Chapter 2 PAD310

Political Developments After Independence/02

59 | P a g e

Chapter Overview

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS

Emergency

The Formation of Malaysia

National Integration

13th May 1969 incident and the political implication

Political compromise, patriotism

Regionalism and autonomy

POLITICAL

DEVELOPMENTS AFTER

INDEPENDENCE

Malaysian Politics :: PAD 310

60 | P a g e

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

1) Explain the historical of emergency era

2) Understand the evolution of formation of Malaysia

3) Understand the concept of unity and integration and what the

efforts towards integration

4) Explain and understand the 13th May 1969 incident and the

political implication towards this riot.

5) Explain the political compromise and spirits of patriotism

6) Understand the concept of regionalism and autonomy


61 | P a g e

2.0 INTRODUCTION The Malayan Emergency was declared on 18 June 1948, after three estate managers

were murdered in Perak, northern Malaya. The men were murdered by guerrillas of

the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), an outgrowth of the anti-Japanese guerrilla

movement which had emerged during the Second World War. Despite never having

had more than a few thousand members, the MCP was able to draw on the support of

many disaffected Malayan Chinese, who were upset that British promises of an easier

path to full Malayan citizenship had not been fulfilled. The harsh post-war economic

and social conditions also contributed to the rise of anti-government activity.

2.1 EMERGENCY

• EMERGENCY ERA - June 1948 – 12 July 1960

• The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth

armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA), the military arm

of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960.

• The Malayan Emergency was the colonial government's term for the conflict. The

MNLA termed it the Anti-British National Liberation War. The rubber plantations

and tin mining industries had pushed for the use of the term "emergency" since

their losses would not have been covered by Lloyd's insurers if it had been

termed a "war."

• Despite the communists' defeat in 1960, communist leader Chin Peng renewed

the insurgency in 1967; it would last until 1989, and became known as the

Communist Insurgency War. Although Australian and British armed forces had

fully withdrawn from Malaysia years earlier, the insurgency still failed.


62 | P a g e

Lincoln Bomber A73-33 of No 1 Squadron, RAAF, on a bombing mission over

the Malayan jungle.

• The violent war started in June, 1948 when Chinese Communists cold bloodedly

murdered three British rubber planters.

• The Malayan Communist Party (originally were termed as Chinese Terrorists

(CTs) but were later officially known as Communist Terrorists then conducted a

continuous terror campaign - murdering, butchering, maiming and torturing British

and native men, women and children. They sabotaged installations, derailed

trains, burnt buses and generated civil unrest. It was a deliberate campaign to

strike fear into civilians.

• The withdrawal of Japan at the end of World War II left the Malayan economy

disrupted. Problems included unemployment, low wages, and scarce and

expensive food. There was considerable labour unrest, and a large number of

strikes occurred in 1946 through 1948.


63 | P a g e

• The British administration was attempting to repair Malaya's economy quickly,

especially as revenue from Malaya's tin and rubber industries was important to

Britain's own post-war recovery.

• As a result, protesters were dealt with harshly, by measures including arrests and

deportations. In turn, protesters became increasingly militant.

• On 16 June 1948, the first overt act of the war took place when three European

plantation managers were killed at Sungai Siput, Perak.

• The British brought emergency measures into law, first in Perak in response to

the Sungai Siput incident and then, in July, country-wide. Under the measures,

the MCP and other leftist parties were outlawed, and the police were given the

power to imprison without trial communists and those suspected of assisting

communists.

• The MCP, led by Chin Peng, retreated to rural areas, and formed the MNLA, also

known as the Malayan Races Liberation Army (MRLA), or the Malayan People's

Liberation Army (MPLA).

• The MNLA began a guerrilla campaign, targeting mainly the colonial resource

extraction industries, which in Malaya were the tin mines and rubber plantations.

• The MNLA was partly a re-formation of the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese

Army (MPAJA), the MCP-led guerrilla force which had been the principal

resistance in Malaya against the Japanese occupation.

