3°8′20″N 101°42′2″E / 3.13889°N 101.70056°E
The Independence Stadium or Merdeka Stadium is a stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is known as the site of the formal declaration of independence of the Federation of Malaya on 31 August 1957. The stadium is also the site of the proclamation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963.
 Independence Stadium in 2007 | |
 | |
| Address | Jalan Stadium, Presint Merdeka 118, 50118 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur |
|---|---|
| Location | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Public transit |
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| Owner | Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) |
| Operator | The Merdeka Heritage Trust[1] |
| Capacity | 25,000 |
| Surface | Grass pitch, track |
| Scoreboard | Manual scoreboard |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 25 September 1956 |
| Opened | 30 August 1957 |
| Closed | 2016 |
| Reopened | 17 August 2024 |
| Construction cost | 2.3 million ringgit[2] |
| Architect | Stanley Edward Jewkes |
| Main contractors | K.C Boon and Cheah Co. Ltd. Lim Quee and Sons |
| Tenants | |
| Selangor (1957–1994) Malaysia national football team (1957–1998) | |
Currently owned by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), the stadium has a lower and an upper terrace, with a total capacity of 25,000. It has 14 tunnels entrance, a covered stand, 50 turnstiles and 4 floodlight towers.[3] The stadium was designed by American architect Stanley Jewkes, under the instruction of the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman. Upon its completion, the stadium holds the world record for the tallest prestressed floodlight towers and the biggest cantilever shell roofs. The stadium was the largest stadium in the Southeast Asia at the time of completion.[3]
The stadium was the principal venue in Kuala Lumpur for celebrations and sporting events until 1998 when the National Stadium was built for the 16th Commonwealth Games. Prior to that, the stadium was the home ground for the Malaysian national football team. The stadium witnessed the historic qualifying match of the 1980 Olympic Games, when the national football team last qualified the Olympic Games. However, due to the boycott against the Soviet Union led by the United States, the country did not participate in the final tournament. The stadium was also the venue for the Merdeka Tournament until 1995. Besides that, the stadium had hosted three out of the five Southeast Asian Games held in Kuala Lumpur. The stadium also hosted the fight between the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali and British boxer Joe Bugner in 1975, prior to the Thrilla in Manila.[4] In 1975, the stadium also hosted the Hockey World Cup final between Pakistan and India.
The stadium is currently a national heritage building.[5] In 2008, the Independence Stadium received the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for Excellence for Heritage Conservation owing to its cultural significance and embodiment of a unique independence declaration event.[6]
- ^ "Pemilik Stadium Merdeka sedia timbang permohonan" [Merdeka Stadium's owner ready to consider application]. Malaysiakini (in Malay). 25 April 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ "Malaysia stadium restored to glory". Dawn. Pakistan. 5 December 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Siri Pakejan Maklumat Bangunan Bersejarah: Stadium Merdeka" [Informations on Historical Buildings Package Series: Stadium Merdeka] (PDF). myrepositori.pnm.gov.my (in Malay). National Library of Malaysia. 5 December 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 February 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
- ^ Teh Leam Seng, Alan (29 July 2018). "Magic of Muhammad Ali". New Straits Times. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
- ^ Nizam, Yatim (16 March 2018). "Memulihara khazanah warisan negara" [Conserve the nation's heritage treasure] (PDF). Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ "Restoring Stadium Merdeka – for the Record". Badan Warisan Malaysia. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2021.