News spread of the Japanese invasion of North Vietnam and their readiness to invade Europe’s colonies in South East Asia by the end of 1940. In July 1941, the Japanese triumphed over Cochin-China in South Vietnam, which was located only 500 km from Kota Bharu, Kelantan and 1,000 km from Singapore. The Japanese arrived at Pantai Pak Amat in Kota Bharu on 7 December 1941 in the morning, during which time the students in Malay College, including Tun Razak, were sitting for their final examination. The examination was cancelled and students were asked to return to their hometowns as the residential buildings would be used as a field hospital. However, Tun Razak refused. Together with Hamdan Tahir, he worked at the hospital as a member of Perkhidmatan Perubatan Tambahan. Tun Razak was impressed by the courage and bravery of Malay fighters such as Leftenan Adnan who fought for their beloved nation to the last breath. The British Defense could not withstand the Japanese onslaught in Malaya and Singapore. When British defeat seemed imminent, Tun Razak and some of his friends returned to their hometowns via the midnight freight train. A few days later, just as Tun Razak arrived in Bentong, the Japanese conquered Kuala Lumpur and were moving towards the south.
The left-leaning Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM) led by Ibrahim Yaacob was formed in 1938. It consisted of graduates of the Sultan Idris Training College (SITC) who later joined up with Malay graduates from other institutions such as MCKK. Their aim was to achieve Independence for Malaya through a political union with Indonesia, forming Melayu Raya or Indonesia Raya. During the Japanese Occupation, KMM sought the patronage of the Japanese, believing that the Japanese would grant Malaya Independence. However, the Japanese disbanded KMM in 1942, out of fear of a political uprising against them.
On 8th August, an Indonesian delegation headed by Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta had talks on Indonesian independence in Saigon with the Japanese. On the way back, they stopped in Taping to meet with Ibrahim Yaacob and other KMM officials. Ibrahim told Sukarno of the idea of "Melayu Raya" (or Indonesia Raya). Sukarno was said to have been enthusiastic, but Hatta less so. (Source: Red Star Over Malaya, Cheah Boon Kheng, NUS Press)
After the Japanese surrendered, the British sought to regain their control over Malaya. Sir Harold Macmichael met with the Malayan Sultans and managed to obtain their agreement to the MacMichael Treaty. The treaty proposed a Malayan Union (comprising Malay states, Malacca and Penang) to replace British Malaya. There would be equal citizenship rights and the power of the Malay Sultans would be heavily curtailed, confined to religious affairs. The Macmichael Treaty resulted in the awakening of Malay political consciousness. Datuk Onn Jaafar formed a national movement to oppose the Malayan Union.
Indonesia proclaims Independence on 17th August 1945. It caught the KRIS members by surprise as they had not been consulted nor informed. KRIS instructed its members to take over Japanese military installations and buildings, but without Japanese support, efforts to oppose the British collapsed.
At the time of the Japanese surrender, the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA), a resistance offshoot of the Malayan Communist Party, emerged as the strongest political (and armed) group in Malaya. There were between 3,000 to 7,000 members of the MPAJA. (Source: Red Star Over Malaya, Cheah Boon Kheng, NUS Press).
British forces return to Malaya, re-establishing its occupation, and the British Administration is set up.
The British, under its Socialist post-war government, proposed the establishment of the Malayan Union to centralise the administration of the Straits Settlements (Penang, Singapore, Melaka), Federated Malay State (Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang) and Unfederated Malay States (Johor, Kedah, Perlis, Terengganu, Kelantan).
Sir Harold Macmichael arrived in Malaya on 11th October 1945 tasked to secure the Sultans' agreement to the Malayan Union. On 20th October, the Sultan of Johor inked his agreement, and by 21st December 1945, all nine Sultans had agreed to the Malayan Union, despite the loss of their sovereignty.
In late December 1945, the first demonstration against the Malayan Union took place in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, where over an estimated 10,000 people greeted Sir Harold Macmichael upon his arrival to the state with placards denouncing the Malayan Union.
