CHAPTER 2

TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE AND

FORMATION OF MALAYSIA

Colonial Era
Reflects the attraction of the country & of the Malay
Archipelago to the foreign countries
Subjugated by other powers for 446 years (1511 1957 )
Portuguese
Dutch
British

Japanese
and even Siamese

British & Japanese succeeded in colonizing and left the

impact on the people
The Factors for colonizing Malaysia:
vase natural resources & other sources of wealth
to extend political influence & Christian faith

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Table 1.3: Colonists and the Features of Domination

Colonist

Duration

Notes

Portuguese

1511 1641
(130 years)

Mainly in Malacca
Was opposed by the Malays of Malacca with the aid of Acheh
Did not leave behind many traces, except in the areas of language and dance

Dutch

1641 1824
(183 years)

Mainly in Malacca
Did not leave many traces; focused on colonizing Indonesia
Was opposed by the Malays who frequently received help from the Bugis

British

1824 1942

Colonized the whole of Peninsula Malaysia; two phases

Left behind significant influence on the way of the life of the people (P/E/S)
Was strongly opposed by the countrys population

1945 1957
(130 years)
Siamese

1821 1909
(88 years)

Was for a long time lord of the states in the north of the Malay Peninsula
Stayed mainly in the northern states of the Malay Peninsula namely, Perlis,
Kedah and Kelantan
Traces of influence very evident in the states in the north, especially in the
areas of religion (Buddhist) and art

Japanese

1942 1945
(3 years)

Colonized the entire country

Greatly influenced the life of the people, especially in terms of relations
between the races
Was opposed by the whole country

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Portuguese (1511 1641)

The main reason:
to control the maritime trade in the East
Spread Christianity

Failure to expend power:

Inconsistency between their:
trading practices
Religion
Alfonso de Albuquerque using force to make the group of
merchants leave Malacca and they viewed the Portuguese as
enemy to other Islamic countries

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Portuguese (1511 1641) Cont

Main influences evidences:

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Eurasian community
romanized writing
language
terminology (palsu, almari, jandela, garpu & tuala in Malay)
Led to start Johore-Riau Malay Kingdom

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Dutch (1641 1824)

Defeted Portuguese with assistance from Johore
Dutch activities mostly from Batavia (Jakarta) in Jawa Island
Only interested in tin ore in the Malay Peninsula
Dutch left after agreement with British in 1824 (Malacca was
passed to British)

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British (1824 1942)

1786: Penang was founded by by Francis Light
*(after an agreement between Francis Light & Sultan Abdullah - protect Kedah from Siamese threat)

1819: Singapore was founded by Stamford Raffles

*(achieved through the manipulation by the British of a local issues of misunderstanding between
Chief Military Officer Abdul Rahman (Singapore Administrator) & Sultan Abdul Rahman in Riau )

The general tendency:

Focus on opening of Singapore
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 March 17: Malay Archipelago divided
to two different geo-political area in 19 & 20 century
The establishment & transfer of power of the Straits Settlements
The growth of the tin mining industry
Increase of Chinese population
The intervention of the Malay States in 1874
Progress in British administration
Formation of the Federated Malay States in 1896
Opening of rubber estate
See table 1.4: The Chronology Of British Colonization pg. 10
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British (1824 1942) Cont

Straits Settlements
Consisted of Singapore, Malacca & Penang Island
United in 1829
Penang Island:1st capital state with Governor as
head
Administration of Straits Settlements transferred
from Culcutta in India to London coursed:
More efficient administration
Commercial agriculture (black paper, gambier,
nutmeg, clove & sugar cane)
Pirate activities were eradicated
British began to pay attention to the Malay state
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British (1824 1942) Cont

British Intervention in Malay States, Sabah & Sarawak
There had been several cases of indirect intervention:
Raja Ali & Temenggung Ibrahim in Johore
Naning War of 1831
Andersons agreement with Selangor & Perak in 1825

In September 1873, Lord Kimberly-inaugurated intervention policy

Before that British intervened only in Sarawak
* See Table 1.5: Summary of British Intervention in the Malay States,
Sabah & Sarawak

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Table 1.5: Summary of British Intervention in the Malay States, Sabah & Sarawak
State

Record of Events

Sarawak
(1824)

James Brooke occupied Sarawak after fulfilling his promise to Raja Muda Hashim to
quell the rebels
James Brooke was coronated King of Sarawak in 1824
The Sultan of Brunei agreed to sign the Agreement of 1842 to confirm James Brooke
as the governor of Sarawak for fear to British threat

Perak
(1874)

The British intervened with the excuse of protecting the intrest of British merchants
Chaos broke out with the Larut War (the clamor for control of the tin mines) that
involved the Chines secret sicieties, Hai San & Ghee Hin, and the civil war (the
struggle for the throne between Raja Abdullah & Raja Ismail)
Chieftains such as Ngah Ibrahim (Larut Minister) & Raja Abdullah requested for
British
intervention
Anxiety on the part of the British that other European powers will intervene in the
Malay States
The Pangkor Treaty was signed on 20th January 1874
J.W.W. Birch was appointed the first Resident

