# Merdeka Stadium Opens (30 August 1957)

URL: https://allhistories.com/malaysia/timeline/1957-merdeka-stadium-opens
Location: Kuala Lumpur
Themes: Constitution, Independence

Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur held its opening ceremony on 30 August 1957. Building began on 25 September 1956, with completion recorded on 21 August 1957. The venue was constructed to stage the independence proclamation, and its floodlight towers and cantilevered roof shells set records when it opened. The government of the Federation wished the handover ceremony to take place in a national venue instead of a colonial parade ground. The Public Works Department designed it under the prime minister's direction, using prestressed concrete techniques that were advanced for the region at the time. The stadium hosted the independence proclamation next day, the 1963 Malaysia proclamation, the Merdeka football tournament and several regional games. After the Bukit Jalil national stadium opened in 1998 it lost its main ceremonial role. It was gazetted a national heritage building in 2003 and restored between 2007 and 2009. At this point in the timeline (1957), the Federation of Malaya was governed by Donald MacGillivray, last British high commissioner of the Federation of Malaya (31 May 1954 – 31 August 1957), while Chief Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman (1 August 1955 – 31 August 1957) headed the elected government. Other contemporary rulers included Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah of Selangor (14 September 1945 – 1 September 1960), Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan (1933 – 1 April 1960) and Sultan Abu Bakar of Pahang (1932 – 7 May 1974).

## Why it matters
The stadium staged both the 1957 independence and 1963 Malaysia proclamations and became a lasting symbol of the national story.

Ruler at the Time: [Donald MacGillivray](https://allhistories.com/malaysia/rulers/donald-macgillivray)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Stadium Merdeka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stadium_Merdeka)
- [Wikipedia — Independence of Malaya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_of_Malaya)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Kuala Lumpur](https://www.britannica.com/place/Kuala-Lumpur)