The Independence Stadium or Merdeka Stadium is a stadium in
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
. It is known as the site of the formal declaration of independence of the
Federation of Malaya
Malaya, officially the Federation of Malaya, was a country in Southeast Asia from 1948 to 1963. It succeeded the Malayan Union and, before that, British Malaya. It comprised eleven states – nine Malay states and two of the Straits Settleme ...
on
31 August 1957. The stadium is also the site of the
proclamation of Malaysia on
16 September 1963.
Currently owned by
Permodalan Nasional Berhad
Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) is a state-owned enterprise, state-owned Malaysian investment management company. One of the largest fund management companies in Malaysia, it was established on 17 March 1978 as one of the instruments of the gov ...
(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
turnstile
A turnstile (also called a gateline, baffle gate, automated gate, turn gate in some regions) is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. A turnstile can be configured to enforce One-way traffic#One-way traffic of people, one-way ...
s and 4
floodlight towers.
The stadium was designed by American architect
Stanley Jewkes, under the instruction of the first
Prime Minister of Malaysia
The prime minister of Malaysia (; ) is the head of government of Malaysia. The prime minister directs the executive branch of the Government of Malaysia, federal government. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints the prime minister who is a membe ...
,
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman (8 February 19036 December 1990), commonly referred to as Tunku, was a Malaysian statesman who served as prime minister of Malaysia from 1957 to 1970. He previously served as the only chief minister of Federation of Malaya ...
. Upon its completion, the stadium holds the world record for the tallest
prestressed
Prestressed concrete is a form of concrete used in construction. It is substantially prestressed ( compressed) during production, in a manner that strengthens it against tensile forces which will exist when in service. Post-tensioned concreted is ...
floodlight towers and the biggest
cantilever
A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is unsupported at one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cantilev ...
shell roofs. The stadium was the largest stadium in the
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
at the time of completion.
The stadium was the principal venue in
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
for celebrations and sporting events until 1998 when the
National Stadium
Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football ...
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
The Southeast Asian Games, commonly known as SEA Games is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with sup ...
held in Kuala Lumpur. The stadium also hosted the fight between the legendary boxer
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...
and British boxer
Joe Bugner
József Kreul Bugner (born 13 March 1950) is a Hungarian born British– Australian former professional boxer who competed in the heavyweight division and actor. He holds triple nationality, originally being a citizen of Hungary and a nat ...
in 1975, prior to the
Thrilla in Manila
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III, billed as the ''Thrilla in Manila'', was the third and final professional boxing match between undisputed champion Muhammad Ali, and former champion Joe Frazier, for the heavyweight championship of the world. ...
. In 1975, the stadium also hosted the
Hockey World Cup final between
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
and
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
.
The stadium is currently a national heritage building.
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.
History
Background
Since the 1930s, the
Football Association of Selangor commonly referred to as
Selangor
Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...
, had been urging the government for a professional football stadium to be built. The request had been ignored as there's in fact a MAHA Stadium, the first stadium of
Selangor
Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...
in collaboration with MAHA ''(Malayan Agri-Horticultural Association)'', is still there located at
Jalan Ampang
Jalan Ampang or Ampang Road (Selangor state route B31) is a major road in the Klang Valley region, Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Built in the 1880s, it is one of the oldest roads in the Klang Valley. It is a main r ...
at that time. However, the MAHA Stadium was ruined by the
Japanese army in the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. After the war, the F.A.S and the
Football Association of Malaya (FAM) stepped up their efforts to get a new stadium as the MAHA Stadium in Jalan Ampang is now unusable. After Tunku Abdul Rahman was elected as president of the two associations in 1951, both associations fought hard to have a first-class stadium built.
