Independence Square (Kuala Lumpur)

Coordinates: 3°08′52″N 101°41′37″E / 3.147749°N 101.693497°E / 3.147749; 101.693497
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur
)
For other places with the same name, see Merdeka Square.

Independence Square
Selangor Club
  • Selangor F.C.

    • Independence Square (

    Independence Day Parade
    .

    History

    A tall white flagpole with the Malayan flag.
    The flagpole in Independence Square

    In the early days of Kuala Lumpur, the Chinese and Malay communities settled along the east bank of the

    Selangor Club clubhouse was built at the present location in 1890 and the St Mary's Church
    was built in 1895.

    In 1897, the government offices were relocated from Bukit Aman to the

    Indo-Saracenic or Neo-Mughal style of architecture.[4] This building housed the Selangor State Secretariat and later the Supreme Court before the court was moved, and the building was left unused for a few years. It now houses the Ministry of Heritage, Culture and Arts.[5]

    As the Sultan Abdul Samad Building was designed and its construction began before Kuala Lumpur became the capital of the Federated Malay States, it became inadequate for the use of a burgeoning bureaucracy when it was made the capital. Many buildings were then constructed near to the building and also around the Padang. A printing office was constructed in 1899 on the southwest corner of the Padang, the town hall to the northeast in 1904, the FMS Railway offices to the southeast in 1905, the General Post Office south of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building in 1907, the Survey Department building in 1910 and the Supreme Court in 1915 in the northeast area.[6]

    On the midnight of 30 August 1957, the British flag was lowered and the Malayan flag was raised for the first time at the Padang, an event watched by a large number of people there.

    Merdeka Stadium
    .

    As the Padang is located in front of the government offices, it is used for many national and civic events. The Padang was once leased to the

    Selangor Club which used it for various sports such as cricket and rugby. The turf in the Padang is often damaged due to such sporting events held here, causing the public to refrain from visiting the site.[8] In 1987, the Padang was taken back by City Hall and in return, the Selangor Club was given a piece of land in Bukit Kiara.[9] Conversely, the government turned the Padang into a historical park and tourist attraction, naming the site Dataran Merdeka, with elements inspired from Trafalgar Square in London. The focal point of the site was the flag pole where the British flag was lowered marking the end of the colonial era in Malaysia. The site was planned to be completed for the CHOGM
    held in 1989. [8] A separate underground car park was also planned, but not part of the Dataran Merdeka proposal.[8]

    The 'Padang' was renamed 'Dataran Merdeka' or Independence Square in October 1989.

    Visit Malaysia Year 1990
    campaign beginning 1 January 1990.

    On 31 August 2007,

    Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi shouted 'Merdeka!' on midnight celebrations, where thousands of Malaysians celebrated 50 years of nationhood.[10]

    Notable buildings and features

    Panorama of buildings around the Independence Square

    A 95-metre flagpole, one of the tallest in the world, is located at the southern end of the square.[11] A flat, round black marble plaque marks the location where the Malayan flag was raised for the first time. Near the flagpole at the corner of the Padang is a fountain, the Cop's Fountain, built in 1897 as a memorial to Steve Harper, a popular police inspector.[12] A car park and retail area, the Plaza Putra which was later renamed Plaza Dataran Merdeka, was built beneath the Independence Square; however, the location had been affected by flooding.[13]

    Surrounding the square are many buildings of historical interest. Just beside the square is the

    KL Sentral in 2001.[14]

    Activities

    Independence Square is the usual venue for the annual

    Independence Day Parade. It is frequently used as the location for political rallies as well as other events. Independence Square was the starting line of The Amazing Race Asia 1
    .

    Transportation

    The square is accessible within walking distance west of

    Masjid Jamek LRT Station
    .

    Gallery

    • Independence Square at night
      Independence Square at night
    • The flagpole at night
      The flagpole at night
    • A plaque at the Independence Square
      A plaque at the Independence Square
    • Cop's Fountain
      Cop's Fountain
    • One of the utility box arts found near Independence Square.
      One of the utility box arts found near Independence Square.
    • The flagpole at daytime.
      The flagpole at daytime.

    See also

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dataran Merdeka.

    References

    1. ^
      ISBN 978-967-908-028-5
      .
    2. ^ "Sultan Abdul Samad Building". Dewan Budaya USM. Pusat Pengajian Seni, Universiti Sains Malaysia. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
    3. ISBN 9789814435390
      .
    4. JSTOR 41493197
      .
    5. ^ a b "Dataran Merdeka". welcome-kl.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
    6. ISBN 9789679948158
      .
    7. ^
      ISBN 9789814435390
      .
    8. ^ a b c "Selangor Club field to become a park". The Straits Times. 11 November 1987. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
    9. ^ Debbie Chan (31 August 2006). "So closely linked to birth of a nation" (PDF). The Star. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2007.
    10. ^ BBC NEWS, Malaysia marks 50 years as nation
    11. ^ "Dataran Merdeka Flagpole". SkyscraperPage. Retrieved 30 March 2006.
    12. ISBN 978-9679948158
      .
    13. ^ "Plaza Dataran Merdeka, neither dead nor alive". Astro Awani. 7 September 2014.
    14. ^ "KL Sentral". KL Sentral. Retrieved 15 July 2012.

    3°08′52″N 101°41′37″E / 3.147749°N 101.693497°E / 3.147749; 101.693497

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