WHEN I first started gigging in Kuala Lumpur in the early 2000s, Merdeka eve was pretty much THE party time in the capital city.

I would have to head downtown early, at least by 5pm latest, to avoid the traffic and make it in time for soundcheck.

A soundcheck is, if you don’t know already, when musicians test out a venue’s sound system, their equipment and the appropriate sound level and mixing for optimal live sound for the best audience experience with the sound person. 

Yes, musicians don’t just saunter fashionably late onstage and magic happens – these are the unseen time spent by musicians and their crew before showtime that general audiences don’t know about. 

Back to the gigging, the reason why Merdeka eve was the ultimate party in KL back then was because, yes you guessed it, Malaysia Day was not celebrated and not a public holiday. 

Hence, patriotic revellers had to maximise this one opportunity – one night of merrymaking and one day of recovery on Merdeka day itself – in order to extricate themselves from the drudgery of work and labour, although for some like us musicians, it is a working day (and night).

Now that Merdeka revelry has been evenly spread out during the two-week span leading to Malaysia Day – which conveniently falls on a weekend this year – a patriot can now proverbially stretch their ringgit further and vary the types of activity to usher in this meaningful season of our nation. 

Here are five things I can recommend you to do on this Merdeka eve.

Go to a gig

This will obviously be the first thing I would recommend since I’m a gigging musician.

Going to a gig is better than going to a nightclub or large concert because it’s more intimate and it tends to be at an indoor venue (less prone to the unpredictable weather of late).

Of course, we’re still in the transition to the endemic phase so you may or may not wish to wear a mask but generally speaking, people have been very compliant with maintaining their hygiene and distance from recent gigs I’ve played at.

If there’s one Merdeka eve gig you should check out, go to this one https://peatix.com/event/3671455/view in Petaling Jaya because chances are the traffic won’t be as bad as downtown KL.

Go to a state Merdeka parade

While the National Day parade often gets the limelight, state Merdeka parades are more homely affairs that aren’t a big headache to get to in terms of logistics.

It’s also imbued with some regional pride, a unique experience if you wish to bring visitors from abroad, compared with the broader strokes of the larger National Day parade.

Travel and holiday locally

Merdeka falls on a Thursday this year so I’m inclined to assume a vast majority of Malaysians would apply for their annual leave the day after to extend it into a four-day long holiday. 

Nothing beats being a tourist in your own country. You discover so much more about your own backyard and like me, would recommend my friends and acquaintances to the local digs while also feeling you’ve contributed to the local economy.

A fair warning though: be ready for a crawl on the highways, especially the North-South PLUS Highway. Plan your trip ahead if you haven’t already.

Staycation

Alternatively, you can just stay put in your town or city and treat yourself and your family to holiday in your own neighbourhood.

I love staycations. It’s affordable and there’s no traveling hassle aside from maybe some local traffic – it sure beats the madness of catching a budget airline flight (and sometimes the frequent delays). 

Staycations also remind ourselves that going on a holiday is really a state of mind rather than just a physical escapade to a different place overseas. Staycations is also good branding for the country – Malaysians love Malaysia. Also, you already know firsthand the best places to eat in town.

Stay at home

My last suggestion is my favourite, which I was able to indulge in occasionally since Merdeka eve gigs were slowed down for me a bit just before the pandemic as more festivities started to coalesce during Malaysia Day since its recognition in 2010.

During the pandemic, I did virtual streaming shows from the comfort of my home, so technically I was still staying at home since we didn’t really have a choice.

As aforementioned, since Malaysia Day now is perceived as the more inclusive celebration (and that we have to be more frugal without wallets and purses nowadays), staying home on Merdeka eve isn’t necessarily a bad thing. – August 25, 2023.

* Azmyl Yunor is a touring underground recording artiste, and an academic in media and cultural studies. He has published articles on pop culture, subcultures and Malaysian cultural politics. He adheres to the three-chords-and-the-truth school of songwriting, and Woody Guthrie’s maxim “All you can write is what you see”. He is @azmyl on Twitter.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.