THE EARLY HISTORY

OF MALAYSIA

Ancient History
1. Palaeolithic (Early Stone Age)
Around 35,000 years ago.
Main characteristics of inhabitants:
a. Lived in caves
b. Main activity was collecting forest products and hunting
c. Started using stone tools
d. Tool were simple and crude
Area : Tampan Estuary in Perak, Niah Cave in Sarawak,
Tingkayu in Sabah

2.

a.
b.
c.
d.

Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age)

Around 11,000 years ago.
Main characteristics of inhabitants:
Lived in caves and also along rivers and lakes
Started farming
Used more refined stone tools
Able to make earthenware
Area: Cha Cave in Kelantan, Kecil Cave in Pahang,
Kepah Cave in Kedah, Jenderam Hilir in Selangor,
Madai Cave in Sabah, Gamantang Cave in Sabah,
Niah Cave in Sarawak

3.

a.
b.
c.
d.

Neolithic (New Stone Age)

Around 5,000 years ago.
Main characteristics of inhabitants:
Used more sophisticated stone tools
Started rearing livestock
Started communicating with communities in other places
Started creating objects and using accessories
Area: Cha Cave in Kelantan, Kecil Cave in Pahang,
Kepah Cave in Kedah, Jenderam Hilir in Selangor,
Madai Cave in Sabah, Gamantang Cave in Sabah,
Tengkorak Cave in Sarawak, Niah Cave in Sarawak

4.

a.
b.

Metal Age
Around 2,500 years ago.
Main characteristics of inhabitants:
Population grew.
Developed residential areas in wide open land near
rivers
c. More orderly and sedentary lifestyle
d. Practised social customs
Area: Lang River in Selangor, Langar River in
Selangor, Muar River in Johor, Tembeling River in
Pahang, Terengganu River in Terengganu

Early Kingdoms
Powerful Malay kingdoms existed in the Malay
Archipelago since the early part of the first century.
These kingdoms were centres of trade, government and
spread of religion.
A few of them had extensive vassal states.
Funan
Year : 1st century
Located in present Kampuchea
Influenced by the Old Kedah Hindu religion
Kampung Sungai Emas (from the 5th to the 10th century)

 Pengkalan Bujang (from the 10 th to the 14th century)

Old Kedah
Year : 5th century
Monarchy system
Strategic location and important entreport
Influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism
Gangga Negara, Perak
Year : 5th century
Port and trade centre
Langkasuka, Pattani
Year : 2nd century
Important trade centre

 Influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism

Merong Mahawangsa history
Chih-Tu, Kelantan
Year : 6th century
Influenced by Buddhism
Strong relationship with China
Ruling system influenced by Hindu culture
Tan-Tan, Terengganu
Year : 6th century
Ruling system influenced by Indian ruling system
Strong relationship with China

 Tun Sun, Segenting Kra

Year : 3rd century
Important trade centre located between China and India
Influenced by Hinduism and Indian ruling system
Srivijaya, Sumatera
Year : 7th century
Well-known trade centre
Strong relationship with India and China
Centre of Buddhism and Sanskrit language
Owned several vassal states

 Mataram, Jawa
Year : 8th century
Centre of government
Influenced by Hinduism
Majapahit, Jawa
Year : 13th century
Owned several vassal states
Trade centre
Strong relationship with China, India and the Middle
East

The Malay Kingdom of Malacca

According to history, Malacca was founded by
Parameswara in 1403 A.D.
Malacca grew into a great empire in the Malay
Archipelago. It was well-known mainly as a centre for
maritime-trade and the spread of Islam, with vast territory
and strong trade relations with powerful countries such as
China and India.
The kingdom was also an empire with an advanced
civilization. In the system of government, the ruler was
the head of state the Islamic religion and the army.

 It is clear that great kingdoms once reigned supreme in

the Malay Archipelago. This region, better known as the
Malay World or the Islands of the Malay Archipelago,
was the geopolitical region of the Malays.
The people at that time were free to move from one
place to another as there were no boundaries nor limits.
The Malay Archipelago at that time was characterized as
a nation with one Malay language and culture.
Even today, there are elements of similarity. For
instance, the language spoken by the Malays in
Kampuchea, Pattani and the South of Mindanao are
similar to that spoken in Malaysia and Indonesia.