In 1952, an
''ad-hoc'' committee was formed by the Kuala Lumpur Municipal Commissioners to study the proposal, and a report was released three months later. Several proposals were also brought up to the
Federal Legislative Council
The Federal Legislative Council (also known simply as the Legislative Council) was the legislative body of the Federation of Malaya and the predecessor of the Malaysian Parliament. It was formed in 1948 after the abolition of the Malayan Union an ...
on this matter, including Tunku himself, but was blocked by the council. After the winning of the
Alliance Party in the
first general election in Malaya, Tunku, who was now the Chief Minister, started an advisory committee led by E.M. McDonald to study the possibility of building a stadium. On 4 June 1956, a total of 160 proposal plan was submitted to the government.
On 2 May 1956, Tunku and McDonald started looking for suitable sites for the stadium, one of the first places they visited was the Chin Woo stadium. While standing on the tower of the stadium, Tunku saw a few athletes practicing near the Coronation Park, and asked "Don't you think it would make an ideal spot for Stadium Merdeka?" Although McDonald was concerned about the traffic congestion that might arise in the future, Tunku insisted that it was the perfect spot for the country's first stadium.
The site was a Chinese cemetery before it became the oldest golf course in Kuala Lumpur, which had been abandoned since 1921. The site was then later called "Coronation Park" when
George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...
was crowned as the
King of United Kingdom. Before it was decided to build a stadium on that site, several quarters were planned to be built on the site by the
Royal Malaysia Police
The Royal Malaysia Police (often abbreviated RMP) (; Jawi script, Jawi: ), is a (primarily) uniformed national and federal police force in Malaysia. The force is a centralised organisation, and its headquarters are located at Bukit Aman, Kuala ...
. The uneven ground of the site means that excavation work had to be carried out before it could be constructed. The construction of the stadium would also mean that a small part of the school ground of
Victoria Institution would be acquired. Despite McDonald's efforts to persuade Tunku to choose another site for the stadium, Tunku insisted on building the stadium there.
On 11 July, Tunku bought this up to the Legislative Council and gained permission from it. Four days later, the project was transferred to the Malayan Public Works Department.
Construction
The stadium was constructed from 25 September 1956 to 21 August 1957, and was designed by the then Director of
Public Works Department
This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure.
See also
* Public works
* Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...
,
Stanley Edward Jewkes. Several engineers such as Lee Kwok Thye, Chan Sai Soo and Peter Low were also involved in the project. The
cornerstone
A cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry Foundation (engineering), foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entir ...
of the stadium was laid by Tunku himself on 15 February 1957.
Due to budget constraints, most of the construction materials were made locally, which meant that imported materials such as
structural steel
Structural steel is steel used for making construction materials in a variety of shapes. Many structural steel shapes take the form of an elongated beam having a profile of a specific cross section (geometry), cross section. Structural steel sha ...
s had to be avoided. To ensure that the stadium would be finished in time, the designing was done by "
fast-track" method,
which means that after each element of the design was finished, it was immediately constructed.
The stadium was constructed as an earthed
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meani ...
, which means that a part of the stadium is below ground level. The excavated soil was then transferred to the site of
Masjid Negara
The National Mosque of Malaysia (; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It has a capacity for 15,000 people and is situated among of gardens. Its key features are a minaret and a 16-pointed star concrete main roof. ...
which was originally a valley and was subjected to flooding issues.
When the earthworks and excavation were completed, designs of the terrace seating had already been done, and the construction of it began immediately. At the same time, the designing of the covered stands, the upper terraces and the stairs were carried on by the architects.
Two contractors were involved in the construction, Lim Quee for the construction of the main covered stands, while Boon & Cheah were responsible for the terrace and the tunnel entrances. Besides designing the stadium, Stanley Jewkes was also responsible for the traffic planning around the stadium. Other than Stanley, architect Edgar Green was also involved in the designing of the interior facilities such as the toilets and the canteen facilities of the restaurant.
