Independence and Malaysia Ketuanan Melayu

1 independence , malaysia

1.1 independence , constitution
1.2 merger
1.3 malaysian malaysia!
1.4 separation

independence , malaysia
independence , constitution

the federation of malaya became officially independent of british empire in 1957. new state s constitution contained provisions, such article 153, guaranteeing malays privileges form of affirmative action. reid commission, drafted constitution, stated article 153 temporary in nature, , should reviewed parliament 15 years after independence. constitution did not explicitly state this, however, nor did clarify purpose of article 153. did declare malayans equal under law, without mention of malay sovereignty or other ideas related ketuanan melayu. jus soli citizenship — granting of citizenship born in federation — granted, albeit without retrospective effect; major concession malays, had vigorously campaigned against jus soli citizenship in malayan union.

on other hand, malay , islam became national language , official religion, while malay rulers remained. taken mean malays accorded deference definitive people of malaya — i.e. being malayan same being malay — , in eyes of many, gave malaya malay identity. 1 academic suggested malays have deep-rooted feeling alone bumiputras, sons of soil, , such have special rights on land. indeed, tunku said in 1964 understood country name, traditions , character, malay. ... in other country aliens try dominate economic , other fields, there bitter opposition indigenous people. not malays. therefore, in return, must appreciate position of malays... has been suggested malaysian nationality did not emerge because national symbols in malaysia derived malay tradition .

the constitutional restraint on size of rural parliamentary constituencies later removed, providing 1 commentator called indirect buttress malay special rights; malays concentrated in rural areas, indirectly enhanced malay political power. original constitution had implicitly followed 1 man, 1 vote . change denounced giving 1 man 1 vote, number of votes: not on basis of, say, intellectual ability or geographical accident, in order ensure dominance of particular group.

the constitutional provisions, have been referred malay agenda , evoked little sentiment non-malays, despite of them gaining citizenship , becoming theoretically equal malay citizens under constitution. attributed acceptance of social contract, of 1 historian wrote: @ elite level, non-malays recognized malays politically superior virtue of indigenous status , malaysian polity have malay character ... malays assured of safe majorities in both state , federal parliament ... malays control highest positions of government , ... dominate members of federal cabinet. malay historian wrote in return chinese gained more overseas chinese in southeast asia had dreamed of — equal citizenship, political participation , office holding, unimpaired economic opportunity, , tolerance language, religion, , cultural institutions.

some expressed trepidation @ article 153; shortly before independence, china press suggested while special rights may excusable @ start of building of nation, if period of special rights not restricted, or scope of special rights not defined, endless disputes ... arise later on, , argued special rights divide instead of unite malayans. nevertheless, @ time of independence, historians assert, there genuine sense of common citizenship, common aspirations, common destiny. change.

merger

in 1961, when malayan government began discussing possible merger neighbouring singapore, sabah, sarawak , brunei, problems of ethnic power relations arose again. malaysia proposal sans sabah , sarawak went more decade; earlier negotiations had proved fruitless. singaporeans not anxious ruled considered malay government. 1961, however, singapore had grown receptive idea of joining malaysia, largely because of prevailing idea @ time industrial singapore not survive without access malayan markets.

the malayan government not keen on having chinese singaporean population push malays minority position in new malaysia. many malays felt upsetting malay-dominated nature of armed forces , police might place them in dangerous situation. argued inferior economic position of malays emphasised entry of more rich chinese, setting stage major discontent. malayans decided resolve merging sabah , sarawak; both british colonies had large native populations whom government considered malay . under article 160 of constitution, of them not malay; natives animists or christians instead of muslims required. resolve issue, government expanded informal definition of malay include these people.

sabahans , sarawakians not see how benefit merger. many regarded malaya being malays, group did not include in. spectre of malaysia — inclusion of phrase malay being considered frightening — official religion of islam , official language of malay, did nothing soothe fears of malay domination . merger come about, insisted natives of sabah , sarawak awarded same privileges malays. 20-point agreement between sabah , malayan government, , different 18-point agreement sarawak, later agreed upon. after negotiation , show of support british merger, impasse resolved. although natives of borneo denied privileges of malays, merger effected on 16 september 1963.

malaysian malaysia!

in 1963 singapore state elections, alliance challenged governing people s action party (pap) through singapore alliance party. umno politicians actively campaigned in singapore singapore alliance, contending singaporean malays being treated second-class citizens under chinese-dominated, though ostensibly multiracial, pap government. however, of umno-backed malay candidates lost pap. pap politicians, saw betrayal of earlier agreement alliance not contest elections in malaya , singapore (respectively), decided run on mainland in 1964 general election. although pap attracted large crowds @ rallies, won 1 seat — devan nair, represented bangsar constituency. thought historians finance minister , mca president tan siew sin s appeal chinese avoid challenging malay special rights , risk merger indonesia helped mca retain status undisputed leader of chinese in malayan peninsula . nevertheless, umno leaders furious pap.

lee kuan yew, leader of singapore government, publicly opposed ketuanan melayu, , propagated idea of malaysian malaysia .

new problems cropped up. lee kuan yew, leader of singaporean government , pap, declared open opposition ketuanan melayu, calling malaysian malaysia instead of implied malay malaysia. argued malays began migrate malaysia in noticeable numbers 700 years ago. of 39% malays in malaysia today, one-third comparatively new immigrants (syed jaafar albar), came malaya indonesia before war @ age of more thirty. therefore wrong , illogical particular racial group think more justified called malaysians , others can become malaysian through favour.

