Merdeka: The freedom to govern our homeland once again

As Aug. 31 approaches, Merdeka is usually remembered through the sacrifices of those who fought for Malaysia’s freedom. This commentary asks a broader question: “From what exactly were we freed, and what exactly are we free to reclaim?”

It argues that independence should not be told only as the moment a new country gained sovereignty. Before foreign powers arrived, the land already had governments, laws, rulers, diplomacy, commerce, religion, institutions and ideas about justice. European powers entered kingdoms with their own political and legal traditions, rather than an empty political space waiting to be governed.

The Malay world had developed organized systems of rule and international trade long before European powers established themselves in the region. Melaka stood at a major maritime crossroads, where traders from across Asia and farther afield met. Different peoples, languages, cultures and religions formed communities there without needing to become one nation.

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From what exactly were we freed, and what exactly are we free to reclaim?

The Malay sultanates had rulers and officials, administrative systems, trade regulations, diplomatic ties and written laws. Islam provided a moral and legal framework for government, while adat was adapted to the needs of Malay society. The Hukum Kanun Melaka and later Hukum Kanun Pahang remain evidence of that order.

The commentary says these legal codes covered the roles of rulers, ministers and officials, as well as trade, duties, justice and social order. Their existence, it argues, carries a larger reminder: “We had laws because we had government, and we had government because we had a civilization.”

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We had laws because we had government, and we had government because we had a civilization.