The stadium held two world records upon its completion: the tallest
prestressed
Prestressed concrete is a form of concrete used in construction. It is substantially prestressed ( compressed) during production, in a manner that strengthens it against tensile forces which will exist when in service. Post-tensioned concreted is ...
floodlight towers at 120 feet and the biggest
cantilever
A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is unsupported at one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cantilev ...
shell roofs. The floodlight towers, constructed from Hume
culvert
A culvert is a structure that channels water past an obstacle or to a subterranean waterway. Typically embedded so as to be surrounded by soil, a culvert may be made from a pipe (fluid conveyance), pipe, reinforced concrete or other materia ...
pipes
Pipe(s), PIPE(S) or piping may refer to:
Objects
* Pipe (fluid conveyance), a hollow cylinder following certain dimension rules
** Piping, the use of pipes in industry
* Smoking pipe
** Tobacco pipe
* Half-pipe and quarter pipe, semi-circu ...
, was also the first prestressed tower in the world which was made from
precast culvert pipe units. Another interesting feat accomplished at the time is that all four towers were erected without using a crane. The shell roof for the grandstand, made out of concrete, was chosen as it was both economically affordable and aesthetically beautiful. Although the strength of the cantilever roofs were tested before the ceremony, Stanley was concerned that the roof might be unable to withstand the vibrations caused by the firing of the cannons during the ceremony, but it did not happen and the event went well.
Engineer Lee Kwok Thye credited the Kongsi Woman, also known as ''Lai Sui Mui'' for their role in the construction. The women were responsible for carrying concrete buckets from the ground up to the structures being constructed, where it was then poured into the framework.
Opening and the declaration of independence
The stadium was completed on 21 August 1957, while the opening ceremony was held on 30 August 1957, a day before the country declared independence. At the time of completion, it was the largest stadium in the
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
.
The opening ceremony was opened by Tunku Abdul Rahman, which was witnessed by over 15,000 spectators, including foreign athletes. It was also Tunku himself who placed the foundation stone on 15 February 1957. The ceremony includes a mass drill performance by 1000 students.

On 31 August 1957, power was transferred from the
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
to the newly independent
Malayan government. More than 20,000 people crowded into the stadium, which was built specifically for this occasion. The ceremony was attended by
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (Henry William Frederick Albert; 31 March 1900 – 10 June 1974) was a member of the British royal family. He was the third son of King George V and Mary of Teck, Queen Mary, and was a younger brother of kings E ...
, representing the
Queen of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British cons ...
, the
Malay rulers of the nine states, the last
High Commissioner of Malaya Sir Donald MacGillivray, foreign dignitaries, members of the
federal cabinet and Tunku Abdul Rahman himself.
Following the handover of the instrument of the independence from
Prince Henry to Tunku, the prime minister read out the
Declaration of Independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...
, followed by the iconic seven shouts of "
Merdeka
''Merdeka'' ( Jawi: ; , ) is a term in Indonesian and Malay which means "independent" or " free". It is derived from the Sanskrit ''maharddhika'' (महर्द्धिक) meaning "rich, prosperous, and powerful". In the Malay Archipelag ...
" by Tunku. Following that, the
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...
was sung for the first time by a multiracial choir led by Tony Fonseka, while the
national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents and national symbol, symbolizes a given nation. It is Fly (flag), flown by the government of that nation, but can also be flown by its citizens. A national flag is typically designed with specific meanin ...
was raised by Oliver Cuthbert Samuel. The ceremony was continued with an ''
azan'' call and a thanksgiving prayer, as well as a
gun salute
A gun salute or cannon salute is the use of a piece of artillery to fire shots, often 21 in number (''21-gun salute''), with the aim of marking an honor or celebrating a joyful event. It is a tradition in many countries around the world.
Histo ...
.
A mass drill were also performed by the students on the event.
Declaration of Malaysia
On 16 September 1963, the stadium was the site of the proclamation of the formation of the Malaysia Federation. The event was witnessed by more than 30,000 audience and it was attended by the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The King of Malaysia, officially ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' ( Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ), is the constitutional monarch and Figurehead, ceremonial head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957, when the Federation of Malaya gained ...