lee later lamented: malaysia — whom belong? malaysians. malaysians? hope am, mr speaker, sir. sometimes, sitting in chamber, doubt whether allowed malaysian. doubt hangs on many minds, , ... [once] emotions set in motion, , men pitted against men along these unspoken lines, have kind of warfare split nation top bottom , undo malaysia. @ times, however, lee worsened things making racial comments of own. many of speeches harped on ethnic composition of malaysia, reminding listeners non-malays in majority, 61% of population malays 39% asking @ 1 point, why should go old singapore , once again reduce non-malays in malaya minority? lee exacerbated deteriorating pap-umno relations demanding federal government smack down ultras , ranks included prominent umno leaders such syed jaafar albar , syed nasir ismail.

lee s statements upset many, alliance politicians. tan siew sin called him greatest, disruptive force in entire history of malaysia , malaya. tunku considered lee extremist in views, while other umno politicians thought lee pandering malaysian chinese rhetoric. lee s statement allegedly recent malay migration met stinging rebuttals; albar declared: malays in same category other races insult... umno newspaper malaya merdeka warned: if malays hard-pressed , interests not protected, merge malaysia indonesia. tunku feared most. him, ultras not real extremists — sought greater indonesia fix chinese real threat.

the strain in race relations led singaporean 1964 race riots, pap malay politician othman wok later insinuated planned beforehand ultras. in year following riots, tension continued growing. syed jaafar albar declared wherever am, malay , drawing harsh return fire lee, stated in parliament: if had been going round , saying [he] has been saying — wherever am, chinese — be? keep on reminding people malaysian. learning bahasa kebangsaan [malay, national language] , accept article 153 of constitution.

lee insisted not opposed malay special rights or article 153, saying: if immigrant communities ... not see problems, if can t feel poor malay, , don t feel him, can manifest disaffection in decisive way , whole country thrown turmoil. few alliance took claim seriously. umno politicians insisted malaysian malaysia implied total equality, entailing removal of malay privileges. senu abdul rahman, federal minister, felt lee s advocacy of equality deny malays possibility of economic participation: want opportunity, opportunity obtain economic wealth our people. condemning lee stating malaysian own right, senu asked: right lee enjoying today did not fall sky or out of blue. given him. doesn t have feeling of gratitude natives of country? lee answered: no, not enjoying s hospitality. here of right. , 61 per cent of people of malaysia have stand or lost. without have no future. some, such syed jaafar albar, took senu s stance further , referred malays, bumiputra, masters of house , hospitality being abused bangsa asing (aliens) or orang tumpangan (lodgers) such lee. provoked response cabinet member lim swee aun insisting co-owners, not lodgers, not guests.

some went against common view held in umno. ismail abdul rahman told parliament ...both alliance , pap subscribe concept of malaysian malaysia, differed in methods. ismail characterised pap s approach non-communalism straightaway, while alliance required 2 steps. first, inter-racial harmony; second, , ultimate state of non-communalism. such statements dismissed lee lip service not taken unless ultras reined in.

separation

lee continued campaign, forming malaysian solidarity council (msc) comprising multi-racial parties such pap, people s progressive party (ppp) , united democratic party (udp) in 1965. @ msc s first , general meeting, several leaders these parties gave speeches supporting malaysian malaysia. d.r. seenivasagam of ppp accused alliance of using article 153 bully non-malays , while ong kee hui of sarawak united people s party (supp) said see attitude of intolerance , mounting signs of denial of political equality people non-malays. sake of our country , ourselves, must stopped , drift narrow racialism checked. political equality should accorded live here , make country home, irrespective of racial origin.

soon after, umno backbencher mahathir bin mohamad attacked lee in parliament: [the singaporean chinese] have never known malay rule , cannot bear idea people have long kept under heels should in position rule them. lee responded unscripted speech made entirely in malay opposing government s pro-malay policies: of course there chinese millionaires in big cars , big houses. answer make few malay millionaires big cars , big houses? ... if delude people believing poor because there no malay rights or because opposition members oppose malay rights, going end up? let people in villages believe poor because don t speak malay, because government not write in malay, expects miracle take place [when malay becomes sole national language]. moment start speaking malay, going have uplift in standard of living, , if doesn t happen, happens then? meanwhile, whenever there failure of economic, social , educational policies, come , say, oh, these wicked chinese, indian , others opposing malay rights. don t oppose malay rights. they, malay, have right malaysian citizens go level of training , education more competitive societies, non-malay society, has produced. must done, isn t it? not feed them obscurantist doctrine have got malay rights few special malays , problem has been resolved.

eventually, tunku — fed politicking , convinced further clashes of rhetoric degenerate violence — asked singapore secede. singapore became independent nation in 1965, lee first prime minister. although article 152 of constitution of singapore names malays indigenous people of singapore , mandates special safeguarding of rights , privileges, article not specify policies such safeguarding.

some later blamed formation of malaysia strengthening ketuanan melayu: reinforcement of malay rights — during previous 5 or 6 years [prior formation of malaysia] had been withering away reid commission might have suspected — took place against background of general unequal treatment after malaysia s formation.