Whether Aug 31 or Sept 16 is more important than the other should not be a knotty problem or get Malaysians heated up. Those two dates should be cherished by Malaysians for they provide constant reminders how far the nation has progressed over the years.

Why not celebrate from Aug 31 till Sept 16?

It may be appropriate for Malaysians to consider using this slightly more than a fortnight's period to celebrate and reflect on areas to strengthen the nation and chart its future development.

If one were to examine the recent 57th Merdeka celebrations on Aug 31, a lot of new ground was covered despite the many challenges faced by the organisers.

First of all, it was uncertain how much or how appropriate that the celebrations be conducted in the aftermath of the sombre mood of the nation following the two air tragedies that befell Malaysia Airlines' MH370 and MH17.

After it was decided that the spirit of Merdeka should never be eclipsed no matter how daunting the nation's challenges were, the organisers worked feverishly to ensure that the celebrations were worthy of the significance and symbolism that they carried.

And what a stunning result it was as close to 400,000 people thronged Dataran Merdeka on the morning of Aug 31 to watch the National Day parade, a display of patriotism, solidarity and progress.

The fact that there were more children than in the previous years augurs well for the future. But it could be due to the fact that this was due to the pull factors of Upin & Ipin, the popular twin brothers characters from the locally-produced animated cartoon series.

Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek made the decision to include Upin & Ipin to showcase the progress made by Malaysia's creative arts and to inspire more efforts in this area.

It was a step in the right direction as Upin & Ipin were also the embodiment of the 1Malaysia spirit. Besides the twin brothers, the other multi-ethnic characters include Meimei, Susanti, Jarjit, Devi, Ah Tong, Uncle Muthu, Kak Ros, Fizi, Opah, Ijat, D'zul, MIl, Ehsan, Cikgu Jasmin, Cikgu Mel, Cikgu Besar, Tok Dalang, Abang Hamzah, Abang Salleh and Abang Tiger.

Not to be forgotten was the use of a mini airship that featured the iconic image of Malaysia's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, with his raised right hand leading the seven shouts of "Merdeka!" 57 years ago, to encircle Dataran Merdeka that morning.

It was a fitting inclusion appropriately summed up by National Film Development Corporation (Finas) deputy director-general Dr Megat Al-Imran Yasin, who said, "We want all Malaysians to feel Tunku's presence, what more with the significance of the number 57 as it is 57 years since the proclamation of independence on Aug 31, 1957."

If one were to add the attendance of people who came for the three-day Memori Chow Kit Road 2.0 performances at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, close to half a million people would have thronged that stretch of road from the shopping district to Dataran Merdeka during the Merdeka celebrations.

Which gives the organisers plenty to think about, in terms of better viewing and seating facilities, at Dataran Medeka for local and foreign visitors as well as merchandising items like T-shirts and caps in the years to come.

This year's celebrations were also a special tribute to Sudirman Arshad, the late singing lawyer, whose patriotic songs never failed to captivate the hearts of Malaysians. One of the lines in his haunting "Warisan" (penned by Syed Haron Ahmad) was chosen as the theme of this year's celebrations, "Di Sini Lahirnya Sebuah Cinta" (Here, Where Love Begins) and the creation of another equally catchy spin-off song composed by Sharon Paul and Ahmad Fedtri Yahya.

Ahmad Shabery, who is also the chairman of the National Day organising committee, said the choice of "Warisan" was to give greater depth and inspiration for the love of the nation, especially its meaningful lyrics.

Another new ground covered was the "live" presentation of the Amanat Merdeka by the prime minister. Usually pre-recorded and aired over Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) and other television and radio networks, this year's event was a departure from the norm.

National News Agency (Bernama), which was entrusted with hosting the event, had chosen Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman (DTAR) at the Malaysian Tourist Information Centre (Matic) in Jalan Ampang for its historic value as it was the venue of the country's first parliamentary sitting on Sept 12, 1959 and the installation of
five Yang Dipertuan Agong.

TV Malaysia, the forerunner of RTM, was launched on Jan 31, 1963 was also launched there.

In view of the ongoing renovations at DTAR, officials at Matic had earlier on advised that the event be held at the nearby Restoran Sri Saloma for safety considerations.

But Ahmad Shabery, after a last-minute inspection three days before the event, gave the go-ahead after some minor repair work was done to the ceiling near the stage.

He stressed that it was all the more significant for Amanat Merdeka be held at the landmark venue.

And it was there that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak gave three important pointers for Malaysians -- strengthening their solidarity and togetherness for a better 1Malaysia, enhancing their confidence for a brighter future, and bequeathing a prosperous Malaysia to future generations in the years
to come.

Someone remarked to the prime minister that although DTAR was chosen, Najib had made the occasion even better by the strength of his inspiring delivery.

The prime minister also took the opportunity to address the thoughts of some people as to when to celebrate Merdeka.

He said that in Peninsula Malaysia and Sabah, both attained independence on Aug 31 although there was a difference in years -- 1957 for the former and 1963 for the latter.

Najib said Malaysia was set to be formed on Aug 31, 1963 but the Cobbold Commission, the commission of enquiry set up to determine whether the people of Sabah and Sarawak supported the proposal, had to wait for verification from the United Nations, and hence the delay until Sept 16.

As Najib had declared Sept 16 to be a national holiday as well since 2010,

Malaysians should cherish the freedom to rejoice over two special dates -- Aug 31 and Sept 16. Merdeka! - Yong Soo Heong