Did You Know How Negaraku Came To Be & What The National Anthem Means?

The creation of Malaysia’s national anthem Negaraku was a group effort and it went through several updates

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Malaysia’s national anthem, Negaraku, has been sung for generations in schools daily and at formal events in the country. However, have you ever wondered how the song came about and appreciated the meaning of the lyrics?

Here’s how it all began.

At the time of independence, our forefathers quickly realised we did not have a national anthem for the whole Federation. Before independence, people were singing God Save the Queen, the colonial anthem.

A committee was formed and a search for the national anthem ensued. A worldwide competition was held where all 514 entries were rejected and deemed unsuitable.

Renowned composers were also invited to give it a whirl. The chosen composers included:

Benjamin Brittten, an English composer who described his submission to be a ‘’curious and I’m afraid rather unsuccessful job.’’
Sir William Walton, who composed the march for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953
Gian Carlo Menotti, a US opera composer
Zubir Said, who later composed Majulah Singapura, Singapore’s national anthem

TLDR: None of their works made the cut either.

Delegates of the Merdeka Mission to London to negotiate the Independence of Malaya, led by Tunku Abdul Rahman. (Credit: Perdana Leadership Foundation/Facebook)

So, how did we end up with a song after all? Tunku Abdul Rahman, the then Chief Minister and Minister of Home Affairs, suggested using the Perak state anthem as the basis for the new national anthem.

On 5 August 1957, the committee agreed to choose the Perak state anthem for the ‘’traditional flavour’’ of its melody.

The lyrics were written jointly by the Panel of Judges, led by Tunku himself.

Interestingly, the melody of the song was also the melody of a popular song called Terang Bulan. Terang Bulan was popular in the island on Mahe in the Seychelles, where the Sultan of Perak had formerly lived in exile.

There’s a funny story attached to the origins of the Perak state anthem as well. When Sultan Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah, who ruled Perak from 1887 to 1916, represented the Rulers of the Federated Malay States at the Coronation of King Edward VII in 1901, a protocol officer asked about his state anthem.

Right on the spot, he hummed the Terang Bulan tune despite Perak not having a state anthem at the time so not to appear backwards in front of his hosts.

The Negaraku song has gone through some iterations such as a faster march beat in 1992 but it didn’t stick because it was unpopular among the public. The faster beat apparently made Negaraku sound like circus music.

However, recent comments in the YouTube video below showed that some people preferred the faster version for its livelier and jazzier sound.

In July 2003, Negaraku went through another rearrangement and the title and incipit would be changed from ‘’Negaraku’’ to ‘’Malaysiaku’’ (My Malaysia).

After an uproar over the change, the title remained the same, but the anthem was rearranged and returned to its pre-1992 signature by composer Datuk Wah Idris.

The Negaraku went through a few rounds of updates before settling on the version we have today.

A look over the lyrics

Negaraku,
Tanah tumpahnya darahku,
Rakyat hidup,
Bersatu dan maju!

Rahmat bahagia,
Tuhan kurniakan,
Raja kita,
Selamat bertakhta!

The song Negaraku (My Country) describes Malaysia as a place where people live united in a progressive society. It also highlights the people’s loyalty to the King and country. The song ends with a blessing for the nation to remain safe, peaceful, and sovereign forever.

The melody of the song is popular and has been used in several songs like Mamula Moon (1930s), I Shall Return by Anne Shelton in the late 1940s, and Malayan Moon by Paul Lombard and His Orchestra in 1952.

The melody can also be found in three other songs: The Cantonese love song called “花月明” (Hua Yue Ming) – “Bright Flower Moon” – and a Mandarin romantic ballad titled “南海月夜” (Nan Hai Yue Ye) – “South Sea Moonlit Night.”

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