The Forging of a Nation, 1957–80

Abstract

Since independence the principal preoccupation of Malaya’s government leaders has been the preservation of the country’s fragile unity and the welding of a truly united nation. The success of the Emergency measures in dealing with the communists removed one major threat to unity, but there still remained the task of reconciling the demands of the communal groups in the creation of their new nation. Under colonial rule the British had orchestrated a smoothly functioning political and economic entity in which each ethnic group was allotted a specific role. In this colonial world, the British saw themselves as supreme arbiters, acting impartially and dispensing justice throughout the land. To a considerable extent the British role had been accepted by the society, and some groups genuinely believed that given the existing situation the colonial presence was desirable. The years of political conditioning could not be overcome simply by the transferral of sovereignty to a Malayan government. With the dismantling of British hegemony, each ethnic group feared being pushed aside by the others, and the post-independence years witnessed a scramble for dominance in areas hitherto restricted to one or another group. Each ethnic community wanted a share of what the others had and yet there was insufficient mutual trust to believe that the sharing would be done equitably. All governments in Malaya (and Malaysia since 1963) have been concerned with solving this vexing problem, which has continued to pose a threat to the nation’s survival.