 Important officials such as the Finance Minister,

the Admiral, the Chief of Defence, Chief Bursar
and the Harbour-Master, assisted the Sultan
(King).
The organized system of government was based
on two main laws: the Malacca Law and the
Malacca Law of the Sea.

Golden Age of Malacca

There were several factors that contributed to the
rise of Malacca as trade centre.
1. Malaccas strategic location midway along the trade
routes between India and China. Malacca became a
famous port of call to merchants from the East and
the West as well as disseminator of Islam.
2. Strong trade ties with foreign countries such as ties
with China. From political side, Malacca received
protection from China against threats of subjugation
from Siam. Malacca also had diplomatic ties with
Java, India and Siam to strengthen its position.

3. Efficient administration. The supremacy of Malacca

was also supported by an efficient administration that
succeeded in creating a peaceful and controlled
situation. There were capable rulers and Chief
Minister, Tun Perak and minister for managing
marine trade and commercial affairs (HarbourMaster); and a strong military system to ensure order
in the administration.
4. Reasonable taxation system. The low taxes attracted
many foreign merchants to trade in Malacca.

Fall of Malacca
The golden age of Malacca ended in 1511 after the
Portuguese attack. History showed that Malacca
reached its supremacy under the rule of Sultan
Mansur Syah (1459-1477) but declined thereafter.
There were several factors, internal and external, that
contributed to the decline of the Malacca empire.
1. Internal Factors
After the death of Chief Minister Tun Perak, Malacca
lacked an efficient leader. Tun Perak was responsible
for enlarging their power base.

 His successor, Tun Mutahir was a weak leader. As a

result, there were often struggles for power.
Sultan Mahmud was also a weak ruler because he paid
little attention to the administration.
Corruption and bribery were prevalent and the high taxes
forced merchants to divert their attention to other ports.
Malaccas weak position caused the people to split into
factions and become disunited. Weak administration by
Chief Minister Tun Mutahir caused the Malays to
become hostile towards the Indian-Muslims.
Continued misunderstanding and dispute caused
segregation among the people.
The situation became more critical when the Portuguese,
led by Alfonso d Albuquerque attacked Malacca and
finally conquered it in 1511.

2. External Factors
External factors that contributed to the fall of Malacca
empire include the discovery of the Cape of Good
Hope in South Africa by Bartholomew Diaz in 1488.
This made it easier to sail from the West to the East. As
a result, it was easier for the Portuguese to invade
Malacca.
Internal conflict and high taxes caused many merchants
to move to other ports.
This combination of factors weakened the position of
Malacca.

 By understanding the factors that contributed to

the rise and fall of Malacca, we can see that the
country was itself responsible.
A country can become weak and fall prey to her
enemies because of unrest due to weak leaders,
bribery and corruption, betrayal among ministers
and disunity among the people.

Colonial Era
Malaysia was colonized by colonial powers for
approximately 446 years (from 1511 until 1957).
The Portuguese, Dutch, British, Japanese and
Siamese had colonized the country before, but only
the British and the Japanese succeeded in
colonizing almost the whole country and left impact
on the people.
The others merely concentrated on certain states.

Colonists and the Features of Domination

1.

Portuguese
Duration : 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 (borrowed words) and dance

2.

Dutch
Duration : 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

3. British
Duration : 1st phase :1842-1942, 2nd phase :
1945-1957 (130 years)
Colonized the whole of Peninsula Malaysia, can
be divided into two phases
Left behind significant influence on the way of
life of the people (political, economic and
social)
Was strongly opposed by the people

4. Siamese
Duration : 1821-1909 (88 years)
Was 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, Kelantan and
Terengganu
Traces of influence very evident in the states in the
north especially in the area of religion (Buddhism)
and art

5.

