Tunku Abdul Rahman - Road To Independence

Road To Independence

After Tunku and Lennox-Boyd agreed to hold constitutional talks in London in January 1956, provided that the Rulers were represented. When the Rulers met at their conferences in Kuala Lumpur in September 1956, Tunku sought and was sought and was granted a special audience. Tunku asked the Rulers to appoint representatives for the constitutional talks to be held in London. As the days for the talks got closer, travel plans were discussed.

Finally on January 1, 1956, the two delegations sailed together from Singapore to Karachi on the Asia, a large Italian passenger liner. They met everyday either in a screened portion of the dining saloon or in one of their cabins. Before they arrived at Karachi, their draft proposals had been finalized, and they entered Lancaster House in London on January 16, as the Merdeka Mission, with a single leader, Tunku.

Tunku and Lennox-Boyd were men of integrity and sincerity, who spoke cordially and frankly. Progress was unhurried but positive. Finally on February 8, 1956, Tunku's fifty-third birthday, he and Lennox-Boyd signed the Independence agreement. Tunku and his mission left London on February 16, had a short break in Cairo and landed in Singapore four days later.

The next day, Tunku went to Malacca where he had decided to make his first public announcement on their success. Standing erect, with his arm raised, Tunku rode in the leading car in the motorcade to the open reclamation ground beside the sea. His speech was simple and brief, muffled by the constant chorus of "Merdeka". Soon after Tunku's return from London, a Constitutional Commission as set up in Kuala Lumpur. The Commission travelled to every State, hearing evidence and receiving memoranda. The Alliance National Council spent months preparing a detailed memorandum from the Commission, most of which were accepted.

The Commissioner's report was published in Kuala Lumpur in February 1957. MacGillivray then set up a Working Committee to prepare final recommendations for the consideration of the British Government. When the subject of 'Jus Soli' was mentioned, Tunku, as the inspired diplomat, managed to persuade the MCA leaders to agree to is omission from the official recommendations. Only six months remained before the date which had been adopted for the proclamation of Independence. Tunku made an announcement inviting musicians both at home and abroad to compose a national anthem for Malaya.

He then set up a committee to help him judge the entries, which numbered over 70 including one by the world famous British composer, Benjamin Britten. After the first meeting of his committee, Tunku decided that the lyrics for the national anthem of Malaya must be in Malay. When they next met to listen to a shortlist of Malay compositions, Tunku recalled an old melody called 'Terang Bulan', it was even adopted by Sultan Idris of Perak as his state anthem back in 1888. Tunku asked the Inspector-General of Police arrange for the tune to be orchestrated and played by the Police band and the committee listened spellbound. The quest had ended and Tunku renamed the old tune 'Negaraku' and adopted it as the national anthem.

Tunku also found time to select from Malay literature 'titles' from the old Malacca empires in the fifteenth century. When a date had been fixed for Independence Day, Tunku instructed the Director of Public Works to build a large open air stadium. He then set up a committee plan and organize the Independence ceremony and he named the stadium "Stadium Merdeka." Through the months that followed, Tunku maintained an unruffled calm and the final week of August arrived without any mishap. Near midnight on August 30, 1957, people began to gather on the playing field between the Moorish style government secretariat and the Tudor-style Selangor Club.

The Alliance's leaders stood near the flagpoles that were planted side by side at a tall flood lit clock tower. At midnight, the clock in the tower began to strike. The Union Jack on one flagpole and the new Federation Flag on the other began to move slowly and simultaneously. As the last stroke of midnight echoed above the heads of the crowd, a band played "God Save the King" followed by "Negaraku". The moment the band stopped playing the Malayan National Anthem, the silence was shattered by a roar that consisted of a single word, "MERDEKA," that was shouted repeatedly by at least 10,000 voices.

Very early in the morning on August 31, members of the public began to file through the entrance gates of 'Stadium Merdeka' to witness the Independence ceremony. A large rectangular carpeted dais stood at the center of the stadium. The Rulers, sheltered by yellow silk umbrellas were already in position on the dais. The 'Paramount Ruler' sat in the centre with the Duke on his right and Tunku on his left. The Duke handed the Constitutional Instrument to Tunku. Tunku then read aloud the Proclamation of Independence.

With his right arm raised, Tunku then shouted "MERDEKA!" and the crowd thundered "MERDEKA!" in response. Then the Malayan National Anthem "Negaraku" played as the flag of Federation of Malaya is raising. Euphoria swept over the country. Malaya had gained its independence. Tunku had dreamed of a near miracle and on August 31, 1957, he achieved it. A new multiracial nation was born.