Merdeka
The effort for independence was spearheaded by Tunku Abdul
Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia,
who led a delegation of ministers and political leaders of
Malaya in negotiations with the British in London for Merdeka,
or independence along with the first president of the Malayan
Chinese Association (MCA) Tun Dato Sir Tan Cheng Lock and
fifth President of Malaysian Indian Congress Tun V.T.
Sambanthan. Once it became increasingly clear that the
Communist threat posed during the Malayan Emergency as
petering out, agreement was reached on February 8, 1956, for
Malaya to gain independence from the British Empire.
However, for a number of logistical and administrative
reasons, it was decided that the official proclamation of
independence would only be made the next year, on August
31, 1957, at Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), in
Kuala Lumpur.
