Page 48 - The Guide To Sarawak

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INTRODUCTION TO THE STATE OF SARAWAK
Independence and Forming Malaysia
In May 1960 the charismatic Prime Minister of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman, proposed that the
British Crown Colonies
of Singapore, Sarawak, Sabah and Brunei should join together with newly- independent Malaya to form a Federation of Malaysia. Sarawak’s pre- independence leaders agreed to the proposal, although Brunei declined (and Singapore was expelled in 1966). Sarawak subsequently became an independent state again on 22nd July 1963, and
on 16th September 1963, amidst some opposition, the documents were signed to form the Federation of Malaysia.
That same year, Indonesian president Sukarno instigated a state of Konfrontasi (Confrontation) towards Sarawak and Sabah, opposing the formation
The first Sarawak State Cabinet formed in 1963; Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan, the Chief Minister, is seated centre.
of Malaysia. Konfrontasi,
an undeclared border war, was successfully fought
by troops from Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia,
Britain, Australia and New Zealand, and was finally abandoned by Sukarno’s successor Suharto in 1967. However, Indonesia’s proxy, the communist North Kalimantan Communist Party (NKCP), continued a low level insurgency which faltered with the Declaration of Sri Aman (October 1973), providing amnesty for 574
former communist terrorists. This was followed on October 17th 1990 by a final agreement with the NKCP to end the 27-year state of emergency in Sarawak.
Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan, an Iban, became the first Chief Minister of Sarawak in 1963 - sworn in by the first Head of State, Governor (Yang di Pertua Negeri) Tun Abang Haji Openg Abang Sapiee - and was responsible for rallying the people in the face of Konfrontasi and laying the
foundation for the new state. Another Iban, Datuk
Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan, first Chief Minister (1963-66).
Members of the Cobbold Commission, which gauged the willingness of the people of Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia with Malaya and Singapore in 1962.