Happy Malaysia Day, when you're ready
Today, I shall blog in the bullet point style of chedet.com. Btw, Tun M, Happy Malaysia Day to you.
(1) When a non-Malaysian friend asked how we ended up having 2 Independence Days, 31 August and 16 September, I had to go back to my Form 5 Secondary School textbook to explain.
(2) Of course, I did add, that just like Microsoft Windows, there are several versions. Historical facts is one thing and interpretation of historical facts is another.
(3) 31 August is Hari Merdeka and 16 September is Malaysia Day. To cut a long story short, parts of Malaysia achieved independence from British rule at different times, on those 2 dates.
(4) However I stressed, the story of this geographical region now known as Malaysia is just a series of colonisation: Siamese, Dutch, Portugese, British, just to name some recent ones.
(5) 31 August is a public holiday in Malaysia, and 16 September isn't, unless you took MC on that day.
(6) So what is the official position on Independence Day? Which day was it?
(7) Malaysians should ideally celebrate their independence every single day.
(8) But not everyone is equally patriotic (if patriotism is measured by those cheerful visibility on Merdeka Day), some parade along Dataran Merdeka on 31 August, some watch the glittery show on TV, some still unconscious in bed. So you see, not everyone is celebrating, and even if they do, they do not do it in the same exuberant degree.
(9) Some feel that they rather defer any form of celebration until their are truly free from colonisation, in mind and spirit.
(10) That is why, my non-Malaysian friend, your question about our independence day is really difficult to answer and I apologise as I'm not able to provide a satisfying answer.
(1) When a non-Malaysian friend asked how we ended up having 2 Independence Days, 31 August and 16 September, I had to go back to my Form 5 Secondary School textbook to explain.(2) Of course, I did add, that just like Microsoft Windows, there are several versions. Historical facts is one thing and interpretation of historical facts is another.
(3) 31 August is Hari Merdeka and 16 September is Malaysia Day. To cut a long story short, parts of Malaysia achieved independence from British rule at different times, on those 2 dates.
(4) However I stressed, the story of this geographical region now known as Malaysia is just a series of colonisation: Siamese, Dutch, Portugese, British, just to name some recent ones.
(5) 31 August is a public holiday in Malaysia, and 16 September isn't, unless you took MC on that day.
(6) So what is the official position on Independence Day? Which day was it?
(7) Malaysians should ideally celebrate their independence every single day.
(8) But not everyone is equally patriotic (if patriotism is measured by those cheerful visibility on Merdeka Day), some parade along Dataran Merdeka on 31 August, some watch the glittery show on TV, some still unconscious in bed. So you see, not everyone is celebrating, and even if they do, they do not do it in the same exuberant degree.
(9) Some feel that they rather defer any form of celebration until their are truly free from colonisation, in mind and spirit.
(10) That is why, my non-Malaysian friend, your question about our independence day is really difficult to answer and I apologise as I'm not able to provide a satisfying answer.
posted by Sisuahlai at 9:17 PM
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3 Comments:
simplest explanation: merdeka day is the day of independence from british ruling for peninsula msia.
sept 16 is when sabah and swk also joined malaya to become "malaysia"
wahlao, memang complicated after ur explanation @.@"
well that makes me celebrate only malaysia day. I am from borneo. merdaka day = pure boredom!
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