, the Malay rulers, the Governor of Penang, Malacca, Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah, as well as the cabinet members, foreign diplomats and invited guests. The Proclamation of Malaysia, which was handed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, was read out by the Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman. He then shouted "Merdeka" seven times, which was echoed by the crowd. This was followed by the playing of the
nobat orchestra and the national anthem played by the Royal Malaysia Police Band. It was then followed by a 101-gun salute by the first round of the Federation artillery. The event ended with the prayer by the
Mufti
A mufti (; , ) is an Islamic jurist qualified to issue a nonbinding opinion ('' fatwa'') on a point of Islamic law (''sharia''). The act of issuing fatwas is called ''iftāʾ''. Muftis and their ''fatāwa'' have played an important role thro ...
of Negeri Sembilan, Ahmad Mohammad Said.
Plans for demolition
The role of the stadium as the principal venue for celebrations and sporting events in Kuala Lumpur was replaced by the
National Stadium
Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football ...
built in the mid-1990s.
The stadium and its land were given to
United Engineers Malaysia (UEM) which had intended to redevelop the land into a
RM1 billion entertainment and office complex.
[Lim Kit Siang]
Merdeka Stadium and National Stadium - the fifth injustice and disservice in a week to the memory and legacy of Tunku on birthday centenary commemoration - Cabinet and not PNB should designate them national heritage and monuments
DAP Malaysia. 12 February 2003. Retrieved 17 August 2007. However, the company did not proceed with the redevelopment due to public outcry and the company's financial difficulties due to the late 1990s Asian economic crisis. The stadium was now owned by
Permodalan Nasional Berhad
Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) is a state-owned enterprise, state-owned Malaysian investment management company. One of the largest fund management companies in Malaysia, it was established on 17 March 1978 as one of the instruments of the gov ...
(PNB).
Several options were suggested following the acquirement of the site by PNB, such as redeveloping the stadium for smaller sporting activities, building a sport museum at the site, or relocate it to another site. Nonetheless, the stadium remained as a site for sporting events and concert until this day.
Renovations and restoration
The stadium had been through several renovations. First in 1974 when the concrete upper tiers were added to increase the stadium capacity to 32,800 seats. The project costs about RM 4.5 million.
In 1983, the floodlights of the stadium were replaced to make television colour transmission possible. The seating capacity of the stadium was further increased in early 1986 with the addition of upper tiers rising into the airspace on the north, east and south terraces.
Prior to the 1989 SEA Games, the grandstand was changed and the game's torch platform was built, were involved a set of grand steps leading up to the torch.
The renovation, which cost RM 5.3 million, also includes the laying of new tracks, repairs to the roofs, enclosing sections of seating and repainting the seating terraces such that the stadium was ready for the Games.
In 2007, the stadium underwent massive renovations to restore its 1957 look. With that, the 45,000-capacity stadium was reduced to 20,000, which meant that several of the upper terrace blocks built over the years were demolished. Besides that, the entire stadium was to be decorated as the state it was when Tunku proclaimed independence, which included the word "Merdeka" written in the stadium and the original seating arrangements of the Malay Rulers, the Queen's representatives and officers. The paintworks, main pavilion, two VIP rooms and the changing rooms were to be restored to its original state as well. The project, which costs RM2 million, was led by PNB.
Merdeka PNB 118
In December 2009, it was announced that PNB would be building a hundred-floored skyscraper on the site between Independence Stadium and
Nation Stadium. The project was officially launched by the then Prime Minister
Najib Razak
Mohammad Najib bin Abdul Razak (, ; born 23 July 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2009 to 2018. In 2020, he was convicted of corruption in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, on ...
in September 2016. Formerly named as the Warisan Merdeka, the project was estimated to be finished by 2021. The tower, when completed, would be the
second tallest building in the world and
tallest in Southeast Asia. The tower would include 83 levels of office space, 16 levels of luxury hotel, and the rest of the floors would be occupied observation deck, restaurants, sky lobby, podium and amenities. Besides that, the project would also include a shopping mall and residential areas.
