August 31 is Merdeka Day, the national independence day, in Malaysia. It celebrates the proclamation on August 31, 1957 that gave the Federation of Malaya independence from Britain. It wouldn’t be until 1963 (and the breaking off of Singapore into a separate state) before Malaysia, the country, would come into being.
Merdeka Day is celebrated with parades, music, and the showing of the flag. Above is the 2008 celebration in downtown Kuala Lumpur.
Whether Malaysia is as free as it could be is open to debate. Read more about this on b5media’s blog about Malaysia, “The Kuala Lumpur Traveler.”