Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
After being on hiatus for the past two years due to the pandemic, the Merdeka Parade will be back again in full blast along with a KKM2022 convoy, involving 434 vehicles and 530 participants that would see a Jalur Gemilang Baton being passed at every checkpoint in the states across Malaysia.
Some may take part in the grand celebration in Dataran Merdeka, energy buzzing in the oceans of people, or some may spend the public holiday quietly at home with their loved ones – everyone does it differently!
Here are some ways our fellow Malaysians celebrated Merdeka years ago!
Merdeka logos in the newspapers
“Back in the 70s, my family and I would wake up early to watch the Merdeka day parade from beginning to end followed by Rasa Sayang, a programme where kids from different schools played games, almost like a variety show.
“We would all crowd around the single copy of the newspaper to look at the Merdeka logo submissions, all of which came with mini blurbs explaining the design. It was quite fun reading all the inspirations for the designs.” says Victor.
Now in 2022, we barely watch TV anymore let alone read the newspaper. Our Merdeka parade updates this year will probably come from TikTok and IG stories!
Special meals and fireworks
“As a kid in the early 80s, my family and I would wake up early to watch the Merdeka parade on TV in the morning. The rest of the day we would spend doing our own activities, mum and dad would usually be resting at home while the kids would be out playing with our friends,” Amir tells IRL.
“Dinner every Merdeka would always be KFC. My family didn’t have much at the time and a meal like KFC was a special treat that only came about once or twice a year.
Source: i’m malaysian fb
“After dinner we would bring our picnic mat along with some snacks and fruits to Lake Gardens to see the fireworks. Merdeka was always fun with the family, we really got to spend quality time with each other. We stopped doing it towards the early 90s though, we all grew up too fast.”
Similarly to Amir, Kelly’s family also had a special meal every Merdeka. “We weren’t a particularly patriotic family, but we would still have the TV running and have the parade playing in the background and we had our breakfast.
Source: dbsystem
“We would then head out and stock up on groceries as there would be special discounts. Lunch that day would always be homemade chicken rice, a whole steamed chicken with lots of veggies and sides.”
Some were forced to be under the hot sun
Though most had fond memories of Merdeka, Dinie shares his experience as a school kid who just wanted to stay at home.
“I was forced to join a Merdeka marching competition and had to practice about 4 times a week for a whole month leading up to the competition. I hated every second of it.
“We never ended up winning the competition no matter how many years we participated, so in my mind it was all for nothing. We never even got any consolation prize.
“My friends always poke fun at my grumpiness and say that we created precious memories, but I think we could’ve made precious memories doing things that didn’t involve getting sunburnt and feeling exhausted every day. I really feel for anyone who is forced to do this sort of thing under Malaysia’s extreme heat.”
A day off to relax and be with loved ones
The way Malaysians celebrate Merdeka has evolved over the years, but it’s safe to say that we Malaysians always find ways to make the best out of our (many) public holidays.
Whether you go all out at Dataran Merdeka with your faces painted and wear a Jalur Gemilang as your costume, or if you spend the day staying in and having a quiet meal with your family, it is great to see that the patriotic spirit is still very much alive and well.
Know anyone with an interesting story to share? Drop us an email at hello@inreallife.my and we may feature the story!
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