Merdeka

[1] The term was used by the anti-colonialist and pro-independence movements in the colonial territories of the Dutch East Indies, British Malaya, and the Straits Settlements.

During the 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!"

Tunku Abdul Rahman, later the inaugural Malaysian Prime Minister, declared Malayan independence in 1957 with seven shouts of "Merdeka".

[6][better source needed] In the context of Singapore, Merdeka usually refers to the gaining of self-rule and self-government from the United Kingdom in the 1950s, as 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 1962 national referendum.

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.

This seemed to satisfy Marshall initially, but the negotiation later broke down when the British refused to turn over internal security to the local government.

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.

[7] 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.

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 of 1959, but the Labour Front lost as Lim's harsh techniques had alienated large portions of the electorate.

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.