THE BIRTH OF MALAYSIA
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| Tun Ghafar far left |
The year 1959 was one of the most successful and delightful years in
the history of Malaya. Everything seemed to go well for the nation. So
well it was that I as a leader of the party and the Government had a
foreboding that something might go wrong because the year was much too
good to be true. I declared myself ‘the happiest Prime Minister in the
world’. Money poured into the country, business boomed, new industries
grew up, and there was complete peace and harmony in the country.
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| 31 August 1957 |
And curiously enough it was a year which we could say was almost free
of serious crimes, our fame spread abroad, and we made many new
friends, and enhanced our reputation, so much so that the people in our
neighboring States of Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei made contacts
with us with the request to join the Federation of Malaya. After all,
according to them, the administration of all these States was run by the
same British administration. Therefore it was easy, and only natural
for these States to merge with Malaya.
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| YTM Tunku Abdul Rahman |
On May 27, 1961, I was invited by the Foreign Press Association to a
lunch in Singapore, and in the course of my speech I mentioned the need
for the merger of these States – Singapore, Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei –
with Malaya, little thinking that what I had to say would be given
worldwide publicity. On June 3, 1961, the Prime Minister of Singapore,
Mr Lee Kuan Yew, made a speech in support of my proposal to form the new
State which would include Singapore, the Borneo States and Brunei.
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| News from London |
In October 1961, the Malayan Parliament supported unanimously my
proposal to form Malaysia. Umno at its meeting on November 4, 1961 in
Kuala Lumpur agreed with the formation of the new State of Malaysia
(Melayu Raya). This led me to London where I had a profitable discussion
with the British Prime Minister who declared his support for the
formation of Malaysia.
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| In North Borneo |
He suggested, however, that before we could make an official decision
we had to ascertain the views of the people living in these territories
of Singapore, Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei. A commission would be
appointed by both governments to ascertain the views of the people.
Britain should be allowed to continue to maintain its defense base in
Singapore.
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| Tun Said Keruak and Tun Mustapha |
As a step towards a merger, Sabah formed Usno (United Sabah National
Organisation) under the leadership of Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun. Usno
represented the people of all races and tribes living in Sabah. The
Sultan of Brunei, Sir Omar Saifuddin, came to Kuala Lumpur to tell me
how pleased he was that Malaysia was to be formed, and I could expect
Brunei to be the first to join in. Me Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore was all
the time behind this move because Britain would not give Singapore
freedom except with Malaysia. Sarawak on the whole was most
enthusiastic., but the people had internal problems. There were many
communists in Sarawak, and there were some members in the Chinese
community who preferred to remain under British rule. But it was agreed
that we should not rush inot this new Malaysia concept without having
first a referendum to ascertain the views of all the people.
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| Lee Kuan Yew |
In July, 1961 the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association held a
meeting in Singapore to discuss the formation of Malaysia. At this
meeting Sabah and Sarawak proposed that a solidarity consultative
committee be formed immediately to discuss Malaysia. Prominent members
of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association consisting of the
representatives of all the States of Malaya, the Borneo States,
Singapore and Brunei were appointed.
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| Tun Jugah in the middle |
This committee would take into account of every point raised at the
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and would make sure that the
Malaysia plan which had risen so suddenly would not go wrong. This
committee met four times in Jesselton, Kuching, Kuala Lumpur and
Singapore. At all these meetings the committee submitted their report on
the progress of the Malaysia plan from the respective States. In
general all the States supported Malaysia, and proposed that the need
for the formation of Malaysia and their support should be widely
publicized.
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| Tun Fuad Stephens |
A memorandum was put up in Singapore on February 3, 1962 signed by
the chairman of this committee, (Tun) Ahmad Fuad (Donald Stephens).
Brunei was represented by Datuk Setia Pengiran Ali as observer. The
Sabah representative was (Tun) O.K.K. Datu Mustapha Datu Harun; Sarawak:
Teo Cheng Hoe; the Federation of Malaya: Khir Johari; and Singapore:
Lee Kuan Yew.
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| Baling Talk |
On January 16, 1962 the British and the Malayan Governments agreed to
appoint a commission headed by Lord Cobbold to investigate the wishes
of the people of Sabah and Sarawak, and prepare the constitution of
Malaysia. The two States promptly issued a white paper for the benefit
of the Cobold Commission so that it would understand beforehand the
feeling of the people of these two States with regard to Malaysia.
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| Tun Tan Siew Sin |
The Cobold Commission took two months to carry out their work, and
they received many thousands of letters from associations, from tribes,
from individuals and political parties, from workers’ unions, religious
organizations, and members of councils/assemblies. Everybody who wished
to offer their opinion either for or against Malaysia, was invited to
send in their letters to this Cobold Commission. In June 1962 the
commission submitted their report, favouring Malaysia. As a result of
the unanimous support, a delegation of representatives from the States
of Singapore, Sarawak and British North Borneo were invited to meet the
British Government’s representative, at a conference with Lord Landowne,
the Minister for the Colonies, as the chairman, and Tun Abdul Razak as a
deputy.
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