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For a nation that survived the colonial rule and World War II, this country had been through it all.
And for every worst of times, there will be the best of times. Our Hari Merdeka was one of our best times.
It was a far-fetched dream made possible by our brave forefathers. Freeing ourselves from the clutches of colonial rule wasn’t easy, but our Father of Independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman, and other political leaders made it happen. And that is worthy of a lifetime celebration.
I thought I knew everything there was to know about Merdeka. I knew who were the independent heroes of Malaya and what their contributions were.
But in the course of writing this article, I found 4 pieces of trivia that I didn’t know about the origins of Merdeka. I mean, who knew we had a Bangle of Independence?
Merdeka Fact 1: The Bangle of Independence helped pay for Tunku Abdul Rahman’s trip to sign the Independence Treaty in London
Our first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, was the Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya before we achieved independence. In 1956, Tunku decided to go to London with a delegation to hold talks with the British about gaining independence.
When it dawned on him that a trip to London would cost him an arm and a leg, he sought the help of his party members in an UMNO Conference in Bandar Hilir, Melaka.
Inspired by Tunku’s determination, one woman stood up and gave her most prized possession: a gold wedding bangle that was gifted by her father. That woman was the late Datuk Siti Rahmah Kassim, and that jewellery became the Bangle of Independence in our Merdeka chapter.
Of course, a single bangle wasn’t enough to get Tunku as much as an economy class seat. Siti Rahmah rallied everyone in the conference to do the same. It was there and then, everyone gave whatever they had.
Some donated their precious rings and wrist watches, while others unclipped their brooches and dress pins. There were a few who even took off the gold handle from their walking sticks. Everyone chipped in to give the Independence dream a fighting chance.
If it weren’t for the late Datuk Siti Rahmah’s powerful encouragements, our road to Merdeka might take longer than it should.
Speaking of dates…
Merdeka Fact 2: The date August 31st 1957 means: “A Good Year Has Come to Us”
https://pixabay.com/en/malaysia-peace-hand-nation-2131286/
When the National Federation of Malaya Agreement was drafted, Tunku didn’t pick Malaya’s Independence date at random. It was carefully selection.
He made a special road trip to Kepala Batas in Penang to seek the advice from the famed Islamic scholar, Sheikh Abdullah Fahim.
Off he went with politician Haji Sulaiman Palestin and the Sheikh’s son Haji Ahmad Badawi to seek an auspicious date for Malaya’s Independence Day.
Sheikh Abdullah Fahim recommended two dates: 31st August 1957 or 31 August 1962. In Arabic, the date 31 August 1957 signifies that “A Good Year Has Come to Us”. (Source)
Merdeka Fact 3: Melaka was the first state to lower the Union Jack, signifying the end of British occupation after 133 years.
You might think it was rightfully so since the story of Melaka was where our history began. But the reason why Melaka received the news first was simple: It was where Tunku’s plane landed after his trip from London.
Rewind to 20 February 1956, when Tunku and his delegations landed at Batu Berendam Airport in Melaka.
That day, over 100,000 people gathered and cried “Merdeka” while witnessing this historic moment. The special homecoming included motorcycle and car escorts from the airport to Padang Bandar Hilir where the news was officially announced.
Padang Bandar Hilir was also the first place where the Union Jack flag was lowered during the eve of Merdeka. It signified the end of the British occupation in Melaka after 133 years.
Merdeka Fact 4: “Negaraku” is based on Perak’s state anthem
Selecting a national anthem was a huge deal. You would think that the best songwriters and composers in the country were behind the patriotic tunes of “Negaraku”.
Absolutely not.
Malaya’s national anthem was only decided four weeks before the Declaration of Independence. If we were Tunku preparing for the big day, we would freak out.
On 5 August 1957, they booked the entire Police Depot Hall in Kuala Lumpur for a special audition called the National Anthem of the Federation of Malaya Selection Ceremony.
Evidently, Tunku chaired the entire thing. The judging panel included other selection committees such as Dato’ Abdul Razak Hussein (then Minister of Education), Tuan Ong Yoke Lin (then Minister of Transportation), and Haji Mustapha Al-Bakri (then Keeper of the Malay Ruler’s Seal).
That day, the Federation of Malaya Police Force Band had only one task, which is to play all four songs that were shortlisted for the Malaya’s national anthem. At the end of the day, one song made the entire panel went “A-hah, that’s the one!”
It was Perak’s state anthem, “Allah Lanjutkan Usia Sultan”, which was played to the tune of “Terang Bulan”.
Whether the state anthem was adapted from a French melody, La Rosalie or inspired by a Hawaiian classic, Mamula Moon, that’s another story for another time.
All in all, everyone loved it. So they sent it over to the Council of Malay Rulers for permission, switched up the lyrics, renamed it as “Negaraku” and belted it on 31 August 1957.
Despite the number of facts we memorised in school, there’s always something to learn outside of our textbooks. One thing is for sure, there are always forgotten or untold stories that we wish our history teachers had taught us.
What are your long weekend plans during Hari Merdeka?
Share them in the comments!
For more stories from IRL, read:
Malaysian Straight A’s SPM Student Explains Why Brain Drain Still Exists
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