MARCH 6 — Many Malaysians may not realise that the dissolution of the Malayan Union was a pivotal moment that shaped the nation’s identity and sovereignty. This historic event marked the resilience of the people of Malaya, particularly the Malays in safeguarding their rights, upholding the monarchy, and preserving their heritage.
It was a turning point that challenged colonial dominance and set the stage for the formation of Malaysia, ensuring that its core values and traditions endured.
What would have happened if Malayan Union was not opposed?
Malayan Union was a concept proposed by the British to unify the administration of Malaya, which was previously divided into the Straits Settlements, Federated Malay States, and Unfederated Malay States at the end of World War II.
Through Sir Harold MacMichael, the British coerced the Malay rulers into signing the Malayan Union Agreement, which would erode their sovereignty and grant citizenship to non-Malays — a move that was unacceptable to the Malay community, who regarded Malaya as their ancestral homeland.
Opposition to Malayan Union
The British’s coercion of the Malay rulers and disregard for the wishes of the Malay people through the Malayan Union proposal sparked a major uprising.
The British had never expected the Malay community, who had long been seen as deferential, to unite via he United Malays National Organisation (Umno) led by Datuk Onn Bin Jaafar and resist on such a large scale.
The British’s coercion of the Malay rulers and disregard for the wishes of the Malay people through the Malayan Union proposal sparked a major uprising. — Picture from Facebook/446
The Malay rulers collectively boycotted the appointment of Sir Edward Gent as the Governor of Malayan Union in 1946.
Ultimately, the British were forced to back down and replace the Malayan Union with the Federation of Malaya, established on February 1, 1948.
This new federation aimed to prepare Malaya for independence while preserving the sovereignty of the Malay rulers and granting citizenship to non-Malays based on a modified jus soli (birthright citizenship).
What would have been the fate of the nation if Malayan Union had remained?
The people of Malaya have successfully buried the Malayan Union. But what if it had remained in power?
- Malayan Union would likely have gained independence as a republic, and the constitutional monarchy system would not exist — similar to what happened in Singapore, India and Indonesia.
- The Malays and other Bumiputera groups (Orang Asli and natives of Sabah and Sarawak) would not have had special privileges as the indigenous people of the land due to the jus soli citizenship granted to immigrants at the time.
- Islam might not have been recognised as the religion of the Federation, and the Malay language might not have been declared the national language.
- The Malay rulers would have lost their sovereignty, becoming marginalised like the monarchs in Indonesia and India.
In short, nothing would have remained the same — history, identity, and destiny would have been rewritten.
Conclusion
It has been 77 years since the dissolution of the Malayan Union in 1948 — a momentous event when the Malays successfully secured their position as the native of this land.
It also symbolises the courage of the Malay community in uniting under national leader Datuk Onn bin Jaafar to challenge the British, who had always viewed them as submissive, cowardly, and incapable of resisting a global superpower that had won World War II.
Malaysia today exists due to the sacrifices and struggles of our ancestors who were willing to fight for the nation.
As Malaysians, it is our undeniable duty to uphold and respect the rights of the Malays and Bumiputera, Islam as the religion of the Federation, Malay as the national language, and the sovereignty of the Malay rulers — these are the very foundations of our nation’s identity and unity. The rights of other communities must also be equally respected.
Yet, it is both disgraceful and alarming that some Malaysians still refuse to honour these principles, and even more shocking that there are those born on this soil who cannot speak Malay, the national language fluently.
This must change to preserve and strengthen the unique identity and unity of Malaysia.
Only by embracing and safeguarding these foundations can Malaysia continue to thrive as a proud, united, and sovereign nation for generations to come.
*Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Hazmi Mohd Rusli is a lecturer at Faculty of Syariah and Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia and a visiting academic at the Asean Centre, MGIMO University, Moscow, Russia.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
