ABSTRACT
In 1957 Malaya (now West Malaysia) was granted independence within the British Commonwealth. Sabah and Sarawak (East Malaysia) were managed by the British North Borneo Company and the Brooke family, respectively, until 1942 and were British colonies between 1946 and 1963. When Malaya was granted independence in 1957, the political superiority of the Malays and the economic strength of the Chinese were validated in the new constitution. Movement toward the Federation of Malaysia by 1963 was fueled by the need to provide a governmental framework for Sabah and Sarawak and use their indigenous populations to balance the 75% Chinese population of Singapore. The Federation of Malaysia, composed of Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak was formed on September 16, 1963. Singapore was a member of the Federation until 1965. 1