The tower was built on the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park (also known as
Merdeka Park), which was built alongside the Independence Stadium. Such a move was criticized as the park was supposed to act as a heritage buffer zone. Plus, the park was also a recreation park for the residents in Kuala Lumpur for generations. The project might as well worsen the traffic congestion of that area. There was also concern that the schools nearby might be affected by the project and was forced to be relocated.
Sporting events
Football
Prior to the completion of National Stadium, Independence Stadium was once the home ground for both the
national football team (1957–1998) and
Selangor FA (1957–1994), and was used temporary by the
Kuala Lumpur FA
Kuala Lumpur City Football Club, known simply as KL City FC, is a Malaysian professional association football, football club based in Kuala Lumpur. The club competes in the Malaysia Super League, the top level of Football in Malaysia, Malaysia ...
in 1997.
Besides that, it was also the venue for the annual
Independence Football Tournament and most of the finals of the
Malaysia Cup
The Malaysia Cup (), formerly known as Malaya Cup, is an annual football tournament in Malaysia, held at the end of the calendar year. The cup was first held in 1921. Despite its prestige and popularity as the country's oldest cup tournament, i ...
. The stadium had also hosted all the football matches for the
1965 SEAP Games,
1971 SEAP Games and the
1977 SEA Games
The 1977 Southeast Asian Games (), officially known as the 9th Southeast Asian Games, were a Southeast Asian multi-sport event held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 19 to 26 November 1977. This was the third time Malaysia hosted the games and its ...
, as well as the finals for the
1989 SEA Games
The 1989 Southeast Asian Games (), officially known as the 15th Southeast Asian Games, were a multi-sport event held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 20 to 31 August 1989 with 25 sports featured in the games. It was officially opened by 9th Yang ...
.
The first match of the stadium was the opening match of the 1957
Independence Football Tournament, on 31 August 1957, between
Hong Kong League XI and
Cambodia
Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
. The
Hong Kong League XI became the first team to win at Independence Stadium beating Cambodia with 6–2. The first goal was scored by
Law Kwok-tai. On the next day, the
Malayan national team play its first game at the stadium on a match against
Burma
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...
, which finished 5–2. The national team will win its first Merdeka Cup in 1958 on a match against
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
.
The first
Malaya Cup final held at the stadium was played on October 19, 1957, between
Selangor
Selangor ( ; ), also known by the Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the e ...
and
Perak
Perak (; Perak Malay: ''Peghok'') is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kel ...
. Perak won the game by 3–2, becoming the first club to win a final at Independence Stadium. Perak also won the first Malaysia Cup at Independence Stadium after the cup was renamed in 1967. The stadium continued to host the next 36 Malaysia Cup finals until the 1990s.
The stadium had also witnessed the first match played by the newly formed
Malaysia national football team
The Malaysia national football team () represents Malaysia in international association football, football and is governed by the Football Association of Malaysia. The national team is recognised by FIFA as the successor of the defunct Malaya ...
, which is a combination of the Malaya and Singapore players (Singapore left in 1965 after the separation of Singapore with Malaysia). The match took place on 8 August 1963 (although the federation only existed after 16 September 1963) on the first round of the 1963 Merdeka Tournament against Japan. The team was defeated by 3–4.
The first
South East Asia Peninsular Games football tournament held in Independence Stadium was the opening match between
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
and
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
on December 15, with Thailand winning the game by 2–1. The stadium will host the rest of the matches as well as the final held on December 22, which ended with a tie between
Burma
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...
and
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
. In 1989, the Malaysia national football team won their fourth SEA Games goal medal, the first at the stadium.
