Early 1400s
Port of Malacca founded by renegade prince Iskandar Shah or Parameswara, purported to be a descendant of Alexander the Great, and who soon converts to Islam. Until 1405 the local superpowers reigned over the peninsula; the Funan in Cambodia, the Srivijaya in Sumatra and the Majapahit in Java.
1405
From 1405, the Chinese influence in this area grew. Visiting Chinese admiral offers to protect Malacca against invading Siamese; support allows Malacca to expand influence over much of peninsula. Malacca and other Malaysian sultanates dominates China-India sea trade over next 100 years as Mongol armies close land route to the West; Malay becomes official language and Malacca becomes important Islamic center.
Language
Exhibition Menu
Merdeka Navigation
- Merdeka – Malaysia Independence Day
- The Early Days
- Western Colonization
- Japanese Invasion & The Emergency
- Independence Struggle
- 31 August 1957
- The Birth of Malaysia
- A Lesson of Unity
- Prosperous Nation
- A New Malaysia
- The New Normal
- Merdeka – Celebration Theme and Logo
- Merdeka Events
- Merdeka – Celebration Gallery
The flag of Malaysia, also known as Jalur Gemilang in Malay ("Stripes of Glory"), is composed of a field of 14 alternating red and white stripes along the fly and a blue canton bearing a crescent and a 14-point star known as the Bintang Persekutuan (Federal Star). The 14 stripes, of equal width, represent the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal territories, while the 14 points of the star represent the unity between these entities. The crescent represents Islam, the country's state religion; the blue canton symbolizes the unity of the Malaysian people; the yellow of the star and crescent is the royal color of the Malay rulers
Negaraku (My Country) is the national anthem of Malaysia. It was selected as a national anthem at the time of the Federation of Malaya's independence from the UK in 1957. The tune was originally used as the regional anthem of Perak, which was adopted from a popular French melody titled "La Rosalie" composed by the lyricist Pierre-Jean de Béranger. Source
Negaraku,
Tanah tumpahnya darahku
Rakyat hidup
Bersatu dan maju
Rahmat Bahagia
Tuhan kurniakan
Raja kita
Selamat bertakhta
Rahmat Bahagia
Tuhan kurniakan
Raja kita
Selamat bertakhta
My motherland
The land where my blood has spilt
Where the people live
United and progressive
With God given
Blessings of happiness
May our King
Reign in peace
With God given
Blessings of happiness
May our King
Reign in peace
Whereas our country, MALAYSIA nurtures the ambitions of:
- Achieving a more perfect unity amongst the whole of her society
- Preserving a democratic way of life
- Creating a just society where the prosperity of the country can be enjoyed together in a fair and equitable manner
- Guaranteeing a liberal approach towards her rich and varied cultural traditions; and
- Building a progressive society that will make use of science and modern technology.
We, Her People, pledge our united efforts to attain these ends guided by these principles:
BELIEF IN GOD
LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY
THE SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION
THE RULE OF LAW
COURTESY AND MORALITY
Merdeka Theme
Malaysia Prihatin
Logo
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of 13 states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions, Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia (Malaysian Borneo). Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia. East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia and a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam. Kuala Lumpur is the national capital and largest city while Putrajaya is the seat of federal government. With a population of over 30 million, Malaysia is the world's 44th most populous country. The southernmost point of continental Eurasia, Tanjung Piai, is in Malaysia. In the tropics, Malaysia is one of 17 mega diverse countries, with large numbers of endemic species. Source
The country is home to people of various national, ethnic and religious origins. Majority of the population, however, belong to several clearly defined ethnolinguistic groups within the country with their own distinct cultures and traditions: Malays, Orang Asli (aboriginal population), Malaysian Chinese (primarily Han Chinese), Malaysian Indians (primarily Tamils). Malays themselves are the source of the name Malaysia ("land of Malays") as they traditionally formed the majority during the British rule. The majority of the non-Malay and non-aboriginal population in modern Malaysia is made up of immigrants and their descendants. Following the initial period of Portuguese, Dutch and then significantly longer British colonization, different waves (or peaks) of immigration and settlement of non-aboriginal peoples took place over the course of nearly five centuries and continue today. Source
Themes
Check out the memorable logos and themes that have been created in conjunction with the Merdeka celebration since 1976. More
Merdeka Events
Don't miss out the Merdeka celebration at your local area, state or the big parade at National Merdeka level. Check the events date and hours! More
Celebration Gallery
Browse the selected colorful gallery of images in conjunction with the Merdeka celebration around the nation. More
Online Exhibition
The Merdeka exhibition was produced by User Experience Service Unit, PSB UUM as part of Online Exhibition series.