Selangor
(1874)

Civil war involving Raja Mahadi & Raja Abdullah

Tengku Kudin & Yap Ah Loy supported Raja Abdullah; the princes of the Selangor
Sultan and Sayid Masyor supported Raja Mahadi
British intervention to interfere was not successful because the Malay chieftains did
not want the British to interfere

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Table 1.5: Summary of British Intervention in the Malay States, Sabah & Sarawak
Cont
State
Selangor
(1874)
Cont

Record of Events
In 1873, a British cargo boat was attacked by pirates; the British took this as an
excuse to intervene
In August 1874, Frank Swettenham was appointed official advisor to the Sultan &
J.G. Davidson as the Resident

Sungai Ujung
(1874)

Struggle for power in Sungai Linggi between Dato Kelana Said Abdul Rahman & Dato
Bandar Kulup Tunggal
Dato Kelana sought help from the English & was subsequently acknowledged as chief of
Sungai Ujong. However, the appointment of Dato Kelana & British presence were
opposed
by Dato Bandar Kulup Tunggal
The British army, led by W.A. Pickering, successfully defeated Dato Bandar Kulup
Tunggal
Sungai Ujong accepted British Advisor, W.I. Tatham

Pahang
(1880s)

Civil war broke out due to the struggle between Wan Mutahir & Wan Ahmad for the post of
Chief Minister
The British were worried over Sultan Ahmads suggestion to give trade concessions to
Western powers
In February 1888, a British citizen (of Chinese descent) was murdered in Pekan (near the
sultans palace)
The British took that as an excuse to intervene
Sultan Ahmad accepted the British Resident J.P. Rodger

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Table 1.5: Summary of British Intervention in the Malay States, Sabah & Sarawak
Cont

State

Record of Events

Sabah
(1946)

Part of Sabah was under the Brunei Sultanate since the 16 th century
Was leased to Charles Lee Moses in 1865 & subsequently sold to Baron Von
Overbeck
T he Sulu Sultanete agreed to give up their land in Sabah to Overback & Dent in 1878
The North Borneo Chartered Company was established to administer Sabah
On 15th July 1946, Sabah was declared a British colony

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The Era of the Emergency

Related to development of Communist Party of
Malaya (MCP)
Crept into Malaya in 1920s with Kuomintang
Party from China.
Primary objective:overthrow British & establish
Communist Republic of Malaya
1942 joint with British formed MPAJA to against
the Japanese
After Japanese left they formed Malayan Races
Liberation Amy (MRLA) to against British again
& known as 3 Stars (3 races).
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The Era of the Emergency Cont

No support for Communist Ideology
Malays: -communism against Islamic teachingdenied the existence of God
- dominated by Chinese created suspicion
- give more focus on improving the economy
Chinese: - several leaders establish Malayan Chinese
Association (MCA)
- to save-guard the interest of Chinese people
English government took definite stapes to wipe out
communism and MCP activities

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The Era of the Emergency Cont

Declaration of Emergency & Emergency Laws
June 16, 1948, by Sir Edward Gent (British High
Commissioner) due to killing of 3 European estate
manager in Perak
Perak & Johore
June 17, 1948 the whole of Malaya
Give power to Police & Soldiers to arrest & detain
communist suspects without trial.
Roadblocks & curfews, registration system was
introduced citizens aged 12 years & above must own
an identification card.

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The Era of the Emergency Cont

British Plans
The Briggs Plan
By Sir Harold Briggs relocate the Chinese squatter areas to new village
400 villages (started June 1, 1950 in Johore)

Military Measures
By Sir Gerald Templer (military general) used firm military force (English
soldiers, Gurkhas & Malays)

Psychological Warfare
By Sir Gerald Templer easy citizenship for non-Malay, pardoning the large
number of MCP members who surrendered, rewarding people who provide
information on MCP giving out pamphlets, introduce White & Black area
One of the success method in ending MCP activities

The Baling Negotiation

MCP decided to negotiate with government
At Baling, Kedah on 28 & 29 Dec. 1955
Tengku Abdul Rahman, David Marshall & Tan Cheng Lock represented
government
Chin Peng, Chen Tien & Rashid Maidin represented the MCP
MCP requested to be legally recognised
Negotiations failed.
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The Era of the Emergency Cont

Impact of Emergency
July 31, 1960, Tengku Abdul Rahman proclaimed the end of the emergency
MCP failure:
Offensive acts against Malayan Union
Lack of support from Malayan people
Lack of protection from Russia & China
12 years left many negative results
9,581 people killed (MCP, ordinary citizen, Security Force)
1,383 injured &
807 missing
Properties destroyed
Economy was crippled
Social gap among Chinese in New Villages (with public facilities) &
Malays in traditional Malay villages racial issue worse
Positive results
Taught people in the country to work together
British took immediate action to grant independence
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MALAYAN UNION 1946 - 1948

a.
b.
c.
d.
.

