Malaysia is one of the federal constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. It was part of British territories in the olden days which were known as Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak before there were unite. It was ‘Him’, who led the people for the road to independence. Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah or better known as the Father of Independence is the one who form Malaysia. Since then, Malaysian celebrating our independence day on 31st August every year to remind and respect the joyful and historical moment.
He is the Father of Independence as well as the Father of Malaysia. The intended message of this picture is very obvious towards every Malaysian as nostalgia when Malaysia was first celebrating our Independence Day during 1957. The word ‘Merdeka’ (Independence) had bring a lot of messages to every Malaysian; rather than independent, Malaysian do felt the freedom as we are not being rule by British colonial since 1957. ‘Merdeka’ meant a lot to every Malaysian as the moment we get our freedom and independence country. The government and politicians do have their point of view of what ‘Merdeka’ mean to them. They could felt the power or authority in the government that being claimed by the community, which are the people. Sovereignty means a lot as the status, dominion and power of the leadership as well as royalty.
According to this picture of Tunku abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, we can see the dress code of Him wearing a local military uniform with a sarong around His waist with a pair of Kris and a Malay tengkolok on His head. It is representing a leadership and royalty with that appearance. The denotation, which is the basic and literal meaning of this dress code, signifies as a leader, the one who lead our country Malaysia. It has already being recognized by every Malaysian until now. Besides that, the connotation which is the cultural meaning of the dress code resembling Malay traditional costume as well as royalty.
He showing his hand with open palms in which the palms is pointing outwards to the audience and his hand raise up high. Then He is shouting to the crowd announcing ‘Merdeka’ (Independence). It is this photograph of Him raising his hand with His emotional but determined voice that leading the crowds have become a familiar and recognize icon of independence in Malaysia.
Metonymy is a term for the connotation in which one sign is substituted for another meaning in which it is closely associated. In the picture, we can see the hand gesture of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj resembles ‘Merdeka’ in Malaysia by the political leader during Independence Day. The Prime Minister of Malaysia follows the hand gesture every year during Independence Days to lead the cheers and celebrating the day. According to our research, the hand gesture means the person are confident and swearing to the audience the importance of the messages he is delivering. It shows that during the time, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj is confident and tells everyone that participating, that they are going to gain their freedom and independence. Moreover, we have been thought that to raise our hand when we know how to answer a question or when we got something to speak out loud. Therefore, the gesture of a person is important to tell everyone what He is going to do with instead of just to speak out the words loud.
Moreover, we can recognize different kind of signs in the picture of Tunku Abdul Rahamn Putra Al-Haj. Every sign have two aspects mainly signifier and signified. The signifier is the thing that signifies while signified is the concept that the signifier is referring to. The relation between them both is purely culturally specific and conventional. Hence, the word ‘Merdeka’ in the scene is a symbolic signs to every Malaysian. It is because the meaning is conventional and people never doubt that the meaning to be that way.
The whole figure of Tunku Abdul Rahman Al-Haj in this picture resembling ‘Merdeka’(independence). It is an iconic signs towards Malaysian and throughout the world, who use to study and understand about Malaysia history before. Icons defines that the signifier is not totally based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system but resembles the signified in a way. Since the photograph of Him being so famous not just in Malaysia but to anyone, who get to known Him, He has become an icon for our Malaysia Independence.
Index sign refers to the signified that affect the signifier. A simple example would be dirt signifies dust in which the dust causing dirt. Refer back to the image of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, His hand gesture and his voice that shouting the words ‘Merdeka’ signifies himself. It means that whenever Malaysian saw a person or more likely to be our political leader, especially doing the same hand gesture and shouting ‘Merdeka’ during our Independence Day would remind us of how Malaysia was first being independence leading by our First Prime Minister, the Father of Independence.
In our own point of view, the denotation of the image is cleared and simple to be understood by every Malaysian as the moments of joyful and historical being so nostalgia to every new generation. The message is clear showing how we achieve our independence during the day.
Besides that, our opinion of the connotation meaning of the whole image do resembles a lot of signified about its cultural meaning. Rather than its meaning of independence, it also shows that our own nations are being unite as a multiracial country with our own cultural different from other countries. It is because every political leader representing different races took part and negotiates with the British colonial with Tunku Abdul Rahman during 1957. It also shows out the meaning of our own Malay royalty and sovereignty in our politics that brings up the whole Malaysia and the nations.
Hence, the picutre of Tunku Abdul Rahman raised up His hand and shouted out the ‘Merdeka” words three times with His emotional voice and follow by the cheers of the crowd have become a familiar icon for every Malaysian. This picture had been use for most of the history text book when it came to the topic of Malaysia Independent day. Moreover, children are being educated from young by this picture to know more deeply about the Independent day of Malaysia. Thus, the meaning of the photographs will not change over time, it has been use as a teaching material to let student to remember this moment and study about Tunku Abdul Rahaman as the Father of Independence as well as the Father of Malaysia and more over the picture will still be the same and remain a strong meaning towards independent to every Malaysian. In fact, it had become an important part of the history of Malaysia and from that moment on, Tunku Abdul Rahman had become an icon of Malaysia Independence to every Malaysian. It is a memorable moment to every Malaysian. More over the meaning of ‘Merdeka’ will not change over time for every Malaysian, it has become an iconic signs and even throughout the world.
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