| Tugu Negara توݢو نݢارا | |
|---|---|
| Malaysia | |
 | |
 | |
| For Malaysian military sacrifices during the struggle for freedom. | |
| Unveiled | February 8, 1966; 59 years ago (1966-02-08) |
| Location | 3°8′55.9″N101°41′1.8″E / 3.148861°N 101.683833°E /3.148861; 101.683833 near |
| Designed by | Felix de Weldon |
TheTugu Negara (Jawi:توݢو نݢارا) is a national monument that commemorates those who died inMalaysia's struggle for freedom, principally against theJapanese occupation duringWorld War II and theMalayan Emergency, which lasted from 1948 until 1960. It is located in the Federal capital,Kuala Lumpur. TheMalaysian Houses of Parliament is situated near the monument.
It is the world's tallestbronze freestanding sculpture grouping.[1] Until 2010, on 31 July onWarriors' Day, theYang di-Pertuan Agong, thePrime Minister, and the heads of theMalaysian Armed Forces and theRoyal Malaysia Police pay their respects to the fallen heroes by laying garlands at the monument. The display had long been frowned upon by localconservatives; likeminded ministers underNajib Razak's government in 2010 released a statement discouraging the practice while moving the venue for future commemorations of Warriors' Day since toMerdeka Square andNational Heroes Square.[2]
The predecessor of the Tugu Negara is aninterwar-eracenotaph originally erected by thecolonial British administration on a 10m flat grass-covered ground on a roundabout adjoining Victory Avenue (now part ofJalan Sultan Hishamuddin) and Raja Road, close to theKuala Lumpur Railway Station and Railway Administration Building. Originally intended to commemorate theGreat War (1914–1918) and honour those from theBritish Malayan colonies who were killed in the war, the cenotaph's inscription would later include fallen British Malayan soldiers ofWorld War II (1939–1945) after its and resumption of British rule. Names of the fallen are engraved on plaques of the cenotaph as a tribute to their sacrifices.
In 1964, the cenotaph was moved from its original location to the site of the National Monument inLake Gardens before a plannedflyover connectingJalan Sultan Hishamuddin and theParliament roundabout was constructed over the original site. The transfer of the cenotaph was done by dismantling the structure into catalogued parts, allowing it to be transported in pieces and reassembled at its new location. Following its move, inscriptions were added to include fallen soldiers from theMalayan Emergency (1948–1960) and aMalay translation in pre-1972Za'aba Spelling: "To Our Glorious Dead", "Untuk Mengingati Jasa Pahlawan-pahlawan Yang Gugor" ("To Remember the Service of Warriors Who Have Fallen").
The monument is depicted on several Malaysian 1 Ringgit banknotes issued between 1982 and 1989.[3][4]
The concept of a national monument was mooted by Malaysia's first Prime MinisterTunku Abdul Rahman, who was inspired by theMarine Corps War Memorial during his visit to the United States in October 1960, before personally meetingFelix de Weldon for a favour to design the monument.
Felix de Weldon contributed in creating Malaysia's Tugu Negara (National Monument). He also designed the Iwo Jima Memorial locatedat Arlington, Washington DC.
The Tugu Negara was completed and officially opened on 8 February 1966, byIsmail Nasiruddin of Terengganu, thenYang di-Pertuan Agong. It was proclaimed a memorial park dedicated to the 11,000 people who died during the 12-yearMalayan Emergency (1948–1960). Thereafter, a wreath-laying ceremony takes place at the monument every 31 July on Warriors Day. De Weldon was later conferred with the titleTan Sri, the Malaysian equivalent of a high-rankingknighthood.
On 27 August 1975, the monument suffered extensive damage due to an explosion set off by a communist guerrilla.[who?][specify][5] It has since been restored to its original state by a four-person team led by Australian sculptor andUniversiti Teknologi MARA lecturer, Christopher Carney.[6] The renovated statues were reunveiled on 11 May 1977.[7] A fence was then erected and the complex was declared a protected area between sunset and dawn. Every day at dawn, a soldier raises the national flag and lowers it at dusk.
In 2010, Religious Affairs Minister in the Prime Minister's DepartmentJamil Khir Baharom has stated the Warriors' Day commemoration service would be held elsewhere after Malaysia's National Fatwa Council guidelines declared the statues "un-Islamic" and potentially idolatrous. Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi added that a new "Warrior's Square" would be built in the country's administrative capitalPutrajaya. When asked why the decision was made only after almost four decades of celebrating Warriors' Day at the present site, Jamil evaded comment, saying "Alhamdulillah, we are serious in solving this issue".[8] A similar sentiment would later be echoed in September 2016 byHarussani Zakaria, aPerak-basedmufti, who declared that the construction of the monument had been a "big sin" and "idolatrous", because building monuments in the shape of humans washaram in Islam.[9]
Commissioned in 1963 and constructed in 1966, the sculpture that stands as a centrepiece of the monument is 15 meters (49.21 feet) tall, made of bronze and was designed byAustrian sculptorFelix de Weldon, who was also responsible for theMarine Corps War Memorial inVirginia, United States.
The sculpture depicts 7 figures, 5 of the figures (1. holding the Malaysian flag, 2. armed with a rifle and bayonet (left), 3. armed with a machine gun (right), 4. soldiers tending to fifth wounded compatriot) represents the victorious allied forces while the other 2 figures that lie on the ground represents that of the defeated communist forces.
Overall the monument depicts the victory of the forces of democracy, peace and freedom over that of communism.[citation needed] The sculpture was then cast at a foundry in Rome at a cost of RM600,000.
Each of the bronze figures symbolises leadership, suffering, unity, vigilance, strength, courage and sacrifice. The stones that the soldiers are standing on were imported from the small coastal city ofKarlshamn in south easternSweden.
The granite base of the sculpture bears the Malayan Coat of Arms, flanked on either side by inscriptions in English and also inMalay both in Latin script andJawi script:
Dedicated to the heroic fighters in the cause of peace and freedom,May the blessing of Allah be upon them
Jalan Tugu, originally known asCenotaph Road, refers to a road which was laid out following the completion of the cenotaph and adjoins the original cenotaph roundabout. The road was renamed to a direct Malay translation of the English name following a street renaming campaign during the 1960s, and continues to carry this name, as of 2013. The road runs parallel to theKuala Lumpur Railway Station, and is located opposite the Railway Administration Building andNational Mosque.
