Topic 2

Malaysia: Facts and

history
COLONIAL ERA

• Malaysia subjected to other powers for about 446 years from

1511 till 1957.
• Lists of Colonists:
• Portuguese: 1511-1641(130 years)
• Dutch: 1641-1824(183 years)
• British:1824-1942; 1945-1957 (130 years)
• Siamese:1821-1909(88 years)
• Japanese:1942-1945 (3.5 years)
Portuguese and Dutch Colonization

• Led by Alfonzo de Albuquerque in 1511

• Their objective was to control the maritime trade in the east
and to spread Christianity - Gold; Gospel;Glory
• They introduced their own system.
• Retain the posts of Bendahara, Temenggung and
Syahbandar.
• They introduced an economic system called Mercantile
Policy.
Impacts of Portuguese colonization

Coinage
Intermarriages
system

Languages
Buildings and
churches

IMPACTS
• With assistance from Johor, the Dutch defeated the
Portuguese and took over Melaka in 1641.
• The center of Dutch activity was in Batavia (Jakarta) in the
island of Jawa.
• The Dutch were only interested in the tin ore in the Malay
Peninsula.
• The Dutch left after an agreement with the British in 1824. As
a result, Melaka was passed on to the British.
• Both the Portuguese and Dutch did not much impact on
the country.
COLONIZATION ERA: BRITISH IN MALAYA BRITISH IN
PENANG - 1786

• Achieved through deception by Francis Light

• Why:
1) To monopolize spice trading in the East
2) Trading Port
3) Navy Base
BRITISH IN SINGAPORE - 1819

• Achieved by Stamford Raffles through his intervention to

resolve the conflict in Johor.
• Anglo-Dutch Treaty - 1824
• A treaty between British and Dutch to create their settlement in the
East.
Anglo-Dutch Treaty - 1824

• Terms and Condition:

• Territories to the north and east of the Malacca Strait were given to
British
• Territories to the west and south came under Dutch influence
• Malacca was surrender to British
• Bengkulu and Sumatera release to Dutch.
• Implication of the treaty
• The division of power: Dutch and British
• The end of the Johor empire as Johor-Riau
• The three main trading ports (Penang, Singapore and Malacca)
under British influence.
• Straits Settlements in 1826
CHANGE FROM NON INTERVENTION TO AN
INTERVENTION POLICY - 1874

• Reasons:
• Succession dispute between Malay states
• Conflicts among “Chinese Private Association” (Kongsi Gelap) to
grab tin mine in Malaya.
• Complaint from British merchants and investors
• Liberalization policy by Britain Government.
• The opening of Suez Canal- shorten the route between west and
east
• The Industrial Revolution in Europe in 19th century.
• This lead to Pangkor Treaty in 1874 - Introduction of British
Residential System
Federated Malay States

• Participated by Perak, Selangor, Pahang and Negeri

Sembilan
• Factors behind its establishment:
1) To address Pahang’s financial problems
2) For the purpose of efficiency and uniformity in
administration
3) To curb growing power of British Residents
4) For Security
Federated Malay State Treaty

• Among the conditions of the Federal Treaty was the

acceptance by the rulers of the Federal Malay States of the
British officer with the title of Resident-General.
• The role of the Resident-General:
• To advise on all aspects of government except on issues relating to
Islam and Malay customs.
• The first Resident-General was Frank Swettenham.
• To create a better relationship between the rulers and the
British officers, a Conference of Malay Rulers known as
Durbar.
• The first conference was held in Kuala Kangsar in 1897.
• The second conference was held in 1903, Kuala Lumpur.
• The outcome the centralization of administrative
power in the hands of the Resident-General  the
gradual loss of the powers of the rulers in the own
states  power relating to finance and the primary
sources of income.
• Establishment of federal departments.
Federal executive council
• 1909 – establishment of Federal Executive Council
• Aim:
1) To increase the power of the rulers and the
residents in the state concerned.
2) To increase the power of the British Governor in
Singapore.
3) Consisted of four rulers, the four Residents, four
unofficial members and a Resident-General.
4) To weaken the power of the Sultan and State
Executive Council.
Non-federated Malay states

