"He wanted Malaysia
and Singapore to be
merged because he
did not want the
communists in
Singapore to take
over Singapore"
-- Ambrose
Khaw
Major events of
this period
The Straits Times, May 29, 1961POLITICAL leaders and observers throughout the Federation today welcomed in principle Tunku Abdul Rahman's plan for a South-East Asian alliance embracing Malaya, Singapore, Brunei, Sarawak and North Borneo.
The Tunku said that Malaya could not stand alone and in isolation. The plan was to bring the five territories together -- with the support of Britain -- closer together in political and economic cooperation.
The two alternatives
- Singapore, North Borneo, Brunei and Sarawak should come in as member states of the Federation of Malaya.
- The independent state of Singapore and the proposed Federation of North Borneo, including Brunei, should join the Federation in a confederation of Malaysian states.
Tunku Abdul RahmanObservers said the reactions of Britain, the controlling power in the three North Borneo states and of Indonesia should be a "most important factor" in realising the plan. If North Borneo and Sarawak welcomed the idea, they would have to give a Malay character to the federation plan now being discussed there by accepting the Sultan of Brunei as the Head of State of the three British North Borneo territories and a common national language and education policy, observers said.
The Tengku himself had given many views on the possibility of a merger between the Federation and Singapore and between the Federation and Brunei.
But this was the first time he had spoken of a big merger between five South-East Asian states.
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