Happy 51st Birthday To Malaysia – MERDEKA!
Coat Of Arms Of Malaysia
Tonight midnight on 31st August 2008, we are going to celebrate our nation’s 51st birthday or Independence Day. In 51 years ago, while we were still called as Malaya, our first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, led a delegation of ministers and political leaders of Malaya negotiating 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. It was decided that the official proclamation of Malaya independence would be made on August 31, 1957, at Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), in Kuala Lumpur, and we are then named our country as Malaysia, until today.
We have huge Merdeka eve celebration “Ambang Merdeka” every year and apart from the main venue, Merdeka Square where our Prime Miniter, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will be shouting “Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!” tonight midnight at 12:00am, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) and Bukit Bintang are also celebrating our 51st National day on the eve tonight where many of our local artists will be performing live. The Theme of 2008 National Day is ‘Perpaduan Teras Kejayaan’ (Unity Is The Core of Success). It marked the importance of unity among Malaysians of various races and religions.
Last year, I celebrated the 50th Merdeka eve with my wife and our daughter at our new under-renovation apartment in K.L., sitting on the floor (still without any fuurniture), overseeing the beautiful city night view and fireworks display at various location. Tonight, I will celebrate the 51st Merdeka eve again with my wife, our daughter and our new member, our son. 
We will be lying on our couch at our apartment’s balcony, admiring the KL city night view and hopefully can catch some fireworks display, perhaps for the last time (2 new blocks of apartment are under construction in front of us and our unbeatable KL view might be blocked next year! 🙁 ). This is the aftereffect of rapid city development in our to-be 51-year-old nation, Malaysia. Anyway, at tonight midnight, I’ll still be shouting: “MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA!” – Travel Feeder.
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Cecil Lee
The author is an avid traveler and photography hobbyist who loves to share with others his travel and photo-taking experience in many popular tourist destinations around Europe, Asia and Australasia. Read the exciting stories with many photos captured on his journeys.
Aku menangis pada Hari Merdeka.
(I am Crying on Merdeka (Independence) Day.)
1. Aku menangis kerana rakyat Malaysia telah hilang kegembiraan dan perasaan terhadap masa hadapan negara yang diimpiankan dan tidak seperti semasa Allahyarham Tunku Abdul Rahman melaungkan “Merdeka!”.
(I cry because Malaysians have lost the joy and hope of a future Malaysia as wished for unlike the times when the late Tunku Abdul Rahman shouted “Merdeka”. )
2. Aku menanggis memikirkan ada rakyat Malaysia sendiri yang bercakap, berfikir dan bertindak memecahbelahkan rakyat dengan penuh perasaan perkauman dan keagamaan masing-masing tampa ada perasaan kebangsaan dan kesahabatan.
(I cry thinking of some Malaysians who talk, think and act to divide the citizens with their own racists and religious thoughts without a care for nationalism and friendships.)
3. Aku menangis memikirkan ada rakyat Malaysia yang lebih mementingkan sendiri dari negara apabila timbul isu-isu parti, jawatan, habuan, kuasa, kawan, kesahabatan dan keadilan.
(I cry thinking of some Malaysians who care more of themselves rather than the Nation when it comes to issues of party, posts, rewards, power, friends, relationship and fairness.)
4. Aku menangis memikirkan ada rakyat dan keluarga mereka yang masih belum mendapat keadilan sewaktu dipenjarakan, ditindas, dirompak, diugut, didiskriminasikan dan tidak juga dibenarkan bersuara.
(I cry thinking of some citizens and their families who have not obtain justice while being imprisoned, oppressed, robbed, threatened, discriminated and not even allowed the freedom of speech.)
5. Aku menangis memirkirkan ada rakyat Malaysia yang masih hidup Kias Pagi, Makan Pagi; Kias Petang Makan Petang walaupun Malaysia sudah 51 tahun merdeka.
(I cry thinking there are still Malaysians who still live from Hand to Mouth everyday, even though Malaysia has already achieved 51 years of Independence.)
Posted at http://patek1472.wordpress.com
patek1472s last blog post..Aku menangis pada Hari Merdeka. (I am Crying on Merdeka (Independence) Day.)
- August 30, 2008Happy Birthday, Malaysia….
Mark Hs last blog post..Photo of the Week – Dye Pits (Fes, Morocco)
- August 31, 2008Congratulations on half a century of Independence! Hope you & yours thoroughly enjoy the festivities.
ps: Also congratulations on a most informative, fascinating blog … I’ve duly subscribed to your RSS Feed 😉
- September 1, 2008Wow, The firework photo is really nice. Great nightview!
- September 11, 2010Go Malaysia!
- October 19, 2012