how old is malaysia 2023

Malaysia, as a modern nation-state called the Federation of Malaysia, is usually counted from 16 September 1963, so in 2023 Malaysia is 60 years old (1963–2023).

However, many people also talk about “how old is Malaysia” using the independence of Malaya on 31 August 1957, which is the date celebrated every year as Hari Merdeka. If you calculate from 1957 instead, then in 2023 the country’s independent history is 66 years.

So for “how old is Malaysia 2023” you’ll see two common answers:

• 60 years (since the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963).

• 66 years (since Malaya’s independence on 31 August 1957, which many still loosely call “Malaysia’s” independence).

In everyday use, official state and media narratives often highlight the 1957 Merdeka date, while historians and some public discussions stress that Malaysia itself only came into being in 1963 when Sabah and Sarawak joined Malaya.