Japanese
Duration : 1942-1945 (3 years)
Colonized the entire country
Greatly influenced the life of the people,
especially in term of relations between the races
Was opposed by the whole country

Portuguese and Dutch Colonization

The Portuguese, led by Alfonso de Albuquerque,
took over Malacca in 1511.
The main reason for the colonization was to control
the maritime trade in the East and to spread
Christianity.
The failure to extend their power base was believed
to be due to the inconsistency between their trading
practices and religion.

 This could be true because Albuquerque believed

in using force to make groups of merchants leave
Malacca.
The merchants also viewed the Portuguese as an
enemy to other Islamic countries in the Malay
Archipelago.
Their ultimate objective was not completely
achieved because the Malays often attacked them.
Among the traces left behind were the Eurasian
community, who are Catholic and follow
Portuguese customs.

 Other influences include the romanized writing,

language and terminology (for example, palsu,
almari, jendela, garpu and tuala in Malay).
The Portuguese colonization succeeded in bringing
about the downfall of the Malay kingdom of
Malacca and led to the start of another kingdom, the
Johore-Riau Malay kingdom.
With the assistance from Johore, the Dutch defeated
the Portuguese and took over Malacca in 1641.

 The centre of Dutch activity was not Malacca, but

Batavia (now known as Jakarta) in the island of
Java.
The Dutch was only interested in the tin ore in the
Malay Peninsula.
The Dutch left after an agreement with the British
in 1824.
As a result, Malacca was passed on to the British.
Both Portuguese and Dutch did not have much
impact on the country.

British Colonization
The chronology of British colonization is as
follow:
1786 Penang Island was founded by Francis
Light
Singapore was founded by Stamford Raffles
1824 Dutch handed over Malacca to British as a
result of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty
1826 Penang Island, Malacca and Singapore
were combined into one administrative unit
known as Straits Settlement

 1841 James Brooke took over Sarawak

1874 British intervention in Perak, through
Pangkor Agreement
1874 - British intervention in Sungai Ujong
1878 - The Brunei Sultan handed over Sabah to
the British
1888 British intervention in Pahang
1896 Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and
Pahang were united into one administrative unit
known as the Federated Malay States

 1909 Under the Bangkok Agreement, Siam handed

over Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu to the
British, and these are known as Unfederated Malay
States
1914 Johor accepted a British advisor
1945 The British Military Administration (BMA) was
established
1946 The Malayan Union was established in
Peninsula Malaya
The Federation of Malaya was established to replace
the Malayan Union
1957 Malaya achieved independence

The Acquisition of Penang Island and:

Singapore
The English merchants set up the British East India
Company in 1600 with the intention of improving
trade in the region, especially with China.
However, China was not interested in trading with the
English, so the English looked for other trading zones
in the Malay Archipelago.
On 11 August 1786, after an agreement between
Francis Light and Sultan Abdullah to protect Kedah
from the Siamese threat, Penang Island came under the
occupation of the British.

 On 6th February 1819, Stamford Raffles occupied

Singapore, as it was seen as a suitable new base for
the British in the Islands of Malay Archipelago.
This was achieved through the manipulation by the
British of a local issue of misunderstanding between
the Chief Military Officer Abdul Rahman (Singapore
Administrator) and Sultan Abdul Rahman in Riau.
With the occupation of Penang Island, Singapore and
Malacca, the spread of British colonization in
Malaya began.

Anglo-Dutch Treaty 1824

The Anglo-Dutch treaty was signed on 17 March
1824 with the main aim of ending all rivalry
between the British and the Dutch, especially in
the East.
Before this, the British and the Dutch had been
hostile to each other because of trade. Besides this,
the Dutch were not happy with the British
occupation of Singapore.
The hostility escalated when some British people
were killed in Ambon (a Dutch colony)

 However, in Europe, the British government were

on good terms with the Dutch.
Furthermore, the Dutch were indebted to the
British because of Napoleonic War.
The Dutch King, William of Orange signed the
Kew Letters, allowing the British access into and
thus protection over Dutch colonies in the East
until the Napoleonic War was over.
According to the treaty, the Dutch handed over
Malacca to the British in exchange for Bencoolen
(Bangkahulu).