The British finally published its White Paper on the Malayan Union, detailing its plans for citizenship and eventual self-rule. The White Paper presented the Malayan Union as a fait accompli, citing the Sultans' formal agreement with MacMichael. The British Governor's assent to all matters was now required, including matters related to Islam.
On 1st March, the first All-Malay Congress opposing the Malayan Union took place in Kuala Lumpur. The Congress eventually gathered the 41 Malay associations represented into one official organisation, the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) to fight against the Malayan Union. Datuk Onn Jaafar advised the Malay Rulers against attending the installation of Malayan Union's first Governor, Sir Edward Gent, on 1st April 1946, or risk losing the support of the Malays, and consequently not a single Malay Sultan turned up at the installation. This caused enough of a concern to the British that two British MPs were sent to ascertain the views of the Malays. After witnessing strong continued opposition against the Malayan Union and after meeting with the Rulers and UMNO leaders, the MPs reported their findings: that the Malays did not accept the Malayan Union.
The Malayan Union was established, replacing the British Malaya Administration. The Malayan Union consisted of the nine Malay states as well as the British settlements of Penang and Melaka. Singapore was treated as a separate crown colony.
Following the All-Malay Congress in March 1946, Malay associations banded together officially to become the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO).
In the face of furious and sustained opposition by the Malays against the Malayan Union, the British capitulated and sought to replace the Union with a more palatable administrative arrangement. Working predominantly with the Malays, chiefly UMNO, the British through a working committee worked out an alternative arrangement that was to be the Federation of Malaya.
After the war, the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) focused on organising the mainly Chinese labour force in the country. By April 1947, the Pan-Malayan Federation of Trade Unions (PMFTU) was estimated to have 263,000 members, and was said to control 80% to 90% of the trade unions in Malaya. They championed workers' rights for better living conditions and equal pay among others, especially in the tin and rubber industries. Through the labour unions, strikes were organised to wring concessions.
The Working Committee established the following terms of reference for the Federation:
When the draft agreement was made public, it was opposed by the Malayan Nationalist Party (MNP), the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), and the revolutionary Angkatan Pemuda Insaf (API, or Organisation of Youth for Justice).
The Malayan Democractic Union, the Malay Nationalist Party, the Singapore Federation of Trade Unions, the Malayan Indian Congress, and the Ceylon Tamils Association were among the parties that formed the Council for Joint Action to oppose the Federation, which later became the Pan-Malaysian Council for Joint Action (PMCJA). The PMCJA sent letters to the Press and organised rallies nationwide.
Pusat Tenaga Rakyat (PUTERA) or Central Force of the People formed to oppose the Federation and offer an alternative proposal. PUTERA then joined forces with the PMCJA to form the AMCJA (All-Malaya Council of Joint Action) which sent a letter to the Secretary of State for the Colonies in March 1947.
At the Fourth Plenum of the Central Committee, there was an ideological shift in the MCP towards armed conflict. This was a departure from their immediate post-war stance of a peaceful struggle.
PUTERA-AMCJA unveiled a 60-page set of constitutional proposals in July 1947. The final document was the accepted compromise between the various groups of the coalition. Among the proposals were: a) People born in Malaya were to be automatically "Melayu" citizens and had to renounce other citizenships; b) Malay was to be the official language of the country; c) for the first nine years, 55% or more representatives in central legislative council are to be Malays, and d) All citizens to be accorded equal rights and opportunities.
The British unveiled the revised constitutional proposals for the Federation of Malaya which did not differ much from the original draft that the Putera-AMCJA coalition opposed.
The Chinese Chamber of Commerce (CCC), which had kept itself out of the opposition, preferring instead in favour of negotiations and discussions. However, after the British unveiled the proposed constitution, the CCC decided to collaborate with PUTERA-AMCJA.
On 20th October 1947, a nationwide hartal or economic stoppage to signify opposition against the constitutional proposals took place, organised by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, in an informal collaboration with PUTERA-AMCJA. The hartal followed a series of smaller hartals that started in S,eptember of that year in Selangor, Melaka, and Perak. It's possible that Tan Cheng Lock, who headed the Chinese Chamber, was the one who originally proposed the hartal. While the hartal stopped economic activiies, it failed to sway the British out of the British Constitutional Proposals.