Reason for the Malayan Union Plan

Towards a more efficient administration
Need for a strong, united country-uniformity
Preparation for self government
To protect British interest
Introduced in April 1946

.
a.
b.
c.
d.

Opposition to the Malayan Union Malays

Fear of losing Malay rights and Privileges
Criticisms over Citizenship
Position of the Sultans threatened
British High-handedness

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UMNO
The birth of UMNO, 11 May 1946
President Dato Onn Bin Jaafar
Aims - a) to make the British withdraw the
Malayan Union

b) to prepare the Malays for their part in self

government
The Malayan Union abolished 1948 ------ the
acceleration (catalyst)
of Malay nationalism, birth ??????? Japanese
Occupation
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FEDERATION of MALAYA 1948

i.e. Special privileges

- non-Malays unhappy citizenship requirements

- Chinese Chamber of Commerce

- AMCJA Tan Cheng Lock

Federation states still retain some power
Union centralized power
Effect of the Federation
a. Malay Peninsula under one government
b. Powers of Sultan and state councils were restored
c. Reaction of the Malays and non-Malays
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DEVELOPMENT of POLITICAL
PARTIES

2.
-.
-.

MCP (PKM) 1930

underground party-dominated by Chinese-influence of mainland China
Members mostly discontented lower working class
aim to establish Communist Republic of Malaya by overthrowing
government
very successful during Japanese occupation new look MPAJA-British
support-marriage of convenience
when British returned the cordial relationship started to strain as MCP still
keen to form Communist republic
leadership under Chin Peng and Lai Teck
British succesfully clamped down MCPs activities
UMNO (11 May 1946)
founded by Dato Onn who later left the party when his suggestion to open
UMNO to other races were turned down
the rise of Tenku Abdul Rahman who went on to head the government after
independence

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Parties unhappy with the

Federation
a.
b.
c.
d.

AMCJA Tan Cheng Lock

PKMM Dr Burhanuddin al-Helmi
AWAS Shamsiah Fakeh
API Ahmad Boestaman

. PUTERA (PKMM, AWAS & API) AMCJA

. 1947 Dr Burhanuddin al-Helmi introduced
Perlembagaan Rakyat,
. British found it too radical
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3. MCA (27 Feb 1946)

-. Tan Cheng Lock first president

-. to unite Chinese against Communist, to

show loyalty and work alongside with the
government and to protect Chinese
economic and political rights
4. MIC ( 8 August 1946)
. - 1st President was John Thivy
. - DEVELOPMENT of POLITICAL PARTIES
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FORMATION of MALAYSIA
By 1961 the FM had been independent for 4 years.
Malaya had a stable government and there was economic and
social
progress.
Singapore had obtained full internal self government since 1959
but still controlled by Britain.
Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei British Crown Colonial since 1946.
27 May 1961, Tengku Abdul Rahman proposed a merger of Malaya
+ Sabah + Sarawak + Singapore + Brunei = MALAYSIA
- there would be a central government for all these territories.
- each territories would retain some of its powers.

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SINGAPORES DESIRE for

MERGER
-

PAP came to power in 1959

Lee Kuan Yew, as Prime Minister of Singapore.

Reasons
Economically, Singapore still dependent on Malaya.
Singapore continued to face the threat of Communist

THE MALAYAN GOVERNMENT WAS AGAINST MERGER

the population in Singapore was largely Chinese.
Communist activities would spread to Malaya from Singapore.

REASONS for TAR PROPOSAL for THE FM

increasing Communist influence in Singapore
to balance the racial Composition.
to encourage economic development.

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PROPOSAL of THE MALAYSIA

PLAN
-

Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak & Brunei if agreed to the Malaysia Plan

they would get their independence early.
In July 1961, a Malaysia Solidarity Consultative Committee was set
up.
To get their opinions.

BRITAIN
- the British government knew that it had to give independence to
Singapore, Sabah & Sarawak sooner or later.
- It realized that the Malaysia Plan would give these territories political
stability, and prosperity.
- In 1962, the British government appointed a commission of inquiry.
- The Cobbold Commission.

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THE BRUNEI REVOLT

Two months before the Malaysia
Agreement was signed, Sultan of Brunei
decided not to join Malaysia.
- taxation of Bruneis oil revenue.
- The right to a senior place among the
Malay Rulers.
16.9.1963 The Formation of Malaysia.
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THE MALAYSIAN
CONSTITUTION
The head of Malaysia Yang Di-Pertuan Agong
Malaysia ruled by Parliament
Parliament which would be made up of 2 Houses.
The Senate (Dewan Negara)
The House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat)
Election 5 years
The head of the Malaysia government Prime
Minister.
- The central government was to be at Kuala Lumpur
-

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