Artist's Impression of the Pemahsyuran Malaysia (Declaration of Malaysia)

PEMAHSYURAN

by Johan Ishak

2013

60cm x 90cm

Oil Paint and Ink on Canvas 

This art piece highlights the Pemahsyuran Malaysia, which is the Declaration of Malaysia, where it declares the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Whilst the Wayang Kulit (Shadow Puppet) in this piece is of Indonesian origin, it has relevance to the declaration of the formation of Malaysia. This is because Indonesia was opposed to the idea of Malaysia as they were promoting their own idea of a Malay archipelago, known as the Indonesia Raya. The Pemahsyuran Malaysia was written in Jawi, the land's method of expressing its language, Bahasa Melayu. Parts of the Jawi wordings of the Pemahsyuran Malaysia has been reproduced here in the art piece. It reads: "Bahawasanya, oleh kerana suatu perjanjian yang diperbuat pada sembilan Julai, tahun seribu sembilan ratus enam puluh tiga (1963), disekutukan Negeri Sabah, Negeri Sarawak, Negeri Singapura dengan Persekutuan Tanah Melayu dan bahawa persekutuan ini hendaklah dinamakan Malaysia", which means "It is declared following an agreement done on the 9th of July 1963, a merger of the states of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapura into the Federated Malay States is effective and such merged states shall be known as Malaysia"