Chapter 23: Merdeka
On the 31st August 1957, the Federation of Malaya finally gained Independence from British power.
Thousands of Malayans gathered to witness the event of the handover of power in the Royal Selangor club. Cries of Merdeka were shouted as the British Union Jack was lowered and the new Malaya Flag raised.
In the New Village, Haiyan and her family sat in front of their radio as they listened to the radio broadcast announcing their country’s independence and the speech that their new Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman gave.
Haixia and Haiyang raised the flags and waved excitedly in the air as they paraded in the living room. It was indeed a momentous event for their country.
Towards the end of 1957, the MCP had already significantly weakened due to the arrest of many of its members or sympathisers who were now either in jail or deported to China. They were hence no longer viewed as a big threat to the nation.
However, curfews and security measures were still in place in the New Village as the end of the Malayan Emergency had not yet been declared. For the residents, life continued as before, though there were whispers that the rules in the New Village might be lifted.
