Happy Merdeka Day! Independence Day in Malaysia
Malaysia is the second country in the world with the most paid vacation days, namely 19! Of course, you won’t hear anybody complain about this, and with a bit of luck, these days fall on a Friday or Monday, so that would mean that we have a long weekend. And today is one of those days, ‘Merdeka day‘.
Merdeka and Malaysia day
There is a lot of confusion about Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day. Both are days off, with Merdeka Day being celebrated every year on August 31st and Malaysia Day on September 16th. Merdeka day commemorates the day when the Federation of Malaysia became independent from the British colonial. This is different from Malaysia Day which celebrates the formation of the Malaysian Federation in 1963. So today we celebrate independence, and in two weeks we will celebrate the Federation, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore merged into Malaysia (Singapore separated from Malaysia in 1965 and became independent, which I’m sure will be a holiday as well).
Malaysian flag
An important time in the history of Malaysia, and still today Merdeka day is celebrated abundantly. During the month you will see more and more flags in the country. The flags hang in shopping malls, but also outside on buildings, in the streets, along the highway, and in cars. Even the Petronas Towers are lit in style in the evening in the colors of the Malaysian flag. Normally this festive day is heralded in the morning in Merdeka Square which is the starting point of a spectacular parade. Unfortunately, we have to do it this year without the parades, but from home, we celebrate a little bit the independence of Malaysia.
Penang and Malacca
Let’s dive a bit deeper into Malaysian history. The Portuguese first occupied the city of Malacca but were later taken over by the Dutch during the VOC (1641). The Dutch soon moved to Indonesia when they discovered the spice trade. Meanwhile, the English settled on the island of Penang and later (1795) also took over Malacca. Not only spices and herbs were transported from Malaysia to the west, but also tin!
Malayan Emergency
The Federal States of Malaysia was founded in 1948 and consists of 11 states, nine Malaysian, and two British settlements Penang and Malacca. Now Malaysia consists of 13 states and three federal territories. These three, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan have the same status as the states but do not have separate heads of state. Back in the 1940s, in the meantime, the Malayan Emergency has broken out. This period of fighting between communist guerrillas and British Commonwealth troops lasts for 12 years. The Malayans tried to overthrow the British colonial administration which eventually cost the lives of more than 10,000 people. In 1957 the English gave up their sovereignty, and on September 16, 1963, the new federation was founded under the name Malaysia.
Happy Merdeka Day! Independence Day in Malaysia
Malaysia is the second country in the world with the most paid vacation days, namely 19! Of course, you won’t hear anybody complain about this, and with a bit of luck, these days fall on a Friday or Monday, so that would mean that we have a long weekend. And today is one of those days, ‘Merdeka day‘.
Merdeka and Malaysia day
There is a lot of confusion about Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day. Both are days off, with Merdeka Day being celebrated every year on August 31st and Malaysia Day on September 16th. Merdeka day commemorates the day when the Federation of Malaysia became independent from the British colonial. This is different from Malaysia Day which celebrates the formation of the Malaysian Federation in 1963. So today we celebrate independence, and in two weeks we will celebrate the Federation, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore merged into Malaysia (Singapore separated from Malaysia in 1965 and became independent, which I’m sure will be a holiday as well).
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Penang and Malacca
Let’s dive a bit deeper into Malaysian history. The Portuguese first occupied the city of Malacca but were later taken over by the Dutch during the VOC (1641). The Dutch soon moved to Indonesia when they discovered the spice trade. Meanwhile, the English settled on the island of Penang and later (1795) also took over Malacca. Not only spices and herbs were transported from Malaysia to the west, but also tin!
Malayan Emergency
The Federal States of Malaysia was founded in 1948 and consists of 11 states, nine Malaysian, and two British settlements Penang and Malacca. Now Malaysia consists of 13 states and three federal territories. These three, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan have the same status as the states but do not have separate heads of state. Back in the 1940s, in the meantime, the Malayan Emergency has broken out. This period of fighting between communist guerrillas and British Commonwealth troops lasts for 12 years. The Malayans tried to overthrow the British colonial administration which eventually cost the lives of more than 10,000 people. In 1957 the English gave up their sovereignty, and on September 16, 1963, the new federation was founded under the name Malaysia.
Malaysian flag
An important time in the history of Malaysia, and still today Merdeka day is celebrated abundantly. During the month you will see more and more flags in the country. The flags hang in shopping malls, but also outside on buildings, in the streets, along the highway, and in cars. Even the Petronas Towers are lit in style in the evening in the colors of the Malaysian flag. Normally this festive day is heralded in the morning in Merdeka Square which is the starting point of a spectacular parade. Unfortunately, we have to do it this year without the parades, but from home, we celebrate a little bit the independence of Malaysia.
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