• The British had secretly trained and armed the MPAJA during the later stages of

World War II. Disbanded in December, 1945, the MPAJA officially turned all of its

weapons in to the British Military Administration.


64 | P a g e

2.1.1 Guerrilla War

• The MNLA commonly employed guerrilla tactics, sabotaging installations,

attacking rubber plantations and destroying transportation and

infrastructure. Support for the MNLA was mainly based on around

500,000 of the 3.12 million ethnic Chinese then living in Malaya.

• The ethnic Malay population supported them in smaller numbers. The

MNLA gained the support of the Chinese because they were denied the

equal right to vote in elections, had no land rights to speak of, and were

usually very poor.

• The MNLA's supply organisation was called "Min Yuen." It had a network

of contacts within the general population. Besides supplying material,

especially food, it was also important to the MNLA as an information

gatherer.

• The MNLA's camps and hideouts were in the rather inaccessible tropical

jungle with limited infrastructure. Most MNLA guerrillas were ethnic

Chinese, though there were some Malays, Indonesians and Indians

among its members.

• The MNLA was organized into regiments, although these had no fixed

establishments and each encompassed all forces operating in a particular

region. The regiments had political sections, commissars, instructors and

secret service.

2.1.2 British Response

• The initial government strategy was primarily to guard important economic

targets such as mines and plantation estates. Subsequently, General Sir

Harold Briggs, the British Army's Director of Operations in Malaya,

developed an overall strategy known as the Briggs Plan.


65 | P a g e

• Its central tenet was that the best way to defeat an insurgency such as the

government was facing was to cut the insurgents off from their supporters

amongst the population.

• The Briggs Plan was multi-faceted. However one aspect of it has become

particularly well known this was the forced relocation of some 500,000

rural Malayans, including 400,000 Chinese, from squatter communities on

the fringes of the forests into guarded camps called New Villages.

• These villages were newly constructed in most cases, and were

surrounded by barbed wire, police posts and floodlit areas, the purpose of

which was both to keep the inhabitants in and the guerrillas out.

• People resented this at first, but some soon became content with the

better living standards in the villages. They were given money and

ownership of the land they lived on.

• At the start of the Emergency, the British had a total of 13 infantry

battalions in Malaya, including seven partly-formed Gurkha battalions,

three British battalions, two battalions of the Royal Malay Regiment and a

British Royal Artillery Regiment being utilised as infantry.

• This force was too small to effectively meet the threat of the communist

terrorists and more infantry battalions were needed in Malaya. The British

brought in soldiers from units such as the Royal Marines and King's

African Rifles. Another effort was a re-formation of the Special Air Service

in 1950 as a specialised reconnaissance, raiding and counter-insurgency

unit.

• In 1951, some British army units began a "hearts and minds campaign" by

giving medical and food aid to Malays and indigenous tribes. At the same

time, they put pressure on MNLA by patrolling the jungle.


66 | P a g e

• The MNLA guerrillas were driven deeper into the jungle and denied

resources. The MRLA extorted food from the Sakai and earned their

enmity. Many of the captured guerrillas changed sides. In comparison, the

MRLA never released any Britons alive. In the end the conflict involved a

maximum of 40,000 British and Commonwealth troops against a peak of

about 7–8,000 communist guerrillas.

• British propaganda was distributed by the Psychological Warfare Section

of the Emergency Information Service (EIS).

Police officers question a civilian during the Malayan Emergency.

• Sir Gerald Templer also launched psychological warfare upon the

communist terrorists by taking a number of actions. This strategy can be

said one of the factors for the success of the government in ending

communist revolution. It encouraged the people of Malaya to work

together with the government to eliminate the communist terrorist;

• Among them were making conditions easier for non-Malay obtain

citizenship, pardoning in large number the MCP members who

surrendered, rewarding people who provided information on the

communist terrorist and giving out pamphlets calling the communist

terrorist to give up their fight;


67 | P a g e

• Beside that he introduced the system of ‘white and black areas”. The

white area is an area that is free from communist activities, while the black

area for the opposite case;

• Templer also introduced curfews in areas where soldiers were hunting for

the communists;

Soldiers of 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), in the

jungle north of Baling, near the Thai border, Malaya, 1960.