The first
Olympic qualification match held at the stadium was the
preliminary round between Malaysia and Thailand on 12 October 1964, which resulted a draw. In 1980, the stadium was the venue for the Olympics qualifying tournament. On 25 March, the stadium witnessed the qualification of Malaysia at the 1980 Olympic Games. The national team won the match against South Korea by 2–1, thus qualifying the Olympic Games for the second time. However, due to the
boycott led by the United States, the country did not participate in the final tournament.
The first FIFA qualification match at the stadium was the match between Malaysia and
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
on March 10, 1985.
Followed by the completion of the
Shah Alam Stadium
The Shah Alam Stadium () was a multi-purpose stadium and one of the largest stadiums in the world located in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. It was used mostly for Association football, football matches but also had facilities for Sport of athle ...
in 1994, both Selangor FA and the Malaysian national team moved to the newly built stadium.
The national team will then move to the
National Stadium
Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football ...
after its completion in 1998.
The
Malaysia Cup
The Malaysia Cup (), formerly known as Malaya Cup, is an annual football tournament in Malaysia, held at the end of the calendar year. The cup was first held in 1921. Despite its prestige and popularity as the country's oldest cup tournament, i ...
final was held again at the stadium since 1993, which was the match between
Sarawak
Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
and Brunei in 1999, which resulted in a
Brunei
Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with ...
win 2–1. The stadium had never hosted any Malaysia Cup finals ever since.
In February 2015, Kuala Lumpur FA returned to Independence Stadium for the first time in 17 years for the team's opening Premier League match of the season against Sabah. The last international match played at the stadium saw the Malaysian team drawing 1–1 with Cambodia in October 2001.
Multi-sport event
The stadium was the venue of the Brunei Merdeka Games, which was held to commemorate the Independence day of Malaya. Several events, including the
Pestabola Merdeka, were held from 30 August to 8 September 1957. Besides football, the stadium had held cycling, athletics and hockey competition which were a part of the Games. A similar event was held in 1963 when the Malaysia Federation was formed.
Operated by Perbadanan Stadium Merdeka (1963–1998), the stadium had also held four out of six of the SEA Games held in Kuala Lumpur. The stadium first host the Southeast Asia Games (known as the Southeast Asia Peninsular Games at that time) in 1965. Originally, Malaysia was planned to host the Games in 1967, however it was decided to be held in Malaysia after the original host, Laos had opted out due to financial difficulties. The stadium was the venue for the opening and closing ceremony, as well as athletics, football and cycling events. The stadium will continue to host the
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
,
1977
Events January
* January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
and
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
editions.
The stadium had also hosted the first
SUKMA Games
The Sukma Games (, lit.: Malaysian Games) is a biennial national multi-sport event involving young athletes from Malaysia's 13 states and 3 Federal Territories. The games are regulated by the National Sports Council of Malaysia, the state spo ...
in 1986. It will also be hosting the second SUKMA Games two years later.
Other sports
In 1975, the stadium had hosted
third Men's Hockey World Cup from 1 to 15 March 1975.
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
won its only
Hockey World Cup after beating
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
by 2–1. The 1975 edition is also the Malaysian national team best performance, which won the fourth place in the event. The event was witnessed by over 50,000 spectators, despite the fact that the stadium had only 45,000 seats.
The stadium had also held
the fight between
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...
and
Joe Bugner
József Kreul Bugner (born 13 March 1950) is a Hungarian born British– Australian former professional boxer who competed in the heavyweight division and actor. He holds triple nationality, originally being a citizen of Hungary and a nat ...
on 1 July 1975. It was held as an exhibition bout as a part of the Far East tour. The match was held prior to the infamous
Thrilla in Manila
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III, billed as the ''Thrilla in Manila'', was the third and final professional boxing match between undisputed champion Muhammad Ali, and former champion Joe Frazier, for the heavyweight championship of the world. ...
that was held three months later. About 20,000 spectators witnessed the fight in the stadium, including the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Prime Minister, several kings and governors, as well as
Joe Frazier
Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. Nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He was known for ...
