The Formation of Malaysia (1959-1963) Study Notes)

Key Developments in Singapore’s History ($1945 – 1959$)

• Chronological Overview of Significant Events:

  • First Elections ($1948$): The first democratic elections held in Singapore.

  • Anti-National Service (NS) Riots (May $1954$): Significant civil unrest regarding the implementation of National Service.

  • Formation of the People’s Action Party (PAP) (November $1954$): The birth of the political party that would eventually lead the government.

  • Rendel Constitution ($1955$): A constitutional change that provided a partial system of self-government.

  • Resignation of David Marshall ($1956$): Marshall resigned from his post as Chief Minister.

  • Citizenship Ordinance ($1958$): A critical law put in place to allow individuals not born in Singapore to become citizens and obtain the right to vote. This significantly expanded the electorate for subsequent elections.

  • Full Internal Self-Government ($1959$): Singapore gained control over most internal affairs, while the British retained control over external affairs and defense.

The $1959$ General Election and its Significance

• Election Results and Mandate:

  • The PAP achieved a ‐landslide victory,‐ winning $43$ out of the $51$ seats available.

  • The Sunday Times reported the victory at $2.45\text{ a.m.}$ with the headline "PAP ROMPS HOME WITH LANDSLIDE VICTORY."

  • The result marked the end of an anti-colonial struggle and the beginning of full internal self-government.

• Perspectives on the Victory:

  • Lee Kuan Yew: Stated, "The verdict of the people is a terrifying thing… it's a victory of right over wrong."

  • Lim Yew Hock: Stated, "The PAP have made certain promises… We congratulate them and wish them luck."

• Long-term Impact:

  • This was the first time the PAP came into power. They used this mandate to build strength and a public image, leading to subsequent victories in $1963$, $1968$, and $1972$.

  • The election decisively influenced all subsequent historical events leading to independence.

Understanding the Concept of Merger and Federation

• Definition of Merger: The combining of two or more entities (in this case, states or schools) into a single new entity.

  • School Analogy (Cedar Girls and Victoria School): A hypothetical merger between Cedar Girls Secondary School and Victoria School illustrates the processes involved.

  • Involved Parties: Students, parents, staff (teachers and school leaders), and alumni.

  • Gains: Greater access to resources, including new campuses, improved facilities, increased funding, and a larger pool of potential students.

  • Challenges/Important Decisions: Determining the school culture, school song, leadership (principal), and physical location.

• Definition of a Federation: A group of states led by a central government, where each state retains a degree of control over its own internal affairs.

Strategic Timeline of the Formation of Malaysia

• $15 July 1946$: Labuan was annexed to North Borneo, becoming the Crown Colony of British North Borneo.

• $1 July 1946$: The Rajah ceded Sarawak to the British Crown.

• $31 January 1948$: The region was reformed as the Federation of Malaya (Malay States became British Protectorates; Malacca and Penang remained British Colonies).

• $31 August 1957$: Federation of Malaya granted independence within the British Commonwealth.

• $3 June 1959$: Singapore granted full internal self-governance.

• $27 May 1961$: Malayan Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman proposed a merger between Singapore, Malaya, North Borneo (Sabah), and Sarawak (initially suggested to be called "Melayu Raya").

• $1962$: The Brunei Revolt led by the Brunei People's Party occurred. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III eventually rejected the resolution to join Malaysia.

• $1 September 1962$: Singapore held a National Referendum on merger terms.

• $9 July 1963$: The Malaysia Agreement was signed.

• $22 July 1963$: Sarawak granted self-governance.

• $31 August 1963$: British North Borneo (Sabah) and Singapore declared independence.

• $16 September 1963$: The Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah, and Sarawak officially merged to form Malaysia.

• $9 August 1965$: Singapore was expelled from Malaysia.

The Road to Merger: Stakeholder Perspectives

The British Perspective

• Viability Concerns: The British doubted Singapore’s ability to survive as a small, independent state due to a lack of natural resources and a sufficient domestic market.

• Security Concerns: The threat of communism was a major factor. The British feared Singapore would fall to communism if left alone, especially since the Emergency was still ongoing and communist parties were operating covertly.

• Defense: The British felt they lacked the ability to defend Singapore and the wider region effectively if it remained isolated.

The Malayan Perspective (Tunku Abdul Rahman)

• Initial Rejection ($1959$): The Tunku initially rejected merger because Singapore was a Chinese-majority state. He feared this would upset the racial balance in Malaya and lead to a loss of political power for the Malays.

• The Strategic Shift ($1961$): The Tunku changed his mind due to fears that communism was spreading within the PAP.

  • In April $1961$, Ong Eng Guan and two other members resigned from the PAP. Ong won a by-election, showing the PAP was politically "shaky."

  • The Tunku feared the PAP was losing control to the left-wing, communist-friendly faction that eventually split to form the Barisan Sosialis.

• The Proposal: To balance the racial demographics, the Tunku proposed including Sabah, Sarawak, and Brunei in the merger.

The People’s Action Party (PAP) Perspective

• Independence: They believed merger was the only way to convince the British to grant Singapore full independence.

• Economic Benefit: They sought a "Common Market" where goods could be bought and sold freely without tariffs (taxes on foreign goods). This was intended to support new industries, increase trade, and create jobs.

The Barisan Sosialis Perspective

• Leadership: Led by Lim Chin Siong and Fong Swee Suan.

• Objections: They claimed the terms were unfair because Singaporeans would not enjoy the same rights as other Malayan nationals and would have reduced political power through a limited allocation of parliamentary seats.

The Terms of Merger and the Referendum

• Proposed Terms for Singapore:

  • Singapore citizens would become "Malaysian nationals" but not necessarily have voting rights in Malayan elections unless they met specific criteria.

  • Singapore would maintain control over Education and Labour.

  • The Central Government in Kuala Lumpur would control the Armed Forces, Police, and Foreign Relations.

• The National Referendum ($1 September 1962$):

  • The referendum did not ask if the people wanted to merge, but rather how they wanted to merge.

  • Option A: Merger with autonomy in labor and education (This was the PAP’s preferred option).

  • Option B: Merger similar to the other Malayan states.

  • Option C: Merger on terms similar to the Borneo territories.

• Campaigning Tactics:

  • PAP: Conducted a year-long campaign including $12$ radio talks by Lee Kuan Yew ("The Battle for Merger") and the "We the Peoples of Malaysia" exhibition.

  • Barisan Sosialis: Encouraged voters to cast blank or spoiled votes to protest the limited choices.

  • Consequence: The government warned that those casting blank votes could be struck off the voting registry for the $1963$ elections.

• Results: The majority of the people voted for Option A.

Internal and External Opposition

• Operation Coldstore ($1963$):

  • The Internal Security Council (comprising $3$ British, $1$ Malayan, and $3$ Singaporean representatives) ordered an island-wide arrest of those under "Communist influence."

  • Key Barisan Sosialis leaders, including Lim Chin Siong and Fong Swee Suan, were arrested and accused of sabotaging the formation of Malaysia.

  • Over $100$ people were detained.

• External Challenges:

  • The Philippines: Claimed Sabah (North Borneo) was part of their territory. Diplomatic ties were severed in $1963$ and only restored in $1966$ under President Marcos.

  • Indonesia (Konfrontasi): President Sukarno believed the federation was a form of "neo-colonialism" for Britain to maintain indirect control.

  • Indonesia launched Konfrontasi on $20 January 1963$, involving trade bans and violent sabotage by agents in Malaysia.

  • Hostilities ended in $1966$ when President Suharto took power.