2.1.3 Resolving the Emergency

• 6 October 1951 the MNLA ambushed and killed the British High

Commissioner, Sir Henry Gurney.

• The killing has been described as a major factor in causing the Malayan

population to roundly reject the MNLA campaign, and also as leading to

widespread fear due to the perception that "if even the High

Commissioner was no longer safe, there was little hope of protection and

safety for the man-in-the-street in Malaya.


68 | P a g e

• MNLA leader Chin Peng stated that the killing had little effect, and that the

communists anyway radically altered their strategy that month in their

"October Resolutions.

• The October Resolutions, a response to the Briggs Plan, involved a

change of tactics by reducing attacks on economic targets and civilians,

increasing efforts to go into political organisation and subversion, and

bolstering the supply network from the Min Yuen as well as jungle

farming.

• Gurney's successor, Lieutenant General Gerald Templer, was instructed

by the British government to push for immediate measures to give

Chinese ethnic residents the right to vote.

• He also pursued the Briggs Plan, and sped up the formation of a Malayan

army. At the same time he made it clear that the Emergency itself was the

main impediment to accelerating decolonisation. He also increased

financial rewards for detecting guerrillas by any civilians and expanded

the intelligence network (Special Branch).


69 | P a g e

2.2 THE FORMATION OF MALAYSIA

• The idea of formation of Malaysia proposed by British in 1931 to protect their

interest.

• Suggested by Ghazali Shafie in 1954, by Tunku Abdul Rahman, David Marshall

and Tan Cheng Lock in 1955 and by Lee Kuan Yew in 1959.

• On 27 May 1961 Tunku revealed his aspiration and outlined clearly the benefits

to the press after meeting Lee Kuan Yew in January 1961.

• The announcement was also based on results of surveys conducted by Senu

Abdul Rahman in Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei.

• At the early negotiation, Sultan Brunei strongly supported the idea, but then

decided to withdraw from the proposal because of his dissatisfaction on:

- His position within the Council of Rulers

- Status of Brunei within Malaysia

- Financial-related Matters

• In 1955 Singapore was granted internal autonomy under the Rendel Constitution

and David Marshall was appointed the first Chief Minister. By 1959, Singapore

had achived full interbal self government and was led by the Peoples Action Party

(PAP) under Lee Kuan Yew. In sarawak, local elections were introduced in 1959.


70 | P a g e

• The first move towards the formation of Malaysia came in 1961 when the idea for

the formation of a wider federation comprising the Federation of Malaya,

Singapore, Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei was mooted by Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Tunku’s proposal was generally accepted by the people of Malaya and Singapore

but raised doubts in Sabah and Sarawak.

• However, the proposal was oppossed by the Philippines as they asserted a claim

over Sabah. The proposal also received oppositon from Indonesia where it was

vieved as a neo-colonialist plot by Sukarno and the powerful Indonesian

Communist Party.

• The proposal also had an immediate effect of accelaerating constitutional

development in Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei. Elections were held for the first time

in Brunei and in Sabah in 1962.

• A joint- Anglo-Malayan commission headed by a former of the bank of England,

Lord Cobbold, visited sabah and Sarawakin 1962 and reported that the majority

of the states favoured the formation of Malaysia.

• However, continued Philippine and Indonesian opposition led to the sending of a

United nations mission to Borneo in 1963, which also reported that the public

opinion was in favour of joining Malaysia.

2.2.1 Formation of Malaysia: External Oppositions

BY PHILIPPINES

1) President Macapagal claimed that Sabah was originally a part of

Philippines;

2) As an objection, he broke off diplomatic ties with Malaysia.


71 | P a g e

BY INDONESIA

1) President Soekarno claimed that Malaysia was a new way of colonization.

2) He launched confrontation policy against Malaysia.

3) It is believed that formation of Malaysia has aborted Soekarno scheme to

form the greater Indonesian empire

4) After Presiden Soeharto is on power, the peace between Malaysia and

Indonesia was resored.

