INDEPENDENCE DAY Hari Kemerdekaan is the Independence Day in Malaysia. It is an annual celebration by the Malaysian on 31st August every year. It is to commemorate the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule on 31 August 1957. Eventhough Sabah and Sarawak gained their independence on 31st August 1963, Hari Kemerdekaan is a significant day for Malaysian. On this day, all of the Malaysian will celebrate it in a harmonious and peaceful way. All of the Malaysian will gather at Dataran Merdeka to celebrate it. Various activities are held, but the most famous activity is when various government and private sectors participate in the parade. They will march in front of Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, ministers, special guests and a flood of people. This year’s celebration will mark the 56th anniversary of Malaysian independence. During the Merdeka month, the Malaysians will also show their patriotism towards the country by raising the Malaysian flag wherever possible such as along the streets, houses, office premises and also vehicles. Flashing back during my days at school, my school always put on patriotic musics to make us feel proud of our nation. Some schools also give out free flags to their students. In my high school, I still remembered when I used to join with my other schoolmates drawing murals and make the longest country flag, Jalur Gemilang. The effort for independence was spearheaded by Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, who led a delegation of ministers and political leaders of Malaya in negotiations with the British in London for Merdeka, or independence along with the first president of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) Tun Dato Sir Tan Cheng Lock and fifth President of Malaysian Indian Congress Tun V.T. Sambanthan. Once it became increasingly clear that the Communist threat posed during the Malayan Emergency was petering out, agreement was reached on February 8, 1956, for Malaya to gain independence from the British Empire. However, for a number of logistical and administrative reasons, it was decided that the official proclamation of independence would only be made the next year, on August 31, 1957, at Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. The Federation of Malaysia, comprising the States of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore was to be officially declared on 31 August 1963, on the 6th anniversary of Malayan independence. However, it was postponed to 16 September 1963. Tunku Abdul Rahman was declared "Bapa Malaysia" or the “Father of Malaysia”. The national flag was raised for the first time in all 13 states and two federal territories of the new nation on 16 September 1963. In Kota Kinabalu, then still Jesselton, Tun Fuad Stephens read the Proclamation of Independence of Sabah through Malaysia. He was to be Sabah’s first Chief Minister, and later he became Sabah’s third Yang di-Pertua Negri, or Head of State. However on 9 August 1965, Singapore officially announced its separation from Malaysia. Currently, Malaysia consists of 13 states (11 Peninsular states and two from East Malaysia) and three Federal Territories. In a few weeks more, we will be celebrating Hari Merdeka. As a truly Malaysian, I am so grateful to be born as a Malaysian and lived in Malaysia. Malaysia is a harmonious country that consists of many races such as, Malay, Chinese, Indian and etc, but we still live happily and in a harmony way. I always feel proud whenever I watch parade marched by government or private sector workers whether on television or live. When I was young, my father will always bring me along with him to watch parade at Stadium Merdeka. When the national anthem, Negaraku is being played, I feel so proud and sad. I feel proud that our country is free from colonized by English. Our country also has been colonized by the Japanese and went through the Emergency. I also feel sad because our people fought so hard to gain independence and freedom for our country. I always look around me and saw that some of our people did not appreciate when the national anthem, Negaraku being played. I feel so sad when I see this. Generation Y, including me should be proud when Jalur Gemilang is fluttering in the air. We should be thankful to our people who fought for independence. We also should be thankful because without freedom, we will not live in comfort and we will not be able to study in school or university. We will still fighting really hard if we did not gain independence before. Our children will also be fall behind from other children from another country. Now, thanks to the independence that we gained, our children can compete with each other and other children from another country.