Proclamation of Independence – 1957 and Today…

There were 1211 words in the Proclamation of Independence speech by the Tunku on 31^st August 1957.

For him it was the greatest day in Malaya’s history where a new page is turned and a new nation is born. Realising that difficulties and problems lie ahead, he was confident with the blessings of God, these difficulties will be overcome.

The independent Federation of Malaya represented a continuation of the 1948 Persekutuan Tanah Melayu and its constitutional framework, which upheld the dominant political position of the Malays and protected their rights, privileges and special position.

Henceforth, we are masters of our destiny. He called on all to dedicate their services inspired by the ideals of justice and liberty and united in facing the challenges.

Among the points mentioned in the proclamation were:

1. the people of the Persekutuan Tanah Melayu will assume the status of a free independent and sovereign nation;
2. the Federation of Malaya Agreement, 1957, between Her Majesty the Queen and Their Highness the Rulers of the Malay States and the former Settlements of Malacca and Penang should be formed into a new Federation of States by the name of Persekutuan Tanah Melayu;
3. a constitution was established as the supreme law thereof and provisions made to safeguard the rights and prerogatives of Their Highness the Rulers and the fundamental rights and liberties of the people and to provide for the peaceful and orderly advancement as a constitutional monarchy based on parliamentary democracy;

After reading the official proclamation, Tunku Abdul Rahman raised his hand and led the stadium in shouting “Merdeka!” seven times.

Now, close to seventy years later, we may be a free, independent and sovereign nation, solved many challenging problems (communist insurgency, ‘Konfrantasi’, racial riots, economic and global crises and the COVID-19 pandemic) but how do we see the destiny and the welfare of the people in this beloved land?

After independence, our impressive economic performance put us among the world’s foremost developing-country success stories. However, the distribution of economic activity/income between the three main races were not balanced.

We moved away from the divide and rule policies of the British (isolation of ethnic Malays with the majority living in poverty, and the distinct locational, sectoral, and occupational differentiation) that intensified ethnic tensions, which resulted in the 1969 riots.

We have moved away from rubber and tin and diversified to oil palm.  In this blessed land we discovered large petroleum deposits.

In less than four hours, in September 1981, Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) took over Guthrie Corporation Ltd at the London Stock Exchange (the Dawn Raid).

We created special economic zones for multinational electronic companies looking for lower cost of production. It produced a network of supporting factories and electronic components are now the largest export commodity.

Malaysia’s GDP has since increased many folds.

But our wages are still low and the cost of living continues to rise. Many works more than 48 hours/week to try and make ends meet. Household debt is one of the highest in the ASEAN region and house prices are beyond the reach of many.

Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) reported, the composition of population aged 65 years and over (old age) increased to 8.4% (2025: 8.0%) and this group is financially vulnerable due to inadequate retirement savings.

Rice farmers and traditional fishermen, predominantly ethnic Malay, receive subsidies of various sorts. But they still constitute one of the poorest sectors of Malaysian society. Our rice self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) is about 52% and are totally dependent on wheat imports.

We are a highly food insecure country as global food supply chain is vulnerable to wars, trade sanctions and climate change.

Our macro-economic indicators often look strong on paper but the rakyat feels disconnected and are under severe economic stress with low incomes and higher cost of living. Most of the national income accrues to the owners of capital.

The New Economic Policy (NEP) was created to empower the economically disadvantaged Malaysians but was abused.

The Tunku mentioned the challenges of 1957 and the exact same themes manifest as modern-day problems right in front of us today.

Quantitative measures, as shown in the macro-economic indicators failed to assess subjective capabilities such as participation, competitiveness and self-reliance of the rakyat.

The 2026 theme of “Malaysia MADANI: Kesejahteraan diNikmati” – a theme where wellbeing to be enjoyed by all – calls for the government of the day to focus on achieving strong qualitative outcomes.

The government can start by creating a balanced regional development and not favouring some states. The states themselves should minimise disputes over ownership of natural resources.

We are also facing increasing competition from lower-wage countries. There is an urgent need to continue the search for new industries to enjoy comparative advantage in neglected regions.

There must be real reforms as favouring stability over systemic reforms equates to no progress. The quality of the politics by which we are governed depends on how well leaders listen, protect basic human rights and manage public resources fairly.

Converting anxiety into political loyalty is old-school.

An independent and mature nation should be capable of protecting constitutional safeguards while affirming equal dignity and responsibility among its citizens.

The generation of 1957 secured freedom from colonial rule. Today, inspired by the ideals of justice and liberty, the nine million Malaysians that rely on Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) wants freedom and independence and together enjoy the full economic and social potential.

Let us be a beacon of light in a disturbed and distracted world. With the blessings of Allah, we will achieve it together.

What say you…

 

Saleh Mohammed