Malaysia Day
Malaysia Day is held on 16 September every year to commemorate the establishment of the Malaysian federation in 1963. The day marked the joining together of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore to form a sovereign country named Malaysia.However, after two years of formation, Singapore was expelled from the federation.
The process of formation received backlashes from other two neighboring established countries.
The Indonesian leader at the time wanted to establish Indonesia as an hegemonic power under the umbrella of Melayu Raya by merging the Malay peninsular and Borneo with Indonesia.
Due to the Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak refusal to join the greater Indonesia, Indonesia started a campaign called "Ganyang Malaysia". Several places in Sarawak and Johor were infiltrated during the confrontation. Philippines on the other hand wanted Sabah as a part of its territory.
The formation of Malaysia was made possible with the signing of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 between the United Kingdom, the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore. The Malaysia Agreement 1963 set out the terms and conditions for the component States to be federated under a new constitution into one new nation called Malaysia. However, Sabah and Sarawak are to have their own Self-Government administration and have their own constitution.
Since 2010, Malaysia Day has been a nationwide public holiday. The then Prime Minister Najib Razak made the decision after a question-and-answer session at Parliament on 19 October 2009, giving Malaysians two celebrations related to the country's independence.
Image by: Mohd Fazlin Mohd Effendy Ooi
Where to go?
Malaysia day usually marks the ending of the Merdeka celebration. Just like the independence day, the parade is usually held in the morning on the Merdeka Square. At night, the concert will be held either at KLCC area or the Merdeka Square itself.
Time
Malaysia day falls on 16th September every year.
Admission
There is no charge for the parade or the concert held by the government.