On 31st January 1948, the Malayan Union ceased and was replaced by the Federation of Malaya where the federation recognized the existence of component states, restored power and position to the Sultans as constitutional monarchs, and recognised the special position of the Malays as indigenous people. The federation, too, would work towards ultimate self-government by the people. Federal Legislative and Executive Councils were set up, with members to be appointed by the British High Commissioner.
On 16th June, a state of emergency was declared after three European plantation managers were killed in Sungai Siput, Perak by the Malayan Communist Party, led by Chin Peng. In October 1951, they killed the Governor of Malaya, Sir Henry Gurney. The state of Emergency lasted until 31st July 1960.
The British recognised the need to counter the communist threat not just through military action but also through "the minds and the hearts" of people. They undertook a series of steps in this regard. One was the Communities Liaison Committee (CLC), which debuted as the Sino-Malay Goodwill Committee to enable the leaders of the various communities to discuss sources of inter-racial friction in an informal closed-door forum where members could freely give their views. Decisions were not binding and the CLC had no authority.
On 27 Feb, as an alternative to the militant MCP, the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) was formed to be a political counterpart to UMNO. Tun Tan Cheng Lock was its first President.The organisation received the full support of the British, who were keen to draw the Chinese masses away from the MCP, and attracted the more moderate pro-business (and by extension, pro-British) Chinese business people.
A national level competition was held to create a new flag for the Federation of Malaya. On 28th November 1949, the flag designed by Johor architect Mr. Mohamad bin Hamzah, was announced as the winner. The flag’s design was agreed to by the Council Meeting of Malay Rulers in February 1950. The Council determined that the flag should have eleven horizontal red and white alternate stripes with a blue quarter on which a yellow crescent and eleven-pointed star are superimposed. The standard size of the flag was six feet by three feet. The flag was approved by King George VI on 19th May 1950.
Datuk Onn Jaafar resigned for the second time from UMNO in 1951, after the party refused to accept his proposal to allow non-Malays to join the party. On UMNO leaders' persuasion, Tunku Abdul Rahman ran for President and won.Datuk Onn set up the Independence of Malaya Party (IMP) which was multi-racial.
Sir Henry Gurney, the British High Commissioner in Malaya, was assassinated by communist guerillas in October 1951, on his way to a meeting at Fraser's Hill.
The MCP changes direction once again, urging its branches to focus on organising "the masses" rather than military attacks. This possibly stemmed from the government's resettlement of Chinese families (regarded as Communist sympathisers) to "new villages" guarded by barbed wire which made communications and procurement of supplies such as food, difficult.
For the KL Municipal Elections, UMNO and MCA contested on a united front. UMNO-MCA won 9 of the dozen contested seats while IMP won 2. This alliance was extended soon to the national level and formalised. In 1954, the Malayan Indian Congress (MIC) joined the Alliance.
The government sets up a Legislative Committee to discuss the question of elections to the Federal Legislative Council, and its impact on the constitution, as well as to make recommendations. This was in the face of demands for state and federal elections by UMNO-MCA as well as the IMP.
Dato' Onn Jaafar established Parti Negara as a result of a conference between the Independence of Malaya Party (IMP) and the Chief Ministers of the Malay states. Parti Negara was multi-racial, but stressed on Malay rights. It wanted Independence for Malaya within 5 years from 1954.
The Alliance disagreed with the recommendations of the Legislative Committee. Among the items of disagreement were the number of elected representatives to the Federal Legislative Council (44 out of 92 members instead of the 60% requested by the Alliance), and the timing of the first elections (1955, and not 1954).
Tunku, Tun Abdul Razak, and TH Tan travelled to London to meet with the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Oliver Lyttelton. To him, they presented their demands of a 60% presence in the Federal Legislative Council, and for elections to be held in 1954. Lyttelton did not acede to their requests. He responded to Tunku with a letter that he requested Tunku open only on the plane on the way back to Malaya.
