Basic HTML Version
FireFlyz | 15
The Independence of the country brought many challenges and pain, yet ultimately,
progress and peace.
W
ith
Indepen-
dence, a new
series of diffi-
cult decisions
lay ahead for
Malaya, the
first of which
was to determine exactly what territories
would be included in the new state. In
1961, the term“Malaysia” came into being
after Tunku Abdul Rahman convinced
Singapore, Sabah, and Sarawak to join
Malaya in a federal union. Singapore
later peacefully opted out of the union
in 1965. Afraid that the union would
interfere with his expansionist plans,
Indonesia’s president Sukarno - real name
Kusno Sosrodihardjo - launched attacks
The Days After
against Malaysia and on the Peninsula,
all of which were unsuccessful.
Another immediate problem was the
determination of a national identity.
Malaysia was a mix of people frommany
races and cultures, and uniting them
under a common flag was not an easy
enterprise. Because Malays represented
the majority, the constitution gave them
permanent spots in the government, made
Islam the national religion and Malay
the national language. The government,
controlled by the United Malay National
Organization (UMNO), passed the New
Economic Policy, which attempted to
increase economic opportunity for the
Malays by establishing various quotas in
their favor.
It was no surprise that many Chinese
opposed the newarrangement and formed
a significant opposition party. In 1969, the
opposition party won significant seats.
The result of this was race riots sweeping
through Kuala Lumpur. The country was
placed in a state of emergency for two
years, from 1969 to 1971. It was a painful
moment in the young nation’s history that
most Malaysians prefer to forget.
Malaysia has undergone tremendous
growth and prosperity in the last few
decades and hasmade significant progress
in race relations. Many attribute the
country’s success to the leadership of
Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir bin
Mohamad, who led the country from1981
through 2003.