An article in The Straits Times less than three weeks after the country’s independence, stated that ‘millions of people throughout the world next week will be able to see how Malaya celebrated the advent of independence’. The paper noted that the Malayan Film Unit was turning out 120 prints of Merdeka for Malaya ‘in all languages’ which would go initially to America, Australia, England, India and Jakarta where the unit had its own agencies…
An article in The Straits Times less than three weeks after the country’s independence, stated that ‘millions of people throughout the world next week will be able to see how Malaya celebrated the advent of independence’. The paper noted that the Malayan Film Unit was turning out 120 prints of Merdeka for Malaya ‘in all languages’ which would go initially to America, Australia, England, India and Jakarta where the unit had its own agencies (Straits Times, 19 September 1957, 7). In addition, the MFU made copies of the film available at a cost of $250 to ‘any member of the public’, suggesting that this could then be shown at private parties (Straits Times, 21 September 1957, 7).
Ow Kheng Law, the head of the Malayan Film Unit, described Merdeka for Malaya as the biggest production undertaken by the unit, and noted that the unit’s seven cameramen ‘worked flat out for fourteen days. The laboratory worked round the clock for one week’ (Straits Times, 19 September 1957, 7). He had earlier announced to the paper that ‘all countries in the free world will get news films of the merdeka [independence] celebrations free within 24 hours of the events in Malaya’, before the unit would begin work on Merdeka for Malaya. In the interests of releasing the films quickly, both newsreel and documentary were filmed in black and white (Straits Times, 20 July 1957, 7).
Upon releasing the film, Ow Kheng Law said, ‘We are proud of the film. It is one of the best we have ever produced. My men did their best’. However, the film was subject to criticism from some UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) members, in particular for placing ‘too much emphasis on the part played by non-Malays in the Merdeka celebrations’, which the critics suggested would ‘give a wrong impression to audiences abroad’ (Straits Times, 24 September 1957, 6). The critics expressed disappointment over the “un-Islamic” nature of the film. Ow Kheng Law countered, by noting that ‘in the film we have shots of the mosques, faces of Malayans and children celebrating merdeka and the Nobat (Royal drums) at the installation of the Paramount Ruler. Surely these are Malayan scenes and background’ (Straits Times, 19 September 1957, 7). The MFU resisted calls to re-edit the film, describing it as ‘an objective record of the merdeka celebrations’ (Straits Times, 25 September 1957, 9).
The move towards independence in Malaya had gained rapid momentum after the Federal elections of July 1955. The Alliance Party, headed by Tunku Abdul Rahman and comprised of three communally exclusive parties (the United Malays National Organisation, the Malayan Chinese Association and the Malayan Indian Congress) had surprisingly won 51 of the 52 elected seats and, on assuming power, the Tunku had immediately pushed for independence, arguing that ‘the only real alternative to Communism was nationalism’ (Stockwell, 1999, 487, The Times, 1 September 1955, 7). The British remained suspicious of the political coalition (and in particular of the rights and opportunities this would provide for the non-Malays), and had repeatedly stated that independence would only be considered once the state of emergency had ended. However, by October 1955, British ministers retreated from this position, in part to ensure that the Tunku avoided striking a deal with Chin Peng (Stockwell, 1998, 144). In January 1956, the Tunku led a delegation to Britain, and on 8 February signed an agreement (the Independence Treaty) with the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the Minister of State and Sir Donald MacGillivray, which granted Malaya independence on 31 August 1957 ‘if possible’ (The Times, 9 February 1956, 6). Piers Brendon argued that the ‘British were stampeded into granting Merdeka’, while T.N. Harper noted that once a date had been agreed ‘an unstoppable momentum built up towards it’ (Brendon, 2007, 459, Harper, 1998, 348).
Merdeka was celebrated by 20,000 in the new Merdeka stadium and by a crowd of 100,000 in front of the old Selangor clubhouse. The installation of the King followed a few days later. T. N. Harper described it as ‘a medieval sacerdotal ceremony in a month-old throne room; an invention of tradition that projected a pre-colonial sovereignty for the new nation state’ (Harper, 1998, 356).
Merdeka for Malaya was preceded by other MFU films charting the road to independence, including Merdeka Mission, which celebrated Tunku Abdul Rahman’s trip to London in January and February 1956, and Milestones to Merdeka, released shortly before independence, which outlined the developments over the previous ten years.