Like in many other countries in the world, Warriors Day is celebrated to honour the memory of those who fought and died for their motherland. This Commonwealth tradition too was inherited by Malaysia taking the name ‘Hari Pahlawan’ which was celebrated annually on the 31 st of July. In August 1957, the Federation of Malaya gained independence and the communist insurrection lost its rationale as a war of colonial liberation. In 1960, the Emergency was declared to be over. It was a dark chapter in the history of Malaysia. Record numbers of more than 500 soldiers and 1300 police had been killed during the conflict.
Officially begun on 31 st July 1969, the date was chosen in remembrance of the sacrifices of those who fought and died for the nation during the Emergency which lasted for 12 years (1948 – 1960). Apart from commemorating our veterans, Hari Pahlawan also celebrates our ‘warriors’ who are in service. They are the members of Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), Royal Malaysian Police, as well as soldiers from the Malayan British Army, Sarawak Rangers, Field Force, Home Guard and other units.
Festive commemoration
Traditionally, commemoration is ceremonial in nature that includes the speech by the YangDi-Pertuan Agong, formational marching of military units, poetry recitals, pantomime on some historical scenes, the sounding of the ‘Last Post’ and ‘Rouse’. 34 Prayers for the fallen
heroes also took place in 2011 at Masjid Negara. Prior to 2010, the celebration of HariPahlawan was held at the National Monument (Tugu Negara). The location was then moved to other popular spots in Malaysia such as at the Dataran Merdeka and Dataran Pahlawan. The commemoration was big and usually streamed live by TV1, watched by Malaysians all over the country.
Educational wise, the grand commemoration of Hari Pahlawan is great in reaching a wider audience about the significance of remembering those who have fought for Malaya. As a kid who used to religiously watch the live stream from beginning to end, it was a good
educational experience apart from learning it in a school textbook. It also acts as an avenue for all Malaysians to show the spirit of patriotism for the country aside from Independence Day. While at the same time, it teaches us the importance of knowing the history of this
country and the foundation in which it was built upon to better appreciate the present.
The Covid-19 pandemic has halted any activities involving large crowds, hence organising the usual grand celebration is definitely out of the question. Especially when daily cases in Malaysia have reached up to 20,000 in August 2021 with a total of 9,598 deaths reported
since January 2020. Thus, celebration is highly restricted to appreciations and thank you messages on social media.
Symbolism vs actual appreciation
Even though the celebration of Warriors Day in most of the Commonwealth countries is highly ceremonial, civilians and other society members are also involved. For example in England, Warriors Day bears the name of ‘Armed Forces Day’ in celebration of troops in
service, veterans and cadets. Physical and virtual events are being held across the country,celebrated with a public holiday, national parades and other itineraries of local events like donations, barbeque, dances, carnivals and picnics. It is celebrated both locally by different
members of the society and at the national level. The same can be seen in Australia and New Zealand. Local leaders and community members took part in showing their support for the ex-servicemen as well as their family members who have fallen fell in line of their duty.
However, a different case can be seen in Malaysia. The lack of public participation explains why a lot of us are still indifferent to Hari Pahlawan. In a statement made by the former Director of The Veteran Affairs Department (JHEV) 5 in 2011, Major General Zulkiflee
Mazlan said that the participations of the members of the public in the celebration was not only indicative of their gratitude for those who fought for the nation, but also their patriotism for the country. He further adds that the role of security forces should not only be appreciated
during the presence of constant enemy threats but also during peaceful times.
When community members do not participate, there is a lack of meaningful appreciation to our warriors to mere a symbolic gesture by the state. It is reduced to a one day feel good moment about celebrating our ‘warriors’ without internalizing our appreciation and educating
ourselves on the significance of their role in preserving public order. We have to learn from the practice of other commonwealth countries on how to participate in celebrating Hari Pahlawan. We have to better educate ourselves on the dark history of our country in order to
understand the significance of Hari Pahlawan and the struggles of our predecessors during those eras. Stories on the deeds of Malaysian heroes are meant to be mainstreamed by the media and by extension, members of the society in order to preserve the stories and legacies
for our future generation.
In the spirit of patriotism and with the forthcoming Independence Day in 2021, let us show better appreciation to our ‘pahlawan’ and ensure that their legacies are celebrated and preserved.
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