MERDEKA Day should be dropped from the Federal Constitution, Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said.

“Merdeka Day will be meaningless to the Federation of Malaysia once Malaysia Day is inserted into the Federal Constitution,” the Padang Rengas MP told the Dewan Rakyat during the debate on the government’s constitutional amendments today.

“If we insert Malaysia Day as September 16, 1963, I think Merdeka Day (August 31) should be dropped as it will confuse people – that we have independence day and Malaysia Day,” said the Umno lawmaker.

Nazri said that Merdeka Day should be dropped as it is just history.

“If we don’t drop it, there will be problems later as Sabah and Sarawak will only celebrate Malaysia Day while there is still Merdeka Day. Just replace Merdeka Day with Malaysia Day.

“This is the constitution of Malaysia, not Malaya. We must stop the problematic sentiments between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak that has gone on for too long.”

The former minister said that references to Malaya’s independence should be kept in the history books.

“What we want is to move forward and the future is Malaysia Day. I’m suggesting this so that the MPs from Borneo do not keep raising this,” he added.

Earlier today, the government had tabled four constitutional amendments, aimed at restoring the positions of Sabah and Sarawak.

The amendments are to redefine Sabah and Sarawak as separate territories instead of states, recognise Malaysia Day as the formation day for Malaysia, and redefine the meanings of Federation and “natives” in Sarawak.

The Federal Constitution of Malaya was introduced on August 31, 1957 in line with independence and there are more than 50 references to Merdeka Day pertaining to rights and privileges, citizenship and land issues. – December 14, 2021.