Tugu Negara

After 25years… for the first time I’m going to Tugu Negara. There are a lot of foreigners in here. What in my mind is… I’m as Malaysian is not appreciate and never concern about my country’s genealogy. Huhu… How lucky I am born after independence’s day. Not experience difficulties to survive for life.

Muse for a while.. If I put myself in the foreigner’s shoes, come to their country, supposed I’ll doing the same things like them. Maybe they also never observe their country’s history as me. Hihihi… Xkisah la.. What important is I’m happy. After jog at Tasik Perdana, we have a walk here and listen to him telling me the history of this Tugu Negara. Why I can’t believe what he said? Just mumbling I thought. Uppsss.. Hehe…

So I observe about this Tugu Negara by myself. Dunno y I really wanna know the history. Tugu Negara, literally the "National Monument" in Malay , is a sculpture that commemorates those who died in Malaysia's struggle for freedom, principally against the Japanese occupation during World War II and the Malayan Emergency, which lasted from 1948 until 1960.

The original national monument was not the one in the form of human figures but was a cenotaph that was situated in the middle of a roundabout. The British administration set up the first monument, a 10m flat grass-covered ground to commemorate the wars and honour the fallen heroes fromWorld War I, World War II and the Malayan Emergency.

It was moved to the present site during the construction of a flyover in 1964 connecting Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin and the Parliament roundabout. Therefore the original name for Jalan Tugu, where the Tugu Negara is currently situated, was Cenotaph Road.

On the monument, it is written “To Our Glorious Dead with dates of the First World War (1914-1918), Second World War (1939-1945) and the Emergency (1948-1960).

The monument was later replaced with the Tugu Negara, an idea mooted by Malaysia's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj and was commissioned in 1963.

The huge tall bronze figures of soldiers standing and supporting their fallen comrades, which is opposite Lake Gardens, are the work of sculptor Felix de Weldon, who also did Washington’s Iwo Jima Monument and it is regarded as the largest bronze monument grouping in the world.

The Tugu Negara was completed and officially opened on February 8, 1966, by the Yang diPertuan Agong. It was proclaimed a memorial park dedicated to the 11,000 people who died during the 12 years Malayan Emergency (1948-1960). Thereafter, a wreath laying ceremony takes place at the monument every July 31 on Warriors Day.

Yeah... Finally I get to know about the history so after this nobody can deception me. Hehe...

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About deq noor

A daughter, sister and friend. Engineering is my passion but travelling is my courage. "Let the beauty of what you love be what you do"