From: mulliner@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu (Kent Mulliner)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean
Subject: Re: Merdeka - Malayan Style
Date: 9 Sep 92 15:26:14 GMT
Organization: Ohio University Library,. Athens

In article <1992Sep8.092551.8497@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg> eoahmad@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg (Othman Ahmad) writes:
>chuah@elec.canterbury.ac.nz (DanC) writes:
>: 
>: In article <1992Sep7.015329.23277@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg> eoahmad@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg (Othman Ahmad) writes:
>: 
>: This can be a subject of debate.  Originally, Singapore & East Malaysia
>: was supposed to join Malaysia on the 31 August, but due to problems
>: from our good neighbours, the union was only officially recognised
>: by most countries in September.

	While the good neighbors were problems, the reason for
the delay was Malaya's agreement to have a UN assessment, which was
still under way on August 31.

>	Usually recognition does not come automatically. The date 16th Sep.1963,
>were the dates the British granted independence to Sabah, Sarawak and 
>Singapore(?), prior to "forming" Malaysia.

    The question mark after Singapore is well-placed.  Actually
Singapore and the PAP government went ahead and declared/assumed
independence (until Sep. 16)--a dress rehearsal for 1985?

> In fact the 31st Aug. was the
>date Brunei were supposed to sign the Malaysian aggreement but was delayed by
>rebellion against Malaysia  by Azhari, and finally cancelled completely.

    I'm relying on memory, but Azahari's revolt was in December 1962,
and Brunei's decision not to join was much earlier than 31 Aug 63.
I guess I should reread Zaini's Kearah Brunei Merdeka.  Of course,
Azahari went on to form the Tentera Nasional Kalimantan Utara (TNKU:
North Kalimantan National Army) which served as a cover for Indonesian
incursions.

>Unfortunately it has created confusion as to when Malaysia was actually
>formed. It certainly was not 1957 because the name Malaysia was not even
>invented until 1963. The choosing of this name was actually very historical.
>The first name chosen was "Melayu Raya".

	I don't recall use of "Melayu Raya"--Of course Indonesia was
trumpeting Indonesia Raya, in opposition.  The term Malaysia was
widely used in 1962 in Lee Kuan Yew"s and the PAP's Battle for
Merger.  Actually the term "Malaysia" dates much further back
in time, to at least the beginning of the century.  Various authors
have tried to trace its origins, but it was particularlly popular
in the Philippines earlier as indicating a shared identity (similar
to the ill-fated Maphilindo).  I recall one of the first books that
I read on the region was Fay Cooper Cole's Peoples of Malaysia,
which was published in the 1920s (although
I read it a few decades later).  Of course these usages
differed from became the political entity of Malaysia.

>	The same problem happened to Labuan. It is supposed to become federal
>territory at the same date as KL, but history did not permit it.

	This I completely do not recall.  Could we have some
evidence to support this?


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