IN a fortnight, Malaysians will be celebrating their 55th anniversary of independence. For Malaysia, Aug 31 also marks the birth of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which was renamed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1966.

In the same year, the ministry shifted from the Moorish-styled Sultan Abdul Samad clock tower building in Kuala Lumpur to its newly-built premises at the foot of Petaling Hill. Since then, it was also referred to as Wisma Putra.

The Sanskrit-based "Wisma Putra" is a Malay colloquialism which means "the edifice of the Prince", which was crafted out of adoration for Tunku Abdul Rahman. Coincidentally, the new ministry complex stood on the very site of his official residence when he was appointed chief minister of the Federation of Malaya in 1955.

Prior to achieving independence, the country's foreign policy and external relations were vested in the hands of the colonial masters. As in the case with countries that were under foreign yoke, the formulation of foreign policy and conduct of external relations was the very last executive authority relinquished by Britain to the newly-born Malaya.

Thus, the birth of the MEA was a direct consequence of Merdeka or political freedom and a distinct expression of our sovereignty as a nation. Many among the two generations of Malaysians are unfamiliar with this other significance of the attainment of Merdeka.

Let's reflect for a moment on this significant additional reason for celebrating the joyous occasion of the anniversary of the nation's independence.

The origins of the MEA can be traced back to a few years before the country achieved independence. Preliminary groundwork was initiated by chief secretary Sir David Watherstone in anticipation of the country's independence.

A small section was created in his office to train a batch of career diplomats to serve the commissions (special diplomatic missions) that were set up in Britain and in a few Commonwealth countries, such as India, Australia and Pakistan, in preparation for the responsibilities and role independent Malaya would assume in foreign policy formulation and conduct of external relations, upon gaining independence.

The pioneering batch of career diplomats included luminaries such as Othman Muhammad (nicknamed Othman London for his strong English accent), who went on to become MEA's first permanent secretary, Tun Muhammad Ghazali Shafie, who was fondly dubbed "King Gus" of the Alley Oop comic strip fame (especially among the media and diplomatic circles), Tuanku Ja'afar, who later became the ruler of Negri Sembilan and subsequently was installed as the 10th Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, and Tengku Ngah Mohamed.

Given its colonial backdrop, it was only natural for the MEA to be moulded after the British Foreign Office. Also, at the time of independence, the MEA was a modest outfit compared to what Wisma Putra is today in terms of its organisational structure, complement of staff, financial and resource allocations and the scope of responsibilities and role in the international arena.

Quite understandably, this was to be the case since the MEA was designed to meet the requirements of a small newly independent developing country.

What has to be appreciated here is that regardless of the MEA's modest beginnings in terms of its institutional make-up, high priority was placed on the country's international relations and role by the nation's founding fathers.

Due credit has to be accorded to the father of independence and the nation's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, popularly referred to as the Tunku, for this singular thrust. This is clearly evidenced in a number of important initiatives he embarked on in the international arena in the formative years of the nation.

For several years, right from the outset of the country's independence, the prime minister was also concurrently the foreign minister. It was only in 1975 that a senior minister was appointed as foreign minister.

This distinction went to Tan Sri Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen. Even so, Malaysian prime ministers consistently took a very keen interest in the country's foreign policy and international affairs. This to a large measure explains the high profile Malaysia enjoys in the international arena today which is far out of proportion of its geographical size, age as a sovereign independent state and power potential.