2.2.2 Formation of Malaysia: Reality

• On 16 September 1963, the formation of Malaysia which consisted of the

Federation of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singaore was formally

promulgated. However, Brunei declined to join Malaysia. However, in 1965

Singapore ceased to be a member of the Federation of Malaya and

became an independent state.

• Malaysia was proclaimed on 16 September 1963, consisting:\

1) Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia)

2) Singapore

3) Sabah

4) Sarawak

2.2.3 Formation of Malaysia: Singapore’s Separation

• Lee Kuan Yew questions on Malay Special Rights hurt the Malays.

• He also accused that MCA failed to protect the interest of the Chinese in

Malaysia.

• MCA leaders felt uneasy with Lee Kuan Yew’s behaviors and suggested

Singapore to break away from Malaysia.

• All attempts to settle the problems fail when Lee Kuan Yew kept making

statements tha make the situation worse.

• On August 9, 1965, Singapore officially left Malaysia.


72 | P a g e

2.3 NATIONAL INTEGRATION

• The uniting of various groups that have different social and cultural backgrounds

– language, culture, religion, values, thinking and way of life - into one physical

entity.

• A process of uniting various groups in the society through a common identity by

putting aside major differences without ignoring the original identity such as the

good norms and values of the groups;

• A process uniting the members of a society and the country as a whole through

national ideologies so that the members of the society can build up an identity,

common values and sense of belonging;

• The restructuring of society through physical and spiritual approach to ensure

stability of the country.

a) The Concept of Unity

• Refers to the uniting of various groups that have different social and cultural

backgrounds

• Uniting Sabah, Sarawak and the Penisula into one country or federation, for

example is an effort at achieving national unity.

• The concept of unity as applied in Malaysia means “a process of uniting the

members of a society and the country as a whole through national ideologies

so that the members of the society can build up an entity, common values

and a sense of belonging”. (INTAN, 1982).

• The foundation of the national ideology (Rukun Negara).

• Also could be achieved through unity at territorial, economic, political,

educational, social and cultural.


73 | P a g e

b) The Concept of Integration

• A process of uniting groups with different backgrounds into one entity bound

by common norms, values and interests.

• Integration is a situation of spontaneous understanding and communication

that arises naturally without imposition.

• Has often been synonymously taken to mean national unity and solidarity -

Unity and solidarity are political concept that refers to a situation where the

aims are same, compromise and close cooperation to achieve the same

objective

• The process of uniting various groups in the society through a common

identity by putting aside major differences without ignoring groups’ original

identity, such as the good norms and values;

• The efforts of integrating and uniting the various ethnic groups in Malaysia,

so that they can build-up national identity, common values and sense of

belonging

c) The Objectives of National Unity and Integration

• In Malaysia, as in many other plural society, the main objective of the country

is to achieve national unity.

• The achievement of national unity is seem primarily in terms of social

integration and more equitable distribution of income and opportunities for

national unity and progress’

• The National Objective Is Aimed at:

a) Eliminating poverty

b) Eliminating identification of race with economic functions through the

creation of a Malay commercial and industrial community


74 | P a g e

• To integrate the various ethnic groups in Malaysia, so that they can build-up

national identity, common values and sense of belonging.

• To eliminate negative sentiments and attitudes of the society such as

prejudice, communalism and ethnocentrism;

• To eliminate racial jealousies by ensuring fair redistribution of economic

opportunities and share of wealth among groups.

d) Theory of Racial Relations

STAGE

PROCESS (CONTACT)

Segregation Splits occur whether consciously by law (de jure) or not based by law (de facto) due to separation of residential areas, school system, transportation and public facilities

Accommodation Live harmoniously and respect one another. Aware of each other’s norms and values but continue to protect their own living

Acculturation Cultural assimilation when minority groups accept the norms, values and patterns of behaviour (culture) of the majority group

Assimilation Structural assimilation – entry into a dominant society through friendship and close connection.

