Merdeka!

Malaysia 1

Running Head: Merdeka! Malaysia

[Name]

[Institution]

[Date]
 Merdeka! Malaysia 2

Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3

British Influence.........................................................................................................................3

Signing of the International Treaty............................................................................................4

Creation of Maphilindo..............................................................................................................5

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................6

References..................................................................................................................................7
 Merdeka! Malaysia 3

Introduction

The Federation of Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963. Malaysia was formed

by the union of Malaysia, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore (which only left two years

later). Today, on 16 September, Malaysia celebrates a public event known as "Hari Malaysia"

(Malaysia Day). It should not be confused with Hari Merdeka (Independence Day), which

was celebrated on 31 August 1957. While the latter has been a public holiday since that date,

Hari Malaysia was only declared a public holiday in 2009, giving Malaysians two holidays

associated with the country's independence.

The Federation of Malaysia and Singapore reached an agreement in principle in

August 1961. Singapore, Sarawak and North Borneo were British colonies at the time, but the

coastal states were independent and formed the Federation of Malaysia. Brunei was a

sultanate that was ruled by the British. In reaction to the Malay initiative, political activities

in North Borneo were drastically increased. Until 1961-62, when six ideological parties were

founded, there had been no political gatherings. In Sarawak, the debates were also

contentious. Some advocated for consolidation, while others advocated for a three-state

Borneo Federation.

British Influence

The British presence in Sabah goes back much further: in 1761, the British East India

Company opened a general shop in North Borneo, as the state was then called. Sarawak, the

other Malay state in Borneo, was ruled by the British from 1841, when the Sultan of Brunei

appointed James Brooke as governor after assisting in the suppression of a rebellion. Brooke

became Rajah (the equivalent of a king) of Sarawak in 1846 and extended the area. His
 Merdeka! Malaysia 4

nephew ruled after he died. Before World War II, the Brooke family was in control of the

territory.

After the Japanese invaded Malaysia, North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore at the

end of World War II, the British sought decolonization. India was awarded independence in

1947. This was done in order to ready the British territories in Southeast Asia for

independence.

Delegates from the newly formed Malay ideological parties and Malay leaders met

with the British Colonial Office in London in 1956 to reach an agreement on autonomy. The

Federation of Malaya then consisted of 11 mainland states: Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri

Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor and Terengganu, plus the two British colonies on

the Straits, Penang and Melaka.

On 31 August 1957, the long-awaited second proclamation of independence was read

in the purpose-built Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur. Since then, 31 August has been

celebrated as Hari Merdeka, Indonesia's Independence Day.

Signing of the International Treaty

Opposition to the Malaysian Federation was particularly strong in Brunei. An

attempted revolt against the government and its consolidation funding was thwarted in

December 1962. However, this had an impact on the Sultan's decision not to join Malaysia in

1963. The new state was then formed by the other potential rivals. In 1962, a presentation

was made in Singapore. It was seen as a legitimate expression of popular support for

Malaysia, although the option to vote against consolidation was omitted (Singaporeans were

only offered three options to join).

 Merdeka! Malaysia 5

With the signing of the Malaysia Agreement of 1963, an international treaty between

the United Kingdom, the Federation of Malaysia, Sarawak, North Borneo and Singapore, the

creation of Malaysia became a reality. Prior to the establishment of Malaysia, Sarawak

attained sovereignty on 22 July 1963 and North Borneo was governed by the United

Kingdom from 31 August 1963, which also coincided with the sixth anniversary of

Malaysia's independence.

The day on which Malaysia's growth was pursued was August 31, 1963. The

announcement was delayed until September 16, 1963, due to issues resulting from concerns

from Indonesia and the Philippines regarding Malaysian progress (which could not be settled

and later caused a special constitutional dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia). North

Borneo was dubbed Sabah at the same time. The Malaysian declaration ceremony was

conducted at Kuala Lumpur's Merdeka Stadium, which was the same venue that hosted

Malaysia's autonomy ceremony seven years before. Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman

recounted the origins of the Malaysian Declaration in front of an estimated 30,000 people

before reciting "Merdeka" ("Autonomy") several times.