 The areas south of Singapore continued to

belong to the Dutch, while the British controlled
the north.
They also agreed to work together to eradicate
pirate activities.
The consequence of this treaty was clear:
1. The Malay Archipelago was split into two
spheres of Dutch and Britsh influence.
2. The Johor-Riau empire ended as Johor now
belonged to the Britsh while the Islands of Riau
came under the Dutch.

3. Dutch and British trade rivalry continued to grow in

intensity. This was aggravated by the dispute
between them over Brunei Island which the British
claimed was located north of Singapore and was
therefore in British territory. Meanwhile, the Dutch
thought otherwise.
However, to Malaysia, the effect of the treaty was
the split of the Archipelago region into two different
spheres of influence and the effects of the two
different cultures remain even until today.
This also shows that, at that time foreign forces
determined the destiny of this country.

Straits Settlements
The Straits Settlements consisted of Singapore,
Malacca and Penang Island.
These states were united in 1829 and Penang
Island was the first capital state with a Governor
as head.
On 1st April 1867, the administration of the Straits
Settlements was transferred from Calcutta in India
to the Colonial Office in London, by the same act
that declared the Straits Settlements as British
colonial territory.

British Intervention in the Malay

States, Sabah and Sarawak
Before 1873, the British government did not have
any policy of intervention in the affairs of the
Malay states in Peninsula Malaya.
In September 1873, Lord Kimberly, Secretary of
the colonial office, inaugurated a policy of
intervention in the affairs of the Malay States.
Before that, the British intervened only in
Sarawak.

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

2. Perak (1874)
The British intervened with the excuse of
protecting the interests of British merchants
Chaos broke out with the Larut War (the struggle
for control of the tin mines) that involved the
Chinese secret societies, Hai San and Ghee Hin,
and civil war (the struggle for the throne between
Raja Abdullah and Raja Ismail) Chieftains such as
Ngah Ibrahim (Laru Minister) and 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.
3. Selangor (1874)
Civil war involving Raja Mahadi and Raja
Abdullah
Tengku Kudin and Yap Ah Loy supported Raja
Abdullah; the princes of Selangor Sultan and Sayid
Masyor supported Raja Mahadi

 British intention to interfere was not successful

because the Malay chieftains did not want the
British to interfere.
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 and J. G.
Davidson as the resident.

4. Sungai Ujong / Negeri Sembilan (1874)

Struggle for power in Sungai Linggi between
Dato Kelana Sayid Abdul Rahman and Dato
Bandar Kulup Tunggal
Dato Kelana sought help from the British and
was subsequently acknowledged as chief of
Sungai Ujong.
However, the appointment of Dato Kelana and
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.
The British extended their power to all districts in
Negeri Sembilan and finally the local people had
to accept a British resident, Martin Lister.

5. Pahang (1880s)
Civil war broke out due to the struggle between
Wan Mutahir and Wan Ahmad for the post of
Chief Minister.
The British were worried over Sultan Ahmads
suggestions 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 this as an excuse to intervene.

Sultan Ahmad accepted the British resident, J. P.
Rodger.
6. Sabah (1946)
Part of Sabah was under the Brunei Sultanate
since the 16th century.
Was leased to Charles Lee Moses in 1865 and
subsequently sold to Baron Von Overbeck
The Sulu Sultanate agreed to give up their land
in Sabah to Overbeck and Dent in 1878.

 The North Borneo Chartered Company was established

to administer Sabah.
On 15th July 1946, Sabah was declared a British colony.
The above is a summary of the history of British
intervention in the Malay states of the Peninsula, Sabah
and Sarawak.
The Malay states that first accepted British intervention
were Perak, Negeri Sembilan (Sungai Ujong), Pahang
and Selangor.
These states were combined under the administrative
system of the Federated Malay States.

Factors for British Intervention

1. The colonization was caused by internal weaknesses
such as unrest and civil war in the states concerned.
There was no unity among the inhabitants and this
gave the British the chance and excuse to intervene
by installing an advisor (and later resident).
2. The presence of important economic resources such
as tin ore and agricultural products (commercial
agriculture) in these states were also reasons for
intervention.
3. There was strong competition among the Western
powers for colonies to meet the economic needs of
their country thus increasing the need for
intervention.

