1948: Ria UMNO

With the return of the British after the second world war, attempts at centralising the Malayan administration under the Malayan Union was met with vociferous forms of resistance, particularly from the Malay population. Many  felt that centralisation of governance also spelt the erosion of the Malay rulers' sovereignty, and paved way for the passing of laws that would've made it easier for the non-Malay population to obtain citizenship, a population that the Malay community feared would soon outnumber them. 

The Malay community mobilised against the Malayan Union. In the year 1947, boria performers decided to join in the resistance by refusing to perform until the Malayan Union is abolished. The British finally ceded the following year, and in its place, established the Federation of Malaya, with terms and conditions of citizenship much more tightly controlled in the Malay population's favour. On 1 Feb 1948, boria troupes met here at Padang brown. 23 United Malay Nationalist Organisation (UMNO) branches also took part in the festivities.