Malayan Union

Malayan Union
ملايان اونياون
British colony
1946–1948
Flag Coat of arms
Capital		Kuala Lumpur
Languages		Malay English
Political structure		Colony
Governor		Edward Gent
Historical era		Decolonisation
•	Established	1 April 1946
•	Disestablished	31 January 1948
Area
•	1948	132,364 km² (51,106 sq mi)
Currency		Malayan dollar
Preceded by Succeeded by Federated Malay States Straits Settlements Johor Kedah Perlis Kelantan Terengganu Federation of Malaya
Today part of		Malaysia

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Prehistoric Malaysia
Early kingdoms Gangga Negara 2nd–11th century Langkasuka 2nd–14th century Chi Tu 2nd–6th century Pan Pan 3rd–5th century Kedah Tua 5th–9th century Pahang Tua 5th–15th century Melayu 6th century Srivijaya 650–1377 Majapahit 1293–1500
Rise of Muslim states Kedah Sultanate 1136–present Brunei Sultanate 1368–present Malacca Sultanate 1402–1511 Sulu Sultanate 1450–1899 Aceh Sultanate 1496–1903 Pattani Sultanate 1516–1902 Johor Sultanate 1528–present House of Jamalullail 1843–present
Colonial era Portuguese Malacca 1511–1641 Dutch–Portuguese War 1601–1661 Dutch Malacca 1641–1824 Siamese invasion of Kedah 1821–1826 Straits Settlements 1826–1946 Kingdom of Sarawak 1841–1946 Crown Colony of Labuan 1848–1946 British Malaya / Borneo 1874–1946 North Borneo 1882–1946 Federated Malay States 1895–1946 Unfederated Malay States 1909–1946
War and emergency Japanese occupation of Malaya / of Borneo 1941–1945 Si Rat Malai 1943–1945 British Military Administration of Malaya / of Borneo 1945–1946 Crown Colony of Sarawak (Anti-cession movement) 1946–1963 Crown Colony of N. Borneo 1946–1963 Malayan Union 1946–1948 Federation of Malaya 1948–1963 Malayan Emergency 1948–1960
Independence Independence of Malaya 1957 Self-government of Singapore 1959 Brunei revolt 1962 Sarawak Communist Insurgency 1962–1990 Philippine claim over North Borneo 1962–present Philippine militant attacks in Borneo 1962–present Self-government of Sarawak / of North Borneo 1963 Formation of Malaysia 1963 Singapore in Malaysia 1963–1965 Confrontation with Indonesia 1963–1966
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The Malayan Union was a union of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca. It was the successor to British Malaya and was conceived to unify the Malay Peninsula under a single government to simplify administration. Following opposition by the ethnic Malays, the union was reorganized as the Federation of Malaya in 1948.

Formation of the Malayan Union

Prior to World War II, British Malaya consisted of three groups of polities: the protectorate of the Federated Malay States, five protected Unfederated Malay States and the crown colony of the Strait Settlements.

On 1 April 1946, the Malayan Union officially came into existence with Sir Edward Gent as its governor, combining the Federated Malay States, Unfederated Malay States and the Strait Settlements of Penang and Malacca under one administration. The capital of the Union was Kuala Lumpur. The former Strait Settlement of Singapore was administered as a separate crown colony.

The idea of the Union was first expressed by the British on October 1945 (plans had been presented to the War Cabinet as early as May 1944)^[1] in the aftermath of the Second World War by the British Military Administration. Sir Harold MacMichael was assigned the task of gathering the Malay state rulers' approval for the Malayan Union in the same month. In a short period of time, he managed to obtain all the Malay rulers’ approval. The reasons for their agreement, despite the loss of political power that it entailed for the Malay rulers, has been much debated; the consensus appears to be that the main reasons were that as the Malay rulers were of course resident during the Japanese occupation, they were open to the accusation of collaboration, and that they were threatened with dethronement.^[2] Hence the approval was given, though it was with utmost reluctance.

When it was unveiled, the Malayan Union gave equal rights to people who wished to apply for citizenship. It was automatically granted to people who were born in any state in British Malaya or Singapore and were living there before 15 February 1942, born outside British Malaya or the Straits Settlements only if their fathers were citizens of the Malayan Union and those who reached 18 years old and who had lived in British Malaya or Singapore "10 out of 15 years before 15 February 1942". The group of people eligible for application of citizenship had to live in Singapore or British Malaya "for 5 out of 8 years preceding the application", had to be of good character, understand and speak the English or Malay language and "had to take an oath of allegiance to the Malayan Union". However, the citizenship proposal was never actually implemented. Due to opposition to the citizenship proposal, it was postponed then modified, which made it harder for many Chinese and Indian residents to obtain Malayan citizenship.^[3]

The Sultans, the traditional rulers of the Malay states, conceded all their powers to the British Crown except in religious matters. The Malayan Union was placed under the jurisdiction of a British Governor, signalling the formal inauguration of British colonial rule in the Malay peninsula. Moreover, even though State Councils were still kept functioning in the former Federated Malay States, it lost the limited autonomy that they enjoyed as they administered some local and less important aspects of government and the Federal government in Kuala Lumpur controlling vital aspects. State Councils became an extended hand of the Federal government that had to do its bidding. Also, British Residents replacing the Sultans as the head of the State Councils meant that the political status of the Sultans were greatly reduced.^[4]

A Supreme Court was established in 1946 of which Harold Curwen Willan was the only Chief Justice.^[5]

Opposition, dissolution of the Malayan Union and the creation of the Federation of Malaya

Protest against the Malayan Union by the Malays.