 This shows that it was the rich natural wealth that

attracted the foreign powers but it was the
peoples own mistake that the land was colonized.

Resident System
To make the administrative system more efficient
and to strengthen their hold over the colonized
territory, the British introduced the Resident
system in the Malay states.
Every Malay state that was conquered, had a
British resident.
The role of resident was to advise the Sultan; but
in certain cases, the resident had power even over
the state officials and the Sultan himself.

 The impacts of this resident system on the

Malay states were as follow:
1. From the point of administration, every state
was divided into districts, divisions or
residency, villages, each with its own head.
A police force was established for peacekeeping.
Sometimes, in certain states, the resident was
more powerful than the Sultan himself, and the
power of the Sultan was limited only to religion
and Malay customs.

2. From the economic view-point, public

infrastructure such a roads and railway tracks
were built to facilitate the transport and
exploitation of resources.
The British could develop their agricultural
activities including the introduction of new
plants such as rubber.
However, the development was focused mainly
on areas that were economically profitable such
as the tin mining areas, towns and states on the
west coast of the Peninsula.

 Besides that, the immigrants and Western

investors monopolized the economic resources,
while the local people were still tied to their
traditional economy and lived in villages.
Although there was development in terms of
infrastructure, it was concentrated mainly in areas
where British economic interests were located,
such as towns and centres of economic activities.

3. From the social aspect, the taxation system and

imposition of licenses on boats and firearms were
introduced.
The British also enforced the ban on slavery.
Meanwhile, the immigration of a foreign workforce,
especially from India and China, was encouraged to
assist the development of rubber estates and tin mines.
At the same time, the influx of foreign workers
(Chinese and Indians) caused many other problems.
They were isolated from the locals in terms of living
quarters and occupation.

 As a result, there was no interaction between them

and this physical distance was among the many
causes for the increasing social gap between
them.

Federated Malay States

Through the Federation Agreement in 1896, Perak,
Selangor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan were
consolidated under one central ruling system.
These states were known as the Federated Malay
States.
There were several factors behind its establishment:
1. To address Pahangs financial problems
2. For the purpose of efficiency and uniformity in
administration

3. To check the Residents power

4. For security
Through a federation, the resources of all the member
states could be collected and used for a common
benefit to develop other states with minimal
administration costs.
Among the conditions of the Federal Treaty was the
acceptance by the rulers of the Federated Malay States
of a British officer with the title of Resident-General.
The role of Resident-General was to advise on all
aspects of government except on issues relating to
Islam and Malay customs.

 The rulers were still in power in their own states.

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 was introduced.
The first conference was held in Kuala Kangsar in
1897 and it was the first time that the rulers met.
The second conference was held in 1903 in Kuala
Lumpur.

 The outcome of the Federal Agreement, was the

centralization of administrative power in the
hands of Resident-General in Kuala Lumpur and
the gradual loss of powers of the rulers in their
own states.
The Resident-General had power over matters
relating to finance and the primary sources of
income, which were duties on exports that were
under the control of the central government.

 This also meant the establishment of federal

departments which led to the employment of more
British officers, resulting in the Malay states to be
administered mostly by British officers.
This had secured the position of British in these
states.
The Malay rulers grew uneasy with the situation.

Federal Executive Council

To strengthen control over the states, the British
government established in 1909 the Federal Executive
Council.
The aim was to increase the power of the rulers and
the residents in the states concerned.
The real motive, however, was solely to increase the
power of the British Governor in Singapore.
The Federal Executive Council consisted of the High
Commissioner (President), Resident-General (later
changed to Secretary in 1901), four Sultans, four
residents and four unofficial members (three
Europeans and a Chinese).

 The obvious effect of the establishment of the

council was the gradual weakening of he power of
the Sultan and the State Executive Council.
This became very clear when the Sultan became
only an ordinary member with no decisionmaking power.
Laws were signed and passed by the High
Commissioner and not the Sultan.
In short, the Federal Executive Council placed all
authority in the hands of the High Commissioner.

