Independence Obelisk

Independence Obelisk
Located in Padang Pahlawan, the obelisk with the alphabet "M" which stands for Merdeka which means Independence signifies the place where the last British Resident Commissioner of Malacca, H.G. Hammet handed over the instrument of independence to the first local Governor of Malacca, Tun Leong Yew Koh, on 31st August 1957. On this very field with more than 50,000 locals welcomed Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al Haj(the first Prime Minister) and his entourage on the 20th February 1956 on their return from England after successfully negotiating for Independance from the British. In this field the joyous shouts of "Merdeka" was heard and holding a banner "Dibawah runtuhan Kota Melaka kita dirikan negara baru" which means "Within the ruins of the Fort of Malacca we form a new nation". One and a half years later the triumphant shouts of "Merdeka" were heard again in the Federal Capital, Kuala Lumpur..