Part III
There was really no scathing debate on MA63 according to the House of Commons Hansard. There was an abundance of congeniality accompanied by courteous exchange of greetings. The MPs were probably besotted with intentions of double talk and deception.
Mind you, you are dealing with a European brand of crass discrimination which tried painfully to colonise Northern Ireland despite the valiant efforts of Michael Collins. Now, they were introducing a new experiment to colonisation.
The gathering of a meagre number of MPs had to contend with what to do with its two former colonies who were trying desperately hard to colonise two new Borneo Territories. That is the only clear lens through which one must understand MA63.
Mr. Sorenson continued expressing concern about China, Indonesia, India and the Philippines where “yet again an arena in which this great basic historical battle of ideas and principles is being fought.”
The discussion turned many times over military protection for South-East Asia during the 1962 military aggression by China where “the rushing of supplies” by the British to a grateful non-aligned post-British Raj India was acknowledged.
Would the federation with, by, and of Malaysia help the Borneo Territories stave off Communism? Were the British not looking at their crystal balls to determine how much of a threat Communist China could be, say, in the year 2024?
The only threat today that developing nations face is whether China would step in to help, aid and assist them with economic parachutes, loans, investments, and bailout plans.
The Hon. Mr. Graham Page, MP for Crosby, gently chastised the previous speaker that the Malayan-Chinese community continues to play a significant role in finance and commerce. Therefore, “one cannot classify every Chinese person as a Communist.”
On cue, Mr. Sorenson rose to defend his position about a Nationalist China vis-à-vis a Communist one. He made it a point to sustain his belief that “this Federation offers a suitable opportunity for bringing together these various racial elements.”
Mr. Sorensen should have been asked for an opinion by those Members present whether a similar formula could apply to the Northern Ireland problem that has lasted over a hundred years between Northern Irish and British Christians who followed different denominations.
Mr. Sorensen then made a remark that confirmed his lack of knowledge and understanding of the Federal Constitution, as passed in 1957. He regaled the thought that the “Tunku (Abdul Rahman) will allow perfect freedom to all religions, not only to advocate their faith but to convert and proselytise.”
The MPs of his ilk were tasked with creating a Federation called Malaysia based on their suspect knowledge of Malaya and Borneo. None of the MPs present corrected him about proselytising to Muslims. What were they secretly imbibing in the House that fateful Friday?
The MPs were convinced that Sarawak was all for the Federation with the following vote count: pro-Federation PANAS – 28,242 votes; Independents – 55,000 votes; SUPP – 45,493 votes. Is this including the interior in 1961 Sarawak?
What was agreed and decided upon in 1961 is supposed to be wholly accepted and endorsed by the Sarawak majority in 2024 considering the toxic tentacles of the Petroleum Development Act of 1974 (PDA), and other intrusive federal legislation? Good laws survive for centuries, the bad ones sow decay, destruction and death.
By all accounts mentioned and not mentioned, Brunei was merely a carrot. Apparently, the Sultan of Brunei had agreed to join the Federation, and thereafter withdrew his assent knowing that Brunei may have to share its wealth with Malaysia.
Since the MPs present knew Brunei’s stand on (suspect) wealth sharing, how come the sharing of wealth from Sabah and Sarawak’s natural resources with Malaysia was not raised? Who spoke for Sabah and Sarawak just as the Sultan of Brunei spoke for his people?
There is super-strong evidence and proof that race, religion and the pugnacious scare of Communism were necessary distractions to keep the people of the Borneo Territories convinced that a federation was utterly necessary.
The sad reality of these discussions in the House of Commons was the acknowledgement of the fact that “the people must work out their won salvation because we have set you free to stand on your own feet.”
If Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak were set free and had to work out their salvation, it was wholly paradoxical for the British Parliament to be interfering with the need for a federation as the answer, remedy and solution for our political salvation.
Mr. Colin Turner, MP for West Woolwich, then stood to voice his opinion as a newspaperman in Malaya since 1946 who knew the “problems” of the Malayans and the people of Borneo.
Mr. Turner opined that “these people were coming together for self-preservation.” He then made a curious observation that “when the ballot is secret the Chinese are apt to vote another way from the support which they are apparently giving in public.”
Based on the nature of the deliberations, one can safely deduce and conclude that these MPs were secretly imbibing alcoholic beverages while physically warming their parliamentary seats that fateful Friday.
Mr. Turner went on to acknowledge that there was racial harmony in the Borneo Territories despite the advent of party politics. He took great pains to explain that “party politics is always a dangerous thing in any emerging territory.”
Again, he forgot the Northern Irish problem, and his own party politics despite the fact that England, Wales and Scotland were still an emerging federation without a written constitution, but eager to write one for their former colonies.
While still belabouring the point about Communism and sentiments of the Chinese in Sarawak, the MPs turned to the “suggested danger of Islamic influence spreading to North Borneo and Sarawak. This is undoubtedly a credible observation concerning the rise of Islam in peninsula Malaysia today.
The use of the English Language, the immigration policy and the influence of the civil servants in the Borneo Territories took centrestage. There was concern that the people in the interiors of Sabah and Sarawak may not have been privy to the problems associated with joining the Federation.
The fact that the civil servants could have influenced the elections related to joining the federation drew flak from two MPs who said it could be true as “they had no means of understanding anything about politics or voting or doing anything together.”
This was not a compliment to civil servants as they were recruited and trained by the British civil servants who were stationed in the Borneo Territories during the pivotal pre-Malaysia period.
Whether the MPs present were loving shepherds of shoving leopards, pardoning the spoonerism, is anyone’s guess. There is widespread belief that most of the flattery and tongue-in-cheek expressions were just that.
If Hansard is accurate, it is curious that Mr. Arthur Creech Jones, MP for Wakefield, that he “carried some responsibility for the severance of Singapore from Malaya.” But this was 19 July 1963. Did the Borneo Territories know of this? Singapore and Malaya went their separate ways on 9 August 1965.
If Sabah and Sarawak knew in July 1963 that Singapore and Malaya were parting ways, would these two Territories have agreed to join the Federation? Research does not evidence any data or details.
The McMichael discussions shed considerable light following the surrender of the Japanese, and the emergence of the Malayan Communist Party which led to the declaration of the Emergency (1948-1960). Citizenship rights for non-Malays and the Malay “special position” guarantees became crucial.
Mr. Arthur Creech Jones admits that the “ham-handed” way the McMichael discussions were held had led to the British decision to sever Malaya from Singapore. Obviously, the art of the deal was not a British forte.
“I hope, therefore, that the central government of the Federation will be sufficiently tolerant and give as wide as possible an opportunity of self-expression and self-government in the territories and not restrain or restrict them by tedious prohibitions and by assuming too great an authority over them.”
That prescient 1963 statement from Mr. Arthur Creech Jones ominously defines 2025 Malaysia in no uncertain terms. The British knew. Course correction for salvation beckons.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune.