 This shows how the British gradually

strengthened their hold on the states in Malaya.
All measures taken were to facilitate their
exploitation of the countrys economy.

Non-Federated Malay States

Before 1909, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and
Perlis were under the protection of Siam. As a
consequence of the 1909 Bangkok Treaty, the
Siamese agreed to hand over these states to the
British, and a British advisor was appointed in
each sate.
However, the Bangkok Treaty was rejected by the
states involved, in particular, Kedah and Perlis.
Among the objections was the reluctance of the
states to accept a British advisor.

 The Bangkok Treaty had restricted the expansion

of Siamese power to other Malay states and
protected the British interests in Malaya.
The agreement made it difficult for other western
powers to penetrate the Malay states, thus
benefiting the British.
To the British, the states had had economic and
trade potential while they were of no benefit to the
Siamese.
The importance of his treaty was that it facilitated
the process of expansion of British power in
Malaya; Johore accepted a British advisor in 1914.

 In 1919, the British combined the five states as

the Non-Federated Malay States.
Therefore, beginning 1919, the states in Malaya
were under three political units, namely the Straits
Settlements, the Federated Malay States and the
Non-Federated Malay States.
This ruling structure continued until the Japanese
occupation that began in 1941.

Decentralization of Power
The decentralization of power (distribution of
central power) meant that the important powers
relating to administration of finance and services,
such as the railway, customs and postal services
that were once under central control, would be
distributed to the states concerned.
The decade between 1910 and 1920 were years of
peace in the Federated Malay States.
The economy was good and the rulers were
pleased with their position.

 However, after 1920, feelings of dissatisfaction crept

in especially among the rulers because of matters
pertaining to their position, causing the British to take
measures to decentralize powers in the states
concerned.
The distribution of power was in stages, first in the
20s and then the 30s.
In the 1920s, the main factor for the decentralization of
power was the dissatisfaction among the rulers of the
Federated Malay States concerning their decisionmaking power.

 On the other hand, the rulers in the NonFederated Malay States, where they had greater
power over their own state.
The other factors included the British intention to
combine the Federate Malay States and NonFederated Malay States, the decline of worldeconomy in the 1920s, and the struggle for power
between the Resident-General and High
Commissioner.

 Meanwhile, the reason for the decentralization of

power in the 1930s revolved around the need to form
a Malayan Union, the declining world economy and
the need to protect the interest of the Malay society
and keep check on Chinese political activities.
It was clear that the distribution of power
implemented by the British was based on economic
and political motives.
The distribution of power happened when the world
economy was declining and it was a way to
economize.

 From the political aspect, the British had the

intention of ruling the whole of Malaya under one
administrative entity, that is the Malayan Union.
However, this distribution of power was not
successful because the Japanese invaded Malaya
in 1941.

Japanese Colonization
The Japanese colonization was an important event
in the history of Malaya.
Although the Japanese occupied Malaya for only
three and a half years (from 15 February 1942 to
15 August 1945), they had a great impact on the
country.
The conquest of the whole of Malaya was fast and
effective.
The entire country and Singapore were defeated in
only 17 days.

 The attack started from two directions, from the

East and the West.
After landing in Kota Bharu, the Japanese soldiers
rushed to Kuantan and then to Mersing.
On December 1941, Jitra was captured, followed
by Penang Island and Slim River. In January 1942,
the Japanese entered Kuala Lumpur, and both the
Japanese military troops met in Johore Bahru.

 On 15 February 1942, Singapore fell to the

Japanese army.
The main aim of the Japanese was to establish a
New Great East Asia government.
The Japanese promised to declare independence
in certain South East Asian countries.

Factors for Japanese Victory

The Japanese conquered Malaya quite easily
although the British military was equipped with
better firearms and were grater in number than
the Japanese.
The factors that contribute to the Japanese victory
were:
1. The British were not prepared for the war. They
did not expect the Japanese attack from the north.

