“Tanggal 31, Bulan lapan lima puluh tujuh, Merdeka! Merdeka!”
What is a more familiar song to every Malaysians whenever our Independence Day is just around the corner than this national song belt out by the legendary Sudirman in 1982? For all Malaysians, August is a month of celebrating patriotism, love, and appreciation towards our beloved nation. Approaching 61 years of independence since 31st August 1957, Malaysia is a country that is blessed with colourful racial diversity, rich culture, natural wonders, iconic landmarks, and who would miss the to-die-for local delicacies.
In conjunction with the upcoming annual Independence Day celebration, as Malaysians, let’s test your knowledge on how well you really know your own country. We present these 10 interesting facts about Malaysia that you might or might not know. Hey, we don’t judge, but might as well grab this chance to know your nation, right? Just like the old saying goes, it is better late than never.
1. “Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka!” was hailed not 3 but 7 times by Tunku Abdul Rahman
A public knowledge, the Declaration of Independence was announced and officiated on August 31st, 1957 by the first Chief Minister of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman at the Merdeka Stadium. However, contrary to the popular belief, the historic “Merdeka” chant was not hailed thrice.
In fact, witnessed by more than 20,000 audience, the father of independence hailed “Merdeka” repeatedly for 7 times followed by the echoes of Malaysians who were present on that historic moment. Although, there is no mention on the reason behind the 7 times repetition, many believe it is because 7 is considered as a lucky number.
2. “Jalur Gemilang”, the Malaysian Flag is a brainchild of an architect
Yes, the Malaysian Flag named "Jalur Gemilang" was designed by Mohamad Hamzah, a 29-year old architect working for the Public Works Department. The flag first raised on 16th September 1963 has won him the contest for a new flag design to replace the Malayan Union flag and also marking the establishment of Malaysia from the previous Federation of Malaya. The flag's design of 14 red and white stripes represent the country’s 14 states while the crescent symbolises Islam as the official religion and the star embodies the unity among the 14 states.
3. The National Anthem “Negaraku” was originally the state anthem of Perak
Again, then Minister of Home Affairs, Tunku Abdul Rahman hosted another nationwide competition to find a suitable national anthem. Although receiving up to 512 entries, none was found suitable and instead he decided to choose the Perak anthem instead and converted it into a national anthem. Originally titled by “Allah Lanjutkan Usia Sultan”, Tunku Abdul Rahman helped by a panel of judges re-wrote the lyrics to what you sing now as “Negaraku”.
4. The oldest Malaysia’s name in recorded history is…
Aurea Chersonesus bearing the meaning of “peninsula of gold”. The name was found in a book called Geographica authored by Greco-Roman geographer, Ptolemy which was written about A.D 150. Wow, that is approximately closed to 2,000 years ago! Other than Aurea Chersonesus, Malaysia also has had names including Tanah Melayu, Malayan Union, and Federation of Malaya.
5. A 17-year old is the first ever non-bumiputera Malaysian citizen certificate holder
According to Asean Today, Kok Shoo Yin who was 17 at the time was the first-ever non-bumiputera to receive the Malaysian citizenship after his certificate and paperworks were approved on 14th November 1957. Exactly a month after the nation gained independence. After drafting the Constitution of Malaysia, upon the agreement of our forefathers, all Chinese and Indian migrants in Malaysia would receive the Malaysian citizenship.
6. Malaysia is the sole winner in the war against Communism
Apparently, Malaysia is the only country in the world to have actually won the war against Communism. During the period known as the Malayan Emergency, a 12-year guerilla war erupted between a communist group called The Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) against the British colonials.
The British authorities had gathered enforcement from all of its Commonwealth countries to fight the war against the communist and it lasted from 16th June 1948 until 12th July 1960. This war also known as the Anti-British National Liberation War was a grave period for our nation and many had suffered but fortunately it ended with a long awaited victory.
7. Malaysia Day is to mark the formation of Malaysia
After gaining independence, Malaysia was known as the Federation of Malaya and it covers the Malay Peninsula until Singapore. Then, in 1961, Singapore left the federation due to the clashing political interests and territorial claims. Moving on to 2 years later, on 16th September 1963, the Bornean States of Sabah and Sarawak merged with Malay Peninsula to form the new Malaysia. So that is why we are celebrating both Independence Day and Malaysia Day as the two marked different significant chapters to Malaysian history.
8. The Kedah Sultanate is deemed to be one of the oldest in the world
It is established that the Sultanate of Kedah is the earliest sultanate on the Malay Peninsula but many did not know that it is also believed to be the oldest in the world. Allegedly founded in 1136, the history of Kedah state creation is written in the “Kedah Annals" that was written in the 18th century where Sultan Mudzafar Shah I was listed as the first Sultan of Kedah.
9. It took us 8 times to get the local time in Peninsular Malaysia correct
This piece of information sounds like a stretch but it is in fact true. The current local time for Peninsular Malaysia was adjusted a total of 8 times before. The first adjustment was in 1932 where the clock is slower by 20 minutes to lengthen day time, then in 1941, it was sped up to 10 minutes faster, and a year later in 1942, it was increased to another 2 hours to match Tokyo’s time. However, in 1945, the local time was reverted back to follow the time observed in 1941.
Finally, on 1st January 1982, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad made the final adjustment by forwarding the time for another 30 minutes in order to sync with Sabah and Sarawak.
10. Malaysia is home to the world’s largest roundabout
To date, Putrajaya’s main roundabout, Persiaran Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah is the world’s largest roundabout spanning over 3.5km. The roundabout is one of Putrajaya’s main connecting thoroughfares and being located in the federal administrative centre of Malaysia, the roundabout connects roads leading to the Prime Minister’s Office complex and also the prided, Putra Mosque.
Conclusion:
Feel closer to home yet? Well, we believe there is more to Malaysia out there that will blow your mind and all it takes is for you to give it a little exploration and interest. Regardless, these 10 facts hopefully will make you feel proud of our beloved nation and remind you to appreciate the unity and harmonious social landscape that Malaysia has to offer. Lastly, PropSocial would like to warmly wish you Happy Independence Day!
(Written by: Aisyah Shukor, 30th August 2018)
