INDEPENDENCE DAY

Independence Day is the official Independence Day of Malaysia. 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.

On the night of 30 August 1957, more than 20,000 people gathered at Merdeka
Square (Padang Merdeka) in Kuala Lumpur to witness the handover of power from the
British. Prime Minister-designate Tunku Abdul Rahman arrived at 11:58 p.m. and joined
members of the Alliance Party's youth divisions in observing two minutes of darkness. On the
stroke of midnight, the lights were switched back on, and the Union Flag in the square was
lowered as the royal anthem "God Save The Queen" played. The new Flag of Malaya was
raised as the national anthem Negaraku was played. This was followed by seven chants of
"Merdeka" by the crowd. Tunku Abdul Rahman later gave a speech hailing the ceremony as
the "greatest moment in the life of the Malayan people". Before giving the address to the
crowd, he was given a necklace by representatives of the Alliance Party youth in honour of
this great occasion in history, with a map of Malaya inscribed on it. The event ended at one in
the morning.

On the morning of 31 August 1957, the festivities moved to the newly completed
Merdeka Stadium. More than 20,000 people witnessed the ceremony, which began at
9:30 am. Those in attendance included rulers of the Malay states, foreign dignitaries,
members of the federal cabinet, and citizens. The Queen's representative, the Duke of
Gloucester presented Tunku Abdul Rahman with the instrument of independence.
Tunku then proceeded to read the Proclamation of Independence, which culminated in
the chanting of "Merdeka!" seven times with the crowd joining in. The ceremony
continued with the raising of the National Flag of Malaya accompanied by the national
anthem being played by a military band and a 21-gun salute, followed by an azan call
and a thanksgiving prayer in honour of this great occasion.

The day followed with the solemn installation of the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong,
Tuanku Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan, at Jalan Ampang, and the first installation
banquet in his honour in the evening followed by a beating retreat performance and a
fireworks display. Sports events and other events marked the birth of the new nation.