Merdeka logo is original, says Rais

Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim has defended this year’s Merdeka logo, stressing that it was an original work.

According to a Berita Harian report today, Rais said the logo was not plagiarised and was a manifestation of the 1Malaysia spirit by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. 

Rais, who is the National 55th Merdeka Celebration chairperson, also brushed aside criticism that this year’s Merdeka slogan themed ‘Janji Ditepati’ was political in nature, the report added.

“In my 10 years as as National Merdeka Celebration chairperson, this year we have received mischievous and scathing criticism which I believe is a result of political perception,” he was quoted as saying.

In the report, Rais explained that the logo and its message this year did not vary far from previous years and those criticising them were out for cheap publicity.

Aside from accusations from the opposition that the ‘Janji Ditepati’ theme was political in a bid by the ruling coalition to garner support ahead of the general election, netizens have also made fun of this year’s Merdeka logo which was deemed as mediocre work.

A video entitled ‘Insanely easy 55th Merdeka Logo Tutorial’ showing how the exact logo could be reconstructed within 10 minutes on Photoshop had also surfaced onYouTube.

Graphic designers, too, have taken issue with the logo and have taken upon themselves to design alternative logos.