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Chapter 1

The formation of Malaysia

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ID logoIntroduction To protect the British interests. The British

Cabinet had discussed the issue in 1888.

First move came in 1961, Tunku Abdul Rahman announced the idea.

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ID logoBritish’s View to grant Singapore independence for fear

of the communists’ growing power on the island.

Singapore was too small to be entirely on its own.

willing to allow the Tunku to take overall responsibility for Singapore’s security within Malaysia.

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ID logoMalaya’s View Tunku was worried that the communists in

Singapore would become too powerful. 

A communist government at its doorstep would be extremely dangerous for Malaya. 

If Malaya merged with Singapore, Tunku Abdul Rahman's government could control the communist activities.

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ID logoMalaya’s View In the 1957 Census for Malaya, the racial

balance was fairly equal between the Malays and the “non-Malays”.

But in the enlarged federation of Malaysia, the Malays and “natives” of Brunei, Sarawak and North Borneo would slightly outnumber the Chinese, Indians and “other non-Malays”.

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ID logoMalaya’s View The Tunku dropped his opposition to the

proposed merger with predominantly Chinese Singapore only after the British assured him that the three Borneo territories of Brunei, Sarawak and North Borneo could join Malaysia.

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ID logoSingapore’s View The Singapore government felt that the

best way to solve the country's unemployment problem would be to join or merge with Malaya.

Singapore did not have any raw materials, so it had to depend on industries to help the country grow and prosper. 

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ID logoSingapore’s View seeking a merger with Malaya was so that

Singapore could break completely free from British control. 

Lee Kuan Yew needed the merger because the communists were creating problems for his ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in Singapore.

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ID logoFactors

1. The Communist Threat.

2. Ethnic Politics and Ethnic Balances.

3. Independence Factor.

4. Decline of British Power.

5. Economic Cooperation and International Relation in the region.

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ID logoResponseFederation of Malaya

Pro - Tunku and the Alliance Party (Parti Perikatan).

Against - Parti Rakyat & Pan-Malayan Islamic Party.

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ID logoResponseSingapore

Pro - Lee Kuan Yew and People’s Action Party.

Against – United People’s Party (Socialist Party).

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ID logoResponseSabah and Sarawak

Pro – free from British, Communist Threat.

Against – ‘Malayan Domination’, fear the status of religion and language would be threatened, Chinese afraid of economic competition with Chinese Singaporeans.

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ID logoResponseBrunei

Pro - Sultan.

Against - Brunei People’s Party, A.M. Azahari.• Prefer to unite North Borneo (Sabah) and

Sarawak under the name of North Kalimantan.• Arm Rebellion against the Sultan.

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ID logoIndonesia’s Critic President Sukarno, called it a “neo-colonial

plot”, arguing it was part of Britain’s “Grand Design” to decolonize the region and to exert influence by still having military bases and influence in these territories.

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ID logoIndonesia’s Critic President Sukarno argued that Malaysia

was a puppet of the British, and that the consolidation of Malaysia would increase British control over the region, threatening Indonesia's independence.

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ID logoIndonesia’s Critic As early as 1945, President Sukarno had

visualized that the Malay Peninsula would form the neck of an Indonesian archipelago encircling Singapore, all of the North Borneo states and the Philippines.

"Konfrontasi“ campaign, troubled the Malayan people from 1963 to 1966.

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ID logoThe Philippines

Philippines made a claim for Sabah, arguing that it had historic links with the Philippines through the Sulu archipelago.

In a Manila summit, Philippines proposed the formation of a super-federation known as “Ma-phil-indo”, incorporating Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia

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ID logoImportant Events

1. Visit to Sabah and Sarawak (June 1961).

2. Tunku’s visit to Brunei (July 1961).

3. Negotiation with Singapore (August 1961).

4. Malaysia Solidarity Consultative Committee (mid 1961).

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ID logoImportant Events5. Cobbold Commission (report was

published on August 1962).

6. Referendum Campaign (September 1962).

7. UN Commission (June 1963).

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ID logoBrunei’s Withdrawal

The Sultan of Brunei (Sultan Sir Omar Ali Saifuddin) lost interest.

The reasons: differences in opinions and reluctance to compromise on the part of Brunei and Kuala Lumpur.

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ID logoBrunei’s Withdrawal Unresolved Matters1. The position of the Sultan of Brunei

within the Council of Rulers.2. The status of Brunei within Malaysia.3. The matter of finance: royalty of oil.

By July 1963, Brunei indicated that she would not join the federation.

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ID logoMalaysia The Federation of Malaysia was formally

established on September 16, 1963.

Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak.

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ID logoSINGAPORE SPLIT FROM MALAYSIA

Both Malaya and Singapore had different reasons for wanting a merger. 

Each country saw merger as a convenient way of solving its own problem. 

Merger was therefore looked upon as a union of convenience. 

This resulted in its eventual disintegration.

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ID logoSINGAPORE SPLIT FROM MALAYSIA

Malaysia did not start off well. Right from the beginning, the P.A.P. and the Alliance Party did not get along well with each other.

The split in Singapore-Kuala Lumpur relations arose initially in the 1964 general election.

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ID logoSINGAPORE SPLIT FROM MALAYSIA

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ID logoSINGAPORE SPLIT FROM MALAYSIA

Eventually, the disagreement became so serious that riots broke out in Singapore in July and September 1964. The riots were put down but the fire was not put out.

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ID logoSINGAPORE SPLIT FROM MALAYSIA

The PAP talk openly of equal treatment of all ethnics group in Malaysia, ‘Malaysia for Malaysian’.

This made the Malay Alliance leaders even angrier because they believed that Malays had certain special rights.

The relationship between the P.A.P. and the Malay Alliance leaders turned from bad to worse.

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ID logoSINGAPORE SPLIT FROM MALAYSIA

MCA leaders express a feeling of uneasiness over the Singapore’s behaviour.

Efforts were made to find solution (June-August 1965).

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ID logoSINGAPORE SPLIT FROM MALAYSIA

On 9 August 1965, Singapore was separated from Malaysia.

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The End

Thank You