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Contents [hide]
1 Development of idea in colonial era
2 World War II
3 Confrontation and the Greater Indonesia ideal
4 Contemporary events
5 See also
6 References
Development of idea in colonial era[edit]
The Pan-Malay union was based on understandings on similarities in race, shared
language, religion and culture among ethnic groups in Maritime Southeast Asia. The
ancient concept of Alam Melayu or Nusantara advocates an historical awareness that
the territory of British Malaya, British Borneo and the Dutch East Indies were once
united, to a degree, under native empires such as Srivijaya, Majapahit, the Malacca
Sultanate, Johor-Riau Sultanate and various other sultanates in Borneo island.
At the end of the 1920s, the idea to form a new independent nation grew among the
people of Dutch East Indies, especially among educated pribumi (native Indonesian).
While in the Malay peninsula, the idea of Greater Malay was proposed. In the Dutch
East Indies, the activist youth of Indonesian nationalists were more interested in
forming an independent Indonesia. In 1928 the Youth Pledge was declared in Batavia
(today Jakarta) by Indonesian nationalist youth activists proclaiming three ideals;
one motherland, one nation, and support one unifying language.[2]
The Malay nationalist Kesatuan Melayu Muda group, founded in 1938 by Ibrahim Hj
Yaacob, was one of the more notable entities that embraced the concept as part of
its goals.[3]
In January 1942, Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM) requested the Japanese to grant Malaya
the independence the Japanese had promised earlier. This was the first request for
Malayan independence by a Malaya-wide political body. The request however was
turned down.[5] The Japanese authorities instead disbanded Kesatuan Melayu Muda and
established the Pembela Tanah Ayer (also known as the Malai Giyu Gun or by its
Malay acronym PETA) militia in its stead.
On 12 August 1945, Ibrahim Yaacob met with Sukarno, Hatta and Dr. Radjiman in
Taiping, Perak. Sukarno transited in Taiping airport on his flight back from Saigon
back to Jakarta. Previously Sukarno was summoned by Field Marshal Hisaichi Terauchi
in Dalat to discuss about the Indonesian independence and to receive direct
statement from Terauchi that Japanese Empire permitted the independence of
Indonesia.[7] During this meeting Yaacob expressed his intention to unite Malay
Peninsula into independent Indonesia. It was in this short conference that Sukarno,
flanked by Hatta, shook hands with Ibrahim Yaacob and said, 'Let us form one single
Motherland for all the sons of Indonesia'.[8]
With the surrender of Japan in August 1945, former Kesatuan Melayu Muda cadres
formed the nucleus of the emerging political movements like the Malay Nationalist
Party, Angkatan Pemuda Insaf, and Angkatan Wanita Sedar.[9][10][11] With the fall
of Japanese power in August 1945, and its key advocates are accused as traitors and
Japanese collaborators in Malaya, the ideas of the union between the peninsula with
Indonesia were faded and almost forgotten in Malay peninsula.[6]
On the other hand, after the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, through armed
battles in Indonesian National Revolution between 19451949, the Republic of
Indonesia finally gained recognition of sovereignty from the Netherlands during
DutchIndonesian Round Table Conference in 1949. While across the straits after
Japanese occupation the Malay Peninsula returned to British control.
In late 1965, the failed 30 September Movement coup attempt caused Sukarno to fall
from power and General Suharto to seize power in Indonesia. Because of this
internal conflict, Indonesia lost its desire to continue its hostile policy against
Malaysia, and therefore the war ended. On 28 May 1966, a conference held in Bangkok
secured an agreement between the Federation of Malaysia and Republic of Indonesia
to resolve the conflict. The violence ended in June, and the peace deal was signed
on 11 August and officially recognised two days later. With this treaty, Indonesia
and Malaysia officially agreed to be two separate national entities that mutually
recognised each other's existence and sovereignty.
Contemporary events[edit]