2. The Japanese also had a comprehensive plan in

which they had a network of spies in Malaya.
3. The Japanese soldiers were in excellent form
because of intensive training and were led by
capable and experienced leaders (such as
Yamashita and Tsuji). They were enthusiastic and
inspired to fight for the important and supremacy
of Japan.
4. The Japanese had practical war tactics, such as
using the bicycle even in the jungles and villages.

5. The British military lacked the spirit of war,

especially after the first round of attacks. A large
number of the British soldiers consisted of
Indians who were still young and inexperienced
in warfare.

Effects of Japanese Colonization

The Japanese invasion had a great impact on the
life of the citizens of Malaya. The effects were
social, economic and political.
1. From the social aspect, the Japanese invasion
worsened the relationship among the races in the
country because the Japanese were against the
Chinese and on the side of the Malays.
This made the Chinese took refuge at the edge of
the jungle.

 The misunderstanding between the Malays and

the Chinese continued even after the Japanese
had surrendered.
2. From the economic aspect, Malaya was in
complete confusion. The economic infrastructure
was destroyed and economic activities were
disrupted causing the lives of the people to
become worse and inflation continued to grow
higher.

3. From the political aspect, it was found that the

Japanese administration was a period of misery
for the local citizens and the experience raised
their political awareness.
The Malays were attracted to the slogan Asia
for Asians which motivated them to build their
own government.
On the other hand, the Chinese established the
Malayan Peoples Anti-Japanese Army
(MPAJA) to fight the Japanese and strengthen
the Communist Party of Malaya (MCP).

 The bloody conflict between the Chinese and

Malays lasted two weeks until the British
established the British Army Administration
(BMA).
However, this experience had left lasting negative
racial sentiment between the two races.

Era of Emergency
One of the most important periods that Malaysia
went through was the period of the emergency.
The emergency period is closely related to the
development and activities of the Communist
Party of Malaya (MCP).
Communism spread into Malaya in the 1920s
through a branch of the Kuomintang Party that
was an ally of the communists in China.

 Majority of the MCP members were Chinese.

The primary objective of the MCP was to
overthrow the British government and establish
the Communist Republic of Malaya.
Since its establishment, the MCP had been an
underground movement except during the years
1945 to 1948.
When the Japanese occupied Malaya, the MCP
had worked with the British to fight against the
Japanese by forming the Malayan People AntiJapanese Army (MPAJA).

 As soon as the Second World War ended, some of

the MCP guerillas emerged from the jungle and
prepared a strategy to take over the controlling
power before the British resumed their rule of
Malaya.
The MCP formed the Malayan Races Liberation
Army (MRLA), better known as the Three Stars
(symbolizing the three main races in Malaya) to
fight for the establishment of the Communist
Republic of Malaya.

 The MCP also set up a supply and public spy unit

known as Min Yuen.
Min Yuen had two main functions: to get food and
medical supplies for guerillas in the jungle and to
obtain information on British activities.
The majority of the local population did not
support the communist ideology.
For the Malays, communism was against Islamic
teachings as it denied the existence of God.
Besides, the MCP was dominated by the Chinese
and created suspicion among the Malays and the
Indians.

 However, there were many Chinese who were not

interested in joining MAP. Instead, they were
more interested in economic activities and
improving the economy.
Furthermore, there were some political leaders
who established the Malayan Chinese Association
(MCA( to safe-guard the interest of the Chinese
people.
Besides, the Malayan economy was quite stable at
that time and most Malayan citizens were against
the violent tactics of the MCP.

 In 1948, the MCP launched attacks on rubber

estates and tin mines causing many deaths and
loss of means of livelihood.
Consequently, the British took step to eliminate
communism and halt the MCP activities.

 In June 1948, the MCP launched an armed

uprising in Malaya.
Between 1948 and 1951, the MCP launched
several attacks on estates, mines, police stations
and the general public, especially Europeans.
The MCP employed guerilla war tactics. Their
strategy was to cripple the Malayan economy, by
conquering big cities, and towns (to form
headquarters) and eventually drive the British out
of Malaya.

 On 6 October 1951, while on his way to Frasers

Hill, Sir Henry Gurney, the High Commissioner,
was shot dead by communists
His violent death shocked the British government
and spurred them into action to eradicate the
communists and their activities.
Among the measures taken were the declaration
of emergency, the Briggs Plan, military steps and
psychological warfare. (the Templer Plan).