Amalgamation Culture or race mixes to form types of new culture and race – through inter-marriage between ethnic group.

e) Theory of Racial Relations

STAGE

PROCESS (CONTACT)

Co-Existence Rarely communicate.

Contact is limited to matters necessity only, especially in matter of economic significance.

Frequent Gradually frequent contact arose out of inter-dependence in


75 | P a g e

External Contact the interest to survive due to economic specialization.

Compromise Communities became conscious of their common interest and for the sake of looking after the common interest, basically in the economic and political areas.

Unity Cooperate as much as possible and the tendency to live united in social, economic, cultural and political areas.

Integration Gradual cooperation create a sense of belonging and strong ties, and relation not only based on interest but more on sense of responsibility and shared values.

f) The Obstacles of National Unity and Integration

i) Differences in descent, language and religion:

- Prejudice (stereotype)

- Racism/Communalism (favor own ethnic community)

- Ethnocentrism (Belief own superiority)

ii) Colonial Administration:

- Divide & Rule Policy

- Issues of special privileges and citizenship

- Distinct separation of space and function

iii) Post WW Animosity:

- Japanese cruelty provoked anger between races

iv) Physical and Social Distance:

- Competition in political power and economic opportunity

g) Challenges to Unity: Disintegration

i) Dissatisfaction towards one another created by:

- Scars of sentiment or ‘feeling inside’

- Unhealthy competition

ii) Problems:

- Ignorance of other groups


76 | P a g e

- Limited socialization process

- Communal politics

- Socio-economic differences

- Cultural differences

- Physical segregation

2.3.1 The Contributing Factors

• Differences in descendant, religion, language, custom and culture widen

the physical segregation;

• ‘Divide and Rule’ policy by the British that separated the three major

ethnic groups in Malaya based on space and function;

• Unfair treatment of Japanese towards Malays and Chinese instilled

jealousy, prejudice and animosity;

• Dispute over certain interests such as Malay Special Rights and

Citizenship in the implementation of ‘Malayan Union’;

• The failure of British to control the migration of Chinese and Indians into

Malaya that made the Malays became the minority in 1930s. The

Chinese and Indians formed their own communities and therefore feel

complacent and unnecessary to assimilate with local people and customs;

• The establishment of education systems based on curriculum of their

home countries contributed to greater communal identities

2.3.2 Strategies Towards Integration

• Political Efforts:

- National Ideology (Rukun Negara

- Federal Constitution

- Alliance Party

• Economic Efforts:

- New Economic Policy

- Vision 2020


77 | P a g e

• Social and Cultural Efforts:

- National Education Policy

- National Culture Policy

- National Social Policy

Political Efforts

Special provisions in the Constitution e.g. fundamental rights, BM as the

official language, freedom to practice religions, citizenship and special

rights for the Malays and indigenous;

Establishment of Alliance Party (later on Barisan Nasional) to facilitate

multi-racial cooperation and ensuring the interest of the groups are

protected e.g. through power sharing;

Implementation of rules and regulation to safeguard the internal security

e.g. ISA, UUCA, Sedition Act etc.;

Economic Efforts

Policies to eradicate poverty and restructure Malaysian society (NEP,

NDP) to reduce group identification;

Government agencies to help Malays to compete positively and have a

fair share of economic opportunities and e.g. MARA, UDA so that the

Bumiputra get the control of unless 30% of the capital of the country and

provide employment opportunities;

To develop all areas especially rural areas to uplift the economic and

social standing of the Malays;

Social and Cultural Efforts

Introduction of Rukun Negara as National Ideology;

Establishment of special ministries or departments to look over the

issues e.g. Ministry of National Unity and Social Development etc.;

Formation of special policies e.g. National Culture Policy, National

Education Policy for cohesive relation;


78 | P a g e

Encourage involvement of all groups in common programs and activities

such as National Service Programs, sports and social activities;

Conduct campaigns for better awareness.

