Malaysia Agreement Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Malaysia Agreement
Agreement relating to Malaysia between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Federation of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore
Drafted	15 November 1961
Signed	9 July 1963
Location	London, United Kingdom
Sealed	31 July 1963
Effective	16 September 1963
Signatories	United Kingdom Malaya North Borneo Sarawak Singapore
Parties	United Kingdom Malaya North Borneo Sarawak Singapore
Depositary	Government of the United Kingdom Secretary-General of the United Nations, acting in his capacity as depositary
Languages	English, Malay
Agreement relating to Malaysia between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Federation of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore at Wikisource

The Malaysia Agreement (also known as MA63) was an important document signed on 9 July 1963. This agreement brought together several territories to form a new country called Malaysia. The places that joined were North Borneo (now Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore. They joined with the existing states of the Federation of Malaya. Later, Singapore left Malaysia in 1965 to become its own independent country.

How Malaysia Was Formed
Recent Discussions About the Agreement
See also

How Malaysia Was Formed

Before Malaysia was created, the British ruled many parts of Southeast Asia. After World War II, many countries wanted to become independent. This process is called decolonisation. It means countries that were once colonies gain the right to govern themselves.

The Path to Independence

The Malayan Union was set up by the British in 1946. It included several Malay states and two British settlements, Penang and Malacca. This union later became the Federation of Malaya in 1948. The Federation of Malaya then gained its full independence in 1957.

The United Nations played a big role in helping countries become independent. In 1960, the UN passed a special rule called the "Declaration on Decolonisation." This rule said that all people have the right to decide their own future. It also stated that colonialism should end quickly. A special committee, called the Committee of 24, was set up to make sure this happened.

Britain Gives Up Control

The Malaysia Agreement was a deal between Britain and the Federation of Malaya. In this agreement, Britain agreed to give up its control over Singapore, Sarawak, and North Borneo. This was made official through a law called the Malaysia Act 1963. This law meant that these new states would become part of Malaysia.

People's Choice and Referendums

For Malaysia to be formed fairly, the people in North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore needed to agree. This idea is called self-determination, where people choose their own government and future.

North Borneo and Sarawak: To find out what people wanted, the British and Malayan governments set up a group called the Cobbold Commission in 1962. This group talked to people in North Borneo and Sarawak to see if they supported joining Malaysia.
Singapore: In Singapore, the ruling party wanted to join Malaysia. However, there were disagreements within the party. To make sure the people truly supported the merger, a new vote was needed. Special rules were added to the Malaysia Agreement just for Singapore. These rules covered things like how many seats Singapore would have in the federal parliament and how much money it would contribute.

Brunei also sent a group to the signing. However, they did not sign the agreement. The Sultan of Brunei wanted to be seen as the most important ruler in the new federation.

Legal Challenges

Just before Malaysia was officially formed, the state of Kelantan tried to stop it. The Kelantan government argued that the Malaysia Agreement was not valid for them. They said that the changes needed the agreement of all states, which they claimed had not happened. However, the court disagreed and said the agreement was valid.

Recent Discussions About the Agreement

Over the years, there have been talks about reviewing the Malaysia Agreement. This is to make sure that the original promises made to Sabah and Sarawak are being kept.

Key Issues Being Reviewed

In 2018, the Malaysian government set up a special committee. This committee looked at several important issues. These included:

Taxes on logging and forest products.
Rules about gas and electricity.
Building and fixing roads and other public works.
Rules about jobs and workers.
Control over health services.
Management of Sipadan and Ligitan islands for Sabah.
Issues related to farming and forests.

These discussions aimed to fix any parts of the agreement that were not being followed. However, some reports said that the talks were not always easy.

Changes to the Constitution

In 2021, Malaysia's constitution was updated. This change added a new definition for "federation." It now clearly states that Malaysia was formed based on both the 1957 Malaya agreement and the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.

New Legal Challenges

In 2022, some people from Sarawak filed a lawsuit. They asked the court to declare the Malaysia Agreement invalid for Sarawak. They argued that the people of Sarawak did not fully agree to join Malaysia through a proper vote. The Sarawak government tried to stop this lawsuit, saying that the court could not cancel an international agreement like MA63.

Malaysia Agreement facts for kids

Contents