1948-1957 Struggle for Independence Post-WWII

As a multi-racial and cultural nation, Malaysia’s long struggle for independence following World War II depended on multiple factors. During the war, Malaysia, along with the Philippines, was occupied by the Japanese Army. Following the war, Britain took control of the territory, but was amidst the struggle for independence by the local communist groups. The hegemonic country declared a State of Emergency following the struggle for independence, which also continued when the independence was granted.

 Right after the Federation of Malaysia was established in 1948 with a British supervisor, there was a widespread guerilla warfare against the government. These guerilla fighting groups were mostly made up of Chinese and North Vietnamese communist irregulars. When the Malaysian government successfully fought back, the guerilla fighters attempted to sabotage the society economically, by targeting one of their major items of trade. Rubber plantations were destroyed, and workers were killed. Although they were slightly demurred by Sir Herald Briggs who controlled the supply of food to the guerilla areas, the groups of communist fighters increased under the leadership of Marxist Chin Peng. He organized the fighters into the Malayan Race Liberation Army (MRLA), which reached the size of 7,000 at one point. Although small compared to the 5.5 million population, MRLA fought against British and Malaysian forces for many years. The fighting and activity eventually died down, and the Malay federation gained autonomy.

Another leading factor for Malaysia included the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), their largest political party. The UMNO’s negotiations with the British significantly helped Malaysia gain independence in 1957. While later on, the UMNO representation declined in government, new parties and representatives were introduced to the newly independent government system.