Merdeka is a word in the Malay language meaning independence. It is derived from a Sanskrit word used to designate former Portuguese and Dutch slaves from India in the East Indies, whence the Malay meaning of "free(dom)" is derived. The term was significant during the anticolonialist and pro-independence movements of the colonies of Malaya, Singapore and Indonesia, in the history of Malaysia, the history of Singapore and in the history of Indonesia. It became a battle-cry for those demanding independence from the colonial administrations of the United Kingdom and Netherlands.