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{{italic title}}
{{Short description|Indonesian and Malay term for "independent" or "free"}}
{{for|the skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur|Merdeka 118}}

[[File:Collectie NMvWereldculturen, TM-20019406, Dia- Schildering ter gelegenheid van het 40-jarig jubileum van de viering van Onafhankelijkheidsdag, Henk van Rinsum, 08-1985.jpg|thumb|300px|A 1985 painting in [[Indonesia]] commemorating the [[Independence of Indonesia]] bearing the words "''Merdeka!''"]]
[[File:Merdeka 1957 tunku abdul rahman.jpg|thumb|[[Tunku Abdul Rahman]] as he proclaimed Malaysian independence on 31 August 1957, chanting "''Merdeka!''" seven times|300px]]
'''''Merdeka''''' ([[Jawi script|Jawi]]: {{lang|ms-arab|مرديک}}; {{IPA|id|mərˈdɛka|lang}}, {{IPA|ms|mərdeka|lang}}) is a term in [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] and [[Malay language|Malay]] which means "[[Independence|independent]]" or "[[Political freedom|free]]". It is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] ''maharddhika'' (महर्द्धिक) meaning "rich, prosperous, and powerful". In the [[Malay Archipelago]], this term had acquired the meaning of a freed slave. The term is also used in other [[languages of Indonesia|Indonesian languages]].

The term ''Mardijker'' is a Dutch corruption of the Portuguese version of the original Sanskrit words and was used to designate former Portuguese and Dutch slaves from India in the East Indies, known as [[Mardijker]]s, whence the Malay meaning of "free(dom)" is derived. The Mardijkers were former [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] slaves brought from India and the East Indies, who were liberated by the Dutch if they abandoned [[Catholicism]] and joined the [[Dutch Reformed Church]].<ref>[http://www.jakarta.go.id/jakv1/encyclopedia/detail/1810 Mardijker]</ref>

The term was used by the anti-colonialist and pro-independence movements in the [[colonialism|colonial territories]] of the [[Dutch East Indies]], [[British Malaya]], and the [[Straits Settlements]]. It became a rallying call for those demanding independence from the colonial administrations of the [[Netherlands]] and [[United Kingdom]]. In the southern Philippine island of [[Mindanao]], the Moro people belonging to major ethnolinguistic groups of [[Maranao people|Meranaw]], [[Maguindanao people|Maguindanaw]], and [[Iranun people|Iranun]], use ''maradeka'' in the same meaning as freedom or liberation and a political group there is called [[Maradeka]]. The [[Pampangan language|Pampangan]] term ''mardíka'' (also spelled ''mardíkas'') and the [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]] ''[[maharlika]]'' have the same Sanskrit etymology as the Malay ''merdeka'' and means freeman, ''libertos'' or [[freedman]] in classical [[Philippine society]].<ref name="whScottPrehispanic">{{cite book|last = Scott|author-link = William Henry Scott (historian)|first = William Henry|title = Looking for the Prehispanic Filipino and Other Essays in the Philippine History|publisher = New Day Publishers|year = 1992|location = Quezon City|isbn = 971-10-0524-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ebp2GQAACAAJ}}</ref><ref name=mallari2011>Mallari, J. P. (2011). ''Tálabaldúgan''. [[Holy Angel University]]</ref>

==Indonesia==
[[Image:Monumen Nasional, Jakarta, Indonesia.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The [[National Monument (Indonesia)|National Monument]] stands in the middle of [[Merdeka Square, Jakarta|Medan Merdeka]] or Independence Square, [[Jakarta]], [[Indonesia]].]]
The term "merdeka" was used in [[Indonesia]] in a similar way to designate freedom from the Dutch colonial government during the struggle for independence in the 1940s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.insideindonesia.org/content/view/441/29/ |title=Inside Indonesia - Merdeka! |accessdate=2009-05-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723050540/http://insideindonesia.org/content/view/441/29/ |archivedate=2008-07-23 }} Showing the usage of the term by the Indonesian poet Charil Anwar</ref> Republic of Indonesia declared its ''Hari Kemerdekaan Indonesia'' or [[Proclamation of Indonesian Independence]] on 17 August 1945, and it has become national holiday and commemorated annually ever since.

During the [[Indonesian revolution|struggle of independence]] in 1945 to 1949, it was used as a national salute of victory and honor, by raising open palms as high as the head and shouting out loud "Merdeka!" From here many slogans came, such as "Sekali Merdeka tetap Merdeka!" (Freedom once and for all) or "Merdeka atau Mati" (Freedom or death). This was intended to raise the morale of all the people of Indonesia to continue to fight against the Dutch and the Allied forces trying to re-establish control over Indonesia; it was so important that even it became a Government [[Edict]] on 31 August 1945.

