August 31

Every year since 1957, Malaysians have been celebrating the Independence Day of Malaysia or ‘Hari Merdeka’ on August 31^st.

‘Hari Merdeka’ is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the Independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule in 1957.  ‘Hari Merdeka’ should not be confused with ‘Hari Malaysia’ (Malaysia’s Day) when Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963 together by Federation of Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak and Singapore.  It is to be noted that Singapore was however expelled from Malaysia in 1965.

Basically, a celebration is a joyful event and the day will be filled with many meaningful programs.  In Malaysia, it is common to see many participants from teenagers to the twenties.  The idea is to instill the patriotic spirits of unity, loyalty and being proud to be a citizen of an independent nation!

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Malaysiaku Berdaulat, Tanah Tumpahnya Darahku” (My Sovereign Malaysia, My Native Land).

As a student, my contribution will be to do well academically so that I can join hands with others to build a strong Malaysia!

“Selamat Hari Merdeka, Malaysia”