Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Merdeka & Malaysia
Malaysia's march to independence from British rule was led by UMNO, which formed a
strategic alliance with the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA;
www.mca.org.my
) and the
Malayan Indian Congress (MIC;
www.mic.org.my
). The new Alliance Party led by Tunku
Abdul Rahman won a landslide victory in the 1955 election. At midnight on 31 August
1957
merdeka
(independence) was declared in a highly symbolic ceremony held at the Pa-
dang in KL; the Union flag was lowered and the Malayan flag hoisted.
In 1961 Tunku Abdul Rahman proposed a merger of Singapore, Malaya, Sabah and
Sarawak. But when modern Malaysia was born in July 1963 it immediately faced a diplo-
matic crisis. The Philippines broke off relations, claiming that Sabah was part of its territ-
ory (a claim upheld to this day), while Indonesia laid claim to the whole of Borneo, invad-
ing parts of Sabah and Sarawak before finally giving up its claim in 1966.
The marriage between Singapore and Malaya was also doomed from the start. Ethnic
Chinese outnumbered Malays in both Malaysia and Singapore and the new ruler of the
island-state, Lee Kuan Yew, refused to extend constitutional privileges to the Malays in
Singapore. Riots broke out in Singapore in 1964 and in August 1965 Tunku Abdul Rahman
was forced to boot Singapore out of the federation.
1957-2007 Chronicle of Malaysia
edited by Philip Matthews is a beautifully designed book showcasing 50 years
of the country's history in news stories and pictures.