Political Efforts: Rukun Negara

i) Background Rukun Negara was proclaimed by YDPA on 31st August 1970 the

13th

ii) National Day Aim to foster national integration in the wake of the May 13th 1969

communal conflict;

Devised with the intention of building a common Malaysian identity

in anticipation of the evolution of a Malaysian Race (Bangsa

Malaysia);

As a responsible citizen, each of us should make Rukun Negara a

guide in our day-to-day living;

iii) Rational Due to racial clash between Malays and Chinese, YDPA had to

declare a state of emergency in May 1969.

Basically these two races were already in bloody conflict more

than 50 year before that and the scar of sentiment remained. Time

alone had not been successful in removing the scar totally.

The attitude of taking things for granted and the abuse of

democracy led the emergence of volatile situation.

To tackle the problem Special Peace and Development Bodies

consisted of National Muhibbah Committee and National Unity

Department was formed in August 1969. Later on these bodies

were combined and known as Ministry of National Unity. On 29th

January 1970 Special Rukun Negara Committee was set up.

iv) Objectives Achieving greater unity among the people;

Maintaining a democratic way of life


79 | P a g e

Creating a just society in which a nation’s wealth can be enjoyed

together in a fair and equitable manner;

Ensuring a liberal attitude towards the rich and diverse cultural

traditions;

Building a progressive society which shall be oriented towards

modern science and technology.

THE PRINCIPLE OF RUKUN NEGARA

• BELIEF IN GOD

Emphasize the importance of religion because all religions provide positive teachings & practices.

• LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY

Develop the feeling of love and concern for the country and king and inculcate sense of responsibility and patriotism.

• HONOR (UPHOLDING) THE CONSTITUTION

Respect the Constitution as the social contract of all citizens.

• SOVEREIGNTY OF LAW

Laws as the mechanism to guarantee social order to control the behaviors of society members.

• COURTESY (DECORUM) AND POLITENESS

(MORALITY) Practice noble behavior such as respect one another, be fair, trustworthy, cooperative, tolerant etc to assure peace.


80 | P a g e

Strategies to Promote of Rukun Negara

• Rukun Negara song

• School to recite rukun negara pledge weekly during assembly

• Pledge reading after negaraku

• Reading of rukun negara compulory at official functions

• Rukun negara behind cover of exercise book

Efforts Towards Integration

• Formal Education

- Education reforms, syllabus reviews etc.

• Co-curriculum activities

- Involving all ethnics

• Continuous education

- Human-relation, ethnic relation etc

• Social group

- Involving all ethnics

• Social activities

- Games and sports, art & cultures, business etc

• Tourism within the country

- Better exposure to other communities

• Media Campaign

- bridging the gap to improve ethnic relation and avoid sentiment

and disintegration.


81 | P a g e

2.3.3 13th May 1969 incident and the political implication

• The May 13 Incident is a term for the Sino-Malay sectarian violences in

Kuala Lumpur (then part of the state of Selangor), Malaysia, which began

on May 13, 1969.

• The riots led to a declaration of a state of national emergency and

suspension of Parliament by the Malaysian government, while the

National Operations Council (NOC or Majlis Gerakan Negara,

MAGERAN) was established to temporarily govern the country between

1969 and 1971.

2.3.4 Events leading to 13 May 1969

• A bitter election campaign was fought by various political parties prior to

the general election of 10 May 1969.

• Party leaders stoked racial and religious sentiments in order to win

support. Pan Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) accused the United Malays

National Organisation (UMNO) of selling the rights of the Malays to the

Chinese, while the Democratic Action Party (DAP) accused Malaysian

Chinese Association (MCA) of giving in to UMNO.

• The DAP promoted the concept of “Malaysian Malaysia” which would

deprive the Malays of their special rights under the Constitution. Both the

DAP and the People’s Progressive Party objected to Malay as the national

language and proposed multi-lingualism in its stead.

• Senior Alliance politicians including Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman,

accused the People’s Progressive Party of Singapore of involvement in

the campaign, as it had done during the 1964 general election campaign.