Creation of Maphilindo

Suddenly, in late 1962, circumstances changed. Socialist China showed ridiculous

hostility towards India. I defended the electoral system and denounced China's attack. A

quick reaction was that the communists all over South East Asia went on the counter-attack

by contradicting Malaysia and started making every possible issue of alienating Malaysia.

Other external annoyances followed - the Philippines' affair in North Borneo, Brunei's

unexpected and unsuccessful revolt, and Indonesia's alarming reception of a settlement of the
 Merdeka! Malaysia 6

conflict with Malaysia. This year's global emergency in Southeast Asia, which peaked in

June, has been extended by both of these events. The fruitful meeting of Malaysia's,

Indonesia's, and the Philippines' foreign ministers, followed by my own meeting with

President Soekarno in Tokyo, helped to lower tensions and lift hopes of peace and harmony.

We went on to final talks on Malaysia in London because the prospects for a summit

conference were appropriate and the Indonesian conflict had subsided. Early in July, the deal

with Malaysia was duly accepted. As a result of Indonesia's sudden and unequivocal

reintroduction of the isolation pact, the summit meeting of Malaysia's, Indonesia's, and the

Philippines' heads of state started in limbo at the end of July. The summit ended with the

three countries deciding to establish Maphilindo, a confederation of states formed by

Malaysia.

Conclusion

The Malaysian Federation is no longer in existence. Let us not forget that the

Malaysian nation was created after overcoming numerous obstacles during a long time of

national emergency. It was then that its multiracial society emerged, asserting itself as a

fertile and reforming nation, a true majority government and a signpost to the universe of

understanding and resilience. As was the case with Malaysia, it is often the case with us.

With trust in Almighty God, leadership solidarity and self-confidence, we can make Malaysia

a place known for its flourishing and harmony. In this way, any Malaysian with access to

each of Malaysia's states, Singapore, Sarawak, and Sabah will know that our Malaysia is

genuinely deserving of the points and hopes we've expressed, as well as the conditions and

stresses we've faced in working together to achieve our simple predestination.

 Merdeka! Malaysia 7

References

Malaymail.com. 2021. Tunku Abdul Rahman's Malaysia Day Speech Sept 16, 1963 |

Malay Mail. [online] Available at: <https://www.malaymail.com/news/what-you-

think/2013/09/16/tunku-abdul-rahmans-malaysia-day-speech-sept-16-1963/525411>

[Accessed 23 April 2021].

Agung, I.A.A.G., 2018. 16. The Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia. In Twenty

years Indonesian foreign policy 1945–1965 (pp. 444-506). De Gruyter Mouton.

Chong, A., 2020. Indigenizing the Cold War in Malaysia and Singapore: Interethnic

Decolonization, Developmental Syntheses and the Quest for Sovereignty. Asian

Perspective, 44(2), pp.179-208.

Dake, A.C., 2018. Malaysia, The New Alibi (1962-1963). In In the spirit of the Red

Banteng (pp. 170-191). De Gruyter Mouton.

Mohamad, A.N.A., Mohamad, W.N.A., Salleh, A.R. and Haniffa, M.A., 2020. The

Impact of the Formation of Malaysia 16 September 1963: A Historical Highlight. Randwick

International of Social Science Journal, 1(2), pp.174-181.

Ngoei, W.Q., 2019. The Best Hope. Malaysia in the “Wide Anti-Communist Arc” of

Southeast Asia. In Arc of Containment (pp. 114-148). Cornell University Press.

 Merdeka! Malaysia 8

Sulaiman, Y., 2018. Domestic Politics, Foreign Policy, and International

Organization: The Case of Indonesia’s Withdrawal from the United Nations. Jurnal

Academia Praja, 1(01), pp.21-38.