7 fun facts about Malaysia Day we bet you didn't know

Published on 16 September, Kimberly Francisco

Malaysia Day is just around the corner, but how much do you really know about it? Besides being a public holiday that Malaysians enjoy on 16 September, it is also a really significant time in history for Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak (and even Singapore!) as it was the day the Malaysian Federation was formed in 1963.

Don’t confuse it with Merdeka Day though (aka Hari Kebangsaan or Malaysia’s Independence Day), which is celebrated on 31st of August.

While the latter signifies Malaysia’s freedom as an independent country, Malaysia Day is about the formation of a strong territorial alliance between the nations of Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo (now Sabah) and Sarawak.

Here are some fun facts about Malaysia Day you probably didn’t know!

Fun Fact #1:
Malaysia Day only became officially recognized as a public holiday in 2010

It’s been 10 years since Malaysia Day has officially become a national holiday in Malaysia so you may have forgotten that it wasn’t always the case. It was only observed as a state holiday in Sabah and Sarawak previously until Prime Minister Najib Razak officially declared it a Malaysian public holiday in parliament on 19 October 2009.

Fun Fact #2:
Malaysia Day was supposed to fall on Merdeka Day

Malaysia Day was initially planned for 31 August 1963 but was delayed to 16 September because the United Nations (UN) was still doing some research into whether North Borneo and Sarawak were really for it. Perhaps they should have been investigating Singapore instead, seeing as to how Singapore left the federation only two years after its formation (jk!).

Fun Fact #3:
Malaysia, Sabah & Sarawak have different Independence days

Though Sabah and Sarawak are now a part of Malaysia, they actually achieved independence from British colonial rule at different times. Sabah was given self-governing rights on 31 August 1963, just shortly before the formation of the federation. Sarawak, on the other hand, gained independence earlier on 22 July 1963, while Malaysia gained independence on 31 August 1957.

Fun Fact #4:
Malaysia Day almost never happened

Not everyone was on board with the idea of the Malaysia federation. In fact, the Kelantan state government even took Tunku Abdul Rahman to court!

This happened just six days before Malaysia Day was to happen. Luckily, the case was dismissed on September 14, almost 24 hours before Malaysia Day!

Fun Fact #5:
The public ceremony actually happened on 17 September, and not on 16 September 1963

In order for other heads of states from Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore to attend, the public ceremony was held on the 17th of September instead. The ceremony saw Tunku Adbul Rahman reading out the proclamation of Malaysia and ending with a 101-gun salute.

Fun Fact #6:
A design contest was held to initially create the first Malayan flag

Malaysia got a flag makeover when it was formed in 1963 but did you know that the original Federation of Malaya flag was put to a public vote in 1950? In fact, a nationwide design contest was held and a poll by The Malay Mail was organized for the public to vote for their favourite design.

Fun Fact #7:
One star in the Malaysian flag used to represent Singapore

As Singapore was one of the states that joined the federation, one of the points in the star of the Malaysian flag used to represent it. However, after leaving Malaysia in 1965, it wasn’t removed. It was appropriated later instead to represent Kuala Lumpur when they joined as a Federal Territory on 1 February 1974.