Malaya attained independence on August 31, 1957 from
Britain. However this new nation faced a communist insurgency
known today as the ?Malayan Emergency? (1948-1960). Then
in 1961, Tunku announced a wider federation of ?Malaysia?,
viz. Malaya, British Crown Colonies of Singapore, Sarawak
and North Borneo, and the protectorate of Brunei. Countering
communism was a principal motive for ?Malaysia?.
Sarawak?s leftist elements were rejected with an armed
opposition. Malaysia was formed excluding Brunei. Amidst
its birth pangs, Malaysia faced hostile neighbors Indonesia
and the Philippines; the former objected by way of
Konfrontasi (1963-1967) while the latter laid claim to Sabah
(formerly North Borneo). Malaya/ Malaysia was borne in the
midst of the Cold War (1947?1991), a bipolar world between
the US and the USSR. Malaya/Malaysia is utilized as a case
of analysis and evaluation in the context of the twin trends
of continuities and transformations in tracing the historical
developments from the 1950?s to the 1990?s. The risks,
motives, and challenges that prompted the shift in foreign
relations reveal as much of the personality of the political leadership, the prevailing situations, and conditions from
within and circumstances from without.