The Malays generally opposed the creation of the Union. The opposition was due to the methods Sir Harold MacMichael used to acquire the Sultans' approval, the reduction of the Sultans' powers, and easy granting of citizenship to immigrants. The United Malays National Organisation or UMNO, a Malay political association formed by Dato' Onn bin Ja'afar on 1 March 1946, led the opposition against the Malayan Union. Malays also wore white bands around their heads, signifying their mourning for the loss of the Sultans' political rights.

Some ex-Malayan government officials, including Sir Frank Swettenham, criticised the way these constitutional reforms were brought about in Malaya, even saying that it went against the principles of the Atlantic Charter. They also encouraged Malay opposition to the Malayan Union.

After the inauguration of the Malayan Union, the Malays, under UMNO continued opposing the Malayan Union. They utilised civil disobedience as a means of protest by refusing to attend the installation ceremonies of the British governors. They had also refused to participate in the meetings of the Advisory Councils, hence Malay participation in the government bureaucracy and the political process had totally stopped. The British had recognised this problem and took measures to consider the opinions of the major races in Malaya before making amendments to the constitution. The Malayan Union was dissolved and replaced by the Federation of Malaya on 1 February 1948.

Evolution towards Malaysia

Evolution of Malaysia

See also

• Bumiputra

Notes

References

• Zakaria Haji Ahmad. Government and Politics (1940–2006). p.p 30-21. ISBN 981-3018-55-0.
• Marissa Champion. Odyssey: Perspectives on Southeast Asia – Malaysia and Singapore 1870–1971. ISBN 9971-0-7213-0
• Sejarah Malaysia

Protectorates and Crown colonies of British Malaya and Borneo
Malaya	Straits Settlements (1826–1946) Federated Malay States (1895–1946) Unfederated Malay States (1800s–1946) Crown Colony of Malacca (1946–1957) Crown Colony of Penang (1946–1957)
Borneo	Kingdom of Sarawak (1841–1941) Crown Colony of Sarawak (1946–1963) Crown Colony of Labuan (1848–1946) North Borneo (1882–1946) Crown Colony of North Borneo (1946–1963)

Links to related articles
Protests in Malaysia Kuala Lumpur 1946–47 anti-Malayan Union protests 1947 All-Malaya Hartal 1967 Keranda 152 rally 1969 Malaysian students pre-election demonstrations 13 May 1969 riots 1969 PMUM Anti-Tunku demonstrations 1970 PMUM vs PBMUM Papan Tanda demonstrations 1971 Malaysian constitutional crisis 1983 Malaysian constitutional crisis 1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis 1993 Malaysian constitutional crisis 1998–2000s Reformasi demonstrations 2001 Kampung Medan riots 2007 BERSIH 1.0 rally 2007 HINDRAF rally 2008 Black 14 rally 2008 Malaysian fuel hike protests 2009 Keranda 152 rally 2009 anti-ISA rally 2009 anti-Menteri Besar Terengganu rally 2011 anti-Peaceful Assembly Act rally 2011 BERSIH 2.0 rally Occupy Dataran 2012 Free Anwar 901 rally 2012 BERSIH 3.0 rally 2012 anti-Lynas rally 2013 anti-Jamalul Kiram III infiltration protests 2013 KL 112, People’s Uprising rally 2013 Blackout 505 rallies 2013 Ops Turun, anti-price hike rally 2014 Red Pencil protest 2014 May Day anti-GST rally 2015 Rakyat Hakim Negara rally 2015 Kita Lawan, May Day anti-GST rally 2015 #TangkapNajib rally 2015 Low Yat Plaza riot 2015 BERSIH 4.0 rally 2015 United People's rally 2015 Shutdown Sungai Besi rally 2016 anti-TPPA rally 2016 Keranda 152 rally 2016 Muafakat Selamatkan Malaysia rally 2016 Hancur GST, Undur Najib, Undur Rosmah, Bebas Anwar, Hidup Rakyat rally 2016 BERSIH 5.0 rally Other 1946–50 anti-cession movement of Sarawak 1963 anti-Indonesia infiltration demonstrations 1964 race riots in Singapore 1966 Sarawak constitutional crisis 1967 Teluk Gong demonstrations 1967 Penang Hartal riot 1974 Baling demonstrations 1974 Tasek Utara, Johor demonstrations 1977 Kelantan riots 1985 Memali riots 1986 Sabah riots 1993 Sultan of Kelantan demonstrations 1998 Kampung Rawa riots 2009 Perak constitutional crisis 2009 1BLACKMalaysia protests 2009 cow's head protests 2009 anti-PPSMI rally 2010 Water for People rally 2011 Gathering of a Million Faithful 2012 Orange rally 2012 Green Rally to 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Coordinates: 3°08′N 101°42′E / 3.133°N 101.700°E / 3.133; 101.700