The anthem was previously known in Malaya and Indonesia as a popular song entitled "Terang Bulan" (Moonlight), which has since been banned from being performed. In addition to the national anthem, there are also thirteen state anthems.
The Malaysian National Anthem, an adaptation of the Perak State Anthem, has special links to Sultan Abdullah of Perak who was exiled to the Seychelles by the British colonialists following the assassination of the state's first British Resident (J.W.W Birch) in 1876.
The Anthem was selected by a special committee headed by Malaysia's first Prime Minister, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj. Initially, a world-wide contest was held for the composition of a national anthem for the infant Federation of Malaya, but none of the entries including those from distinguished composers of international standing were found suitable.
The final selection, in a ceremony at the Police Depot in Kuala Lumpur on 5 August 1957, favoured the Perak State Anthem on account of its traditional flavour and melody. With the formation of Malaysia on September 16, 1963, it was adopted as the National Anthem of Malaysia.
On April 4, 1968, the National Language Act which makes any act of disrespect towards the National Anthem a punishable offence was gazetted. The honour of performing the National Anthem is restricted to designated individuals only. During the 1992 National Day celebrations, the National Anthem was given a faster beat to signal the dynamic progress of the nation.
The lyrics of Malaysian national anthem, Negaraku (My Country, in English):
Negaraku
Tanah tumpahnya darahku,
Rakyat hidup bersatu dan maju,
Rahmat bahagia Tuhan kurniakan,
Raja kita selamat bertakhta,
Rahmat bahagia Tuhan kurniakan,
Raja kita selamat bertakhta.
The meaning of Malaysian National Anthem translated in English will be:
My country
The land where my blood is split,
The people live united and progressive,
May God bestow blessing and happiness,
May our Ruler have a successful reign,
May God bestow blessing and happiness,
May our Ruler have a successful reign,