STAR analysis with Zulfaqar Sa'adi: SARAWAKIAN SUSPICIONS OF 'GREATER MALAYSIA'

Declassified documents

31 March 1962

Letter from Lord Cobbold to Mr Maudling

*The copy of this letters wasn't supposed to be kept and such is the secrecy and importance of this letters.

CORRESPONDENTS

Reginald Maudling (7 March 1917 – 14 February 1979) was a British politician who held several Cabinet posts, including Chancellor of the Exchequer. Reginald Maudling was for a short time, as Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1961, responsible for the process of decolonisation.
Cameron Fromanteel "Kim" Cobbold, 1st Baron Cobbold (14 September 1904 – 1 November 1987) was a British banker. He served as Governor of the Bank of England from 1949 to 1961. He retired as Governor in 1961. He subsequently led the Cobbold Commission in 1962 which studied the question of North Borneo and Sarawak's to form Malaysia.
Sir Alfred John Ainley, known as Sir John Ainley, (born 1906) was a British colonial judge and was Chief Justices of the Combined Judiciary of Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei in 1959-1963. In 1959 he was appointed Chief Justice of the United Judiciary of Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei but then transferred back to Africa in 1963 to be Chief Justice of Kenya just prior to Kenyan independence in 1964, thereby becoming the first Chief Justice of the independent country.
Nigel Edmund Cornwall, (13 August 1903 – 19 December 1984) was a British clergyman in the Anglican Church. He held the position of bishop of Borneo from 1949 until 1962. Cornwall served as bishop based in Kuching for thirteen years until 1962, when the diocese was again divided into the Diocese of Jesselton (later Sabah) which included Labuan, and the Diocese of Kuching, which included Brunei.
Tun Muhammad Ghazali Shafie (22 March 1922 – 24 January 2010) was a Malaysian politician. He served as Foreign Minister and Home Minister during his career. He was a member of UMNO political committee (1958-1978) and a Malayan members of the Cobbold Commission in 1962.

COBBOLD COMMISSION IN SARAWAK

It was 31st March 1962 (Saturday), the last day Cobbold Commission will be in Sarawak for the public inquiry. It was already three days the commission was staying here to pause and recoup. Through the letters, Lord Cobbold mentioned that they had not any formal hearings in Kuching for this particular time but have some individual coffee-housing and talking with some of the senior officials, Chief Justice, Bishop etc. The Chief Justices of the Combined Judiciary of Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei at that time was Sir John Ainley and the Bishop of Borneo was Nigel Edmund Cornwall.

THE DECEITFUL MALAYANS

Meanwhile Ghazali Shafie, the Malayan member of of the Cobbold Commission has gone to Kuala Lumpur for the week-end, ostensibly to see his wife who is not well but he will doubtless be reporting to The Tunku at the same time. Even before the Cobbold Commission completed their survey, the Malayan members of the Cobbold Commission already suspiciously leaked the ongoing information to the Tunku's and even might discuss the result with the Malayan officials. This is only showing a cunning and deceitful nature of the Malayans official during the ongoing process of the Cobbold Commission.

COBBOLD COMMISSION - A SURVEY

Cobbold Commission was a survey to ascertain the views of the people of Borneo towards the formation of Malaysia. For a survey, qualitative or quantitative sampling of the population is carrying out where the commission needs to define who the target population of the study is. A representative sample reflects the characteristics of a given population. If the population of study is so large and a complete list of the population is not available, then the next best bet is to consider using cluster random sampling technique which was being used here at this particular time by the Cobbold Commission when they are having some individual coffee-housing and are talking with the senior officials, Chief Judge and Bishop of Borneo. Why did the commission are talking with the Bishops? We must know that the Muslims accounted for only about 23 per cent of the population of Sarawak (and 38 per cent in North Borneo). Gaining a lots of information from the religious leaders to represent the opinion of the populations is one of the sampling method used by the commission. Of course, along the line, the commission also conducted a meeting with the religious leader of the Muslim particularly the Malay community.

LORD COBBOLD JUDGING THE TUNKU'S

Lord Cobbold was being critical about the Tunku's outburst and accusations that British colonial servants in Borneo were hampering preparations for Malaysia. As the commission was ongoing, to avoid any further interference and misleading public opinion, Lord Cobbold was hoping that Tunku's will be quiet about Borneo territories. This showed that the British opinion about Tunku's which is basically ignorant with the real situation and the backgrounds of the Borneo people.

Almost every utterance from Malaya tends to confirm suspicions of the Borneo people that the Malayan Government intends to gobble up Sarawak quickly and on their own terms, and that H.M.G. have agreed, or are about to agree, to this process.

The recent threats by Tunku's to Singapore also has strengthen the opposition to Malaysia in Borneo territories. Since the commission was started in 19th February 1962, the opposition to Malaysia by the people was gaining strength due to the attitudes of the Tunku's and the Malayan members of the Cobbold Commission.