Declaration of Emergency
On 16 June 1948, Sir Edward Gent, a British
High Commissioner, declared Perak and Johore
emergency areas.
On 17 June 1948, a state of emergency was
declared on the whole of Malaya.
The declaration was due to the killing of three
Europeans estate managers in Perak.
On 23 July 1948, the MCP was officially
outlawed.

 The Emergency Law of 1948 gave powers to the

police and soldiers to arrest and detain communist
suspects without trial.
The military force also imposed roadblocks and
curfews in areas where communist activities were
rife.
The registration system was also introduced
where citizens aged 12 years and above must
register and own an identification card, now
known as the identity card.

 Sir Harold Briggs introduced the Briggs Plan to

eradicate communist activities through a strategy to
relocate the squatter areas from the edge of the forest
to a new village; and to launch starvation movement.
The plan was aimed at restricting the Chinese from
supplying food , medicine and information to the
communist guerillas who were hiding in the jungles.
This plan was effective in eradicating communist
violence because it weakened Min Yuen activities
and forced the communist out of the jungles.

 Sir Gerald Templer was appointed the High

Commissioner of Malaya in 1952 to replace Sir
Henry Gurney.
As a military general, he used firm military force
to fight the communists.
His military tactics included the use of 13
battalions of British soldiers, Gurkhas and
Malays; training 67,000 special Malay soldiers
and forming home guards systems with 210,000
of hem in 1953, and recruiting assistance from the
Commonwealth military, such as form Australia,
New Zealand and Rhodesia.

 The strength of military team enabled the

government to launch more aggressive attacks on
the communists and ensured that food was not
smuggled out for the guerilla communists.
Sir Gerald Templer also launched psychological
warfare upon the communist terrorists by taking a
number of actions.

 Among them were making conditions easier for

non-Malays to obtain citizenship, pardoning in
large numbers the MCP members who
surrendered, rewarding people who provided
information on the communist terrorists and
giving out pamphlets calling the communist
terrorists to give up their fight.
Besides that, he introduced the system of white
and black areas.
The white area is an area that is free from
communist activities, while the opposite is the
case for a black area.

 Templer also introduced curfews in areas where

the soldiers were hunting for the communists.
Templers psychological warfare can be said to be
one of the factors for the success of the
government of the Federation of Malaya in
ending the communist revolution.
This encouraged the people of Malaya to work
together with the government to eliminate the
communist terrorists.
After the MCP decline, it decided to negotiate
with the government of Malaya.

 The negotiation was held in Baling, Kedah on 28

and 29 December 1955.
Tunku Abdul Rahman, David Marshall and Tan
Cheng Lock represented the government while
Chin Peng, Chen Tien and Rashid Maidin
represented the MCP.
The MCP requested to be legally recognized but
the request was turned down.
The negotiations failed as the MCP further
rejected the governments counter offer and
refused to lay down their arms.

Impact of the Emergency

Gradually the influence and activities of the MCP
declined.
On 31 July 1960, Tunku Abdul Rahman
proclaimed the end of the emergency.
MCPs failure was due to several reasons: their
offensive acts against the Malayan Union, the
lack of support from Malayan citizens, especially
from the Malays, and the lack of protection from
other communist countries, such as Russia and
China.

 However, the emergency period hat lasted 12 years left

many negative results.
The number of people killed included 9,581 MCP
members, 2,461 ordinary citizens and 1,851 members
of the Security Force. The injured numbered 1,383
while those missing were around 807.
Properties were destroyed and the economy was
crippled.
New villages with public facilities unlike those in the
traditional Malay villages were developed.

 This widened the social gap among the people.

Communist movements with mainly Chinese
while the police and army forces being Malaya
only made the racial issue worse.
A few lessons can be learnt from the emergency.
It challenged the people in the country to work
together to defeat the communist terrorists.
The British, on the other hand, took immediate
action to grant independence to the country on the
ground that there was unity among the citizens of
Malaya.