 45th anniversary), but an unofficial patriotic day of observance marked nationally (it marks the end of the annual month-long August–September Independence Month observance) and only the anniversary of the nation's formation. [ citation needed ]

Prime Minister Najib Razak made the decision after a question-and-answer session at Parliament on 19 October 2009, giving Malaysians two celebrations related to the country's independence and sovereignty. Beginning the year 2010, Malaysia Day became a nationwide public holiday. [5]

The inaugural celebrations only began in 2011, in which Hari Merdeka was celebrated albeit simultaneously for that year only (as since it was delayed by a time limit of 2 weeks' late), since that year's annually observed date of 31 August coincided or clashed with that year's Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.[ citation needed ]

The celebrations in 2013 was the official golden jubilee observance which symbolically commemorates the sacrifices of the nation's security officers, in which it became the main focus and theme in response to the consequences brought in by the 2013 Lahad Datu stand-off, in which that year's celebrations were observed as a mark of tribute and respect to the casualties of the incursion (both personnel and civilians alike) in addition to reaching a milestone of 50 years since the establishment of the country on 16 September 1963.[ citation needed ]

In conjunction with the 55th anniversary celebrations in 2018 under the new, but short-lived Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad promised to restore a more autonomous status to Sabah and Sarawak in accordance with the original Malaysia Agreement, changing "their status from merely a state to an equal partner of the Malayan states." [6] [7]

Two years later in 2020 (just a decade into the celebration's gazetting as an additional public holiday), Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin of the Perikatan Nasional-Gabungan Parti Sarawak-Barisan Nasional-United Sabah Party current-ruling cum returning coalition unity government made a similar pledge. [8]

National-level celebration locations

Since the Malaysia Day began to be officially celebrated in 2011, national-level celebrations have been held in various cities across Malaysia. In 2020 and 2021, smaller scale celebrations were held due to COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. [9]

CityYears host
Kuala Lumpur 2011 [10]
Bintulu 2012, 2016 [11] [12]
Kuching 2013, 2019, 2023 [13] [14] [15]
Miri 2014 [16]
Kota Kinabalu 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2024 [17] [18] [19] [20]
Sibu 2020 [9]
Malacca City 2022 [21]
Malaysia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
Red pog.svg
class=notpageimage|
Locations of national-level Malaysia Day celebration

Other observations

16 September is also Malaysian Armed Forces Day, in which this was the very same day it was established, 30 years prior to the Formation of Malaysia way back during the British colonial era in the year 1933.[ citation needed ]

Malaysia Forever was a song composed by Bobby Gimby to celebrate the Formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. Bobby Gimby received the nickname "The Pied Piper of Canada" after the Prime Minister nicked Gimby "the Pied Piper from Canada". The song was recorded in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. It is a folk song with a length of 2 minutes sung by the Choir of the Marymount Vocational School (Singapore). On the days before the merger, it was taught to school children and became an instant hit when it was broadcast over the air-waves throughout Malaysia. [22] [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Malaysia</span> Part of Malaysia on the island of Borneo

East Malaysia, or the Borneo States, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia on and near the island of Borneo, the world's third-largest island. East Malaysia comprises the states of Sabah, Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan. The small independent nation of Brunei comprises two enclaves in Sarawak. To the south and southeast is the Indonesian portion of Borneo, Kalimantan. East Malaysia lies to the east of Peninsular Malaysia, the part of the country on the Malay Peninsula. The two are separated by the South China Sea.

The states and federal territories of Malaysia are the principal administrative divisions of Malaysia. Malaysia is a federation of 13 states (Negeri) and 3 federal territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independence Day (Malaysia)</span> Holiday observed annually on 31 August

Independence Day, also known as National Day, is the independence day of the Federation of Malaya from the British Empire. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TV1 (Malaysian TV network)</span> Television channel

RTM TV1 is a Malaysian free-to-air public television channel owned and operated by Radio Televisyen Malaysia, a broadcasting department of the Malaysian Government. Launched on 28 December 1963, TV1 is the first and oldest TV station in Malaysia. The channel features mostly news, talk shows and documentaries and some in-house, local and international kids, drama and sports programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio Televisyen Malaysia</span> Public broadcaster of Malaysia

Radio Televisyen Malaysia, also known as the Department of Broadcasting, Malaysia is the national public broadcaster of Malaysia, headquartered at Angkasapuri, Kuala Lumpur. Established on 1 April 1946 as Radio Malaya, it is the first and the oldest broadcaster in the country.

