Hantu Laut
Ten years after giving up power of its biggest colony on the Indian sub-continent, she was getting tired of administering the last few remaining colonies in its far-flung empire in the Far East. World War II had shaken its resoluteness and weakened its economic might.
The lost of the 'Jewel In The Crown' was a wake-up call for Britain to return rightfully what didn't belong to them. It's time for decolonisation. It was time to pack up and go home. The last few remaining colonies of the British Empire in Asia and Africa literally had independence thrown on their laps. It was a peaceful and smooth transition of power from colonial masters to colonial subjects without the horrific bloodshed that some less fortunate colonies had to suffer to get independence from the colonial masters.
We might have shed some sweat and tears but otherwise it was the most civilised manner Britain had conducted itself when it gave independence to nations in this region. There were no real heroes of independence that one can really talk about in the lore of nationalist heroes the like of Mahatma Ghandi, Che Guevara and other freedom fighters, but there were a few groomed champions.
Malaya then comprised of Federated State, Unfederated States and the Straits Settlements.In January 1946 the British proposed for a Malayan Union to unite the whole of Malaya under a strong central government, but the proposals were resisted by the Malays, who quickly formed a political party known as United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and for Malays only.
The Malayan Union concept was abandoned and in its place the 'Federation of Malaya Agreement' was signed on 21 January 1948 and came into effect on 1 February same year. A common citizenship was created for all who acknowledged Malaya as their permanent home and gave their undivided royalty. Citizenship were also given to the Chinese and Indians immigrants as one of the conditions stipulated by the British.
After the fall of Malaya and Singapore to the Japanese during World War II the communists mounted a campaign of active resistance against the Japanese and hope to gain control of the country in September 1945, but the attempt was thwarted by the arrival of the British military administration. The communists insurrections continued until after the end of World War II and after Malaya gained independence on 31 August 1957.
Those who depicts Chin Peng as liberator and hero of independence were trying to rewrite the history book. Chin Peng was a leader of a communist insurgency that tried to take over the country through violence and armed struggle.The Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) continued its arm struggle trying to overthrow a legitimate government.
Chin Peng renewed the insurgency in 1967, which went on until 1989. How could Chin Peng be termed a hero, a liberator and freedom fighter when he wanted independence from an already independent nation and a government elected by the people using violence and armed insurrection.
For anyone who want to learn to rewrite history read Gavin Menzies' two books, he has the knack of rewriting history (Menzies wrote the books '1421' and '1434' that changed the history of navigation and discoveries, giving all credits to China as the pioneers,discoverers, inventors, including the discovery of the Americas by the Chinese, not Columbus).
After the independence of Malaya, the last remaining colonies of the British Empire in the Far East were Hong Kong, Singapore, North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak and its protectorate Brunei. Britain feared that the Borneon states would eventually be victims of territorial grab by the region's bigger power if given independence on their own, unless, Britain were prepared to guarantee giving security and defence in the event of external aggression from its neighbours.
The fear was Indonesia and the Philippines. This fear was proven true when the formation of Malaysia was announced. Indonesia's Sukarno immediately launched a confrontation against Malaysia with its 'Ganyang Malaysia' (Crush Malaysia) battle cry and promising that he would take over Malaysia before the cock crows on 1st August 1963.
Although, it has an outstanding claim over Sabah the Philippines being militarily weak could only cut off diplomatic relations with Malaysia, without any threat of military action.
There were many military incursions by Indonesia along the Borneon borders between Sabah/Sarawak and Indonesian Kalimantan.There were also military and guerrillas landings on the shores of Peninsula Malaysia.The one that almost saw the light at the end of the tunnel was the Indonesian backed rebellion by the North Kalimantan National Army (TNKU) against the Sultan of Brunei led by leaders of Parti Rakyat Brunei Dr.Azhari and Ahmad Zaidi.The British army was able to suppress the rebellion and Azhari and Ahmad Zaidi fled to Indonesia.
Kota Kinabalu was not spared from Sukarno's psychological war. As a young boy then, I still remember the drone of an approaching aircraft that flew very low over our house in the early hours of the morning just before dawn few months before the formation of Malaysia.That instantly reminded me of Sukarno's promise of "Sebelum ayam bercokok" (before the cock crows) and think quietly to myself, is that it, they are here to take us?
By 1965, the height of the confrontation there were 14,000 British and Commonwealth forces in Borneo.There were also British, Australian and New Zealand SAS Regiments that pursued the attackers over the border into Kalimantan in secrets.This was only revealed many years after the incidents.
Before the formation of Malaysia the British government set up a fact-finding mission to find out the views of the people of Sabah and Sarawak.The Cobbald Commision was set up to collect information regarding the concept of Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Singapore joining the Federation of Malaya to form a new nation to be named Malaysia. Brunei eventually decided not to join union with Malaysia, which mean the Sultan would lose his status as absolute monarch and his position reduced to ceremonial status like other sultans in the Federation of Malaya.The Sultan of Brunei was very rich even then, the only oil producing country in Borneo.
I take the findings of the Cobbold Commission with great amazement and trepidation. It was unforgivable sham. There was no referendum held in Sabah and Sarawak on the wishes of the people to join Malaysia. What the commission did was to gather a few tribal leaders of the indigenous people and selected few from other minority communities, who were beholden and sycophantic to the British and sought their views, which the British already knew would be in the affirmative.
Some of these leaders have little credit to be regarded as representative leaders.There were objections from the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, but these objections were drown out by the Commission putting forth those selected leaders as mouthpieces of the people of the two states.
Priorities had already been established in London and Kuala Lumpur, irrespective of the outcome of the findings of the Commission the formation of Malaysia was imminent.
The findings of the Cobbold Commission was a sham.
Members of the Cobbold Commission were:
Lord Cobbold, former Governor of Bank of England, the Chairman.
Dato Wong Pow Nee, Chief Minister of Penang.
Mohammad Ghazali Shafie,Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sir Anthony Abell, former Governor of Sarawak.
Sir David Watherson, former Chief Secretary of Malaya.
As can be seen not even one representative each from Sabah and Sarawak sat as member of the Commission.The British already had the answer even before they deployed the Commission on a fact finding mission. Yet they had the cheek to claim they had impeccable records of a strong democratic system and freedom of human rights. Sabahan and Sarawakian were never given the choice, the freedom between choosing their own independence and joining a new nation.
Although, I have no evidence to back it, I believe the idea of the formation of Malaysia was not Tungku Abdul Rahman's idea, it was fed to him by the British. The Tungku was not an ambitious man, even the independence of Malaya was served on the platter to him.
Due to the confrontation by Indonesia the formation of Malaysia, which was supposed to be on 31st August was delayed to 16th Sept 1963.
A new nation was born on 16 Sept 1963, but East Malaysian were cowed to celebrate National Day (Merdeka or Independence Day) on 31Aug.