On 1 September it was mentioned by the president [[Sukarno]] in his short speech:

{{Quote
|text=''"Since today we will cry out loud, ''"Merdeka!"'' Continue on that loud battle cry, as the soul calls out loud for freedom! A soul of freedom, one of fighting and working spirit! TO FIGHT AND TO WORK! Prove it!"''
}}

"Merdeka" is also used in ''[[Indonesia Raya]]'', the national anthem of [[Indonesia]]:

{{Quote
|text=''Indonesia Raya, merdeka, merdeka! Tanahku, negeriku yang kucinta. Indonesia Raya, merdeka, merdeka! Hiduplah Indonesia Raya!''<br>("Indonesia the Great, be free, be free! My land, my country which I love. Indonesia the Great, be free, be free! Long live Indonesia the Great!")
}}

The name "Merdeka" is used as the name of Indonesian important places, such as [[Merdeka Palace]] and [[Merdeka Square, Jakarta|Merdeka Square]] in central [[Jakarta]], also [[Merdeka Building]] in [[Bandung]]. "Merdeka" is also included in several mass media names, e.g. in newspapers (such as ''Merdeka'', ''[[Rakyat Merdeka]]'', ''[[Suara Merdeka]]'') and websites (such as ''Merdeka.com'' news portal).

Nowadays the [[Aceh]]nese and [[West Papua (region)|West Papuan]] autonomy movements currently use the term to express the concept of [[Freedom (political)|freedom]], and the meaning of the term ranges from greater freedom to outright political independence. The major [[autonomy]] movement in Aceh, the [[Free Aceh Movement]] has the term in its name (''Gerakan Aceh Merdeka''), as does the major armed independence group in West Papua, the [[Free Papua Movement]] (''Organisasi Papua Merdeka'').

==Malaysia==
[[Image:Dataran Merdeka.jpg|thumb|right|240px|[[Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur|Merdeka Square]] in [[Kuala Lumpur]].]]
[[Tunku Abdul Rahman]], later the inaugural [[Malaysian Prime Minister]], declared Malayan independence in 1957 with seven shouts of "Merdeka". The cry is referenced in the Malaysian national holiday, [[Independence Day (Malaysia)|Hari Merdeka]], commemorating Malaya's independence on 31 August 1957, and [[Dataran Merdeka]] (Independence Square) where the first ceremony raising the [[flag of Malaysia|flag of Malaya]] was held following independence.

[[Malaysia]] was formed by the 1963 merger of Malaya, [[Crown Colony of North Borneo|North Borneo]], [[Crown Colony of Sarawak|Sarawak]] and [[Singapore]]. North Borneo and Sarawak in northern Borneo were to officially join to form Malaysia on 31 August 1963 but due to opposition from Indonesia and the Philippines and to allow the [[United Nations]] team time to conduct referendums in North Borneo and Sarawak regarding their participation in a new federation, the date was postponed to 16 September, which now celebrated as [[Malaysia Day]].<ref name='edu'>{{cite web | url=https://library.uum.edu.my/merdeka-31-august-1957/ | title=Merdeka – 31 August 1957 | Perpustakaan Sultanah Bahiyah | date=5 August 2019 }}</ref>

The [[Merdeka 118]] megatall skyscraper was made to resemble the "Merdeka" gesture used by Tunku Abdul Rahman in 1957.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Set to be one of the world's tallest buildings in 2022 |url=https://www.arup.com/en/projects/merdeka-118 |access-date=2022-01-14 |website=www.arup.com |language=en}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=December 2024}}

==Singapore==
In the context of Singapore, Merdeka usually refers to the gaining of [[self rule|self-rule]] and self-government from the United Kingdom in the 1950s, as [[Western imperialism in Asia|imperialism in Asia]] slowly declined. It usually does not refer to Singapore's separation from Malaysia in 1965, which followed its merger with Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak on 16 September 1963 after having held the [[Singapore national referendum, 1962|1962 national referendum]].<ref name='talks'>{{cite web | url=https://singapurastories.com/merdeka-singapores-merdeka-talks-of-1956-and-1957-and-merdeka-proclamations-of-1959-1962-and-1963/ | title=MERDEKA!!! Singapore's Merdeka Talks of 1956,1957, and 1958, and Merdeka proclamations before 1965 }}</ref>

The [[Constitution of Singapore]] had been amended in 1953 following recommendations by the [[Rendel Commission]], creating a 32-seat [[Legislative Assembly of Singapore]] to replace the [[Legislative Council of Singapore]]. The Legislative Assembly would become the predecessor to the modern [[Parliament of Singapore]]. The following [[Singaporean general election, 1955|Singapore general election of 1955]] had members that were elected by the population for the first time become the majority in Singapore's legislature. Previously, only six members of the Legislative Council were elected — the rest were appointed. This however did not satisfy individuals calling for full self-government at least in the matter of domestic affairs.<ref name='talks'/>

