Warriors’ Day (Hari Pahlawan) is an annual memorial day in Malaysia observed on 31 July. It was established to commemorate the servicemen killed during WWI, WWII and the Malayan Emergency.
On Warriors’ Day, a remembrance ceremony is held at Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur. It is attended by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (king of Malaysia), the Prime Minister, and senior representatives of the Malaysian Armed Forces and the Royal Malaysian Police. They lay wreaths and garlands at the National Monument to pay their respects to the country’s fallen heroes.
The National Monument was officially opened in 1966. It was created to commemorate those who died in the country’s struggle for freedom, primarily against the Japanese occupation during the Second World War and the Malayan Emergency, a guerrilla war that lasted for over twelve years. However, Warriors’ Day by extension honors all Malaysian servicemen who were killed in the line of duty throughout the country’s history.
Malaya wasn’t affected much during the First World War, but it suffered great losses during World War II. The Malayan Emergency broke out three years after the end of WWII and claimed the lives of several thousand people.