Just what is Merdeka? Five ads try to tell you what it means to be Malaysian today


KUALA LUMPUR, August 31 — Annual Merdeka advertisements were once minor events in and of themselves, when a handful of state-linked firms would fund these mini movies to prod Malaysians towards self-reflection each national day.

From the late Yasmin Ahmad’s seminal “Tan Hong Ming in Love” that she produced for Petronas in 2007, to more recent efforts such as Celcom Bhd’s “Bahagia Kita” (2022), each has made Malaysians pause and consider what Merdeka holds for them.

For this year’s 67th Merdeka, more companies have again put out their interpretations about the state of the country today.

From those inspired by real-life events to a music video, here is a selection of five themed advertisements to start your celebrations of the 67th Merdeka Day.

Tune Talk Merdeka 2024: #TTJIWAMERDEKA

First on the list is Tune Talk Merdeka 2024: #TTJIWAMERDEKA, which seeks to highlight Malaysians’ enduring pride in and devotion to their country, and the aspects that unite us — sports, food, and seeing our fellow Malaysians’ success on the global stage — regardless of our differences.

The 88-second video also includes a couple of nods to recent events that displayed this unity, such as national footballer Faisal Halim’s goal against South Korea during the AFC Asian Cup 2023 match and the controversy over a claim online that Sarawak laksa tasted like jamu, an Indonesian medicinal concoction.

Maxis’s Budi Pekerti

This effort from Maxis draws inspiration from the 62nd Merdeka in 2019, when a Malaysian man made the news after he spent hours picking up litter left by those who attended the celebrations that year at the KLCC.

Then, Aiman Ariffin single handedly took on the daunting task of cleaning the waste of thousands of Malaysians after the celebration and had shared his experience via his social media at that time.

Bersama Satu Suara by MR.DIY ft. Alif Satar & The Locos, Jaclyn Victor, Priscilla Abby

Home improvement retailer MR.DIY has joined in the fun this year with its first foray into the genre, launching a music video titled Bersama Satu Suara featuring performers Jaclyn Victor, Priscilla Abby, and Alif Satar & The Locos.

The three-minute music video attempts to depict the country’s multiculturalism by depicting elements of three largest ethnic groups as well as popular tourist destinations.

Etiqa’s Gelombang

As for Etiqa’s ‘Gelombang’ short film featuring local actress Qasrina Karim, the message is the importance and impact of supporting local businesses and communities through domestic tourism, told through the lens of Pangkor girl returning home to pay it forward.

Air Selangor’s Pilihan Raya Terhangat

Lastly is Air Selangor’s short film titled Pilihan Raya Terhangat, about a three students taking part in spicy food challenge to be the head student.

However, they ended up learning a valuable lesson about supporting one another despite being competitors.

And because it would have been unfair to this in the beginning, here is Yasmin Ahmad’s multi-award-winning “Tan Hong Ming in love” to round out your Merdeka morning.

Happy 67th Merdeka Day, Malaysia.



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