Merdeka Memories

Merdeka! The time has come for us to celebrate the birth of our glorious nation, and for this year the cheer will be louder, the fireworks will be brighter, the countdown will be more thrilling than ever and the crowd is going to get bigger. The joy and happiness will be double as Malaysia is celebrating 50 years of nationhood. There will grand musical fireworks over Putrajaya on Merdeka eve and light shows all around the place to mark the 50th anniversary of independance.

As we are enjoying today's fascinating moments and celebrations, it is also the right time for us to look back with fond memories at the period right after the war, when the fires of patriotism were burning bright - one of the most vibrant, exciting times in this nation’s history. Let's take a walk down the memory lane on how we started half a century ago, when our much-loved first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman shouted “Merdeka” seven times at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. It was a fabulous moment for sure. Here are some of the rare pictures from Muzium Negara that potrays the most memorable moment of the Nation, 50 years ago. It was on that fateful day, 31 Aug. 1957, when Malaysia entered a new era - a time of independence, of new spirit and hope, of freedom.

"I am indeed proud on this, the greatest day in Malaya's history it falls to my lot to proclaim the formal independence of this country. Today a new page is turned," Tunku Abdul Rahman, 31 Aug. 1957

Picture : (L-R) Leong Yew Koh, Dato' Abdul Razak, V.T Sambanthan, Tuan Haji Mustapha Albakri, Tengku Ismail and Encik Samsudin Naim upon returning from negotiations in London


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