MALAY LYRICS

Negara ku
Tanah tumpahnya darahku,
Rakyat hidup 
bersatu dan maju,
Rahmat bahagia
tuhan kurniakan,
Raja kita
selamat bertahta, 
Rahmat bahagia
tuhan kurniakan.
Raja kita
selamat bertakhta.

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ENGLISH TRANSLATION
 
My country, my native land.
The people living 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.

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Malaysia
"Negara Ku" (My Country)

Words by:collectively, led by Tunku Abdul Rahman
Music by:Pierre Jean de Beranger
Adopted:1957

Before independence in 1957, each of the (then) eleven states of Malaysia had
their own anthem (which they have retained to this day), but there was no
unifying anthem for the whole country. When independence was approaching, Tunku
Abdul Rahman, then the Chief Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (later
Malaysia's first prime minister), led a committee to select a new anthem.
Hundreds were recieved, but none were deemed suitable. Finally, the anthem for
the Malaysian state of Perak was considered, and the melody, due to its
"traditional flavour" was selected to be the melody for the new anthem.

In 1888 the Sultan of Perak was invited by Queen Victoria as a guest. When the
Sultan's aide was asked what the anthem of Perak was, so that it could be
played upon his formal arrival, the aide, not wanting to be embarrassed by
saying that Perak did not have an anthem, perhaps giving the impression that
his country was "backwards", proceeded to hum a favourite tune of his from the
Seychelles, which is believed to have been composed by Pierre Jean Beranger. It
was, therefore, from that moment on, the tune for the state anthem of Perak
(and later Malaysia).

After an Indonesian opera performed it in Singapore (at the time, part of
Malaysia), the tune became popular throughout all of Malaysia in the 1920s and
1930s as the love song "Terang Bulan" (Moonlight). ("Terang Bulan" is now
forbidden to be performed in Malaysia.)

Once the melody was selected, new lyrics had to be written for it. The panel of
judges charged with selecting a new anthem wrote the lyrics, with Tunku Abdul
Rahman leading the group.

Special thanks to:Zein al-A'bideen Ayyoubi for providing me with the sheet
music.