As the British government refused to consider the Alliance's request for a 60% presence on the Federal Legislative Council, the Alliance under Tunku made the difficult decision to "boycott" the government by having its members and supporters resign from all positions in government. The boycott, which had the Malay Rulers' support, was successful - around 1,000 people resigned from their government positions.
Sir Donald McGillivray, the British High Commissioner who replaced Sir Gerald Templer, agreed to 52 of the 99 seats on the Federal Legislative Council to be elected. He also agreed that an additional 5 nominated seats - which previously were reserved for appointees of the British - be filled with representatives to be decided on by the winning majority party. This means that the Alliance potentially would have close to the 60% elected representatives requested.
The Alliance won in a landslide victory in the first Federal Elections of 1955 on promises of Independence, and Tunku became the first Chief Minister of Malaya. In August, Tunku met Viscount Alan Lennox Boyd, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and proposed, among others, a Commission to prepare the Constitution of an independent Malaya. He was determined to lead Malaya to Independence within four years of the Federal Elections. In September, Tunku met with the Malay Sultans to reassure them that their positions would not be affected after Independence.
In December 1955, Tunku and Chin Peng met in Baling talks, to discuss terms of amnesty for the Malaya Communist Party. The negotiations failed.
In January, Tunku led a delegation to London to negotiate for Independence. There were another four Alliance representatives with him: Tun Abdul Razak, Tun Dr. Ismail, Tun HS Lee, and TH Tan. Also, there were four Ruler' representatives: the Chief Ministers of Perak and Selangor, the Deputy Chief Minister of Johor and the former Chief Minister of Kelantan, Datuk Nik Ahmad Kamil.
A month later, the Independence of Malaya Treaty was signed on 8th February at Lancaster House in London. It was a special moment for Tunku Abdul Rahman as it was his 54th birthday. A date for Malaya's independence was determined: 31st August 1957. The delegates received a rousing welcome when they returned to Malaya and Tunku announced the date of Malaya's Independence at a rally in Bandar Hilir, Malacca.
A Constitutional Commission was established to draft independent Malaya's Constitution, headed by Lord William Reid, and consisting of Sir Ivor Jennings - United Kingdom, Sir William McKell - Australia, Hakim B. Malik - India, and Hakim Halim bin Abdul Hamid - Pakistan.
The High Commissioner set up a Working Party to review the Reid Report. The Working Party's members consisted of four representatives of the Rulers, four representatives of the Alliance, and four British Officials, including Sir Donald McGillivray headed the Working Party.
The Federation of Malaya Independence Agreement dated 5 August 1957 proclaiming the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as the Supreme Head of the Federation was signed by the Malay Council of Rulers from Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Selangor and Terengganu with Sir Donald MacGillivray, the High Commissioner of the Federation of Malaya who represented Queen Elizabeth II. The Agreement became a historical constitutional evidence for the independence of the Federation of Malaya.
The Federal Constitution was ratified via the Federal Constitution Ordinance 1957, passed on 27 August 1957 by the Federal Legislative Council of the Federation of Malaya.
31st August: Malaya gained Independence and known by the Malay Federation or Persekutuan Tanah Melayu. A historic ceremony took place at Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. Tunku Abdul Rahman became the First Prime Minister of Malaya. He began the work of developing Malaya by focusing on Infrastructure (notably roads), Education, Industrial Development, Agriculture, and Rural Development.
The National Anthem ‘Negaraku’ was chosen by Tunku Abdul Rahman. ‘Negaraku’ was based on the rhythm of Perak's state anthem, ‘Terang Bulan’ which was the favourite song of Sultan Abdullah, the Sultan of Perak. The lyrics of ‘Negaraku’ was written by a committee led by Tunku Abdul Rahman with the approval from the Sultans . The music score was prepared by Alfonso Soliano (Malaya Radio’s Orchestra Leader), D.S.P Croff (Music Director of Polis Diraja’s Band), Caiptan Lenthall (Music Director of Askar Melayu’s Band in Port Dickson) and A.T Reed (Head Director of Malaya Radio).
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