, Ali's former adversary. Ali won the fight by 73–67, 73–65 and 72–65 after the mandatory 15 rounds were over.
In athletics, the stadium was also used to held the
1991 Asian Athletics Championships, which was held in
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
. The event was held from 19 to 23 October. Aside from that, the stadium was also regularly used for national championships.
Other events
Concerts
The Independence Stadium had also hosted major concerts.
Uriah Heep held its first Malaysian concert at the stadium on 19 October 1983.
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
's
HIStory World Tour
The ''HIS''tory World Tour was the third and final worldwide solo concert tour by American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson, covering Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa and North America. The tour included a total of 82 concerts spanning the gl ...
filled the stadium to capacity. Jackson performed two sold-out concerts on 27 and 29 October 1996, respectively, in front of 55,000 people each night.
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...
performed at the stadium in their Meteora World Tour on 15 October 2003. The concert was attended by over 28,000 audiences.
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
first perform at the stadium on 20 February 2004 as a part of her
Charmbracelet World Tour. She returned to the stadium ten years later in her
The Elusive Chanteuse Show on 22 October 2014.
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...
performed on 13 April 2008 for a total audience of 48,000 as a part of her
Taking Chances World Tour.
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...
played her first show at the stadium on 29 August 2008. She will return to the stadium again in her
Black Star Tour in 2012, and again in 2014 as a part of
The Avril Lavigne Tour.
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
performed at the stadium as a part of his debut
world tour on 21 April 2011. Other Western artists who have played the stadium includes
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
,
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is a British singer and actor. He has total sales of over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and, as of 2012, was the third-top-selling artist in UK Singles Chart histo ...
s,
Scorpions
Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...
,
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
,
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance is an American Rock music, rock band from New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way. They are considered one of ...
and
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley ...
.
Taiwanese singer
Jolin Tsai
Jolin Tsai I-lin ( zh, c=蔡依林, p=Cài Yīlín; born September 15, 1980), also romanized as Jolin Cai, is a Taiwanese people, Taiwanese singer, songwriter, and actress. Recognized as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of C-Pop ...
first performed at the stadium on her Myself World Tour on 11 June 2011. She returned to the stadium again for her Play World Tour on 16 July 2016. On the following year, Mandopop singer Wang Leehom held his Music-Man Tour on March 3. He will return to the stadium again on 16 March 2019 as a part of his Descendants of the Dragon 2060 World Tour.
Chinese singer Jay Chou first performed at the stadium in 2003 on The One World Tour. The singer performed again at the stadium two years later on his 2004 Incomparable Concert, Incomparable World Tour. His third appearance at the stadium was on February 23 as a part of The World Tour (Jay Chou), The World Tour.
Chou will return for his The Invincible Concert Tour, Invincible World Tour on August 6, 2016.
K-pop group Exo (group), EXO played the stadium on 12 March 2016 as a part of their Exo Planet 2 – The Exo'luxion, Exo Planet #2 - The Exo'luxion World Tour. The group will return again on 18 March 2017 on their Exo Planet 3 - The Exo'rdium, Exo Planet #3 - The Exo'rdium World Tour. Indian composer A.R. Rahman performed his A.R. Rahman Live in Concert on 14 May 2016 at the stadium. On the same year, South Korean group Big Bang (band), Big Bang held their BIGBANG Made V.I.P Tour, MADE (V.I.P) Tour fan meeting at the stadium. G-Dragon performed in the stadium on his own solo tour Act III: M.O.T.T.E World Tour on 17 September 2017.
Malaysian singer Michael Wong (singer), Michael Wong held his Lonely Planet Concert Tour on 10 November 2018 at the stadium. He was the first local singer to held a solo concert at the stadium. Other Asian singers that had performed at the stadium include Kelly Chen, Beyond (band), Beyond, Faye Wong, Wonder Girls, Jacky Cheung and Mayday (Taiwanese band), Mayday.
