Merdeka Square

Merdeka Square is centered on a broad open lawn that did not give way to another development. State ceremonies and festive parades still take place here. At the southern edge of the grass rises a tall flagpole, and beside it lies a round slab of black marble.

“Merdeka” means “independence” in Malay. The square’s current name refers to a single midnight ceremony. Before that, this place was called Selangor Club Padang—the field of the Selangor Club. Colonial officials played cricket on the lawn, and their government offices stood opposite.

In nineteen fifty-five, a coalition of Malay, Chinese, and Indian parties went into the election promising to achieve independence within four years. Its leader, Tunku Abdul Rahman, sought the right to form his own government. The coalition won fifty-one of the fifty-two elected seats, and Tunku became Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya. His promise now had a deadline, and failure in the negotiations would have meant returning from London without the result for which the voters had given him almost the entire elected council.

British representatives discussed finances, defense, internal security, and the future constitution with his delegation. An armed emergency continued in the country, so Tunku had to prove that the coalition he had formed could govern Malaya after the British left. After three weeks of negotiations, the two sides agreed on independence and set it for August thirty-first, nineteen fifty-seven.

On the eve of that date, thousands of people filled the club field. Three hundred young coalition supporters formed a guard of honor facing the clock tower. Tunku arrived two minutes before midnight. The lights on the field were switched off, and when the clocks on the building opposite struck twelve, they were switched on again.

To the British anthem, the Union Jack was lowered. Then Tahir Abdul Majid, a participant in the ceremony who had been assigned the flag change, raised the Flag of the Federation of Malaya. At the same time, the new national anthem, “Negaraku,” was performed publicly for the first time. “Merdeka” rang out seven times over the field, and Tunku saluted the raised flag.

He arrived here as Chief Minister of a dependent Federation, and after midnight he became the first Prime Minister of an independent country. Tunku read the declaration itself in the morning at Stadium Merdeka. Something else happened here: the date agreed in London arrived before the eyes of those gathered, and the flag above the field was changed at the very minute when the thirtieth day of August ended.

Today, the lawn is used for state ceremonies and festive parades. At its southern edge, beside the tall flagpole, lies a flat round slab of black marble. It marks the place where the Flag of the Federation of Malaya was raised that midnight.