<i>Harian Metro</i> Malaysian daily newspaper

Harian Metro is a Malaysian daily newspaper owned by the New Straits Times Press. It is Malaysia's first Malay daily afternoon tabloid in the Klang Valley, in contrast to morning tabloids in other part of Malaysia. The Harian Metro was established in March 1991 and is the first and oldest Malay-language tabloid newspaper in the country. It is now Malaysia's largest circulating newspaper in any language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pan-Borneo Highway</span> International road route on the island of Borneo

The Pan-Borneo Highway, also known as the Trans-Borneo Highway or the Trans-Kalimantan Highway, is a road network on Borneo Island connecting two Malaysian states, Sabah and Sarawak, with Brunei and the Kalimantan region in Indonesia. The highway is numbered AH150 in the Asian Highway Network and as Federal Route 1 in Sarawak. In Sabah, the route numbers given are 1, 13 and 22. The highway is a joint project between both governments which started as soon as the formation of Malaysia in 1963 which comprised Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. The lack of a road network system in Sarawak was the main factor of the construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">20-point agreement</span> Terms for North Borneos incorporation into the State of Sabah

The 20-point agreement, or the 20-point memorandum, is a list of 20 points drawn up by North Borneo, proposing terms for its incorporation into the new federation as the State of Sabah, during negotiations prior to the formation of Malaysia. In the Malaysia Bill of the Malaysia Agreement some of the twenty points were incorporated, to varying degrees, into what became the Constitution of Malaysia; others were merely accepted orally, thus not gaining legal status. The 20-point agreement often serves as a focal point amongst those who argue that Sabah's rights within the Federation have been eroded over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysia Agreement</span> Treaty combining Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore into Malaysia

The Malaysia Agreement, or the Agreement relating to Malaysia between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Federation of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore (MA63) was a legal document which agreed to combine North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore with the existing states of Malaya, the resulting union being named Malaysia. Signed in London, United Kingdom, the agreement has been in effect since 16 September 1963; Singapore was subsequently expelled from Malaysia not long after this agreement, becoming an sovereign state on 9 August 1965.

The Sarawak section of the Federal Route 1, Asian Highway Route AH 150, also known as Pan Borneo Highway Sarawak or Sarawak First Trunk Road, is a 1077-km federal highway in Sarawak, Malaysia, making the highway as the longest component of the Malaysian portion of the larger Pan Borneo Highway network. Construction of the highway began in 1965 after Sarawak became a member of the federation of Malaysia in 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proclamation of Malaysia</span>

The Proclamation of Malaysia was a statement, written in English and Malay, that declared the merger of the Federation of Malaya with the State of Singapore and the British crown colonies of North Borneo and Sarawak into the new Federation of Malaysia, following the enactment of the Malaysia Agreement and the Malaysia Act 1963 that July. The merger came into effect on 16 September 1963, and the proclamation was delivered on that date by Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman in the Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">18-point agreement</span> Proposed terms to form Malaysia

The 18-point agreement, or the 18-point memorandum, was a purported list of 18 points drawn up by Sarawak, proposing terms to form Malaysia, during negotiations prior to the creation of the new federation in 1963. Unlike the Sabah's 20-point memorandum whose authors are known and well documented, no such details have been produced for the so-called Sarawak 18-points memorandum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borneo Cup</span> Football tournament

Borneo Cup is a football tournament held in East Malaysia and Brunei. The tournament was played in Borneo since the 1950s, perhaps earlier. Before the establishment of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, the tournament was contested by three national teams, North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei. After North Borneo and Sarawak formed Malaysia together with Malaya and Singapore, it competed as states of Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jala (kuih)</span> Traditional snack for the Iban people

Jala is a traditional kuih from Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia and Brunei. In Sarawak, it is known as the traditional snack called the "sarang semut" for the Iban people. It is very different from the roti jala in Peninsular Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarawak Day</span> National holiday in Sarawak

Sarawak Day is a holiday celebrated on 22 July annually by Sarawak, celebrating the establishment of de facto self-government on 22 July 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabah Day</span> National holiday in Sabah