MAJORITY OF BORNEONS REJECTING MALAYSIA

Lord Cobbold know very well that the bulk of the population would prefer to see continuation of British rule. This means, greater size of the population in Borneo territories reject the Malaysia project and instead prefer the continuation of British rule. What a surprise revelation from the chairman of the commission.

Keep in mind, that this is a survey to ascertain the view of the people not a plesbicide either people agree or not with the formation of Malaysia. Due to the greater size of the population is rejecting the Malaysia project, Lord Cobbold with the task at hand, has to come out with recommendation to ensure the successful formation of the federation of Malaysia. The successful formation of the federation of Malaysia is the attitude made by the Cobbold Commission when they started the commission in the first place, at the British side for sure.

LORD COBBOLD RECOMMENDATIONS TO ENSURE ACCEPTABILITY OF MALAYSIA

Lord Cobbold think that something acceptable to the majority of people to accept the Malaysia project could be devised if they can be satisfied;

(a) that Malaysia is a partnership in a joint enterprise and does not mean Sarawak being handed over to rule by Malaya.

(b) that things will be taken gradually and a lot of local autonomy left to the State Government so that there will not be much change too quickly.

(c) that they can get, in some early and practical form, some advantages from Malaysia e.g. in education and development.

"CHRONIC" TROUBLING DAYS OF MALAYSIA

Lord Cobbold was convinced that if the Malayan Government persist in their current ignorant and inept attitude and are not prepared to be accommodating in the matters of safeguards, timing and local autonomy (and generous in the matter of carrots), Malaysia will not be acceptable to the Borneo territories. Lord Cobbold come to the conclusion that Tunku's handling of Borneo territories has certainly been inept.

Again, a revelation here as Lord Cobbold expose that "carrot" was being prepared to allured the people of Borneo into accepting the Malaysia project. This can be easily termed as "colonial-political bribe" at that time. Also, since the beginning, the Malayan counter-parts wasn't going to give any safeguards, special interests and rights to the Borneo States through the formation of the federation of Malaysia. The rights of the Borneo States was being championed by the British officials as it was their approach in the first place to serve the "trusteeship obligation".

Lord Cobbold confirm about what he said earlier about the risks of serious disorder if the period of uncertainty goes on for long after the final report of the commission.

Indeed, whatever the outcome of the Malaysia proposals, Lord Cobbold fear that there is bound to be a period of great trouble, and still rate the maintenance of a strong and stable local Government here as a prime necessity in any circumstances. Kuala Lumpur seems almost as far away from here as London.

Today, what did Lord Cobbold said is not coming true as there is no period of great trouble arise aside from the confrontation by the Indonesia. Not an acute disease it was, but a chronic disease it is to the people of Borneo as the trouble of "neo-colonization" are creeping over the Borneo territories through the passage of time.

Lord Cobbold concluded that he belief that Malaysia is not the best solution if only the Tunku will be sensible enough to make it possible. The Malaysia as it is today, will not be successful if the Malaya/Malaysia federal government failed to observe their responsibility towards the Borneo territories.

VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE - RELIGION

Below is the ascertain views of the people regarding religious freedom in the country towards the formation of the federation of Malaysia. It was believe that some of the issue being discuss and acquired by the commission during this time was to know about the public opinion on various issue particularly the religious freedom through the meeting with the Chief Judge and Bishop of Borneo.

Christian and other non-Muslim communities were insistent that there should be complete religious freedom in the Borneo territories.

Mission schools (Anglican, Roman Catholic, non-conformist, Seventh-Day Adventist) played a major role in Sarawak's education. The commissioners differed over religious provisions in appendix B, Main points of difference between British and Balayan sides of the Cobbold Commission.

SECRET. C. (62) 106. 4th July, 1962

Annex. The Cobbold Comission Report. Interim Report by the Committee on Greater Malaysia.

Appendix B. Main Points of difference between British and Malayan sides of the Cobbold Commission.

Subject. 2. Ultimate Position

(a) Religion...(paragraph 148 (e))

Malayan view;

Islam should be the National Religion of Malaysia as in the present Federation. (Article 3 (1) of the Federal Constitution says " Islam is the religion of the Federation: but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation.") They note that under present Federal Constitution certain public expenditure may be incurred for Islamic purposes and that this may be considered objectionable in Borneo, but they make no recommendation about this.

British View;

Specific provisions about freedom of religion should be written into " State Constitution". Present provision in the Malayan Constitution about Islam should not apply to North Borneo and Sarawak. (Note.— These make the Ruler of a State, other than Malacca and Penang, the Head of the Muslim religion in his State. In Malacca and Penang the State Constitutions are required to provide that the Agong is Head of the Muslim religion in those States.)

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