#What day is it today? August 31st is the day the Federation of Malaya gained independence from Britain | TRANSIT

Today, August 31st, is the day that the Federation of Malaya declared independence from Britain. On this day in 1957, “British Malaya” became the “Federation of Malaya.”

©︎manhhai

The Federation of Malaya refers to the region of the Malay Peninsula where the indigenous Malays, Chinese, and Indians lived. The British had been pursuing colonial policies on the Malay Peninsula since the early 19th century. In 1895, the Federated States of Malay was established, and the entire Malay Peninsula was under British occupation until after World War I.

However, during World War II, the Malay Peninsula was occupied by the Japanese army from 1942 until the end of the war in 1945. After that, the British ruled it again and it became “British Malaya.”

©︎Nathan Hughes Hamilton

British rule continued after that, but a turning point came soon after. In 1955, an election was held to decide an independent government. The people of three different countries, Malays, Chinese, and Indians, began to cooperate with each other and aim for independence from Britain.

And today in 1957, the Federation of Malaya achieved independence from Britain. Independence was achieved without bloodshed, through talks with Britain alone. Perhaps we should learn that some problems can be resolved through dialogue.

©︎JaseMan