Daniel de Weldon reflects on the works of his late father Felix, the renowned sculptor behind Tugu Negara, and the friendship he shared with Tunku Abdul Rahman.
To Malaysians, the national monument is a reminder of the freedom celebrated each Merdeka. To Daniel, it is also the legacy of his father, Austrian-American sculptor Felix de Weldon.
Felix designed and sculpted the majestic bronze monument, which commemorates those who gave their lives in Malaysia’s struggle for independence.
Daniel, who is based in Los Angeles, was invited in 2022 to attend an event organised by the National Archives and the Austrian embassy in Malaysia, which included an exhibition on the history of Tugu Negara.
There, he discovered photographs of Felix with Tunku Abdul Rahman he had never seen before. “It was overwhelming,” the 55-year-old actor and writer told FMT Lifestyle.
“You could see how close they were, from photos of them at dinners to those taken at the site where Tugu Negara was erected. It was an incredible, personal and deep friendship.”
Felix was also the sculptor behind the United States Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, commonly known as the Iwo Jima Memorial.
According to Daniel, Tunku saw that memorial during a trip to the US and was inspired to create a similar monument for Malaysia.
“My father was very excited when he was contacted by Tunku to have lunch. Tunku said, ‘We’d like to commission you to do the national monument for Malaysia’,” Daniel recounted.
Felix also sculpted the statue of Tunku that stands at the Malaysian Parliament complex, located only a short distance from Tugu Negara.
Daniel said his father, who was conferred the title “Tan Sri”, often spoke about the warmth and kindness Tunku showed him.
He believes the two men bonded over their belief in independence and a nation’s right to govern itself: ideals that Felix sought to convey through much of his work.
As Tugu Negara took shape, Felix made repeated journeys between the United States and Malaysia, sometimes staying for weeks. The monument was officially unveiled on Feb 8, 1966.
“It was an extraordinary accolade and accomplishment for my father to be entrusted with such an enormous and important monument. It was a crucial part of history that my father got to be part of – and here I am, getting to talk about it as his son.”
From Vienna to the world
Felix’s journey as a sculptor began when he was six. Walking home from school one afternoon in Vienna, he peered through a fence and saw a sculptor at work.
The artist invited him inside to try sculpting, setting him on a path that would eventually take his work across borders.
Felix died in 2003 but his story will live on through “Monumental”, a biopic about his life and legacy for which Daniel wrote the screenplay.
He said it initially centred on how his father came to create the US Marine Corps War Memorial, but evolved into a sweeping account of Felix’s life that includes his meeting with Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Daniel, who began writing the screenplay in 1998 while his father was still alive, shared that it is being developed as a musical feature film.
Writing it, he added, helped him understand his father more deeply and brought him closer to the man behind the monuments.
For Daniel, standing before Tugu Negara transformed a distant chapter of his father’s life into something deeply personal. This Merdeka, he hopes the monument will bring Malaysians closer to those who gave their lives for freedom.
“The sacrifices of those who came before us cannot be forgotten – those who paid the price for the independence and sovereignty of Malaysia,” he said.
“It’s crucial that we honour everyone who stood up and held the line for independence.”
Learn more about Daniel de Weldon via his website and Instagram.
- FMT
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