Political terminology in Malaysia

Hartal () is a term in many Indian languages for a strike action that was first used during the Indian independence movement (also known as the nationalist movement) of the early 20th century. A hartal is a mass protest, often involving a total shutdown of workplaces, offices, shops, and courts of law, and a form of civil disobedience similar to a labour strike. In addition to being a general strike, it involves the voluntary closure of schools and places of business. It is a mode of appealing to the sympathies of a government to reverse an unpopular or unacceptable decision. A hartal is often

thumb|300px|A 1985 painting in Indonesia commemorating the [[Independence of Indonesia bearing the words "Merdeka!"]] thumb|Tunku Abdul Rahman as he proclaimed Malaysian independence on 31 August 1957, chanting "Merdeka!" seven times|300px 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 Archipelago, this term had acquired the meaning of a freed slave. The term is also used in other Indonesian languages.