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Reflections3 national days in under 6 weeks a reminder of Malaysia and Singapore’s complicated post-colonial history

Malaysia National Day on August 31 marks West Malaysia’s 1957 independence, Malaysia Day 16 days later when East Malaysia and Singapore joined it in federation

Two years after federation, in 1965, Singapore with great reluctance declared its independence, an event celebrated on Singapore National Day, August 9

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Malaysian Armed Forces personnel take part in the National Day parade at Independence Square in Kuala Lumpur on August 31, 2022. The event marks West Malaysia’s independence from Britain in 1957. Six years later East Malaysia and Singapore joined it in federation, only for the latter to go it alone in 1965. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 8:15am, 20 Aug 2023

The period from mid-August to mid-September is the month of “three national days” in the two Southeast Asian nations of Singapore and Malaysia. August 9 is Singapore’s National Day, August 31 is Malaysia’s Independence Day, and September 16 is Malaysia Day. All three days are public holidays in their respective countries.

August 31, known as Hari Merdeka (“Independence Day”) or Hari Kebangsaan (“National Day”) in the Malay language, commemorates the earliest event, which was Malaya’s declaration of independence from British rule on that day in 1957. That was not a typo. August 31, 1957 was the day that Malaya, not Malaysia, became independent. Back then, the country called “Malaysia” did not exist.

Malaya was what is known today as Peninsular Malaysia, or West Malaysia. It comprised the nine royal states of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor and Terengganu, and the two gubernatorial states of Melaka and Penang, all of which were British possessions in one form or another.

Celebrating August 31 as Malaysia’s national day is somewhat controversial because many believe that it excludes the other half of the nation, East Malaysia. This is where Malaysia Day comes into the picture.

Tunku Abdul Rahman, chief minister of the Federation of Malaya, takes the pen from Alan Lennox-Boyd, colonial secretary, during the signing in 1956 of an agreement giving independence to West Malaysia on August 31, 1957. Photo: Getty Images

On September 16, 1963, the nation called Malaysia came into being. It was a federation of four entities that used to be British possessions in Southeast Asia: the abovementioned Malaya, Sabah (formerly known as British North Borneo), Sarawak and Singapore. Brunei had been invited to join Malaysia but it politely declined.

For many, September 16, and not August 31, is Malaysia’s “true” national day, a day of great significance for all of the country’s 13 states. But in any celebration of Malaysia Day, there’s that relative that no one wants to talk about: Singapore.