• The run-up to the election was marred by two deaths: that of an UMNO

election agent, who was killed by a group of armed Chinese youths in


82 | P a g e

Penang and that of a member of the Labour Party of Malaya (LPM), who

was killed in Kepong, Selangor.

• There was a contrast in the handling of these two deaths. The UMNO

worker was buried without publicity, the LPM casualty was honoured at a

parade on 9 May when some 3000 LPM members marched from Kuala

Lumpur to Kepong, violating regulations and trying to provoke incidents

with the police. Participants sang Communist songs, waved red flags, and

called upon the people to boycott the general election.

• Amidst this tension, the general election was held on 10 May 1969.

Election day itself passed without any incident and the result shows the

opposition had tied with the Alliance for control of the Selangor state

legislature.

• On 12 May, thousands of Chinese marched through Kuala Lumpur,

parading through predominantly Malay areas which hurled insults that led

to the incident.

A deserted street in KL after curfew, two days after 13 May

(Straits Times Image)

http://www.thenutgraph.com/surviving-13-may/


83 | P a g e

2.3.5 The events of 13 May

• Members of UMNO Youth gathered in Kuala Lumpur at the residence of

Selangor Menteri Besar, Dato’ Harun bin Haji Idris, on 13 May and

demanded that they too should hold a victory celebration; at the national

level the Alliance had gained a majority in Parliament, albeit a reduced

one, and in Selangor it had gained the majority by cooperating with the

sole independent candidate.

• While the UMNO Youth members were gathered in the compound of the

Menteri Besar’s residence, two cars containing a number of Chinese

suddenly drew up.

• The Chinese asked the gathering to disperse, saying that the residence

now belonged to the opposition leader. Meanwhile, news arrived that

Chinese groups had attacked Malays in Setapak. This triggered a wave of

violence resulting in loss of life and property.

2.3.6 Declaration of emergency

• Many people in Kuala Lumpur were caught in the racial violence. Dozens

were injured and some killed, houses and cars were burnt and wrecked.

The violence was largely limited to Kuala Lumpur although there were

isolated outbreaks in Melaka, Perak and Penang.

• The government ordered an immediate curfew throughout the state of

Selangor & Kuala Lumpur. Security forces comprising some 2000 Malay

Regiment soldiers and 3600 Police officers were deployed and took

control of the situation. Over 300 Chinese families were moved to refugee

centres at the Merdeka Stadium and Tiong Nam Settlement.

• On 14 May 1969, a state of emergency was declared throughout the

country, and on 16 May the National Operations Council (NOC) was


84 | P a g e

established by proclamation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of

Malaysia) headed by Tun Abdul Razak. With Parliament suspended, the

NOC became the supreme decision-making body for the next 18 months.

State and District Operations Councils took over state and local

government.

• The NOC implemented security measures to restore law and order in the

country, including the establishment of an unarmed Vigilante Corps, a

territorial army, and police force battalions. The restoration of order in the

country was gradually achieved.

• Curfews continued in most parts of the country, but were gradually scaled

back. Peace was restored in the affected areas within two months. In

February 1971 parliamentary rule was re-established.

2.3.7 Political compromise, patriotism

• Patriotism is love and devotion to one's country or homeland. Patriotism,

however, has had different meanings over time, and its meaning is highly

dependent upon context, geography, and philosophy.It is a related

sentiment to nationalism, but nationalism is not necessarily an inherent

part of patriotism.

• Patriotism is a love of and loyalty to one's country. A patriot is someone

who loves, supports, and is prepared to serve their country.

• The word patriotism comes from a Greek word meaning fatherland. For

most of history, love of fatherland or homeland was an attachment to the

physical features of the land. But that notion changed in the eighteenth

century, when the ideals of democracy, socialism, and communism

strongly emerged into political thought.


85 | P a g e

• Patriotism was still a love of one's country that included connections to the

land and people, but then also included its customs and traditions, pride in

its history, and devotion to its welfare.

2.3.8 Regionalism and autonomy


86 | P a g e

Sources: http://www.state.gov/p/eap/ci/my/

Definition

• Refers to cooperation between states occupying a common regional

space.

