Indonesia[edit]

The term "merdeka" was used in Indonesia in a similar way to designate freedom from the Dutch
colonial government during the struggle for independence in the 1940s. [4] Republic of Indonesia
declared its Hari Kemerdekaan Indonesia or Proclamation of Indonesian Independence on 17
August 1945, and it has become national holiday and commemorated annually ever since.
During the struggle of independence in 1945 to 1949, it was used as a national salute of victory
and honor, by raising open palms as high as the head and shouting out loud "Merdeka!" From
here many slogans came, such as "Sekali Merdeka tetap Merdeka!" (Freedom once and for all)
or "Merdeka atau Mati" (Freedom or death). This was intended to raise the morale of all the
people of Indonesia to continue to fight against the Dutch and the Allied forces trying to re-
establish control over Indonesia; it was so important that even it became a Government Edict on
31 August 1945.
On 1 September it was mentioned by the president Sukarno in his short speech:
"Since today we will cry out loud, "Merdeka!" Continue on that loud battle cry, as the soul calls
out loud for freedom! A soul of freedom, one of fighting and working spirit! TO FIGHT AND TO
WORK! Prove it!"
"Merdeka" is also used in Indonesia Raya, the national anthem of Indonesia:
Indonesia Raya, merdeka, merdeka! Tanahku, negeriku yang kucinta. Indonesia Raya, merdeka,
merdeka! Hiduplah Indonesia Raya!
("Indonesia the Great, be free, be free! My land, my country which I love. Indonesia the Great, be
free, be free! Long live Indonesia the Great!")
The name "Merdeka" is used as the name of Indonesian important places, such as Merdeka
Palace and Merdeka Square in central Jakarta, also Merdeka Building in Bandung. "Merdeka" is
also included in several mass media names, e.g. in newspapers (such as Merdeka, Rakyat
Merdeka, Suara Merdeka) and websites (such as Merdeka.com news portal).
Nowadays the Acehnese and West Papuan autonomy movements currently use the term to
express the concept of freedom, and the meaning of the term ranges from greater freedom to
outright political independence. The major autonomy movement in Aceh, the Free Aceh
Movement has the term in its name (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka), as does the major armed
independence group in West Papua, the Free Papua Movement (Organisasi Papua Merdeka).

Malaysia[edit]

Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur.

Today in Malaysia, in which Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore merged in 1963, the

term still remains pertinent in the present. It can be seen in the Malaysian national holiday of Hari
Merdeka, commemorating Malaya's independence on 31 August 1957, and Dataran
Merdeka (Independence Square) where the first ceremony raising the flag of Malaya was held
following independence. North Borneo and Sarawak in northern Borneo were to officially join to
form Malaysia on 31 August 1963 but due to opposition from Indonesia and the Philippines and
to allow the United Nations team time to conduct referendums in North Borneo and Sarawak
regarding their participation in a new federation, the date was postponed to 16 September, which
now celebrated as Malaysia Day.
Tunku Abdul Rahman, the inaugural Malaysian Prime Minister, declared Malayan independence
with seven shouts of "Merdeka" and now, the cry continues to be featured prominently in
Malaysian Hari Merdeka celebrations.

Singapore[edit]
In the context of Singapore, Merdeka usually refers to the gaining of self-rule and self-
government from the United Kingdom in the 1950s, as imperialism in Asia slowly declined. It
usually does not refer to Singapore's independence from Malaysia in 1965, which followed its
merger with Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak on 16 September 1963 after having held the 1962
national referendum.
The Constitution of Singapore had been amended in 1953 following recommendations by
the Rendel Commission, creating a 51-seat Legislative Assembly of Singapore to replace
the Legislative Council of Singapore. The Legislative Assembly would become the predecessor
to the modern Parliament of Singapore. The following Singapore general election of 1955 had
members that were elected by the population for the first time become the majority in
Singapore's legislature. Previously, only six members of the Legislative Council were elected —
the rest were appointed. This however did not satisfy individuals calling for full self-government at
least in the matter of domestic affairs.
The call for Merdeka was a growing tension between progressivism and radicalism, cooperation
and hostility towards the British. David Saul Marshall of the Labour Front narrowly won the
Singapore general election of 1955, but being anticolonialist, tended to be a vocal opponent of
the British rule. As such, the British found it hard to work out a compromise. A petition was
started in 1956 which collected the signatures of 167,000 — a vast portion of the electorate in
that era — in a petition that demanded Merdeka.
During the Merdeka Talks of 1956, the year before Malaya's independence, the British agreed to
grant Singapore self-government over domestic issues, while the British retained control of
finance and the military. This seemed to satisfy Marshall initially, but the negotiation later broke
down when the British refused to turn over internal security to the local government. The British
felt that Marshall was not doing enough to counter the threats of the communist insurgency and
the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) which had sparked the Malayan Emergency. The march
towards independence was stalled and Marshall resigned in 1956 making good on his earlier
pledge that he would step down in the case of failure.
Another Labour Front leader Lim Yew Hock took over as Singapore's Chief Minister and
continued the effort to push for independence. Lim then undertook harsh measures against the
communists demonstrating that his administration was willing to take a tough stance to safeguard
internal security. In the Chinese middle schools riots of 1956, some nine hundred people were
arrested. Leading a negotiation delegation consisting of several Singapore political leaders from
various parties, Lim managed to convince the British to grant Singapore Merdeka by amending
and revamping its Constitution in 1958 to allow for a fully elected legislature which would form an
internal government with complete autonomy over domestic affairs. This government was formed
following the Singapore general election of 1959, but the Labour Front lost as Lim's harsh
techniques had alienated large portions of the electorate.

Philippines[edit]
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The Philippines has the longest-running struggle for the Moro people right to self-determination.
The cry for merdeka or maradeka began in 1968 when Datu Udtog Matalam [5] announced the
formation of the Mindanao Independence Movement (MIM) and the Muslim fundamentalist Ansar
el Islam led by prominent Muslim leaders such as Philippine Muslim Senator Dr. Ahmad
Domocao Alonto while leading the Islamic revival movement also supported the formation of the
secessionist Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). The over four decades of Moro struggle
asserts freedom from Philippine colonialism as argued by Moro leaders Prof. Nur Misuari of the
MNLF and the late Ustadz Salamat Hashim of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Until the
present, the struggle for freedom and independence continues among the younger Moro
generation. At the legal front, the Maradeka (literally means freedom) became seen at the
forefront of a nonviolent political movement enjoying the democratic space afforded to many
political groups and activists in the Philippines.
Analytically looking at the history of long peace process since 1975, while East Timor was able to
attain full self governance thru a United Nations brokered Determination Vote and Free Aceh
Movement acceded to Norway-brokered peace talks, the Moro rebel groups underwent a series
of protracted peace and a never-ending peace process believed to be employed only as a
counterinsurgency strategy of the Philippine government and not meant sincerely to end
hostilities in Mindanao. These allegedly deceptive policies of the government allegedly
exasperated young Moros and students, which led some to join extremist groups, such as
the Abu Sayyaf, and mount a violent attacks against the Philippine government. Several
incidents in the rejection by the MILF of the Philippine government's counterproposal to the
former proposal for compromise accession to substate formula will suspend and further stall the
peace negotiations.[citation needed]