As a child in secondary school, more than half a century ago, I used to participate in national events, like Hari Merdeka.
It used to be a big day for us school-going children, because it was a great celebration. Our school would be decorated with Malaysian flags, we would sing the national anthem Negaraku, and recite the Rukun Negara, especially during assemblies.
Our teachers would ask who could participate, and among ourselves and friends, we would each volunteer. For some of us who were in the Girl Guides and other activities, we may not have had a choice because the leader would tell us that we had to represent our school.
Merdeka Day was often celebrated in the local stadium. If we were attending the stadium event, we had to first learn how to march for our team.
On the day itself, we wore our blue Girl Guide uniforms, complete with all the regalia of badges, tie, whistle, cap, and various little accoutrements. We also had to be clean and smart.
Our training took place weeks before the actual event. We used to have some male recruits from the army teaching us girls how to march in the field. This sometimes distracted the more matured girls, but the young recruits were often too shy or embarrassed to say anything.
They would teach us how to march – “Left, Left, Left, Right, Left”. We also learnt how to march on the spot, turn our heads to the left or right, and then march again.
On Merdeka Day itself, other students did not have to go to school, but those taking part in the parade had to present themselves at the stadium. We would hop on the public transport – the bus – to get to our destination.
In those days, the buses were not air-conditioned, and the roads were bumpy and dusty. But we never complained.
The lucky ones, myself included, got to cycle. I would ride to my friend Siti Zarina’s house in Jalan Pegawai, Alor Setar in Kedah. Her dad would then drive us to the stadium.
There would be many stalls outside the stadium selling different kinds of food, like ice-cream, cordial drinks, ice balls, ais kacang, and some jeruk.
The car parks would be filled with so many bicycles, motorbikes, cars, and buses. Merdeka is an important day for almost everyone. There were policemen, soldiers, patrol cars, flags, and all sorts of vehicles. There were so many people inside and outside of the stadium too, but never once did we worry about becoming lost or being kidnapped. Our parents just accepted that we were participating in a school event, and our teachers just trusted that we Girl Guides would be trustworthy and reliable enough not to get into mischief.
Of course, it was huru hara (chaotic) at the stadium. There were so many teams of people representing different organisations – men, women, young, old, teenagers, adults, and from different ethnicities and different ages, but we hardly ever saw these differences.
As school-going children, we were just proud to be a part of the celebrations. The interaction was absolutely dynamic because you met so many different people!
The day would start as early as 7am, but it would be very hot at the stadium, which was located in Jalan Sultanah, Alor Setar.
When we arrived, we would search for one another physically, since there were no mobile phones back then. We would then group ourselves together until our leader arrived.
It was absolutely hot at the stadium since there were no trees to provide shade. I believe we also carried our own water in those days since we were not exposed to bottled water yet.
There were some snacks offered to us, but only at the end of the event. As the day began, there were many announcements, different voices, much talking, then stillness for a while, followed by waving, marching, clapping, and cheering. Music would also fill the air from time to time. The day may be hot and hectic, but everyone was in a festive mood.
After the event, there was always a free ticket to go to the cinemas for a free movie. All of us would throng to the cinema, giggling, talking, laughing, and making silly jokes amongst ourselves. I cannot remember what movie we watched, but we often went to Cathay, located in Jalan Langgar.
Today, that cinema no longer exists. The stadium still stands but it is different from before.
This is my recollection of Merdeka Day when I was young.
This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Twentytwo13.