The Nostalgic Merdeka Mural Of 2008

This is the Merdeka Mural 2008. It shows Tunku Abdul Rahman, our 1st Prime Minister at the centre of the mural with the flag of Malaysia behind him proudly proclaiming Merdeka. 

The mural measures 244 x 122 x 5cm so its pretty big and it is from the collection of Dato’ Yap Lin Sen of IGB Group who commissioned artists Shen Jiawei, Wang Lan and Wang Xu to create.

I have segregated it into 4 parts though i am told it was done over 12 panels.

This first part portrays Malaya before Merdeka and the image and characters of the time eg Malacca, Francis Light, Pangkor Treaty, FMS, WWII, Japanese invasion and Sybil Kathigasu - a heroine from Papan, Perak.

This is second part ... can't recognise all the personalities, probably the first Cabinet except for Brother Ultan Paul of St Michaels Institution ( another personality from Perak) and .....

....still on the 2nd part  .... our 1st Prime Minister Tungku Abdul Rahman doing the Joget  .... this was how old Malaysia used to be...ahhh memories.

This third part has Lee Kuan Yew and David Marshall (on the left) with Tun Razak and Tun Dr Ismail below him depicting the split from Singapore and then rise of the arts, Sudirman and professional personalities Ungku Abdul Aziz and Sultan Azlan Shah in sports attire and Raja Nazrin Shah (again Perak personalities) ....

This 4th part shows the progress of Malaysia through its sports men and women, Mokhtar Dahari, Nicole David, its business entrepreneurs Vincent Tan and Francis Yeoh and its artists like Yasmin Yussof and Ramli Ibrahim .... isn't that Sai Baba .... they are all included.

It is a very well thought out and interesting mural because it includes a lot of individuals and personalities who helped shape the country long before Merdeka and after until 2008. 

But looking at it now in 2019 goes well beyond and tells of the challenges ahead.

Selamat Hari Merdeka Malaysia.

JAG