The call for Merdeka was a growing tension between [[progressivism]] and [[Radicalization|radicalism]], cooperation and hostility towards the British. [[David Marshall (Singaporean politician)|David Saul Marshall]] of the [[Labour Front]] narrowly won the Singapore general election of 1955, but being anticolonialist, tended to be a vocal opponent of the British rule. As such, the British found it hard to work out a compromise. A [[petition]] was started in 1956 which collected the signatures of 167,000 — a vast portion of the electorate in that era — in a petition that demanded Merdeka.<ref name='talks'/>

During the Merdeka Talks of 1956, the year before Malaya's independence, the British agreed to grant Singapore self-government over domestic issues, while the British retained control of finance and the military. This seemed to satisfy Marshall initially, but the negotiation later broke down when the British refused to turn over [[national security|internal security]] to the local government. The British felt that Marshall was not doing enough to counter the threats of the [[communism|communist]] [[insurgency]] and the [[Malayan Communist Party]] (MCP) which had sparked the [[Malayan Emergency]]. The march towards independence was stalled and Marshall resigned in 1956 making good on his earlier pledge that he would step down in the case of failure.<ref name='talks'/>

Another Labour Front leader [[Lim Yew Hock]] took over as Singapore's Chief Minister and continued the effort to push for independence. Lim then undertook harsh measures against the communists demonstrating that his administration was willing to take a tough stance to safeguard internal security. In the [[Chinese middle schools riots]] of 1956, some nine hundred people were arrested. Leading a negotiation delegation consisting of several Singapore political leaders from various parties, Lim managed to convince the British to grant Singapore Merdeka by amending and revamping its Constitution in 1958 to allow for a fully elected legislature which would form an internal government with complete [[autonomy]] over domestic affairs. This government was formed following the [[Singapore general election, 1959|Singapore general election of 1959]], but the Labour Front lost as Lim's harsh techniques had alienated large portions of the electorate.<ref name='talks'/>

==Philippines ==

The Philippines has the longest-running struggle for the Moro people right to [[self-determination]]. The cry for "''merdeka'' or ''maradeka''" began in 1968 when Datu Udtog Matalam<ref>[http://www.tmchronicles.com/nuet/nuetchapter.php?chapter=7&&section=4= Datu Udtog Matalam of the Mindanao Independence Movement (MIM)]{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> announced the formation of the [[Muslim Independence Movement|Mindanao Independence Movement]] (MIM) and the Muslim fundamentalist Ansar el Islam led by prominent Muslim leaders such as Philippine Muslim Senator Dr. [[Domocao Alonto|Ahmad Domocao Alonto]] while leading the Islamic revival movement also supported the formation of the secessionist [[Moro National Liberation Front]] (MNLF). The over four decades of Moro struggle asserts freedom from Philippine colonialism as argued by Moro leaders Prof. [[Nur Misuari]] of the MNLF and the late Ustadz [[Salamat Hashim]] of the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front]] (MILF). Until the present, the struggle for freedom and independence continues among the younger Moro generation. At the legal front, the Maradeka (literally means freedom) became seen at the forefront of a nonviolent political movement enjoying the democratic space afforded to many political groups and activists in the Philippines.{{cn|date=November 2022}}

Analytically looking at the history of long peace process since 1975, while East Timor was able to attain full self governance thru a United Nations brokered Determination Vote and Free Aceh Movement acceded to [[Norway]]-brokered peace talks, the Moro rebel groups underwent a series of protracted peace and a never-ending peace process believed to be employed only as a counterinsurgency strategy of the Philippine government and not meant sincerely to end hostilities in Mindanao. These allegedly deceptive policies of the government allegedly exasperated young Moros and students, which led some to join extremist groups, such as the [[Abu Sayyaf]], and mount a violent attacks against the Philippine government. Several incidents in the rejection by the MILF of the Philippine government's counterproposal to the former proposal for compromise accession to substate formula will suspend and further stall the peace negotiations.{{cn|date=November 2022}}

==See also==
* [[Hari Kemerdekaan]] Republik Indonesia, a national holiday celebrated every 17 August, commemorating the [[Proclamation of Indonesian Independence]] from Dutch rule
* [[Independence Day (Malaysia)|Hari Merdeka]], the date of Malaysia's independence from British rule
* [[Mabuhay]], the equivalent cheer used in the Philippines
* [[Maradeka]], an Islamic political organisation at [[Bangsamoro]] that advocates autonomy
* [[Merdeka 118]], mega-skyscraper

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110524180751/http://ourstory.asia1.com.sg/independence/ref/merdeka.html Our Story - Merdeka (Singapore)]

[[Category:Malay words and phrases]]
[[Category:Indonesian words and phrases]]
[[Category:Battle cries]]
[[Category:Political terminology in Malaysia]]
[[Category:Indonesian National Revolution]]

[[id:Kemerdekaan]]
[[ms:Merdeka]]

Merdeka - Revision history

imported>PrimeBOT: /* top */ Task 24: template replacement following a TFD