Other shows held in the stadium include:
* Philiac Concert for Peace, May 2011
* B.o.B, Far East Movement, Mizz Nina, Watsons Music Festival, 15 December 2012
Political demonstrations
On 9 July 2011, protesters of the Bersih 2.0 rally marched to the Independence Stadium. The decision was made after the organisers had consulted the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The King of Malaysia, officially ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' ( Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ), is the constitutional monarch and Figurehead, ceremonial head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957, when the Federation of Malaya gained ...
. On 12 January 2013, People's Uprising rally, 2013, The People's Uprising rally () was held in the stadium.
World records
The stadium had witnessed the largest silat lesson in the world on 29 August 2015. The lesson was participated by 12,393 participants and was directed by Grandmaster YM Syeikh Dr. Md Radzi bin Hanafi, who is the Pewaris Mutlak Silat Cekak from Persekutuan Seni Silat Cekak Pusaka Ustaz Hanafi Malaysia. It was held in conjunction with the Independence Day (Malaysia), National Day celebration on that year.
Heritage conservation
In February 2003, Independence Stadium was named a national heritage building.
In 2007, Independence Stadium underwent restoration to its original 1957 condition as part of Malaysia's 50th-anniversary plans to relive the moment when Tunku Abdul Rahman proclaimed independence there. The restoration was completed by December 2009. The restoration received the UNESCO Asia-Pacific 2008 Award of Excellence for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
Transportation
The stadium is served by the Maharajalela Monorail station, situated next to one of the stadium's west exits. The station is situated between Tun Sambanthan Monorail station, Tun Sambathan station and the Hang Tuah Monorail station, Hang Tuah station.

The stadium is also indirectly served by the Merdeka MRT station. The station is situated in between Pasar Seni station, Pasar Seni MRT station and Bukit Bintang MRT station on the Kajang line, Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line. Although its name refers to the stadium, the station serves the adjacent Stadium Negara instead.
The stadium can also be reached via the Ampang and Sri Petaling lines, Ampang and Sri Petaling LRT Line by stopping at Plaza Rakyat LRT station. A 180-metre pedestrian linkway was built from the station to the Merdeka MRT station, which is just a few blocks away from the stadium. The walkway was air-conditioned, brightly lit, and travelators were installed to ensure the comfort of the passengers.
The stadium can also be reached by bus. Located near the stadium, Pasar Seni bus hub is the terminating stop for a dozen of bus lines in the Klang Valley.
Gallery
File:Merdeka Boulevard At 118 in 2025 07.jpg, Main entrance as seen from ''Merdeka Boulevard at 118''.
File:Stadium Merdeka in 2025 01.jpg, Panoramic view.
File:Stadium Merdeka in 2025 02.jpg, Interior.
File:StadiumMerdeka GrandstandFromNorth Sep2024 2.jpg, Grandstand.
Before refurbishment
File:Stadium Merdeka Kuala Lumpur Feb 2007.jpg, Originally only the lower stands were built but in later years the upper stands were added.
File:Stadium Merdeka Kuala Lumpur 2007.jpg, A splendid view of Kuala Lumpur with Independence Stadium to the right in 2007.
File:Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Stadium-Merdeka-03.jpg, View of the east stand of the stadium.
File:Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Stadium-Merdeka-01.jpg, View of the stadium from its entrance.
File:Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Stadium-Merdeka-05.jpg, View of the covered stand of the stadium.
See also
* Merdeka 118
*Stadium Negara
*
Stanley Edward Jewkes
*
National Stadium
Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football ...
*List of stadiums in Malaysia
*Malayan Declaration of Independence
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
*
External links
Merdeka 118 Precinct : Stadium Merdeka webpage
{{Authority control
Football venues in Malaysia
Athletics (track and field) venues in Malaysia
Multi-purpose stadiums in Malaysia
Sports venues in Kuala Lumpur
Sports venues completed in 1957
1957 establishments in British Malaya
Southeast Asian Games stadiums
Selangor F.C.