• Before 1909, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis were

under the protection of Siam.
• 1909 Bangkok Treaty, the Siamese agreed to hand over
these states to the British and a British advisor was appointed
in each state.
• However, Kedah and Perlis -reluctance of the states
concerned to accept a British advisor.
• The importance of the treaty was that it facilitated the
process of expansion of British power in Malaya; Johor
accepted a British advisor in 1914.
• Beginning of 1919, the states in Malaya were under three
political units, namely the Straits Settlements, the Federated
Malay States and the Non-Federated Malay States.
Japanese occupation

• Occupied Malaya for only

three and a half years from 15
February 1942 to 15 August
1945.
• The attacks:
• 12 December 1941 – Jitra
• January 1942 – Japanese
entered Kuala Lumpur 
Singapore
• 15 February 1942 – Singapore
fell to the Japanese army.
• The main aim of the
Japanese was to establish a
New Great East Asia
government.
Social effects

• Oppression, especially on the Chinese as a

continuation of the Sino-Japanese war in 1937.
Also many Malay and Chinese became forced
labor to build the railway from Burma to Siam
("Death Railway")
• Chinese fled to the outskirts of the jungle and rural
areas and opened new settlements, met with
Malay villagers, causing ‘culture shock’.
• Disharmony between Malays and Chinese
because Japanese generally treated Malays
better : encouraged them to join army, police,
and become active in politics)
• Caused tension when Japanese surrendered
Economic effects

• Properties and infrastructures were destroyed by

the British before running away
• Tin mining and rubber industries couldn’t be
continued
• No foreign trade
• Consumer goods and food, especially rice was
scarce
• Japanese forced people to plant tapioca and
sweet potatoes
• Inflation – uncontrolled money distribution
• Infrastructures were handled badly by Japanese
Political effects

• Japanese encouraged political awareness

(especially among the Malays) - slogan : " Asia for
Asians"
• gain experience in administration
• encouraged Malay nationalism and involvement
in political organizations eg. KRIS
• Indians and Chinese strengthened amongst
themselves, causing difficulties later on in the
future in establishing national spirit
The era of emergency

• The emergency period is closely related to the development

and activities of the Communist Party of Malaya (MCP).
• Primary objective of MCP: to overthrow the British
government and establish the Communist Republic of
Malaya.
• MIN YUEN - To get food and medical supplies for guerillas in
the jungle and to obtain information on British activities.
• Actions taken by the British:
• Declaring the emergency
• Introduced Briggs Plan
• Military steps
• Psychological warfare
Declaration of emergency

16th June 1948 17 June 1948

Sir Edward Gent A state of 23rd July 1948
declared Perak emergency was The MCP was
and Johor declared on the officially outlawed
emergency areas. whole of Malaya
The Briggs Plan

• To relocate the squatter areas from the edge of the forest to

a new village; and to launch starvation movement.
• Towards Feb 1952, more than 400, 000 Chinese squatters
were relocated to approximately 400 new villages.
• The aim: to restrict the Chinese from supplying food,
medicine and info to the Communist.
Psychological warfare

• Making easier for the non-Malays to obtain citizenship

• Pardoning the large numbers of the MCP members who
surrendered
• Rewarding people who provided info on the communist
terrorists
• Giving out pamphlets calling the communist terrorists to give
up
• Introduced the “black and white areas”
• Introduced curfews.
• The negotiation was held in Baling, Kedah on the 28 and 29
Dec 1955.
• Representatives from the government: Tunku Abdul Rahman,
David Marshall and Tan Cheng Lock
• Representatives from the MCP: Chin Peng, Chen Tien and
Rashid Maiden
• The negotiation failed!
Impacts of the emergency

• Numbers of people were killed.

• Properties were destroyed and the economy was crippled.
• New villages with public facilities.