Malaysia Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Malaysia Day

Malaysia Day is celebrated on September 16 to mark the anniversary of the establishment of the Malaysian Federation on the same date in 1963. It may seem odd that Malaysia has two distinct national days, but both are steeped in stories of sacrifice and independence. Therefore, both days are celebrated as national holidays in Malaysia. Malaysia Day is also referred to as ‘Hari Malaysia’. This day was not officially recognised as a holiday until 2010. Malaysia Day celebrations predominantly consist of national ceremonies honouring the resilience of Malaysians.

The background of Malaysia Day

Malaysia Day commemorates the establishment of the Malaysian Federation on September 16, 1963. Malaysia is comprised of the East Malaysian republics of Sabah and Sarawak, and the former British colony of Singapore, merged with the Malaya Federation. However, Singapore separated from the Federation on August 9, 1965, two years later.

On August 31, Malaysia commemorates its Independence Day, which is also a national holiday. It is unusual for a country to have two national days, but East Malaysia’s incorporation into the Federation of Malaya calls for celebrations.

Sabah was an oil-rich state, and both the Philippines and Malaysia desired to acquire it. However, Sabah was a British colony for seventeen years before joining the Federation of Malaysia. The influx of Indonesian exiles in the 1970s and the dispute over Sabah’s claim to some of the neighbouring islands led to the official incorporation of the Indonesian islands of Sipadan and Ligitan into Sabah.

The Brooke Dynasty was known as the ‘white rajas’ and governed the state of Sarawak. Under their rule, the state of Sarawak flourished and expanded. In 1963, these two states entered the Malaysian Federation. Malaysia Day was not initially a national holiday until former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak made the request. It became an official national holiday in 2010.

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5 Interesting Facts About Malaysia Day

The actual date of the public ceremony was September 17, not September 16.

One corner of the star on the flag originally represented Singapore, but it was subsequently said to represent Kuala Lumpur instead.

The Kelantan State Government was opposed to Malaysia Day and even took Tunku Abdulman to court; the case was dismissed on September 14.

Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak all celebrate separate Independence Days.

Malaysia Day was originally scheduled to occur on August 31, the same day as Merdeka Day, but the United Nations moved it to September 16.

MALAYSIA DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2023	September 16	Saturday
2024	September 16	Monday
2025	September 16	Tuesday
2026	September 16	Wednesday
2027	September 16	Thursday