• Cooperation – form of inter-government or supranational

• Regionalism possesses a motherhood and apple –pie-value

• Regionalization describes the geographic manifestation of international or

global economic processes.

• Regionalism refers to the political structures that both reflect and shape

the strategies of governments, business corporations and a variety of non-

governmental organisations and social movements.

• Regions are both spatial (geography) and political.

• Karl Deutsch - define a region as a group of countries markedly

interdependent over a wide range of different dimensions.

• Often, but not always, indicated by patterns of economic and political

transactions and social communications those differentiate groups of

countries.


87 | P a g e

• Regions - they are more than the flow of goods and people across

physical space that we can assume to be represented directly and

accurately by cartographic depictions.

• Regions are also social and cognitive constructs that are rooted in political

practice.

• The effects of the international environment on regions can lead to 2 type

of regionalism:

- A relatively open (as in the 1990s) or closed (as in the 1930s).

• Regions can be peaceful and rich, or war-prone and poor.

• R can experience processes of enlargement and set standards for a

growing number of polities (as is true of NATO and the EU)

• Or suffer from retraction (as appears possible for ASEAN and APEC in

the wake of the Asian financial crisis).

Why did regional organizations continue to grow? Why did developing world prefer this than global arrangements?

1) The failure of G77 – led them to seek redress in regional arrangements.

2) Disappointed with the inefficient implementation of various dev by their

countries they turn to NGO

3) The political leaders perceived an opportunity to enhance their individual

profiles by participating in regional forum

4) World – increasingly independent – difficult to ignore the regional option.

States were not in position to solve their problems by themselves

5) Small countries – better represented in world forum as a regional

organization

6) Regionalism – renewed emphasis at the end of the cold war

7) Wh

8) Image of bipolarity no longer is usefu

9) Power politics – occurring in regional contexts


88 | P a g e

Regional Cooperation in SEA region

• The early 1960s saw the emergence of 2 regional groupings in SEA

- Southeast Asia Association (ASA)

- MAPHILINDO

i) ASA Formed in 196

Malaya, the Philippines & Thailan

ASA goals – develop intra regional markets, cultural copeartion

Limited m/ship, accused – as pro-western, anti-communist group

& political orientate

ASA’s activities disrupted - 1963

Federation of M’sia (S, S’wak & S’pore) T-P refused to recognize

the enlarged federation

ii) Maphilindo

Proposed by the Philippines- President Macapagal - August 1963

Attempt to find “regional solutions to regional problems”

To prevent Indonesia from falling into communist bloc,

Indo & t-P did not recognize the new M’sia federation – Indo –

launched guerrilla war against M’sia – Konfrontasi

Did not become vital org. because it emphasis on the common

Malay origins of its members

Limited appeal to other SEA countries.

SEATO – Southeast Asia Treaty Organization

SEATO – security arrangement

Emerged out of a conference in Manila in 1954 – after the Geneva

conference on Indochina

Only Thailand & the Philippines were 2 nations of SEA


89 | P a g e

Contained provisions for collective action in the event of an armed attack

on any SEA countries

US – commitment to provide collective defence to SEA against communist

aggression

SEATO became ‘dead in the water’.

Why – its members – reluctant commitment, widely criticized by

communist states & non – C states

SEATO – irrelevant as security org

Never had much relevance – in terms of regionalism

Dissolved in 1977.

ASPAC (Asian & Pacific Council)

Organized in 1966 – initiated by SK president

An example of multi regional org

Members ( A, Japan, M’sia, Taiwan, SK, NZ, t-P, Th, Vietnam) ..Indonesia

refused to join.

Had conflicting objectives – “should be nonmilitary, non ideological, not

anti communist”

Dissolved in 1973

Obstacles to prospects for regionalism

SEA had to look to themselves for developing a collective political

resistance for communism.

While the initial efforts were short lived, SEA countries moved towards a

more viable form of regionalism in 1967


90 | P a g e

STUDY NOTES

Chapter 2 PAD310

Documents

Transcript of Chapter 2 PAD310