Sabah Day is a self-government day celebrated on 31 August every year by the state of Sabah in Malaysia. Since 2012, the holiday has been received widely by the Sabah state government and the citizens of Sabah, as the Hari Merdeka was not the right celebration day for the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TV Okey</span> Malaysian television channel

RTM TV Okey is a Malaysian free-to-air television channel operated by Radio Televisyen Malaysia dedicated to East Malaysians and urban youths. It was launched on 21 March 2018 and airs programmes in English, Malay, and East Malaysian languages such as Bajau, Dusun, Kadazan (Sabah) and Iban (Sarawak).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proposed 2019 amendment to the Constitution of Malaysia</span>

On 4 April 2019, a bill proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Malaysia was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat of the Parliament of Malaysia. The bill proposes to amend Article 1(2) so as to restore the status of the two East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak according to the original content of Malaysia Agreement that was signed in 1963.

Tan Sri Dato' Seri Mohd Zuki bin Ali is a Malaysian civil servant who has served as Chief Secretary to the Government since January 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 A marriage that was doomed from the start. New Straits Times . 4 August 2007.
  2. ↑ Looi Sue-Chern (15 September 2014). "Sabah and Sarawak deserve better, says Guan Eng in Malaysia Day message". The Malaysian Insider . Archived from the original on 18 September 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  3. ↑ Frans Welman (9 March 2017). Borneo Trilogy Sarawak: Volume 2. Booksmango. pp. 134–. ISBN   978-616-245-089-1 . Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  4. ↑ Frans Welman (9 March 2017). Borneo Trilogy Volume 1: Sabah. Booksmango. pp. 159–. ISBN   978-616-245-078-5 . Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  5. ↑ Yeng Ai Chun (19 October 2009). "Malaysia Day now a public holiday, says PM". The Star. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  6. ↑ Stephanie Lee; Fatimah Zainal (16 September 2018). "Sabah, Sarawak to be restored as equal partners forming Malaysia, says Dr M". The Star. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  7. ↑ "Sabah, Sarawak to be restored as equal partners forming Malaysia, not just component states, says PM Mahathir". The Star/Asia News Network. The Straits Times. 16 September 2018. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  8. ↑ Koya, Zakiah (17 September 2020). "Sabah, Sarawak our equal partners". TheStar. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  9. 1 2 "57th Malaysia Day celebration demonstrates closeness of Sabah, Sarawak and the peninsula". Malay Mail. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  10. ↑ "Hari Malaysia, Kemerdekaan Disambut Serentak Penuh Gilang-Gemilang" (in Malay). MStar. 16 September 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  11. ↑ Hazmin Hamudin (16 September 2012). "Selamat Menyambut Hari Malaysia 2012" (in Malay). Hazmin Hamudin. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  12. ↑ "Sambutan Hari Malaysia penuh sejarah" (in Malay). Utusan Borneo. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "Hari Malaysia Ke-50 Disambut Meriah Penuh Warna-Warni" (in Malay). MStar. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  14. ↑ Mohd Roji Kawi (15 September 2019). "Jerebu tidak jejas Sambutan Hari Malaysia 2019" (in Malay). Berita Harian. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  15. ↑ Mohd Roji Kawi (9 August 2023). "Sarawak tuan rumah Hari Malaysia 2023" (in Malay). Berita Harian. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  16. ↑ "Sambutan Hari Malaysia meriah" (in Malay). Berita Harian. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  17. ↑ "Hari Malaysia disambut meriah, penuh warna warni" (in Malay). Berita Harian. 17 September 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  18. ↑ "Sekitar sambutan Hari Malaysia 2017" (in Malay). Berita Harian. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  19. ↑ Izyan Liyana Md. Darif, Noor Hasliza Nusi and Nur Amalia Azri (16 September 2018). "Sambutan Hari Malaysia berbeza". Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  20. ↑ Izwan Abdullah (13 September 2021). "Perdana Menteri dijadual hadir sambutan Hari Malaysia" (in Malay). Berita Harian. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  21. ↑ "Kira-kira 20,000 pengunjung dijangka meriahkan Sambutan Hari Malaysia 2022 di Melaka" (in Malay). Astro Awani. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  22. ↑ "Malaysians Should Reflect On Lyrics From Malaysia Forever". 15 September 2015.
  23. ↑ Listen to Music on YouTube
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.